What I Don't Understand

As we try to distract ourselves from Richard Zednik's neck wound (and to think, all these years I've been making fun of Alexei Yashin for wearing a turtleneck), I was thinking about things in hockey I don't understand. Everyone, whether they're newcomers or seasoned veterans of the game, have at least one rule or custom in hockey that they don't really get. I have two.

First, I don't understand why they kick people out of the face-off circle. I mean, I get why they do; I know the rule and everything. But I can't call it at all. When I think a guy should get kicked out, the refs don't. When I don't think anyone should get kicked out, the refs inevitably make someone else leave.* My roommate doesn't either, and we've both been playing hockey for years now. It is just because the rule is ambiguous, or is just something I don't know?

*I'm always kind of embarrassed for a player when he gets kicked out of the circle, because the ref will just point and tell him to get out and he always doesn't notice immediately and then he just puts his head down and skates away. Poor guy, getting humiliated in front of his friends like that.

Another thing I don't understand: why do they give both players penalties when someone gets called for diving? If a guy dove, that means to me that he created a penalty where none took place, so only he should get sent to the box. Sometimes they'll only send the diver to the box (Holmstrom got called for diving last week with no corresponding penalty), but a lot of the time it'll be one guy for hooking or tripping and then another guy for diving. It seems to me that they should only call the diver in order to discourage such practice. Am I wrong?

So that's 2 things in hockey I don't get. Anyone else have something random in the game that has always bothered them? Don't worry, we're all friends here, no one will make fun of you.

Well, unless it's something I already know, and then I'll mock you mercilessly.