An illustration of where each player lines up in a center ice faceoff.

Official Positions

Center (C): A forward in hockey whose primary zone of play is in the center of the ice, as opposed to the boards on either end. Famous current centers include Sidney Crosby, Henrik Sedin, and Steven Stamkos.

Defensemen (D): A position in hockey whose primary responsibility is to prevent opponents from scoring. Famous current defensemen include Shea Weber, Zdeno Chara, and Mike Green.

Goalie (G): A position in hockey whose primary responsibility is to guard the goal post to keep opponents from scoring. Goalies are also called goaltenders. Famous current goalies include Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Miller, and Jonathan Quick.

Left Wing (LW): A forward in hockey whose primary zone of play is on the left side of the ice. Famous current left wingers include Alex Ovechkin, Daniel Sedin, and Zach Parise.

Right Wing (RW): A forward in hockey whose primary zone of play is on the right side of the ice. Famous current right wingers include Corey Perry, Phil Kessell, and Martin St. Louis.

Unofficial Positions

Forward: Center, Left Wing, and Right Wing are considered forwards in hockey.

Skater: All players on the ice except the goalie is considered a skater.

Winger: Left Wing and Right Wing are considered wingers in hockey.

Zones

Attacking Zone: The area inside the opponent's blue line, where the opponent's net is located. In the illustration above, the attacking zone is the zone on the left of the hockey rink.

Defensive Zone: The area inside a team's own blue line, where its goal net is located. In the illustration above, the defensive zone is the zone on the right of the hockey rink.

Neutral Zone: The area on the rink between the two blue lines.



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