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Winger in hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink. Nowadays, there are different types of wing men in the game — out-and-out goal scorers, checkers who disrupt the opponents, and forwards who work along the boards and in the corners.
This position is commonly referred to by the side of the rink that the winger normally takes, e.g. "left wing" or "right wing."
Offensive zone play
A winger's responsibility in the offensive zone is to:
- fight for the puck in the corners
- position himself/herself in front of the net
- make a play to an open teammate
A winger should not:
- fight for the puck in the same corner as his or her fellow winger.
- chase the puck down low in his or her own zone.
Wingers should be playing low in the zone. They are the grinders who make the difference in the offensive zone. Aggressiveness is key. Frequently, a smaller, quicker player is more effective than a larger opponent.
Planting themselves in front of the net is an effective way to aggravate the opposition to draw a penalty (opposition gets penalized). The act of "planting yourself" is also an effective offensive tactic. The winger who is on the opposite side from the puck plants themselves looking to re-direct an off goal shot by the defenceman or a bad angle shot from the other forward positions.
Defensive zone play
A winger's responsibility in the defensive zone is to:
- wait for a pass from his or her teammate
- intercept a pass to the opposing defenceman
- attack the opposing defenceman when he/she has the puck
A winger should (typically) not:
- play deep in his or her zone
- help out his/her teammate along the boards
Wingers should be playing high in the zone. They are the go-to guys when needing to exit the zone. If a winger commits to helping his or her teammate along the boards, it takes him or her out of the position where all other teammates are expecting them to be waiting; high in the zone near the opposing defencemen. When the winger receives a pass along the boards he or she can execute a number of things:
- bank it off the boards or glass to get it out of the zone
- redirect or softly pass the puck to the top of the circle. A rushing forward should then pick it up and head out of the zone.
- throwing the puck out of the zone towards the centreline which then can be picked up by a fellow winger rushing out of the zone.
Backchecking
Wingers are usually the last players to backcheck out of the offensive zone. On the backcheck, it is essential that he or she cover the last free opposing player rushing in. Once the puck is controlled by the opposing team in the defensive zone, however, wingers are responsible for covering the defenseman on his or her side of the ice.
Faceoffs
During faceoffs, it is essential for the wingers to hold their man up when the puck is dropped. A faceoff is not merely two centremen fighting for a dropped puck, but all forwards fighting for it. If the centreman ties his or her man up on the faceoff, there is nothing more frustrating than having an opposing winger come in and easily take the puck from beneath their feet. Wingers should be just as tied up as centremen.
Once the faceoff is clearly won, players can then break.
Another common play is for the Wingers to bolt straight to and cover the opponent defensemen. Often the opposing Center (and your own center) will try and "sweep" the puck back to his defense. In case he/she is successful, it is helpful for the Winger to be covering and tying up the other team's defense.
See also
"Winger (ice hockey)"