Dead puck
A puck that flies out of the rink or that a player has caught in his hand.
Defensemen
Two players who make up a team’s defensive unit usually stationed in or near their defensive zone to help the goalie guard against attack; sometimes they lead an attack. The left defenseman covers the left half of the rink, the right defenseman plays to the right, but they can skate into each other’s territory.
Defensive line
Consists of two defensemen.
Defensive zone
The zone or area nearest a team’s goal (the goal they are defending).
Deflection
Causing any pass or shot to stray from its intended course; a shot or pass that hits some object such as a stick or skate and goes into the net for a score or when a goalie hits the puck away.
Deke or deking
A decoying or faking motion by the puck-carrier; the art of making a defensive player think you are going to pass or move in a certain direction when you are not. There are shoulder dekes, stick dekes and head dekes.
Delayed penalty
A penalty against a team that has only 4 players on the ice, assessed only when one of its players gets out of the penalty box.
Delayed whistle or delayed call
When an official raises his arm but does not blow his whistle, waiting to see the outcome of a play before calling a penalty; this is done so as not to penalize the non-offending team by stopping its momentum.
Delay of game
A minor penalty imposed on any player who purposely delays the game in any way, such as shooting or batting the puck outside the playing area or displacing the goalpost from its normal position.
Double minor
A type of minor penalty given for certain accidental infractions that result in an injury to another player or for certain deliberate attempts to injure an opponent that are unsuccessful; penalty time of 4 minutes is served, double the time of a normal minor penalty.
Drop pass
When a player simply leaves the puck behind for a teammate following him to pick up.
