How did the term "Penalty Kill" originate?

[GMR]

Was this phrase used in the original six days also?

Do they call it something else in International hockey?

Seems like a strange word to officially use for a sports game.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Unofficial term that just caught on and managed to stick

 

[MadLuke]

Do they call it something else in International hockey?

In french (Canada) often say Avantage numérique and désanvatage numérique instead of powerplay and penalty killing, both expression not being obvious one, not just PK.

Quick look at wikipedia, in water polo it is man up, man down. soccer is playing up a man or with a man advantage, all those are more direct obvious than something like powerplay.

 

[MadArcand]

In Slovak/Czech, powerplay & penalty kill translate literally as "overpowering" & "weakening".

 

[GMR]

In french (Canada) often say Avantage numérique and désanvatage numérique instead of powerplay and penalty killing, both expression not being obvious one.

Quick look at wikipedi, in water polo it is man up, man down. soccer is playing up a man or with a man advantage, all those are more direct obvious than something like powerplay.

In Slovak/Czech, powerplay & penalty kill translate literally as "overpowering" & "weakening".

Yeah, those terms make more sense than power play and penalty kill. I didn't realize the French Canadians said it differently. I figured it would be the same since it's still North American hockey.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

“Powerplay” has always been the one that sounds odd to me since I got into the game (over 30 years ago). It’s a term that sounds like it belongs in American Gladiators, not in a sport that’s been around for hundreds of years.

 

[decma]

Does anyone know when the terms were first used? The earliest hit in the New York Times archive of the term "power play" (in a hockey context) is in a February 1939 article (describing a Leafs-Rangers game).

March 1939 is the earliest hit for the use of shorthanded in a hockey context.

Could be a coincidence, or maybe their coverage (or archival records) was spotty before then?

And, curiously, the earliest hit for "penalty kill" in a hockey context is 1970.

 

[MadLuke]

february 1931: 1960 something

Cape Breton Post

books.google.ca

From the cape breton post,, lot of reference to the power play and penalty kill, would not surprise me if the expression are old enough we could not find any official first use (if there was one)

 

[Summer Rose]

In french (Canada) often say Avantage numérique and désanvatage numérique instead of powerplay and penalty killing, both expression not being obvious one.

Quick look at wikipedi, in water polo it is man up, man down. soccer is playing up a man or with a man advantage, all those are more direct obvious than something like powerplay.

I'll add another sport to this one: in rugby, if you receive a yellow card, you're sent off the pitch for 10 minutes (2 minutes in rugby sevens, where the matches are 14 minutes long - a regular rugby match is 80) and your team has to play a man down while you're gone. I'm not sure if the term is in the official rules or not, but the colloquial way of referring to the situation is that the player is in the "sin bin" (along with phrases derived thereof, such as "sent to the sin bin," "binned," etc.).

“Powerplay” has always been the one that sounds odd to me since I got into the game (over 30 years ago). It’s a term that sounds like it belongs in American Gladiators, not in a sport that’s been around for hundreds of years.

Cricket also has a situation referred to as a "power play" but it does not involve an alteration of numerical strength (the batting team always has 2 and the fielding team always has 11). Instead, it refers to a situation where there are restrictions on where the fielders are allowed to be (no more than two outside of a circle that's 30 meters away from the center, which is where the bowlers deliver balls to the batsmen who try to hit it). It's an advantageous situation to the batting team, and they tend to score more runs during power plays.

 

[The Panther]

Yeah, I've always thought "power play" was a bizarre term. It sounds like a 1990's video-game phrase.

(I had a thread a couple years ago where I noted some bizarre phrases often used in [English] hockey broadcasting. One I can never understand is broadcasters' love for saying the shooter "makes no mistake". WTF is that?)

 

[Mr Nogatco]

february 1931:

Cape Breton Post

books.google.ca

From the cape breton post,, lot of reference to the power play and penalty kill, would not surprise me if the expression are old enough we could not find any official first use (if there was one)

There was a thread in the last year or two that shed light on the origins of the term “power play.” IIRC it originally referred to a defender joining the rush and thus creating a numerical advantage.

Here is an older thread with a similar explanation:

Thread 'Use of Term 'Power Play''

Feb 18, 2012

Hi,

I've often wondered when the term 'power play' started being used for having a man advantage. It may well have existed since the early days of the game, but it just doesn't sound like a term from the 1920s or before. It sounds like a more modern phrase.

Any insight/thoughts?

• David Moose
• Replies: 2
• Forum: The History of Hockey

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

Was this phrase used in the original six days also?

Do they call it something else in International hockey?

Seems like a strange word to officially use for a sports game.

For whatever reason, in Swedish we call it ”boxplay”. Because the team on the PK often plays in a box formation in front of their goalie. But ”PK” has entered our vocabulary in more recent history, and that players and coaches talk about their ”special teams”. I don’t recall hearing it as much ten years ago, but nowadays it’s all the time.

In french (Canada) often say Avantage numérique and désanvatage numérique instead of powerplay and penalty killing, both expression not being obvious one.

Also very common in Sweden, particularly for the announcers to say that: “Spel i numerärt överläge/underläge”; play with a numerical advantage/disadvantage.

 

[MadLuke]

. I figured it would be the same since it's still North American hockey.

Lot of commentator are previous NHL players so more and more, "tuer des punitions" and others of the sorts entered the lexicons, but the journalists tend to still use the older frenchier one.

 

[GMR]

Yeah, I've always thought "power play" was a bizarre term. It sounds like a 1990's video-game phrase.

(I had a thread a couple years ago where I noted some bizarre phrases often used in [English] hockey broadcasting. One I can never understand is broadcasters' love for saying the shooter "makes no mistake". WTF is that?)

Yeah, it's presumed if he scores he made no mistake. Yet he may have been aiming for another spot.

 

[Crosby2010]

Pretty sure Foster Hewitt said it during the 1972 Summit Series. I am trying to picture it in my mind right now.

 

[The Panther]

Yeah, it's presumed if he scores he made no mistake. Yet he may have been aiming for another spot.

And when the shooter fires a muffin into the goalie's chest, the broadcaster doesn't say: "He made a mistake!"

 

[overpass]

february 1931:

Cape Breton Post

books.google.ca

From the cape breton post,, lot of reference to the power play and penalty kill, would not surprise me if the expression are old enough we could not find any official first use (if there was one)

Check the date on the paper, it's actually from 1965 and dated incorrectly by Google.

I think the phrase "penalty kill" dates to the 1940s. In the 30s players were commonly said to be "killing time" while shorthanded, which became "killing a penalty". This led to the phrase "penalty killer" to describe the players who killed the penalties, in the early 40s. And then "penalty kill" to describe the situation followed.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Brooklyn Eagle - Nov 19, 1952

"...and Eddie Kullman will go back to his penalty killing specialty"

Though it seems sparsely used before then, it's used pretty non-chalantly here for instance...

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Yeah, I've always thought "power play" was a bizarre term. It sounds like a 1990's video-game phrase.

(I had a thread a couple years ago where I noted some bizarre phrases often used in [English] hockey broadcasting. One I can never understand is broadcasters' love for saying the shooter "makes no mistake". WTF is that?)

one thing that’s really entertaining (or grating depending on your angle) is noting how many times you hear “unbelievable” in a given NA sports broadcast.

You’d think they’d believe it by now.

 

[GMR]

one thing that’s really entertaining (or grating depending on your angle) is noting how many times you hear “unbelievable” in a given NA sports broadcast.

You’d think they’d believe it by now.

Especially when Vince McMahon was commentating wrestling matches.

 

[Summer Rose]

one thing that’s really entertaining (or grating depending on your angle) is noting how many times you hear “unbelievable” in a given NA sports broadcast.

You’d think they’d believe it by now.

I agree that it's an overused word. Fans and commentators alike tend to overexaggerate things or use hyperbolic language (such as on this very site, posting things like "that was the best/worst (thing) I've ever seen"). I get that a play by play commentator's job specifically calls for bringing energy in describing the play as it happens, but overusing the word "unbelievable" is a little much. I can't think of a hockey example of a play that would be an appropriate use of the word, but I think it's fair to call, in baseball, an unassisted triple play "unbelievable" just as an example of where it is appropriate.

On a side note, I once found a VHS tape at a thrift store that was a compilation of "unbelievable" plays in sports (according to its title). It was actually pretty good, and there were even some hockey plays in it. All I really remember about it by now is that the first play they showed was a pitcher throwing a wild pitch with a runner on third, which caused the catcher to chase the ball to the backstop and throw it to the pitcher covering home plate. He received the throw and tagged out the runner by going between his legs, all in one quick motion. It was really cool!

 

[overpass]

I've found a few articles to track the development of the term. Briefly, the phrases "penalty killing" and "penalty killer" originated in the 1940s and were widespread by the 50s. I didn't find the phrase "penalty kill" until 1984.

Here's an article from 1934 that shows the origin of the "kill" part of the phrase. In the 1930s, the phrase "killing time" was used, and could refer to playing defensively while shorthanded or with the lead.

March 16, 1934, The Granby Leader-Mail
Gerry Bates was off at the time serving a penalty and Aubin, killing time while his team was playing shorthanded, was about to circle his goal with Porter after him.

In 1939, coach Dick Irvin dropped the "time" part of the phrase and referred directly to "killing off penalties."

Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, Apr 8, 1939
"I'd like to have two men like Cooney Weiland and Gordon Pettinger of the Bruins just to kill off penalties," Irvin said.

In 1943, penalty-killing was used as a verb.

Ottawa Citizen, March 19, 1943
The Colvilles and Shibicky would have made it extremely hot for Claude Bourque in the home stretch had they not been so weary from penalty-killing.

And in 1944, penalty-killer was used as a noun.

Ottawa Citizen, Oct 24, 1944
Seldom lost to the team through injuries, (Syd Howe) has been extremely useful as a penalty-killer.

"penalty killing" and "penalty killer" have been a regular part of hockey vocabulary since 1945-1950.

However, I didn't find the phrase "penalty kill" used as a noun to refer to the shorthanded team's situation until the 1980s. In 1980, the variant "penalty kill times" was used to refer to the shorthanded situation.

July 16, 1980, AP
(Coach Eddie Johnston) said he wants the Penguins defense to be more offense-minded. He plans to fine tune scoring on power plays and improve the team's defensive stall during penalty kill times.

And finally in 1984, I found the first usage of "penalty kill" in its current form. It's in an article about the tactics and coaching of the penalty kill.

North Island Gazette, Feb 1, 1984
In penalty kill we will concern ourselves with the defensive zone and work from a box configuration. Space permits us to cover only one part of penalty kill, and for this reason we will stress the defensive zone.

The first system of penalty kill is referred to as the 'tight box'.

Later in the article:

The penalty kill remains structured around the four-man box system, however, the corner of the box closest to the box would be allowed to attack freely, pressuring the opposition into making mistakes.

The article sometimes used the definite article "the penalty kill" and sometimes did not; "penalty kill".

The Hockey Drill Book by Guy Palmer also referenced "the penalty kill" in 1984.
In the first figure, the team is shown split into two squads--one squad having only four players (on the penalty kill) and the other having five players (on the power play).

It's telling that both references were part of a discussion of coaching and tactics. Likely the phrase "the penalty kill", used to refer to the situation of being down a man and the players who play in that situation, arose out of coaching jargon and shorthand.

 

[vikash1987]

March 1, 1933 edition of The Ottawa Journal mentions “powerplay” a couple times when reporting on the Ottawa Senators-Boston Bruins 0-0 game:

“With five minutes to go [Nels] Stewart and his burly wings came on for Boston and tried to work the power-play with [Eddie] Shore shooting the puck over. During the exciting scrimmage, [Joe] Lamb managed to connect with Stewart as he lurked in front or the Ottawa net, but again [goaltender Bill] Beveridge was unbeatable. The Bruins kept working their power-play without success…”

 

[overpass]

March 1, 1933 edition of The Ottawa Journal mentions “powerplay” a couple times when reporting on the Ottawa Senators-Boston Bruins 0-0 game:

“With five minutes to go [Nels] Stewart and his burly wings came on for Boston and tried to work the power-play with [Eddie] Shore shooting the puck over. During the exciting scrimmage, [Joe] Lamb managed to connect with Stewart as he lurked in front or the Ottawa net, but again [goaltender Bill] Beveridge was unbeatable. The Bruins kept working their power-play without success…

From the box score, the Bruins didn't have a man advantage late in the third period of this game. In this case, "power-play" holds the original usage, referring to any time that a team sent four or even five skaters into the offensive zone for an extended period of time.

There had always been defencemen who joined the rush when they had the opportunity. The innovation of the power-play was that the defenceman (or often a fourth or fifth forward, especially late in games or with a man advantage) would be one of four or five skaters going on on the attack, rather than having one of the forwards hang back to cover the vacant defensive position. And that the four or five skaters would remain in the offensive zone and on the attack, even after the initial rush.

The tactic was used when the other team was down a man, when trailing late in the third period, or whenever Eddie Shore decided it was time. It wasn't until the 1940s that the term power-play was used only for man advantage situations.

 

[vikash1987]

From the box score, the Bruins didn't have a man advantage late in the third period of this game. In this case, "power-play" holds the original usage, referring to any time that a team sent four or even five skaters into the offensive zone for an extended period of time.

There had always been defencemen who joined the rush when they had the opportunity. The innovation of the power-play was that the defenceman (or often a fourth or fifth forward, especially late in games or with a man advantage) would be one of four or five skaters going on on the attack, rather than having one of the forwards hang back to cover the vacant defensive position. And that the four or five skaters would remain in the offensive zone and on the attack, even after the initial rush.

The tactic was used when the other team was down a man, when trailing late in the third period, or whenever Eddie Shore decided it was time. It wasn't until the 1940s that the term power-play was used only for man advantage situations.

Interesting. You’re absolutely right: the term in this case was used to describe an offensive rush/blitz and not a man advantage situation. I misinterpreted the reference to Eddie Shore “shooting the puck over,” thinking he shot it over the boards and got a delay of game penalty—but even that wouldn’t make sense since that wouldn’t have led to a Bruins “powerplay”!

I did find this other reference, by the Canadian Press from the March 19, 1934 edition of the Regina Leader-Post, describing the Rangers-Leafs game:

“The three [goals] that passed [Rangers goaltender Andy Aitkenhead] came on Leaf power-plays when Rangers were shorthanded…”

This usage of the term seems to be confirmed by the box score.