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A rover was a position in
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
used from its formation in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. At the time ice hockey consisted of seven positions: along with the
goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...
, two
defencemen
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference to ...
, and three
forwards, positions which still remain. Unlike all the others, the rover did not have a set position, and roamed the ice at will, going where needed.
As the skill level of players increased, the need to have a rover decreased. Shortly after it was formed in 1910, the
National Hockey Association
The National Hockey Association (NHA), officially the National Hockey Association of Canada Limited, was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor of today's National Hockey Lea ...
decided to exclude the rover. The league's successor, the
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
, did the same in
1917. However, the
Pacific Coast Hockey Association
The Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) was a professional ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). The PCHA was cons ...
, formed in 1911, kept the rover. The
Western Canada Hockey League
The Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.
The WCHL's Victoria C ...
also used a rover when it was founded in 1921.
As the NHA and later NHL did not have a rover, but the PCHA did, a compromise was made during
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
matches, which, at the time, was a
challenge cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involves am ...
. Games would alternate between the NHA/NHL rules and PCHA versions, allowing each team an advantage and disadvantage during games.
The first
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
ice hockey tournament in 1920 used a rover, but this position was eliminated for subsequent games.
In 1923, both the PCHA and the WCHL decided to drop the rover position, as it was seen to be crowding the ice and therefore reducing the speed of play.
With the decision to remove the rover, it disappeared from professional hockey forever.
Contemporary usage
The term is sometimes used to informally describe fast, rushing offensive defencemen, such as former NHL star
Scott Niedermayer
Scott Niedermayer (born August 31, 1973) is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman and current special assignment coach of the Anaheim Ducks. He played 18 seasons and over 1,000 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devi ...
, as they often roam the ice creating offensive pressure instead of being simply "
blueliners". Other players who have been described as modern "rovers" include
Tyson Barrie
Tyson Barrie (born July 26, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers. ...
,
Brent Burns
Brent Burns (born March 9, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted as a right wing (20th overall) at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild, he wa ...
,
Dustin Byfuglien
Dustin Byfuglien ( ; born March 27, 1985) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He previously played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets. Drafted as a defenseman, he has played both forward and defens ...
,
Erik Karlsson
Erik Sven Gunnar Karlsson (; born 31 May 1990) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Karlsson was drafted in the first round, 15th overall, by the Otta ...
,
Paul Coffey
Paul Douglas Coffey (born June 1, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played for nine teams over 21 seasons in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among ...
,
Cale Makar
Cale Douglas Makar (born October 30, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected with the fourth overall pick by the Avalanche in the 2017 NHL Entry Dr ...
and
Sandis Ozolinsh, due to their ability to either play forward and defense, or because of their strong puck handling skills. The term is also used to describe the
extra attacker
An extra attacker in ice hockey and ringette is a forward or, less commonly, a defenceman who has been substituted in place of the goaltender. The purpose of this substitution is to gain an offensive advantage to score a goal. The removal of the ...
, who roams the ice instead of assuming one of the usual positions.
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
External links
{{wikisource, Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game/Chapter IV
Rovers inducted in the HHOF
Ice hockey rules
Ice hockey positions