In
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
, a pest is a player who attempts to antagonize opponents either by physical play or verbal incitement. Pests employ legal, illegal, or borderline tactics to accomplish their goals. Some common tactics include
chirping or
slashing and
hooking
In computer programming, the term hooking covers a range of techniques used to alter or augment the behaviour of an operating system, of applications, or of other software components by intercepting function calls or messages or events passed ...
while referees are not looking. They may employ the tactic of goading opponents into a fight but then backing off in order to draw a
penalty
Penalty, The Penalty, Penalization, Penalisation, Penalize or Penalise may refer to:
Sports
* Foul (sports)
** Penalty (golf)
** Penalty (gridiron football)
** Penalty (ice hockey)
** Penalty (rugby)
** Penalty (rugby union)
** Penalty kick (assoc ...
against them. Some pests may not only use these tactics against opposing skaters, but opposing
goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as goalie or netminder) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their own team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays ...
s as well.
Pest and agitator are sometimes used synonymously, as both are usually characterized by short bursts of intensity and speed with the intention of creating havoc.
The term has been used derogatorily to refer to a player who incites anger in the opposition but is unwilling to directly suffer the consequences of their actions by engaging in fighting, as would an
enforcer.
George McPhee
George McPhee (born July 2, 1958) is a Canadian ice hockey executive and former player who is the president of hockey operations for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). McPhee served as the general manager of the Washin ...
, former
general manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
of the
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...
and president of the
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division ...
, said, "Pests are really the guys who have no courage. They start stuff and don't back it up."
Examples of pests in NHL
In February 2001, ''Hockey Digest'' published a list of the
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
's best pests. They were:
Bob Kelly,
Matt Cooke,
Esa Tikkanen
Esa Tikkanen (born January 25, 1965) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Florida P ...
,
Tomas Holmstrom,
Darius Kasparaitis
Darius Kasparaitis (born October 16, 1972) is a Lithuanian–American former professional ice hockey defenceman. He mainly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche, and New Yo ...
,
Ian Laperriere,
Tyson Nash
Tyson Scott Nash (born March 11, 1975) is a Canadian former ice hockey left winger. He announced his retirement on September 11, 2008. He last played for the Nippon Paper Cranes in Japan during the 2007–08 season.
Hockey
Nash spent his fir ...
,
Todd Harvey
Todd Douglas Ross Harvey (born February 17, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward and current director of amateur scouting for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). During his playing career, he played for ...
,
Matthew Barnaby
Matthew Barnaby (born May 4, 1973) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), right winger. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York ...
,
Kris Draper
Kristopher Bruce "Kris" Draper (born May 24, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current director of amateur scouting and assistant general manager for the Detroit Red Wings, the team which he played 17 seasons for durin ...
,
Bill Lindsay,
Jamal Mayers
Jamal David Mayers (born October 24, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He spent time playing for the St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, San Jo ...
and
Steve Staios
Steve Staios (born July 28, 1973) is a Canadian ice hockey executive and former professional player. He currently serves as president of hockey operations and general manager for the Ottawa Senators. Staios played right defence in the National Ho ...
.
In 2009, ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' also compiled their own list of "Notable Pests of the NHL". Their list included:
Claude Lemieux
Claude Percy Lemieux (born July 16, 1965), is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for six teams between 1983 and 2009. Lemieux won four Stanley Cup championships during his car ...
,
Steve Ott
Steven Bradley Ott (born August 19, 1982) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre and current assistant coach of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first rou ...
,
Jordin Tootoo,
Jarkko Ruutu
Jarkko Samuli Ruutu (); born 23 August 1975) is a Finnish people, Finnish former professional ice hockey Forward (ice hockey), forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators ...
,
Matt Cooke,
Alexandre Burrows
Alexandre Ménard-Burrows (born April 11, 1981) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is currently working as a player development consultant for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). Playing a ...
,
Chris Neil
Chris Neil (born June 18, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger (ice hockey), right winger. Neil was drafted in the sixth round, 161st overall, in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators, and played his entire NHL ca ...
,
Ian Laperriere,
Darcy Tucker
Darcy Tucker (born March 15, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played most of his National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. A sixth round draft choice, Tucker began his NHL career with the Mon ...
,
Chris Simon,
Matthew Barnaby
Matthew Barnaby (born May 4, 1973) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), right winger. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York ...
,
Theo Fleury
Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury (born June 29, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, author and motivational speaker. Fleury played for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the ...
,
Pat Verbeek,
Esa Tikkanen
Esa Tikkanen (born January 25, 1965) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Florida P ...
,
Ken Linseman and
Tiger Williams
David James "Tiger" Williams (born February 3, 1954) is a Canadian former professional sports, professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1974–75 NHL season, 1974 to 1987–88 NHL season, 1988. He played ...
.
See also
*
Grinder (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a grinder is a player better known for his hard work and checking than his scoring. A grinder is often a player who has limited offensive skills, but is valuable to a hockey team due to physical forechecking skills especially along ...
Notes
References
*
{{IceHockeyPositions
Ice hockey terminology