Explaining Hockey's Icing Rule

Drawing upon nearly a decade of relevant experience, Andrew Brendmoen is a mixologist and bartender at Smokey Bones in Lakeland, Florida. Outside of his professional pursuits, Andrew Brendmoen enjoys playing golf and hockey.

One of the three primary rules involving puck movement in hockey is icing. The infraction occurs when a player shoots the puck toward the opposite end of the ice before crossing the center red line. This results in a stoppage of play, with the subsequent face-off taking place in the defensive zone of the team that iced the puck. The rule is in place to prohibit teams from simply firing the puck down the ice as a way to escape sustained offensive pressure from the opposing team. In the NHL, teams that ice the puck aren't allowed to make a line change before the next face-off. This rule was implemented in 2005.

There are different forms of icing, but the NHL now employs a hybrid icing rule in which players race to the face-off dot instead of skating all the way to the opposing boards. The linesman blows the whistle if the player from the defending team reaches the face-off dot first. This rule was implemented to prevent dangerous collisions at the end boards.

Teams are allowed to ice the puck without consequence if they are killing a penalty. In addition, icing can be waved off by the linesman if he believes the defending team could have played the puck before it crossed their goal line or if the goaltender makes a move to play the puck.

Darden Restaurants Operates Chains Nationwide

Andrew Brendmoen attended the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. Today, Andrew Brendmoen resides in Lakeland, Florida where he serves drinks as a bartender at Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill, a restaurant chain owned and operated by Darden Restaurants.

A multi-restaurant operator and management company, Darden Restaurants has been around since 1938 when founder Bill Darden launched The Green Frog in Waycross, Georgia. From there, Mr. Darden and his company went on to open more restaurants that would grow to be well-known national chains, including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Yard House.

Among the restaurants created by Bill Darden, Red Lobster grew to become one of the most successful. The seafood restaurant, originally called Red Lobster Inn, first opened in Lakeland, Florida in 1968. Today the brand, which is now independent of Darden Restaurants, boasts over 700 locations nationwide.

Bill Darden passed away in 1994 but his company, based in Orlando, Florida, continues overseeing restaurants nationally. An executive leadership team and a board of directors carry on the goals of the Darden Restaurants company continuing to launch new restaurants across the country. In 1999, the company created Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill and opened the first location in Orlando, Florida. There are no 61 Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill locations.