Hitting vs. Checking

BKL · 01-08-2018, 01:24 AM

I like hockey but far from an expert of the game. Can someone explains the difference between hitting and checking? Also, what’s the difference in how these two player ratings affect play? I assume the checking rating is more important, but perhaps not.

Thanks!

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JeffR · 01-08-2018, 03:14 AM

A hit, using the NHL definition, is deliberate physical contact on the puck carrier that causes him to lose possession of the puck. Checking is much broader; it's essentially anything a defender does to impede the offensive play of an opponent, whether or not that opponent has the puck. A hit is always a check, a check is not necessarily a hit.

Within the game, the hitting attribute will come into play less frequently than the checking one, but when it does it'll usually be more decisive, since it always creates a potential turnover when the puck becomes loose, where the effects of checking will typically be more subtle, like a reduction in the chances of completing a pass.

01-08-2018, 01:24 AM	#1
BKL All Star Reserve Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 921	Hitting vs. Checking I like hockey but far from an expert of the game. Can someone explains the difference between hitting and checking? Also, what’s the difference in how these two player ratings affect play? I assume the checking rating is more important, but perhaps not. Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

01-08-2018, 03:14 AM	#2
JeffR FHM Producer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Kelowna, BC Posts: 16,623	A hit, using the NHL definition, is deliberate physical contact on the puck carrier that causes him to lose possession of the puck. Checking is much broader; it's essentially anything a defender does to impede the offensive play of an opponent, whether or not that opponent has the puck. A hit is always a check, a check is not necessarily a hit. Within the game, the hitting attribute will come into play less frequently than the checking one, but when it does it'll usually be more decisive, since it always creates a potential turnover when the puck becomes loose, where the effects of checking will typically be more subtle, like a reduction in the chances of completing a pass.