Ice Hockey | Betting Tips & Strategy

Ice Hockey probably isn’t the most popular sport in the warmer parts of Asia and Africa, but where it is cold enough to be played most of the time throughout the year it is very popular. These are mainly the northern regions, no wonder Ice Hockey is a game where Canada and the US share a league with the NHL. The game is fast paced, high action and very physical. This makes it extremely entertaining to watch and to place a bet on!

Ice Hockey Rules

Every sport has its own rules, terms and things to look out for when placing a sports bet. That is why betting on ice hockey needs an introduction to those who aren’t familiar with the sport, but would like to make some money on an ice hockey match. Enter Mobile Wins! After reading this you will no longer be confused by terms such as Puck Lines or Canadian Lines!

To make your introduction in Ice Hockey Betting an even more smooth process, we also make sure your first bet isn’t gonna cost you anything by giving you a Get a Free Bet Bonus of £/$/€30 on your first deposit. Not to be confused with our slots hockey game Break Away!

You get two chances to refill your drinks during a hockey match, since an ice hockey game is made up of three periods of twenty minutes. Twenty is an important figure in this sport, since the roster size of a typical squad is twenty players. Unlike most sports, there is no such thing as overtime due to injury time; making those ‘buzzer’ goals memorable moments. The only reason to go into overtime is when the game ends in a tie. If a tie does not provide an outcome, there will be a shootout.

So why are there twenty men in an ice hockey team when there are only six players on the ice at a time (on each side)? Ice Hockey is so physically exhausting that there are an unlimited amount of substitutions available for the head coach during a game. At any given time, there is one goaltender, two defenders and three forward positions. A centre and a left and right wing. Though players a free to move on the ice as they wish (the goalie excluded).

The game starts by the referee dropping the ‘puck’ in the centre where two players are standing in a so called face off. To obtain the puck, players can use their bodies for a bodycheck. Though a check in the back or above the shoulders is considered a foul, which is penalized with two minutes on the bench. Scoring occurs when the puck crosses the goal line. The players can use their stick or their body, but not their hands.

Understanding the teams and the scores

Before understanding how to bet on Ice Hockey, one most understand the sport itself. The basic is not much different from any other teamsport: outscore the opposite side. Each side or team consists of six players in total – five field players, of which two defenders and three attackers, and a goalie.

Though there are as much as 20 players on a squad. And due to the physical nature of the sport, this is more than needed. Not surprisingly, there is an unlimited number of substitutions to be made each game by the coach.

Ice Hockey Gear

To get up on the ice, a player will need a hockey stick, set of ice skates and some serious padding which may include a helmet, shoulder pads, padded shorts, face mask, gloves and arm guards. Naturally, the goalie get the VIP package when it comes to armor being in the firing line of the puck. The goalie gets to wear plate armor with stamina buff and all defense stats;) 

The most important single object in an Ice Hockey match is a puck. This heavy little piece of dense rubber weighs more or less 6 ounces. Players can use their foot or stick to move the puck forward towards the opponents goal, but not their hands. The goalies can use their hands to keep their goal clean of course.

Origins

Ice Hockey dates back to Canada in the 19th century. The weather conditions of the maple leaf country required some adaptations in the modern hockey game. From Canada, the popularity spread like an oil stain over the northern hemisphere. In all countries notorious for the cold weather, you will find an active ice hockey community.

The National Hockey League (better known as the NHL) is the largest league in the world, turning over millions of dollars every year. The winner of the playoffs is also the winner of the Stanley Cup. The competition is based on the Franchise System, where the club owners decide together what teams can participate and what the rules are. Teams can’t be demoted or promoted to the NHL.

In Europe, a collaboration started between different national ice hockey leagues. Six nations that are big in the sport are negotiating the possibilities for a league comparable to the NHL and KHL. Though Hockey Europe, as it will be called will be starting as a cooperation to promote and improve the competitions on a national level and attracting new countries. The currently participating countries are Finland, Slovakia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Germany and Austria. With Switzerland being an associate member. 

Russian KHL

In Russia, the newly founded KHL is widely popular. Started in 2008, twenty four teams participate in four pools. The top sixteen teams proceed to the play-off. The winner takes home the Gagarin Cup and the title Champion of Russia. The KHL succeeds the Russian Super Liga. Not only teams from Russia participate, teams from Kazakhstan, Belarus, Latvia, Finland and China send teams as well.

Ice Hockey international tournaments

Canada was not only the country where this great sport originated, it is also the country dominating the first decades of the Ice Hockey World Championships. After the fifties until the nineties, it was the Sovjet Union that dominated the Ice Hockey World Championship. Winning it twenty times between 1963 and 1991.

It has to be noted though that the USA is criticized for not taking the tournament serious, as they did not stop hosting NHL games during the World Championship and sending off youth players or even college players.

The IHWC and Ice Hockey on the Olympics are becoming more popular though and the competition is getting more and more fierce! ‘The 2015 World Championship, held in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic, was the most successful to date in terms of overall attendance; it was visited by 741,690 people and average attendance was at 11,589.’ So we can read about the former edition of the event.

To prove Ice Hockey Betting is the best on a licensed and regulated sports book by the gambling commission, we give a Get a Free Bet Bonus of £/$/€30:

And the future of Ice Hockey Betting?

Ice Hockey as a sport is a rising star in areas where until recently it was hardly unknown. With the increase in popularity of the sport, we notice an interest in ice hockey betting markets as well! Every sport however has its own betting rules, definitions and terms. If you are interested in Ice Hockey Betting, we have good news for you: Mobile Wins has created an article on how to bet on ice hockey. With this introduction to ice hockey betting you will be fully prepared to start winning together with your favourite team! It is important that you are aware of the terminology of this sport, so we made a list for you:

• Bar Down: a shot that hits the goal bar and goes straight into the net
• Barn: Alternative term for the Arena or Rink
• Bender: Nickname for a player that bends his knee while skating
• Biscuit: Synonym for the puck
• Break out: Other word for a counter attack where the defending team takes control of the puck and ‘ breaks out’
• Celly: When a goal is scored, it’s time for a celebration or celly!
• Change on the fly: subtitute entering the ice while the game is on its way, he or she cant touch the puck while the one he’s replacing hasn’t left the rink
• Chip: A player can lift up the puck to hit the boards to pass an enemy player or pass towards a friendly player
• Chirp: Talking trash against the opponent, regardless whether they are on the ice or on the bench
• Cycling: offensive strategy where the attacking team uses the boards as a way to keep control on the puck
• Deke: feint or fake move, to distract the opposing player
• Plumber: Not a talented player, but a hard worker
• Saucer Pass: A pass that leaves the ice, making it hard to intercept
• Sieve: Bad goalie
• Twig: Hockey Stick

Ice Hockey 2024 Betting

Ice Hockey Betting has grown massively in popularity over the last few years. Especially in countries where betting has been recently allowed and Ice Hockey is a national sport. Mobile Wins supports all Ice Hockey Betting 2024 by offering players a Get a Free Bet Bonus of £/$/€30 bonus on their first deposit next to unique tournament related promotions.

Ice Hockey Betting Terms and definitions

There are a lot of terms in ice hockey betting that are similar for instance in football betting. Even without knowledge of these terms it is perfectly possible to place a bet on a hockey match! Our sportsbook is designed to cater to casual players as well as veteran players. Tough when looking for tips (for instance in our prediction sports blog) you don’t want to be the guy not getting the clues.

Moneyline Betting

The most basic form of betting. You simply pick the outright winner of the match, regardless of point spread. Odds can be presented in the fashion of (for example) 1.50 (meaning you receive 1,5 times your stake when won), 3/1 (meaning you will receive three times your bet on a win) or +125 (meaning that you will receive 125 when betting 100). At Mobile Wins we work with the first system.

Puckline Betting

With this type of bet, you are depended on both the point spread as moneyline. Meaning the team you chose to win, must do so by point spread. You can for instance bet £100 on team A to win with one point difference, earning you £150.

But you can also bet the same amount on team A winning by a three point margin. Suddenly earning you £300! These are just examples of ice hockey betting of course.

Hockey Parlays

Parlays are multiple bets on the outcomes of hockey games, varying from two to ten or sometimes even more. If you predict everything right, you will receive a win multiplied by the amount of games predicted right (cumulative!). There is only one catch, one mistake and you lose your bet.

Total (under/over) Bet

How many goals are made during an ice hockey match? This is called over (or under) bet. Are you expecting to offensive teams, go for an over 4.5 goals. Are you expecting a tactical match between two defensive coaches, go for under 3.5.

Ice Hockey Period Betting

A hockey game consists of multiple periods. Instead of betting on the outcome of a match, you can bet on the score after a period. This is attractive when live betting.

Ice Hockey Betting Example

There are many countries where Hockey is more popular than any other sport. Finland, Sweden, Russia, Canada and Switzerland; just to name a few. For this example we look at Canada, whose teams are in the National Hockey League NHL together with teams from the US. Please note that this example is a virtual match between Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leaves in the NHL:

Vancouver Canucks have odds of 1,5 for winning, -135 spread and the you’ll receive 2.8 for under 3.5 in the game total. Toronto Maple Leaves have odds of 2.5 for winning, and a +115 spread. Of course the odds for under 3.5 for the entire match stay the same.

Hockey Betting with Bonus

Mobile Wins does not discriminate between sports! Similar to other sports like football betting or Rugby betting, you will receive a Get a Free Bet Bonus of £/$/€30 as a welcome gift that you can use to whatever sport you like.

But one Get a Free Bet Bonus of £/$/€30 doesn’t last long. That is why big Ice Hockey Tournaments are supported by Mobile Wins with special event promotions. This could be in the form of (5+1) free bets or matching bonuses on your deposit.

How to bet on Ice Hockey?