I think “trick plays” absolutely have a place in the game of hockey. As a professional athlete, you will do almost anything to gain an edge against the competition as well as both for yourself and your team. If you’re not trying something new and creative to gain that edge, you’re not trying hard enough. Likewise, you need to be prepared for anything. You have to assume teams are thinking of creative ways to gain an advantage just as much as you are.

Like you said, you don’t often see these types of things at the highest professional levels, especially the NHL. I think that’s because there is a huge emphasis on being efficient, getting as many high quality chances as you possibly can, and protecting the puck. There’s a time and a place for it. If teams were doing these types of things every time down the ice, they would be at the front of your opponent’s mind and they wouldn’t catch them off guard nearly as much.

HOCKEY PROMPT
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