Special teams are the units and tactics used when penalties leave one hockey team with fewer skaters than its opponent. The team with more skaters is on a power play; the short-handed team is on the penalty kill. The power play tries to turn its advantage into a scoring chance, while the penalty kill tries to defend and get through the short-handed time.
What does “special teams” mean in hockey?
“Special teams” is the umbrella term for play shaped by a manpower advantage or disadvantage caused by penalties. It does not mean a separate group of players must come onto the ice: it describes the situation and the tactics used during it.
- Power play: the situation for the team with more skaters because its opponent has a player serving a penalty.
- Penalty kill: the short-handed team’s effort to defend while a teammate serves a penalty. The IIHF describes penalty killing as playing short of one or two players because of penalties.
- Short-handed: having fewer skaters than the opponent because of a penalty. A short-handed goal is scored by the team at a manpower disadvantage, not by the team on the power play, according to the NHL glossary.
What are the power play and penalty kill trying to do?
The power play
The power play’s broad aim is to use its extra skater to create and convert scoring chances. The advantage changes the shape of the contest, but it does not guarantee a goal: the defending team is still trying to protect its net and disrupt the attack.
The penalty kill
The penalty kill aims to limit the opponent’s chances and make it through the short-handed time. The IIHF’s ice hockey terminology gives two examples of penalty-kill tactics: shooting the puck down the length of the ice to clear it, and setting up a box or triangle inside the defensive blue line. These are examples, not a claim that every team uses one fixed formation.
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Those examples help explain why the teams approach the same stretch of play differently: one has an extra skater to attack, while the other has fewer players available to defend. The examples are not a full position-by-position coaching guide.
What do PP% and PK% mean?
Broadcasts and standings use these rates to summarize how often a team scores on the power play or kills the opponent’s power play. The NHL glossary defines them as follows:
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| Stat | What it measures | NHL glossary formula |
|---|---|---|
| Power-play percentage (PP%) | How often a team scores on its power-play opportunities. | Total power-play goals ÷ total power-play opportunities. |
| Penalty-killing percentage (PK%) | How often a team kills a short-handed situation without allowing a power-play goal. | Power plays killed ÷ shorthanded situations, where power plays killed = shorthanded situations − power-play goals allowed. |
These are rates, not a complete diagnosis of tactical quality or a guarantee of future performance. They also describe different sides of special-teams play, so an overall “best special teams” label requires a defined comparison method rather than choosing one rate alone. The NHL glossary supplies formulas, not a dated league-wide or team result, so a percentage should be tied to a specific league and season when one is reported.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does a power-play goal end the penalty?
Not necessarily. The result depends on the penalty, the manpower situation, and the competition’s rules. Under Table 12 of the NHL Official Rules 2025-2026, when a goal is scored against a short-handed team serving a minor penalty, the minor with the least time remaining ends, except when coincidental penalties are being served. That is a specific NHL rule for that situation—not a universal rule for every penalty or league.
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For an NHL game, use the rules for the relevant season; for youth or amateur hockey, check the governing competition’s rulebook. USA Hockey lists the 2025-29 Official Rules of Ice Hockey in its rules and resources section. Do not assume that NHL procedures automatically apply to other competitions.
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How to follow special teams while watching
- Notice which team has more skaters. That is the power-play team; its opponent is short-handed and penalty killing.
- Watch how the short-handed side tries to disrupt the attack, including whether it clears the puck or protects the area near its net with a formation.
- When a broadcast gives PP% or PK%, read it as a rate with a particular denominator—not as a complete measure of how well a team will perform in its next opportunity.
- When a rule question comes up, identify the league and season before applying a general explanation. Procedures can differ by rulebook.
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