‘Icing’ And Three Other Hockey Penalties Named After Cake

As all hockey fans and Canadians are aware, Lord Stanley, after whom the NHL’s infamous championship trophy was affectionately named, was not only a steward of the game and a nobleman, but a dessert connoisseur. His sweet tooth’s impact on the sport cannot be understated and can still be seen in today’s game. Along with icing, here are three more penalties influenced by Canada’s Governor Cake-Eater himself.

Icing: That pesky rule that prevents launching a puck across the center red line and the opponents’ red goal line was named after that sugary delight covering Stanley’s wife’s 30th birthday cake. Unfortunately, Lady Constance Villiers hated icing and her husband crossed two major streets to face-off with the baker about the botched order.

Battering: Named after the violent whipping of eggs, flour, butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and baking powder together, this penalty occurs when three or more players mix it up. Similar to fighting, but more chaotic, battering earns all players who dropped gloves five minutes in the icebox to cool down.  

Too Many Players Blowing Out The Candles: Self-explanatory.

Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting Surprise: The blood-soaked legacy of the “Wayne Gretzky of all penalties” originated with the Redwings. Originally the Red Velvets — named after Detroit automakers’ decadence during the roaring ‘20s — the team was disbanded after retaliating against a referee’s offside call by beating him mercilessly with hockey socks filled with cream cheese bricks. The referee, a fighter, lied in traction for weeks before slipping into a vegetative state. Then, on Boxing Day, the Red Velvets barged into the hospital, shoved a puck inside the ref’s mouth, and dragged his body behind a stolen Zamboni for hours yelling “Who’s offsides now?!” The team was sentenced to a lifetime in the penalty box proving the old adage true: You can’t have your cake and beat people to death, too. 

There you have it. Keep following for next week’s list: ‘Dunking’ and Three Other Basketball Terms Named After Cookies.