Why hockey players need to know their math!

If you're a youngster coming up the ranks of minor hockey, one bit of advice, best to study your math. You never know when obscure geometry is going to come in handy.

Monday nights game between the Kings and the Oilers, found Edmonton goaltender Dwayne Roloson in violation of a severe mathematical principle, he dared to fire a puck from outside of the trapezoid, and for his troubles his team was assessed a two minute penalty.

Now the trapezoid is also known as that funny little box behind the goal (see yellow shading in picture above), which is where a goaltender must not stray from to shoot or pass a puck. Few probably knew it had a fancy name, fewer still probably remembered that name from their grade school math classes.

But for math teachers everywhere there is now a vital teaching tool to help the youth of today become better citizens schooled in the wonders of geometry. For now teachers can simply say to their students remember Roloson's rule of the trapezoid, it will forever be a guiding moment in a young hockey players life.

The above post first appeared on my HockeyNation blog, for more items about the game check it out!