Definition

Noun: - The period of the year during which organized hockey games are officially scheduled and played: This refers to the specific timeframe, typically spanning several months, when professional, collegiate, or amateur hockey leagues conduct their regular games and tournaments.

Usage

• The term "hockey season" is used to discuss the annual cycle of the sport, including its start, duration, and end. It is often modified by the league or level of play (e.g., NHL hockey season, college hockey season).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The NHL hockey season usually runs from October to April.
  • Ticket sales increase dramatically at the start of the hockey season.
  • During the hockey season, the arena is packed every weekend.

Advanced Usage

• "the heart of the hockey season": Refers to the middle or most active part of the season.
  • Key playoff races are often decided in the heart of the hockey season.
• "hockey season is upon us": A phrase announcing the imminent or recent start of the season.
  • With the first frost, hockey season is upon us once again.

Variants and Related Words

• Season (n): A period of the year characterized by a particular activity or event (e.g., football season, growing season).
• Off-season (n): The period of the year when a sport is not officially played.
  • Players train intensively during the off-season.
• Preseason (n): The period of training and exhibition games before the official start of the regular season.
  • Important Note: "Preseason" is a related compound word but is distinct from the target term "hockey season."

Synonyms

• Hockey campaign: A less common synonym emphasizing the sequence of games in a season.
• Schedule: While broader, it can contextually refer to the period containing the games (e.g., the team's schedule this season).

Related Phrases

• "Drop the puck": An idiom signaling the start of a game or, by extension, the season.
  • They will drop the puck on the new hockey season next Friday.
• "Make a playoff run": An idiom for a team's attempt to succeed in the postseason, which is part of the later stage of the hockey season.
  • Their goal is to make a playoff run this hockey season.

Noun

1. the season when hockey is played