What is a faceoff in hockey?

All sports need something to kick off their respective matches. It's a way of getting the proverbial ball rolling and establish the pace of play throughout the game. Whether it's the tipoff in basketball or a kickoff in American football, such methods start the excitement and anticipation of watching the respective sport.

It's the faceoff in hockey that is the respected rite of passage. But it's unique in that it isn't only used at the game's beginning. It's also used whenever a match's progress is halted, preventing the game from becoming too fast-paced. Otherwise, fans would lose interest and the game would become too chaotic. If there's one thing Gary Bettman doesn't want, it's an exodus of fans leaving his precious product because of sheer madness.

That's why we have such a necessity in the sport of hockey. Teams like the Vegas Golden Knights want to put the puck in the net, specifically if it's players like William Karlsson and Chandler Stephenson. They're looking for any way they can help their respective teams win an NHL game, doing whatever it takes to win. With that, let's examine its meaning and who was the best for the Golden Knights in 2023-24.

What the faceoff in hockey means (and who ruled on the Vegas Golden Knights)

The faceoff in hockey is used to restart play by dropping the puck between two opposing players. They'll line up facing each other at the face-off spot on the ice, where the linesman will drop the puck. Players can gain possession for their respective teams, setting up the play. But it's only considered complete when the puck has completely hit the ice. Faceoffs come from various situations, including a goaltender icing the puck, penalties, and goals scored.

So who led in this category for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023-24? It was William Karlsson, who had a faceoff win percentage of 56.2%. Coming in second place was Chandler Stephenson, winning 52.6% of his faceoffs. There's a dropoff after second place, with Nicolas Roy coming in third (46.8%) and Jack Eichel coming in fourth (45.5%).

The Golden Knights will make winning the faceoff an integral part of their strategy in 2024-25. After all, how else can they implement their game plan during the season? Shoot a puck from anywhere and hope for the best? That won't work, which is why Vegas will focus on taking the puck and establishing a strong offensive attack during the season.