What does it mean to have home ice during the playoffs in hockey?

Question

I love hockey but I don't understand why teams are eager for home ice.

Answer 1

The home ice advantage means up to 4 of 7 games are played in your arena. Games 1,2,5 and 7. Those can be key games.

At home:

The fans are behind you.

You sleep in your own bed, not a hotel.

You know your own rink best and probably have a team that does well in that rink - fast/slow ice, flexible/hard boards, bad bounce spots of boards and glass, and not so many years ago slightly smaller ice surfaces, etc.

You get last shift change - so you can use a line matching strategy which in play offs is used even more.

You get last stick down in a face off, which is a slight face off advantage.

Answer 2

"Home ice advantage" is something teams are eager to get b/c it allows them the luxury of having their home team support them in the games that matter the most to them. That being said though, the only game that when having "Home Ice" matters, is the last game of the series. Not to belittle any of these games, but any game before Game 7 (in a best of 7 series, that is) holds no importance for home ice advantage.

For example, if a 7 game series ends in 4, 5, or 6 games, it means that the visiting team has at least won 1 game. Hence, rendering the home team's "home ice advantage" useless.

Having "home ice" holds no statistical value, and is just an added "perk" at best, for whoever has the better record. Marketers tend to put a lot of stock into it because allows the home team the opportunity to sell more tickets and make more money FIRST. Other than that, it doesn't serve much purpose at all.

Unless of course, the series actually went to the final game.

Answer 3

Its a huge advantage you get 4 out of the 7 games including the first two which allows you to get a possible 2 game jump on the team,you have the home crowd behind you and home ice gives you the advantage to change your lines last so you can see what line the other team is putting on the ice before you send your squad out.

Answer 4

Teams believe that they have the better chance of winning games on home ice than on the road, so they go for having one more game in a best of seven series on their own ice. The only series where this has proven deadly when it goes the full seven is the Stanley Cup finals, where only 2 times have the visiting teams in game seven walked away with the Cup. Its an advantage because you have the fans on your side when you're at home, what the NFL calls "the twelfth man." Having the crowd on your side for a game always gives the confidence of your team a big boost, which can go a long way towards your team winning the game.

Answer 5

Technically, it means you'll win the Stanley Cup as long as you just win all your home games. It also means that any 7th game will be played in your home arena. Lastly, it means less travel and more ticket sales for your team.

With all that said, home ice has not statistically been much of an advantage in recent years, although I'm sure Carolina and Tampa Bay were more than happy to have had the 7th game for the cup played at their respective homes.

Answer 6

home advantage means in a best of 7 series you get 4 of those games. best of 5, you get 3. most teams do better at home.

Answer 7

Because it's the rink where they have their practices, they are the most familiar and comfortable with that arena. So they have less things to stress them out during a game, such as an unfamiliar or new place. They can focus on the game.

Answer 8

Well its because they feel most comfortable there. Having fans cheering for you during a game might not seem like much but it really is..it can pump up the players spirits and get em to play better.

Answer 9

Its like home field advantage in football

Answer 10

Home ice mean that they have fans cheering them on when they need it most. away games they get booed and cursed at by the opposing team fans. whick one would you rather have