In the captivating world of ice hockey, beyond the adrenaline-pumping goals and awe-inspiring plays, there exists a rich tapestry of culture and camaraderie that defines the sport.
One such aspect is the unique and colorful language used by players, fans, and insiders alike to describe various on-ice actions and celebrations. Among the most intriguing terms in this linguistic lexicon is “Wheel, Snipe, Celly.”
What does “wheel snipe celly” mean?
Wheel, snipe, celly is a slang hockey saying comprised of three parts:
- Wheel: to skate fast
- Snipe: to make a precise shot
- Celly: to celebrate
Translated to regular English, wheel snipe celly means to skate fast down the ice, make a good shot, and celebrate.
What Does Wheel Snipe Celly Mean?
Wheel snipe celly is a semi-common phrase used by hockey players and it’s comprised of three parts:
Wheel
In hockey, to “wheel” means to skate fast.
It usually refers to the action of skating fast with the puck down a good portion of the ice – usually crossing at least one zone (defensive, neutral, offensive). If a player isn’t skating through open ice and isn’t crossing/entering at least one zone, it’s usually not considered “wheeling” – no matter how fast they’re skating.
Wheeling also entails a specific kind of skating in hockey. Usually, it refers to a player skating and gaining momentum in an “arc” or curved pattern. You can often see this with centers and wingers when they are exiting the defensive zone. They will usually be skating a curved path towards the puck and up the ice. The same is true for the neutral zone.
The word “wheel” lies somewhere between slang and a technical term in hockey because coaches often use it too. For example, coaches will sometimes tell weak-side wingers to “wheel” through the neutral zone in order to catch a pass or chip off the boards.
Examples of “wheel” in a sentence:
- Make sure to call for the puck when you’re wheeling through the neutral zone.
- Hey, if you can wheel across the neutral zone, I can give you a stretch pass.
- Holy wheels bud. What a goal.
Lastly, there is one more definition of “wheel” that hockey players use – but it’s not related to wheel snipe celly.
In a different context, “wheel” can also mean “picking up girls” or “getting girls.” Example: “Look at Jonesy. Always wheelin’ chicks.” This is definitely not a technical term and is used almost exclusively by players.
Snipe
The second part of wheel snipe celly is snipe, which means, “a fast and accurate shot.”
The term is an appropriation of the word snipe, as in, shooting a sniper rifle. The idea is that a player shooting a fast, accurate shot from a distance, is similar to a sniper shooting a fast, accurate shot from a distance. The term can apply to every type of shot: wristers, snapshots, and slap shots. But it is more often used to describe wristers and snapshots.
Almost all hard shots that go bar down or top shelf are described as a “snipe” but this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. There are other shots that can also be described as a snipe. Specifically, “snipe” can refer to almost any hard shot that beats the goalie up high – this can include high blocker shots, high glove shots, or over-the-shoulder.
In rarer cases, snipe can be used to describe low shots, but they usually have to be difficult ones. An example might be a shot through the five-hole from a distance or a quick snapper that beats the goalie short-side.
Examples of snipe in a sentence:
- He sniped it top right.
- He sniped it top shelf.
- Did you see that snipe by Matthews last game?
There is also a shorter, less-known slang hockey term that is an offshoot of the word snipe: nip. Nip is just an abbreviation of the word, “snipe” and means the same exact thing. So, instead of “he sniped it top corner”, you can say, “he nipped it top corner.”
Celly
Within the saying “wheel snipe celly”, celly simply means to “celebrate.”
Celebrations have always been kind of a contentious topic in hockey. The cultural aspects of respect, humility, and professionalism haven’t left much room for celebrations in the past. Players were expected to remain poised and reasonable, and nothing more than an “arms in the air” celebration was tolerated.
In other words, in the past, extravagant, show-boaty celebrations were largely unseen, as they were incongruent with the culture of hockey.
In recent times, however, celebrations have become much more commonplace. Players have embraced celebrating after goals, dragging their knee, shooting arrows, etc. And although it’s not nearly as intricate as NFL or soccer celebrations, they can still be exciting to watch for the fans.
Cellys nowadays are considered a normal, almost necessary, part of a goal – a kind of “cherry on top” for an amazing sequence. It’s expected that a really good goal is followed by a really good celly, which is why it’s included in the phrase, “wheel snipe celly.”
What Does Dangle Snipe Celly Mean In Hockey?
“Dangle snipe celly” means the exact same thing as “wheel snipe celly” except the term wheel is swapped out for “dangle.”
In hockey, dangle means to “make a move” or “juke out” an opponent – specifically in a cool or flashy way. Some players might prefer dangling through their opponent as opposed to wheeling past them, which is why the term “dangle snipe celly” exists.
In the NHL, someone like Austin Matthews might be more associated with the phrase “dangle snipe celly” while someone like Nathan MacKinnon might be more associated with “wheel snipe celly.”
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