Slapshot

What is Slapshot?

A shot that is taken by lifting the stick from the ice and pulling it backwards, winding up and then bringing the stick forwards rapidly to shoot the puck. The slapshot is the quickest and most powerful shot in hockey but it is usually the least accurate.

Sporting Charts explains Slapshot

Because of its quickness, the slapshot is used by shooters to surprise a goaltender, who may not be expecting the puck to arrive at him so quickly. The slapshot is the shot of choice for defensemen who are standing at the blue line in the attacking zone or for players playing at the point on the power play. A player standing at the point on the power play will execute a slapshot, hoping for it to be tipped or to find the back of the net because there are usually many players standing in the front of the goaltender on a power play. When the puck is passed to a player and he decides to take a slapshot without first stopping the incoming puck, he is said to be taking a "one-timer". One-timers are common in power play situations.

The slapshot is arguably the most popular shot in hockey. It is part of hockey skills competitions where players take slapshots to see who has the hardest or quickest shot. The NHL has a Hardest Shot competition every year during All-Star Game weekend. NHL players known for their powerful slapshots are Al Iafrate, Zdeno Chara, Al MacInnis and Brett Hull.