How many positions are there in ice hockey?

There are 6 named positions in ice hockey: G, C, LW, RW, LD, RD. Not all of them are on the rink at once in every format — junior and small-sided grades use fewer.

A standard lineup consists of five skaters (three forwards, two defencemen) and one goaltender. Players rotate in quick 45–60 second shifts.

Every position

The 6 ice hockey positions

Position	Role	Area
Goaltender (G)	Protects the net. Uses specialised leg pads, catching glove, blocker, and goalie stick to stop shots.	Goalkeeper
Center (C)	Takes faceoffs, covers the full 200 feet of the ice, leads offensive playmaking and supports defence down low.	Attack
Left Wing (LW)	Plays on the left attacking flank. Forchecks, supports board battles, and crashes the net for scoring rebounds.	Attack
Right Wing (RW)	Plays on the right attacking flank. Provides passing width, outside shooting, and backchecking support.	Attack
Left Defenceman (LD)	Protects the defensive zone slot, breaks up rushes, and initiates breakouts from the defensive zone.	Defence
Right Defenceman (RD)	Partners the left defenceman to secure the blue line, blocks shots, and walks the offensive blue line.	Defence

By area of the rink

Grouped by role

Goalkeeper

Goaltender (G)

Attack

Center (C)
Left Wing (LW)
Right Wing (RW)

Defence

Left Defenceman (LD)
Right Defenceman (RD)

Should junior players stick to one position?

Generally no. Most junior development guidance favours rotating children through several positions rather than specialising early — both because it builds a fuller set of skills, and because a child labelled as a defender at nine tends to still be one at fourteen.

The practical exception is goalkeeper in the sports that have one, where some children genuinely want the role and are happy in it. Even then it is worth checking in, because a fixed keeper has a very different experience of a season from everyone else.

Rotating positions and rotating playing time are separate problems, and it helps to treat them separately — see how to plan player rotations for the mechanics, and fair playing time for the policy behind it.

Where these come from

Covers cross-ice junior formats through to competitive full-ice hockey across ages 5–18+ with strict safety guidelines on protective gear and contact.

Governing bodies: IIHF · USA Hockey · Hockey Canada · NZIHA · Ice Hockey Australia

Last reviewed: September 2026. Junior formats vary by region and are revised between seasons — your competition handbook takes precedence over anything here. The full ice hockey rules reference has formats, scoring, fouls and timings.

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