Left Winger

Left Winger is the forward or attacking player on a forward line that plays the leftmost position among forwards, called the “left wing” position, which is the position to the left of the center position. Left wingers are mostly responsible for the left side of the ice, especially in offensive situations. Left wingers are asked to go into the corners of the offensive zone to fight for the puck and to stand in front of the net in order to obstruct the opposing goalie’s view while looking for rebounds.

Because there are four trios of forwards on a hockey team’s roster, a team is expected to have four “natural” left wingers in the lineup, i.e. players whose primary position is at left wing. The players that play the left wing position on one of the top two forward lines are usually goal scorers or “snipers”, while the left wingers on the bottom two lines are hard-working, more defensive forwards, or “grinders”.

Because left wingers are expected to play a lot along the boards on the left side of the ice, many of them are left-handed shooters, making it easier for them to play the puck along the boards. However, there are many right-handed left wingers, who may be able to release a more accurate and powerful shot when they are coming towards the net from the left side of the ice.