Pest (ice hockey)

In ice hockey, a "pest" is a player who excels at agitating and annoying the opposing team, often drawing penalties or disrupting their focus and gameplay. Pests are not necessarily the most skilled players in terms of scoring or puck-handling, but they are highly effective at getting under the skin of their opponents.

Key characteristics of a pest include:

• Agitation: A pest actively tries to provoke opponents through verbal taunts, physical prodding, or other forms of gamesmanship.
• Drawing Penalties: A primary goal of a pest is to draw penalties from the opposing team, putting their team on the power play and creating scoring opportunities. They may accomplish this by goading opponents into retaliatory penalties.
• Disrupting Play: A pest aims to disrupt the opposing team's offensive flow and defensive structure. This can involve getting in the way of passes, interfering with skating lanes, or simply being a constant nuisance.
• Physicality: While not always the case, many pests are also physical players who use their body to check opponents and create space for their teammates. However, the physicality is often used in a way intended to frustrate or irritate the opposition, rather than simply playing hard.
• Lack of Respect: Pests often demonstrate a perceived lack of respect for their opponents, referees, and even the game itself through their on-ice behavior.

The role of a pest is often controversial. Some view them as a valuable asset to their team, capable of swinging momentum and creating opportunities. Others see them as unsportsmanlike players who detract from the integrity of the game. A fine line exists between effective pest behavior and dirty play that can result in penalties for the pest themselves.

Well-known examples of players who have been described as pests include Sean Avery, Matthew Barnaby, and Brad Marchand.