DCHP-2

drop the puck drop of the puck, puck drop, when the puck drops DCHP-2 (October 2016)

• 1 expression — Hockey

  the dropping of a hockey puck onto the ice to signal the start of a game.

  Type: 4. Culturally Significant — The significance of the sport of hockey in Canada's social and historical development warrants the treatment of hockey terms as culturally significant (see CBC reference). The literal meaning, presented here in meaning 1, has given rise to non-hockey related meanings (see meaning 3).

  See also: hockey  puck  

  • 1911  The game was very fast in places and the home team played hockey from the drop of the puck, and while there was a few penalties handed out to both teams, still the game was not rough (for hockey). 
  • 1941  Dr. Shoemaker, one of the keenest backers of hockey on this campus will drop the puck at the opening whistle, and from then on we can promise two lively tussles. 
  • 1965  The harassed officials, who are forbidden from entering debating contests with the coaches, can soothe their wounded esteem with Mickey Ion's ancient truism. "When the puck drops," Ion used to say, "the referee is the only sane man in the rink." 
  • 1986  "When the puck drops, personalities change. The nicest people turn into fanatics," says amateur hockey writer and hockey mother Lois Kalchman. "I've seen north Toronto parents, impeccably dressed in expensive suits, who go nuts, completely rangy, when the ref calls an offside against their team. Parents have been banned from arenas - including (former Maple Leaf defenceman and parent) Carl Brewer." 
  • 1999  Consistency was also a key to their success, as it is so often in every sports group. "Each girl played to her potential from the drop of the puck to the final buzzer," Draper said proudly. "They're all doing fabulous." 
  • 2006  Canada Day in Trafalgar Square is a joint initiative of 'Canada Day London' -- an umbrella organization bringing together representatives of UK-based Canadian clubs and organisations -- and the Canadian High Commission. [...] The event kicks off at 2:00 pm with the Trafalgar Square Cup street hockey tournament, sponsored by Petro-Canada. A Canadian Mountie will 'drop the puck' for the first game. 
  • 2013  "We're not sitting here, trying to say, 'This is great, this is great.' This is the process that we planned out," he said. "The real evaluation process starts when you drop the puck. No awards, no trophies, no wins or losses happen in June, July, August and September. It's really, truly when the puck drops and as you continue to play throughout the season. That's the evaluation that really matters." 
  • 2016  "We didn't haven enough passion and emotion and it showed and it just wasn't good enough," said Henrik Sedin. "We have to be ready when they drop the puck and we weren't there tonight. I knew it was going to be a tough one for us with where we are in the standings and where they are and everything that was going on around this game. But that's no excuse. We have to be better." 

• 2 expression — in figurative use, Hockey

  the start of something hockey-related, but not specifically in reference to the start of a hockey game.

  Type: 4. Culturally Significant — Because of the significance of the puck drop as the start of a hockey game, as shown by meaning 1, the phrase has been adopted by news outlets as a way to express the beginning or introduction of something more generally hockey-related, particularly in headlines (for example, see the 1992 and 2012 quotations). This is the most prevalent figurative meaning of the expression.

  • 1992  Global uses the night to drop the puck on its new season of Maple Leaf hockey telecasts. The setting tonight is Maple Leaf Gardens as Toronto plays host to the Washington Capitals (7.30 p.m., Ch. 6). 
  • 1993  Fox would like to drop the puck on his own hockey movie one day [...] Michael J. Fox is a hockey fan. A big hockey fan. He turned down the Emilio Estevez role in The Mighty Ducks because he wants to make his own hockey movie someday. "I've been a hockey fan my whole life, and I find it hard to believe there will be a team called the Mighty Ducks. But then I think, wait a minute, the champions for the last few years have been the (Pittsburgh) Penguins, and that's not a classic name." 
  • 1997  Puck drops the puck, who will win the draw? The Alberta Treasury Branch pushes Pocklington to sell the Oilers and the serious bidding is about to start 
  • 2008  Former Canadian Auto Workers boss Buzz Hargrove is about to drop the puck on a new job. Hargrove confirms he's joining a special advisory group of the N-H-L Players' Association. Hargrove retired as president of the Canadian Auto Workers union earlier this month. 
  • 2012  Dropping the puck on new HIO section; All we need now is for season to start [...] As a sports editor, I hope there isn't a long lockout because I'm really looking forward to putting together our new weekly Hockey Inside/Out sections as we drop the puck on the first one today and will continue every Thursday throughout the hockey season. 

• 3 expression — in figurative use

  the start or introduction of something.

  Type: 4. Culturally Significant — As a semantic generalization of meaning 2, there are also examples of the expression extending beyond the semantic domain of hockey.

  • 1994  Newsworld drops puck on show guaranteed to raise a few hackles [...] Face-Off, a new program on Newsworld's fall schedule, is a symbol of how far the change has gone. 
  • 2004  With council approval next month, the facility, including two ice rinks, a pool, gymnasium, tennis courts, baseball diamonds and outdoor skating path, could be completed by the fall of 2006, said Arthurs. Members of the MURF committee said they were eager to see council drop the puck and not the ball. 
  • 2007  The CSRD recreation staff recommended the committee be struck so feedback of current user groups could be included from the beginning. A posting was online earlier this summer asking for a non-user to join the process as well. They received no calls of interest, said Gurak, so they're just going to drop the puck and start discussions. 
  • 2011  T&T: Are you comfortable with Mr. Harper's 'attack ad' strategy? Does it fit the personal style of Robert Goguen? RG: They use it as a tactic. For me, it's about people. I can work with anybody, of any stripe. There are no good guys or bad guys, it's just people trying to move an agenda forward. It usually takes two teams to play . . . here of course there are more than two but I say let's just drop the puck and get it done. Demonizing people doesn't accomplish anything. 
  • 2014  ELECTION 2014: All right, lets drop the puck! Its [sic] going to be another crowded municipal election ballot in Campbell River on Nov. 15. After Fridays deadline for candidates to declare their intention to run for local government office passed, 17 people will run for city councillor and three for mayor in Campbell River.