Line (ice hockey) of players for different situations. Because of the use of lines in hockey, ice hockey rosters have relatively large rosters compared to the number of players on the ice (23 for a typical NHL team, with 20 active on game day and six on the ice at any given time). Only gridiron football has a larger relative roster size (the NFL has 53 players, 46 active on gameday, 11 on the field). Line (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a line is a group of forwards that play in a group, or "shift", during a game. A complete forward line consists
New Zealand women's national ice hockey team New Zealand women's national ice hockey team The New Zealand women's national ice hockey team, nicknamed the Ice Fernz, represents New Zealand at the International Ice Hockey Federation's IIHF World Women's Championships. The women's national team is controlled by New Zealand Ice Hockey Federation. As of 2011, New Zealand has 110 female players. The New Zealand women's national team is ranked 25th in the world. The "Ice Fernz" name is one of many national team nicknames (indirectly) related to the All Blacks and/or the New Zealand silver tree fern. New Zealand hockey team has never qualified for an Olympic tournament.