Full strength (also called5-on-5) inice hockey refers to when both teams have five skaters and onegoaltender on the ice. The official term used by the National Hockey League (NHL) is ateven strength — abbreviatedEV onofficial scoresheets and goaltenders' individualstats. All games start with both teams at full strength. Teams that take apenalty, go on thepower play, orpull the goalie are no longer at full strength.

If a team isshorthanded, and its penalties expire, or it is scored on so that its penalized players return, it returns to full strength. Likewise, if a team on a power play scores so that the opposing penalized players all leave thepenalty box, the team also returns to full strength.

Full strength is slightly different from "even strength", which means that each team has the same number of skaters on the ice.

Another related reference is that of "equal strength". This is not an official term used by the NHL but is commonly used to describe 'full strength'. TheInternational Ice Hockey Federation uses the abbreviationEQ in its game summaries.^[1]

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