Hockey term for a situation where the offensive team in
transition has one more player attacking than the defensive team has defending. So named because after each defenseman takes a man, the offensive team has an "
odd man out" free to attack.
The most obvious type of odd-man rush, and one often practiced in drills due to its administrative neatness, is a three-on-two -- the offensive team's three forwards against two defensemen. This kind of rush is actually fairly unusual in a game, though. More common are the two-on-one, where the two wings or a wing and a center break out against one defenseman while his partner is caught up-ice or in a line change, or a four-on-three with all three forwards and a rushing defenseman played against the opposing center and two Ds.