Turtle (v.) – to curl up and cover your head in an attempt to avoid being pummeled by another player.
Generally, this is looked upon as wimpy. Hockey’s a tough sport and the players take pride in their ability to take punishment. However, some of the more skilled superstars are accustomed to being protected by their teammates and may be a little less tough.
It’s hard for me to blame a guy for trying to protect his face and head from some other big, strong hockey player, especially if the person doing the pummeling is quite a bit bigger. I would do the same thing. However, I have felt embarrassment when I caught a guy on our team turtling. I was like, really, dude? Really?
