(Ice) hockey: A stick infraction penalty called when a player attempts to pull down or otherwise impede another player by hooking any part of the opponent's body with the blade of his or her hockey stick.
This used to appear to be the primary means of locomotion of Los Angeles Kings enforcer Jay Miller, who was quite possibly the worst skater of his day in the entire NHL. It was said only partly in jest that Miller would use his stick to "hitch on" to another player to get up just enough speed to arrive at his target opponent, and then punch him.
It was in part frustration with excessive hooking and holding, with little enforcement of the penalty, that led
Mario Lemieux to call the NHL a 'garage league' and retire (the first time).
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