Editing Utility player (section)

== Ice hockey ==
In [[Ice hockey]], it is common for [[Centre (ice hockey)|centres]] and [[Winger (ice hockey)|wingers]] to play either position in certain situations. Depending on need, a team may use a natural centreman on the wing if they have too many centres or, conversely, a winger may be pressed to play centre because of a lack of suitable players in that area. Because of the frequency of [[Forward (ice hockey)|forwards]] playing both positions, the term utility player tends to refer not to a player that plays more than one forward position, but to a player that can play both [[Defenceman (ice hockey)|defence]] and forward. Teams may use a defenceman as a forward, or vice versa, for a variety of reasons.

Sometimes a natural defenceman who struggles on the defensive side of the game but possesses strong offensive qualities may be used as a winger. [[Marc-Andre Bergeron]] and [[Kurtis Foster]], for example, have proven to be quality offensive defencemen who struggle in defending their own zone. As such, they have dressed as forwards so their teams can continue to use their offensive abilities on the [[power play (sporting term)|powerplay]] while still using the standard six defencemen during [[even strength]].

An extra defenceman may also be pressed to play forward in an emergency situation, where a team has a rash of injuries to their forwards and do not have time to summon a replacement player from a [[farm team]].

It is very common for teams to use a forward on "[[the point (ice hockey)|the point]]" during the powerplay to provide a greater offensive threat. Though the forward is playing defence in this situation, they are not necessarily seen as true utility players.

Along with Bergeron and Foster, other notable defencemen that have played forward at some point in their careers include [[Phil Housley]], [[Brent Burns]], [[Mark Streit]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/sports/story.html?id=0d969d38-5373-4c15-94e4-c3e9c2002620 |title=Versatile Streit makes it look easy with Habs |publisher=Canada.com |date=2008-02-11 |access-date=2013-12-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326053419/http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/sports/story.html?id=0d969d38-5373-4c15-94e4-c3e9c2002620 |archive-date=2014-03-26 }}</ref> [[Christoph Schubert]], [[Ian White (ice hockey)|Ian White]] and [[Chris Campoli]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://senators.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=510124 |title=Campoli making forward move - Ottawa Senators|publisher=NHL.com |access-date= 2013-12-16}}</ref> Notable forwards who have played defence include [[Sergei Fedorov]],<ref>http://www.dispatch.com/live/contentbe/dispatch/2007/03/16/20070316-B4-02.html{{dead link|date=December 2013}}</ref> [[Mathieu Dandenault]], [[Brooks Laich]] and [[Sami Kapanen]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://whalerslegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/sami-kapanen.html |title=Hartford Whalers Legends: Sami Kapanen |publisher=WhalersLegends.blogspot.com |date=2009-06-07 |access-date=2013-12-16}}</ref>

In some cases a player has made a full-time conversion from one position to the other and experienced success. Hockey Hall of Famer [[Red Kelly]] spent the first half of his career as an offensive defenceman for the Detroit Red Wings before finishing his career as a strong [[two-way player|two-way centreman]] for the Toronto Maple Leafs. [[Wendel Clark]] was a star defenceman in junior before converting to left wing and scoring over 300 goals and 500 points in 15 NHL seasons. (Some junior hockey teams have a tendency to put their best offensive players on defence instead of as forwards, since defencemen generally have more time on the ice.) [[Dustin Byfuglien]] is an example of a current player who has made the switch from forward to defence full-time. [[Jonathan Ericsson]] of the Detroit Red Wings is another example of a player who converted from forward to defense.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redwingscentral.com/prospects/ericsson.php|title=Red Wings Central prospects – Jonathan Ericsson|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213093400/http://www.redwingscentral.com/prospects/ericsson.php|archive-date=February 13, 2010|access-date=April 19, 2010}}</ref>

It is extremely rare for goaltenders to play any position other than goaltender; likewise, it is just as rare for non-goaltenders to suit up in goal, because of the significant difference in skills and equipment required for the position.