Each hockey team has six players on the ice at the start of a game: five skaters and one goaltender. The skaters normally consist of three forwards and two defensemen, while the goalie protects the net.
This six-player formation applies to standard ice hockey, including NHL play. Teams can substitute players during play, but line changes usually send out another group with the same basic structure. A team may also pull its goalie for an extra attacker, creating six skaters, but that is a tactical situation rather than the normal starting setup.
A common mix-up is counting only the five skaters and forgetting the goaltender. Penalties can also reduce a team to four or even three skaters temporarily, while the other team gains a power play. The result is that the number on the ice can change during a game, but six per team is the standard opening lineup.