Coach's Guide to Hockey Canada U13 Hockey 2026-27

Under Rule 2.1 (b) of the Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-2028, a team may have no more than five registered team officials on the Official Game Report who are permitted on the players' bench. They must include at minimum:

• one Coach who meets the certification requirements of your Member (your provincial or territorial branch); and
• one Hockey Canada Safety Person (the HTCP in Ontario).

The Hockey Canada By-Laws (2026-27) define a Team the same way: it must include a Coach who meets Member certification requirements and one person qualified in the Hockey Canada Safety Program (or, until the end of the 2027-28 season, the HTCP in Ontario). Team Officials include the coach, manager, safety person/trainer, equipment manager, team physician and team executive or board members.

On-ice officials do not check certification. If they see an irregularity on the game report, the referee reports it to the Member or league delegate. Hockey Canada's registration system records each coach's level of certification, season of qualification and criminal record check, and each safety person's level, expiry date and criminal record check.

Rule 7.3 of the Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-2028 applies in divisions of U13 and below, in female hockey, and in any other divisions approved by a Member of Hockey Canada. In those divisions, a player who intentionally body-checks, bumps, shoves or pushes an opponent receives a Minor penalty, with a Major and Game Misconduct possible depending on the degree of violence. U13 is therefore a division where body-checking is penalized.

Only incidental contact between two opposing players in pursuit of the puck, going in the same direction, is not penalized, if the referee judges it to be incidental.

The related rules on charging (including blindside hits), checking from behind and head contact apply in U13 too, and the questions below set out each penalty.

The Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-2028 (Rule 7.3) define the two terms:

• Body contact is incidental contact of two opposing players in pursuit of the puck on the ice in the same direction. If the referee decides incidental contact occurred, no penalty is assessed.
• Body-checking is an attempt by a player to gain an advantage on their opponent with the deliberate use of the body. It happens when a player makes deliberate contact with an opponent with opposite-directional force, leaves their skating lane to make contact, or extends an arm, shoulder or hip after angling an opponent.

Steering is allowed. A player may steer or direct an opponent into the boards without touching or body-checking them. For example, a defender may close off the boards to force a puck carrier to slow down or move towards the middle of the ice. This is legal as long as the defender does not use their body to intentionally body-check, bump, push or shove.

Under Rule 7.3 of the Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-2028:

• Minor penalty: to any player who, in the referee's opinion, intentionally body-checks, bumps, shoves or pushes an opposing player (7.3 a).
• Major and Game Misconduct: at the referee's discretion based on the degree of violence of the impact (7.3 b). If the opponent is injured on a body-check that would otherwise be a Minor, a Major and Game Misconduct must be assessed.
• Match penalty: to any player who deliberately attempts to injure or deliberately injures an opponent by body-checking (7.3 c).
• No Misconduct penalty may be assessed for body-checking (7.3 d), and a Game Misconduct must be assessed whenever a Major is assessed for it (7.3 e).

Rule 7.6 adds that any foul that results in contact to the head must be penalized as Head Contact.

Rule 7.5 of the Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-2028 makes the player delivering the check responsible for avoiding contact to an opponent's back. Checking from behind means a player is pushed, body-checked, cross-checked or hit from behind.

• Minor and Game Misconduct: any player who intentionally pushes, body-checks, cross-checks while in motion, or otherwise hits an opponent from behind, anywhere on the ice (7.5 a).
• Major and Game Misconduct: at the referee's discretion based on the degree of violence, and mandatory if the opponent is injured on a hit that would otherwise be a Minor (7.5 b).
• Match penalty: for pushing, checking or hitting an opponent from behind into the boards or goal frame so they cannot protect themselves, or for deliberately attempting to injure or injuring an opponent by checking from behind (7.5 c).
• Referees are told to strictly enforce the rule where a player turns and creates contact with the back, where a player digging for the puck is hit from behind and driven head-first into the boards, and where a player's feet are kicked or pulled out and the player is then pushed into the boards.

Interpretation: a stationary player who cross-checks an opponent from behind is penalized for cross-checking. A player in motion who does so is penalized for checking from behind. A cross-check from behind into the boards or goal is always checking from behind.

Rule 7.6 of the Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-2028 states that there is no type of legal contact to the head, face or neck. It covers direct contact and accidental contact where the main point of contact is the shoulder or chest, and players must be penalized for contact with an opponent's head, face or neck at all times.

In minor and female hockey:

• Accidental contact: a Minor penalty.
• Intentional contact with any part of the body or equipment: a double Minor penalty.
• Three Head Contact penalties under 7.6 (a): the player receives a Game Ejection penalty.
• Degree of violence: the referee may assess a Major and Game Misconduct, and must do so if the opponent is injured on contact that would otherwise be a Minor. A cross-check to an opponent above the normal height of the shoulders is a Major and Game Misconduct whether or not injury results.
• Match penalty: for a hit to the head where the opponent cannot protect themselves, or an attempt to injure or deliberate injury by head contact.

Interpretation: if a player delivers a legal check to the chest or shoulder and then contacts the head, face or neck with their stick or body, it is accidental head contact and is penalized according to the degree of violence.

Under Rule 7.4 of the Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-2028, a player charges when they:

• jump to check an opponent;
• build up speed by taking two or more strides immediately before contact;
• travel an excessive distance with the sole purpose of delivering a hit;
• violently and unnecessarily check an opponent in any manner; or
• deliver a body check to an opponent's blind side.

Penalties: a Minor penalty (7.4 a). The referee may assess a Major and Game Misconduct based on the degree of violence, and must do so if the player is injured on a check that would otherwise be a Minor. A Match penalty applies if the opponent was unable to defend themselves or the player deliberately attempted to injure.

Interpretations: "jumping" means the player's feet leave the ice before contact. If the feet come off the ice after contact during an otherwise legal check, it is not charging. A blindside hit is an open-ice body check delivered from an angle of approach outside a 90 degree peripheral point of view of a vulnerable opponent, whether or not they have the puck.

Rules from the Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-2028 that apply in U13:

• Puck to the head (Rule 6.18): in categories of U13 and below, if a goaltender is struck in the head by the puck, the referee stops play as soon as it is safe, unless the puck deflects directly into the goal, in which case the goal stands. Otherwise the face-off is at the nearest end-zone face-off location to where the shot was taken. Officials must allow team staff to evaluate the goaltender during that stoppage so concussion protocols can be applied.
• Skater who goes into goal (Rule 2.4 d): a player who replaces the goaltender must use at least a helmet, proper facial protection and a goaltender's stick, and is allowed the goaltender's full equipment. In divisions of U13 and above, goaltender leg pads are mandatory for that player. In U13 and below, a player who has been designated as a goaltender may return to a non-goaltender position.
• Injured goaltender (Rule 2.4 c): if a dressed alternate goaltender is available, the injured goaltender is replaced by them with no warm-up. With no alternate, the injured goaltender gets 10 minutes to recuperate, plus 5 more minutes if a replacement is needed, for a total of 15 minutes, and then must stay off the ice until the next stoppage.

Under Rule 3.6 of the Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-2028:

• Every player, including goaltenders, must wear a CSA-certified hockey helmet with a CSA-certified facial protector securely attached and unaltered while on the ice, including pre-game warm-ups. Chin straps must be securely fastened.
• A full CSA-certified facial protector is compulsory in minor hockey. A BNQ-certified throat protector is required for players registered in minor and female hockey.
• Players on the players' bench or penalty bench must also wear their helmet and facial protector securely attached. A violation earns the team a warning, and the second and later violations by the same team earn a Minor penalty.
• If a helmet, facial protector or throat protector comes off during play, the player must replace it properly fastened or go to the bench for a substitution. Playing on without it means play is stopped and the player is penalized for illegal equipment.
• In divisions that allow a half visor, a mouth guard is compulsory. After one warning to the team (referees are encouraged to give it directly to the coach), any player on that team who commits a further infraction receives a Misconduct penalty.
• All protective equipment except gloves, head gear and goaltender leg pads must be worn entirely under the uniform.

Under the Hockey Canada Concussion Protocol (effective May 6, 2025):

• All players, parents/guardians, coaches, trainers and officials must review the Hockey Canada Pre-season Concussion Education Sheet before the first practice of the season.
• If a severe head or neck (spine) injury is suspected, call an ambulance immediately.
• A player with signs or symptoms of a concussion must be removed from participation immediately, including warm-up, practice and competition, and medically assessed as soon as possible.
• If symptoms appear later (for example that evening), the player should be assessed as soon as possible by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner.
• Every player with a suspected concussion must provide a Medical Assessment Letter saying whether or not a concussion was diagnosed. Completed forms go to the coach or Safety Person.
• If the assessment confirms no concussion, the player can return to full participation.
• If a concussion is diagnosed, the player must follow the Hockey-Specific Return-to-Sport Strategy and must provide a Medical Clearance Letter before returning to full practice and games.

Hockey Canada's Concussion Policy expects Members to direct all coaches, trainers and safety personnel to follow the Return-to-Sport Strategy as a minimum standard.

Under the Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-2028, team officials can be penalized as follows:

• Unsportsmanlike conduct (Rule 11.1): includes disputing an official's decision in an unsportsmanlike manner, derogatory language, and any inappropriate or unwanted discussion with the referee before, during or after the game. A player or team official receives a Minor or Bench Minor penalty. A team official who persists after that receives a Game Misconduct penalty.
• Abusive behaviour (Rule 11.2): targeted, persistent or excessively profane conduct meant to intimidate, threaten, belittle or demean. A team official or unidentified player from the bench receives a Bench Minor penalty, and any team official who uses abusive conduct towards the referee or any person is assessed a Game Misconduct. The referee reports a Game Misconduct under this rule to the Member or league delegate in a Game Incident Report. If the comment attacks the official's character or integrity it is abusive; if it only criticizes or protests a decision it is unsportsmanlike conduct.
• Interference from the bench (Rule 8.4): a team official who makes deliberate physical contact with an opposing player receives a Gross Misconduct penalty on top of any other penalties the rules require.

Hockey Canada's 2026 Code of Conduct Policy also applies to coaches as team personnel. It requires respect for referees and their decisions, and self-control at all times.