Fan's Guide to NHL Rules 2026-27

Yes. A team may pull its goalkeeper for an extra skater in the overtime period. If that team loses the game while the goalkeeper is out, it forfeits the automatic point it gained from the tie at the end of regulation. The exception is when the goalkeeper was removed because of a delayed penalty against the other team.

Once the goalkeeper has been removed for an extra attacker in regular-season overtime, he must wait for the next stoppage of play before returning. He cannot change on the fly. If he does, a bench minor penalty is assessed for having an ineligible player.

Source: NHL Official Rules 2026-2027, Rule 84.2.

Teams never have fewer than three players on the ice in overtime.

• If regulation ends 5 on 3, overtime starts 5 on 3. Once strength reaches 5 on 4 or 5 on 5, at the next stoppage it is adjusted to 4 on 3 or 3 on 3, as appropriate.
• If regulation ends 4 on 4, overtime starts 3 on 3.
• If regulation ends 3 on 3, overtime starts 3 on 3. Once strength reaches 4 on 4, 5 on 4 or 5 on 5, at the next stoppage it is adjusted to 3 on 3 or 4 on 3, as appropriate.
• If a team is penalized in overtime, teams play 4 on 3. If both teams get minor penalties at the same stoppage (with no other penalties in effect), they continue 3 on 3.
• If a team is penalized so that a two-man advantage is called for, the offending team stays at three skaters and the other team is allowed five. At the first stoppage after the two-man advantage ends, strength reverts to 4 on 3 or 3 on 3, as appropriate.

Source: NHL Official Rules 2026-2027, Rule 84.3.

If the game is still tied after the five-minute overtime period, the teams go to a shootout, run under the penalty shot rules.

• The home team chooses whether to shoot first or second, and the teams alternate shots.
• Each team takes three shots, unless the outcome is decided earlier. If still tied, it becomes sudden death.
• No player may shoot twice until everyone eligible has shot. If injury or penalty leaves one team with fewer eligible players, both teams may pick from players who have already shot.
• All players are eligible unless they are serving a ten-minute misconduct or have been given a game misconduct or match penalty.
• Once the shootout begins, a goalkeeper cannot be replaced unless he is injured.
• The final score records one more goal for the winning team than its opponent. The losing goalkeeper is not charged with the extra goal, and the shootout winner's scorer is not credited with a goal in his personal statistics.
• If a team declines to take part, the game is a shootout loss for that team.

Source: NHL Official Rules 2026-2027, Rule 84.4.

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when a game is tied after three 20-minute periods, the teams take a 15-minute intermission and then resume playing 20-minute periods, changing ends at the start of each overtime period. The team that scores the first goal in overtime is declared the winner of the game.

Source: NHL Official Rules 2026-2027, Rule 84.5.

Players of the attacking team must not precede the puck into the attacking zone.

• Skates, not sticks, decide offside. A player is offside when both skates are completely over the leading edge of the blue line.
• A player is onside if either skate is in contact with the blue line, or on his own side of it, at the instant the puck completely crosses the leading edge of the blue line.
• A player controlling the puck who crosses the line ahead of it is not offside, as long as he had possession and control of the puck with his stick before his trailing skate completely crossed the blue line, and he keeps possession and control immediately after the puck enters the zone.
• A puck propelled by the attacking team that deflects off any player is ruled offside or delayed offside, as appropriate.
• If a player legally carries, passes or plays the puck back into his own defending zone while an opposing player is in that zone, the offside is ignored and play continues.

Source: NHL Official Rules 2026-2027, Rule 83.

The centre red line divides the ice into halves. Icing is called when a player on a team that is equal or superior in numbers (for example on a power play) shoots, bats or deflects the puck from his own half of the ice beyond the opposing team's goal line. Play is stopped.

• A team can nullify a potential icing by "gaining the line": the puck, while on a player's stick (not his skate), must make contact with the centre red line.
• The Linesperson first decides the puck will cross the goal line, then decides which player would touch it first, no later than the instant the first player reaches the end zone face-off dots. The skate is the determining factor. If the race is too close to call by then, icing is called.
• After an icing, the attacking team chooses which end zone face-off dot the face-off takes place on.
• If the Linesperson wrongly called icing, the face-off is at centre ice.

Source: NHL Official Rules 2026-2027, Rule 81.

• Minor: 2 minutes off the ice, with no substitute allowed.
• Bench minor: 2 minutes, served by one player on the team (other than the goalkeeper) designated to serve it.
• Double minor: 4 minutes off the ice, with no substitute allowed.
• Major: 5 minutes off the ice for the first major in a game, with no substitute allowed.
• Misconduct: 10 minutes. A substitute can immediately replace the player, and the player stays in the penalty box until the next stoppage once the time has expired.
• Game misconduct: the player is out for the rest of the game and a substitute may replace him. Ten minutes go on his record, and he is reported to the Commissioner, who can impose a suspension or fine.
• Match: the player is suspended for the rest of the game and sent to the dressing room immediately. It is imposed on a player who deliberately attempts to injure or injures an opponent. A substitute may replace him after five minutes of playing time, and 15 minutes are charged on his record.

Source: NHL Official Rules 2026-2027, Rules 16 to 23.

It depends on the type of penalty.

• Minor and bench minor: if a team is short-handed by one or more minor or bench minor penalties and the opposing team scores, the first of those penalties ends automatically. The one that ends is the minor with the least time left on the clock.
• Double minor: if the non-offending team scores while a double minor is being signalled, one of the two minors is washed out and the player serves the remaining two minutes.
• Major: the player must serve the full five minutes. He does not leave the penalty bench when the other team scores.
• Misconduct: a player who receives a misconduct penalty does not cause his team to play short-handed unless he also receives a minor, major or match penalty.
• Penalty shot: a goal scored on a penalty shot does not end any penalty.

Source: NHL Official Rules 2026-2027, Rules 16.2, 18.2, 20.2 and 22.3.

A penalty shot is designed to restore a scoring opportunity that was lost because of an infraction by the offending team.

• The Referee announces the shooter over the public address system, then places the puck on the centre face-off spot.
• On the Referee's whistle, the shooter plays the puck from there and tries to score on the goalkeeper.
• The puck must be kept moving towards the opponent's goal line. Once it is shot, the play is complete.
• No goal can be scored on a rebound of any kind. The one exception is a puck that hits the post or crossbar, then the goalkeeper, then goes directly into the goal.
• The shot is complete any time the puck crosses the goal line or comes to a complete stop.
• The lacrosse-like move, where the puck is picked up on the stick blade and whipped into the net, is allowed as long as the puck is not raised above shoulder height at any time and, when released, is not carried higher than the crossbar.

Source: NHL Official Rules 2026-2027, Rule 24.