Editing National Hockey League (section)

==Rule differences with international hockey==
{{main|National Hockey League rules}}
[[File:NHL Hockey Rink.svg|thumb|The current markings of an NHL hockey rink]]
[[File:Rink - IIHF vs NHL.jpg|thumb|Size difference between a hockey rink used in [[International Ice Hockey Federation|IIHF]]-sanctioned games and an NHL hockey rink]]
The National Hockey League's rules are one of the two standard sets of professional ice hockey rules in the world, the other being the rules of the [[International Ice Hockey Federation]] (IIHF), as used in tournaments such as the [[Ice hockey at the Olympic Games|Olympics]]. The IIHF rules are derived from the Canadian amateur ice hockey rules of the early 20th century,{{sfn|Podnieks|Szemberg|2007|p=198}} while the NHL rules evolved directly from the [[First indoor hockey game|first organized indoor ice hockey game]] in Montreal in 1875, updated by subsequent leagues up to 1917, when the NHL adopted the existing NHA set of rules. The NHL's rules are the basis for rules governing [[List of ice hockey leagues#Minor professional|most professional]] and [[Canadian Hockey League|major junior ice hockey leagues]] in North America.

The NHL [[hockey rink]] is {{convert|200|x|85|ft|m|sigfig=4}},<ref name="rink">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule02.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060409150309/http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule02.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 9, 2006 |title=Dimensions of Rink |year=2005 |website=National Hockey League |access-date=June 8, 2006 }}</ref> approximately the same length but much narrower than IIHF standards. A [[Ice hockey rink#Goaltender trapezoid ("Martin Brodeur" Rule)|trapezoidal area]] appears behind each goal net.<ref name="crease">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule04.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090606090924/http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule04.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 6, 2009 |title=Goal crease |year=2005 |website=National Hockey League |access-date=June 8, 2006 }}</ref> The goaltender can play the puck only within the trapezoid or in front of the goal line; if the goaltender plays the puck behind the goal line and outside the trapezoidal area, a [[Delay of game (ice hockey)|two-minute minor penalty for delay of game]] is assessed.<ref name="crease_penalty">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26355|title=Rule 63 – Delaying the Game|year=2009|website=National Hockey League|access-date=March 14, 2010|archive-date=May 10, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510004223/http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26355|url-status=live}}</ref> The rule is unofficially nicknamed the "[[Martin Brodeur]] rule"; Brodeur at the time was one of the best goaltenders at getting behind the net to handle the puck.<ref name="Diamos2007">{{cite news|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10616F835550C758DDDA00894DD404482|title=New Rule Will Take a Weapon Away from Brodeur|date=September 16, 2005|work=[[The New York Times]] (subscription required)|author=Diamos, Jason.|access-date=March 2, 2007|archive-date=November 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106033050/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10616F835550C758DDDA00894DD404482|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2005/09/18/Sports/Brodeur_not_handling_.shtml |title=Brodeur not handling new rule well |date=September 18, 2005 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]] |author=Jones, Tom. |access-date=March 2, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206171542/http://www.sptimes.com/2005/09/18/Sports/Brodeur_not_handling_.shtml |archive-date=February 6, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="Brodeur hopes NHL banishes trapezoid">{{cite web |url=http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/comments/brodeur_hopes_nhl_banishes_trapezoid/ |title=Brodeur hopes NHL banishes trapezoid |year=2009 |work=Fire&Ice |access-date=November 10, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091113050802/http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/comments/brodeur_hopes_nhl_banishes_trapezoid |archive-date=November 13, 2009 }}</ref><ref name="NHL decides to keep trapezoid">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/nhl_decides_to_keep_trapezoid/|title=NHL decides to keep trapezoid|year=2009|work=Fire&Ice|access-date=November 10, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714195405/http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/nhl_decides_to_keep_trapezoid/|archive-date=July 14, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since the 2013–14 season, the league trimmed the goal frames by {{convert|4|in|cm}} on each side and reduced the size of the goalies' leg pads.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=684940|title=Hybrid Icying tops list of rules changes for 2013–2014 season|last=Rosen|first=Dan|website=National Hockey League|access-date=December 2, 2013|archive-date=January 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111061200/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=684940|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Bruins at Devils on Apr 2 2008 (85).jpeg|thumb|[[New Jersey Devils]] goaltender [[Martin Brodeur]] (top left) positions himself along the net during a 2008 game against the [[Boston Bruins]]. Brodeur's exploits led the NHL in 2005 to delineate the trapezoidal area behind the net to limit where the goaltender can legally play the puck behind the goal line.]]
The league has regularly modified its rules to counter perceived imperfections in the game. The penalty shot was adopted from the [[Pacific Coast Hockey Association]] to ensure players were not being blocked from opportunities to score. For the 2005–06 season, the league changed some of the rules regarding being offside. First, the league removed the "offside pass" or "two-line pass" rule, which required a stoppage in play if a pass originating from inside a team's [[Ice hockey rink#Zones|defending zone]] was completed on the offensive side of the centre line, unless the puck crossed the line before the player.<ref name="newoffside">{{Cite news|title=Relaunching the Game |author=CBC Sports |publisher=[[CBC.ca]] |date=July 22, 2005 |access-date=June 10, 2006 |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/cba/features/rule_changes.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060516050646/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/cba/features/rule_changes.html |archive-date=May 16, 2006 }}</ref> Furthermore, the league reinstated the "tag-up offside" which allows an attacking player a chance to get back onside by returning to the neutral zone.<ref name="newoffside" /> The changes to the offside rule were among several rule changes intended to increase overall scoring,<ref name="newoffside" /> which had been in decline since the expansion years of the mid-nineties and the increased prevalence of the [[neutral zone trap]]. Since 2005, when a team is guilty of [[Icing (ice hockey)|icing the puck]] they are not allowed to make a line change or skater substitution of any sort before the following [[face-off]] (except to replace an injured player or re-install a [[extra attacker|pulled goaltender]]).<ref name="icing">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule81.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514155000/http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule81.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 14, 2013 |title=Icing |website=National Hockey League |access-date=March 1, 2013 |year=2005 }}</ref> Since 2013, the league has used ''hybrid icing'', where a [[Official (ice hockey)#Linesman|linesman]] stops play due to icing if a defending player (other than the goaltender) crosses the imaginary line that connects the two face-off dots in their defensive zone before an attacking player is able to. This was done to counter a trend of player injury in races to the puck.<ref name="icing" />

[[Fighting in ice hockey|Fighting in the NHL]] leads to ''major penalties'' while IIHF rules, and most amateur rules, call for the ejection of fighting players.<ref name="major">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule27.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060423154838/http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule27.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 23, 2006 |title=Major penalties |website=National Hockey League |access-date=June 8, 2006 |year=2005 }}</ref><ref name="fighting_iihf">{{Cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/sports/icehockey/essentials/intlvsnhl.shtml |title=Ice Hockey Essentials – International vs. NHL |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=June 26, 2006 |year=2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060221192349/http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/sports/icehockey/essentials/intlvsnhl.shtml |archive-date = February 21, 2006}}</ref> Usually, a penalized team cannot replace a player that is penalized on the ice and is thus [[short-handed]] for the duration of the penalty,<ref name="minor" /> but if the penalties are coincidental, for example when two players fight, both teams remain at full strength. Also, unlike minor penalties, major penalties must be served to their full completion, regardless of number of goals scored during the power play.<ref name="minor">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule26.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060423154633/http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule26.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 23, 2006 |title=Minor penalties |website=National Hockey League |access-date=June 8, 2006 |year=2005 }}</ref>

The league also imposes a conduct policy on its players. Players are banned from [[gambling]] and criminal activities have led to the suspension of players. The league and the Players' Association agreed to a stringent anti-doping policy in the 2005 collective bargaining agreement. The policy provides for a twenty-game suspension for a first positive test, a sixty-game suspension for a second positive test, and a lifetime suspension for a third positive test.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050928/NHL_doping_050928?s_name=&no_ads= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051023064426/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050928/NHL_doping_050928?s_name=&no_ads= |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 23, 2005 |title=NHL unveils new drug testing policy |date=September 28, 2005 |access-date=January 2, 2007 |first=Scott |last=Laurie |publisher=CTV }}</ref>

At the end of regulation time, the team with the most goals wins the game. If a game is tied after regulation time, [[Overtime (ice hockey)|overtime]] ensues. During the regular season, overtime is a five-minute, three-on-three [[Sudden death (sport)|sudden-death]] period, in which whoever scores a goal first wins the game. If the game is still tied at the end of overtime, the game enters a [[Overtime (ice hockey)#North American shootouts|shootout]]. Three players for each team in turn take a [[Penalty shot (ice hockey)|penalty shot]]. The team with the most goals during the three-round shootout wins the game. If the game is still tied after the three shootout rounds, the shootout continues but becomes sudden-death. Whichever team ultimately wins the shootout is awarded a goal in the game score and thus awarded two points in the standings. The losing team in overtime or shootout is awarded one point.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://proicehockey.about.com/od/rules/a/shootout_debate_2.htm |title=How the NHL Shootout Works |access-date=August 4, 2008 |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Jamie |work=About.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080519150726/http://proicehockey.about.com/od/rules/a/shootout_debate_2.htm |archive-date=May 19, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Shootout goals and saves are not tracked in hockey statistics; shootout statistics are tracked separately.

There are no shootouts during the [[NHL Playoffs|playoffs]]. Instead, multiple sudden-death, 20-minute five-on-five periods are played until one team scores. Two games have reached six overtime periods, but none have gone beyond six.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Oh, what a night ... and morning. Stars-Canucks ranks sixth among longest OT games. |magazine=Sports Illustrated |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/hockey/nhl/specials/playoffs/2007/04/12/OT.games/ |access-date=April 26, 2007 |date=April 12, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103141020/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/hockey/nhl/specials/playoffs/2007/04/12/OT.games/ |archive-date=November 3, 2007 }}</ref> During playoff overtime periods, the only break is to clean the loose ice at the first stoppage after the period is halfway finished.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/18470542/ |title=Playoff overtime format needs change |publisher=[[NBC Sports]] |last=Clement |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Clement |year=2008 |access-date=May 9, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220122859/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/18470542/ |archive-date=February 20, 2009 }}</ref>