Hockey is a fast-paced team sport played on ice, where two teams of six players use sticks to shoot a small puck into the opposing team’s net to score goals. The game consists of three periods, and the team with the most goals wins. Players skate, pass the puck, and defend their goal, using both skill and physical contact to outmaneuver their opponents. It’s a highly strategic, fast-moving game known for its speed, teamwork, and intensity.
This guide was created by ProfitDuel, experts in matched betting, to help readers who want to learn about hockey.
What Are The Rules of Hockey?
Hockey is played between two teams, each with six players on the ice at any given time: five skaters (forwards and defense) and one goaltender or goalie. The main objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by shooting a small puck into their net using a hockey stick. The game is divided into three periods, each lasting 20 minutes, and if the score is tied at the end, the game may go into overtime, where the first team to score wins.
Players control the puck using their sticks to shoot, pass, or carry it, and they can kick the puck, but they cannot score with a kick. One important rule is “offside,” which means a player cannot enter the opponent’s zone (the area between the blue line and the goal) before the puck crosses into that zone. If they do, play stops, and the teams restart with a faceoff. Another key rule is “icing,” which occurs when a player shoots the puck across both the center line and the opponent’s goal line without anyone touching it. This also causes a stoppage, and the puck is brought back to the offending team’s zone for a faceoff.
Scoring happens when the puck completely crosses the goal line and enters the net. After a goal, or whenever play is stopped for any reason, the game restarts with a faceoff, where two players try to win control of the puck after the referee drops it between them.
Players can be penalized for breaking the rules, and this results in them sitting in the penalty box for a certain amount of time, usually two minutes. Common penalties include tripping (using a stick or body to trip an opponent), hooking (using a stick to slow down an opponent), slashing (hitting an opponent with a stick), and checking from behind (hitting someone from behind into the boards). While a player is in the penalty box, their team plays with one fewer player, making it harder to defend against the opposing team.
Body checking is allowed in hockey but must be done in a legal manner. Players can use their bodies to block or disrupt an opponent who has the puck, but hitting from behind or above the shoulders is not allowed.
The goalie, whose main job is to stop the puck from going into the net, can use any part of their body or equipment to block shots, but they cannot hold onto the puck for too long or cover it outside the designated goal crease (the area in front of the net).
If a game is tied after regular play, overtime is played, often with fewer players on each side, to create more scoring opportunities. If no one scores during overtime, the game may go to a shootout, where players take turns trying to score one-on-one against the goalie.
How Does The National Hockey League Work?
In the United States, the main professional hockey league is the National Hockey League (NHL), which is also the top league in North America, including both U.S. and Canadian teams. Here’s how the structure works in the NHL and how teams compete throughout the season.
The League Structure
The NHL consists of 32 teams: 25 from the U.S. and 7 from Canada. These teams are divided into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference is
further divided into two divisions, so there are four divisions in total:
- Eastern Conference: Atlantic Division and Metropolitan Division
- Western Conference: Central Division and Pacific Division
Each team plays an 82-game regular season, split between home and away games, where they
compete against teams from their own division, conference and the other conference. Teams accumulate points through the season: they get 2 points for a win, 1 point for an overtime or shootout loss, and no points for a regular-time loss.
The Regular Season
The goal of the regular season is to accumulate enough points to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The top three teams from each division automatically qualify for the playoffs. After that, two additional “wild card” teams from each conference, which have the most points outside of the top three, also qualify. This means a total of 16 teams (8 from each conference) make it to the playoffs.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs
The NHL playoffs are a best-of-seven series format, and they are split into multiple rounds. The first round pits division teams against each other based on their regular-season rankings, followed by conference semifinals and finals.
Eventually, the champions from the Eastern and Western Conferences face off in the Stanley Cup Final. The winner of that final series wins the Stanley Cup, which is one of the oldest and most prestigious trophies in sports.
Player Draft and Development
Each year, the NHL holds a draft where teams select young players, mostly from junior leagues, college, or international leagues. The worst-performing teams from the previous season usually get higher draft picks to help them rebuild with new talent. Many players come up through developmental leagues like the American Hockey League (AHL), which is the primary minor league system, or junior leagues, such as those governed by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
Salary Cap and Contracts
To keep the league competitive and prevent richer teams from buying all the best players, the NHL has a salary cap, which limits how much each team can spend on player salaries. Teams must carefully manage their rosters, signing players to contracts while staying under the cap.
International and National Influence
Though the NHL is based in North America, it has a strong international influence, with players from many countries. In addition to the regular season and playoffs, NHL teams sometimes play in international events, and many NHL players also represent their countries in events like the Olympics or the World Cup of Hockey.
