The 10 Weirdest Rules in Hockey

🏒 10 Weird Hockey Rules That Sound Totally Made Up (But Aren’t)

I love weird hockey rules! Sometimes they can make for a great storyline. (Like when one of the Brooklyn Bruisers opens the bench door at just the right moment to make an opponent fall into their bench area. Not illegal!) So here’s a list of some of the oddest ones that sound like they were made by a committee of slightly drunk Canadians in a Tim Hortons parking lot.

Let’s get weird.

1. The Goalie Can’t Play the Puck Past Center Ice

Hockey image from Unsplash

Your favorite 6'5" weirdo is free to skate wherever his big blocker pads fit… but if he plays the puck past the center red line? That’s a no-no. It’s considered illegal puck handling. Basically: stay in your crease (or at least your half of the rink), king. Plot potential? Still very much alive.

2. You Can Play the Puck With Your Hand—But You Better Not Pass It

Unlike in soccer, a hockey player can swat the puck out of the air like a volleyball player. Nobody will yell “hand ball!” You can catch it and drop it, no problem. But if you hand-pass it to your teammate like, “Here bro, this one's yours,” the ref shuts it down faster than a Tinder date gone wrong.

3. There’s a Trapezoid Where Goalies Are Allowed to Touch the Puck. Only There.

Behind the net, there’s a weird trapezoid-shaped “goaltender zone.” It’s the only place the goalie can handle the puck. If he dares wander outside it? Two minutes for being too helpful. (This is the “Thou Shalt Not Be Brodeur” rule.)

There’s ongoing discussion to change this rule, though, which is why it comes up in a scene at the end of I’m Your Guy. ;)

4. Break Your Stick? You’re Basically Naked

You must drop a broken stick like it’s radioactive. Holding onto it = penalty. And if a teammate wants to hand you theirs, they can… but they’re not allowed to throw it. Yes, really. Hand delivery only. Hockey etiquette is weirdly formal sometimes.

5. You Can’t Skate Backwards in a Shootout

You can deke, spin, shimmy, and swerve like you're auditioning for “Dancing with the Stars,” but the puck must always be moving forward. No backsies. Once you go forward, you commit.

6. Knock the Puck In With a High Stick? NOPE.

If you bat the puck into the net with your stick above shoulder height, it’s no goal. But if you pass it to someone else that way and they score? That’s totally fine. Hockey says yes to teamwork, no to solo showboating.

7. If the Puck Goes Through the Net, It’s Not a Goal

The puck can rip through the net, and the goal doesn’t count unless someone notices and calls for a review. Meaning somewhere, some guy definitely celebrated a goal that never existed. (Still counts in the hearts of romance readers.)

8. You Can Pull Your Goalie Before a Penalty Starts

If a delayed penalty’s coming and the ref hasn’t blown the whistle yet, your team gets a free play. Pull the goalie. Go 6-on-5. Just chaos and vibes and one very nervous goaltender on the bench chewing his glove.

9. Ice the Puck? You’re Trapped on the Ice

When you ice the puck, not only does play stop—but your line can’t change. Maybe that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but the average skating shift in the NHL is between 45 and 60 seconds. So, after an icing call, you’re stuck out there, exhausted and suffering, while the other team rolls out fresh legs. This is why you don’t take lazy dumps.

10. Shoot the Puck Over the Glass? Go Sit in the Shame Box

If a player in their defensive zone shoots the puck over the glass without it touching anything, it’s a penalty. Doesn’t matter if it was a total accident. You’re still heading to the penalty box like a naughty toddler who launched a toy out of his crib.

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