HNX Hockey

League Guide

HNX Rules

Equipment, roster eligibility, game play, penalties, suspensions, and stat-tracking notes for HNX Hockey.

Safety First

Equipment

  1. All players must wear a hockey helmet with the chinstrap fastened. A player participating without a helmet may receive a minor penalty and cannot resume play until properly equipped.
  2. Visors or full face protection are strongly recommended.
  3. Players must wear a hockey jersey that matches or closely resembles their team colour, with a clear number on the back.
  4. Hockey pants, gloves, elbow pads, shin pads, shoulder pads, and protective cup are strongly recommended. Goalies must wear full goalie equipment, including a facemask.

Eligibility

Roster Rules

  1. Players must either be full-time registered players on the roster or have played at least seven regular-season games to qualify for playoffs for the Fall/Winter Season. For Summer Season, you must have played at least 4 regular season games if you're joining late.
  2. Players are credited to the team they are officially assigned to for season roster purposes, even if game activity appears under another team due to data cleanup or historical entry.

Game Flow

Game Rules

  1. Each game consists of three 20-minute stop-time periods. Teams change ends after every period.
  2. Any puck that makes contact off a goalie's mask will cause a stoppage in play. If the puck makes contact with the goalie's mask and directly goes into the net it will count as a good goal. All other situations will result in the goal being waived.
  3. There is no two-line offside pass rule. Delayed offside is used.
  4. No-touch icing is used. If the goalie leaves the crease to play the puck, icing is waived off. Icing rule starts from the blue-line.
  5. Standing in the opposing goalie crease may stop play, with the faceoff outside the blue line. Repeated violations may result in a 2-minute delay of game penalty.
  6. Teams have 10 seconds to set up for each faceoff. Repeated delays after warnings may result in a delay of game penalty.
  7. Two points are awarded for a regulation win, one point for a tie, and zero points for a regulation loss.
  8. Teams are permitted one 30-second timeout per game during playoffs.
  9. Run-time will start in the 3rd period at any time when a team is leading by 5 or more goals. Run-time can also begin, at the discretion of the officials, when the game is running behind due to excessive faceoffs, goals, penalties, etc.
  10. Stats will be recorded when a lead exceeds seven goals, but individual stats may not count toward official player totals once that threshold is reached.

Discipline

Penalties

  1. Teams must be able to field at least five players to start a game. If not, a delay of game penalty will be assessed once the team has enough players.
  2. Standard hockey penalties such as hooking, holding, interference, slashing, and cross-checking are in effect and are 2-minute penalties unless it results injury, which the officials can upgrade to other penalties that include game misconducts
  3. Minor penalties may be upgraded to major penalties depending on severity. Major penalties carry an automatic game ejection.
  4. Accumulating the equivalent of four minor penalties in one game results in a game misconduct. A 4-minute penalty counts as two minors.
  5. All 4-minute penalties that create a power play allow a maximum of two power-play goals against, unless the rule specifically requires the full penalty to be served. Automatic 4-minute penalties include: body contact, high-sticking and slashing.
  6. Shooting the puck out of play by a goalie or skater is delay of game when you are in your defensive zone, unless the puck exits into the bench area or where there is no glass.
  7. Goalie interference may be called when a player contacts the goalie in the crease, including incidental contact, and goals on the play may be waived off.
  8. A player carrying two sticks during play, including while bringing a stick to a goalie, receives a minor penalty.
  9. A player with a broken stick must drop it immediately or may receive a minor penalty.
  10. Closing the hand on the puck or picking the puck up during play may result in a minor penalty. If done in the defensive goal crease, a penalty shot may be awarded.
  11. Chirping, taunting, heckling, or bench abuse may receive a warning, minor penalty, or misconduct at the referee’s discretion.
  12. Fighting is not allowed. Any player participating in a fight receives a game misconduct and an automatic 7-game suspension, with further review possible.

Review

Suspensions

  1. All suspensions are subject to league review and may be increased. Suspensions carry into playoffs and future seasons until all games are served.
  2. A fighting major results in immediate ejection and an automatic 7-game suspension. Additional fighting majors will probably get you banished from the league.
  3. A second major penalty results in an automatic 3-game suspension.
  4. A game misconduct results in immediate ejection. A one-game suspension may be assessed at the referee or league’s discretion.
  5. Third-man-in situations or players leaving the bench during an altercation may result in ejection and a minimum 2-game suspension.
  6. A player reaching 70 regular-season penalty minutes receives an automatic 1-game suspension. Each additional 10 minutes may trigger another 1-game suspension.
  7. Striking or harassing a referee or league official may result in indefinite suspension and further action.

Facility

General Rules

  1. All teams must follow any facility rules not covered by HNX league rules.
  2. Referees may run the clock or terminate a game if player conduct makes the game unsafe or beyond disciplinary control.
  3. League officials may clarify or amend rules when needed to protect player safety, competitive balance, or data integrity.