The NHL rulebook is getting some updates ahead of the 2024-25 season.
The league’s Board of Governors has ratified a series of four changes after getting approval from NHL general managers and the NHL/NHLPA Competition Committee. A few of the changes were discussed and proposed by the general managers at their annual meetings in March.
The @NHL announced today a series of rule changes for the 2024-25 season.
These rule changes were unanimously approved by the League’s Board of Governors, NHL General Managers and the Competition Committee.
More information: https://t.co/QyeSCLPcfc pic.twitter.com/s2RZLPfmSa
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 26, 2024
While the NHL’s Hockey Operations department is still working on the exact wording for the new rules, they have released a basic overview of what’s being edited ahead of next season. The biggest of the bunch is the expansion of coach’s challenges for delay of game penalties when the puck is sent off the ice by a defending player in their own zone.
Rule 38.2 (Situations Subject to Coach’s Challenge)
A coach’s challenge now will be permitted to take down a penalty for puck out of play. This only will apply to delay of game penalties when the puck is determined to have deflected off a player, stick, glass or boards, and not on a judgment call on how the puck left the defensive zone (e.g., batted pucks or if the puck was shot out from the defensive zone). In the event of a failed challenge, another two-minute minor penalty will be assessed (in addition to the existing delay of game penalty).
The other penalty-based update comes regarding last season’s addition of an infraction considered unsportsmanlike conduct. Players sitting on the boards in front of their benches during play first get a warning from on-ice officials and if the behavior persists during the game, the offending team will receive a bench minor penalty.
The immediate change came last season after an official suffered a skate cut in a Winnipeg Jets-Minnesota Wild game. Wednesday’s announcement just provides explicit clarification and codification on how exactly the infraction will be officiated.
Other changes include teams now not being able to make line changes when their goaltenders “accidentally” dislodge their nets. The previous verbiage only prohibited line changes if a team’s skater accidentally knocked the goal off its pegs.
Face-off procedures after an icing also saw a tweak as the offensive center will now receive one warning (similarly to defensive players) for a face-off violation before being kicked out of the dot.
Here’s the league’s full press release:
NHL Announces Rule Changes for 2024-25 Season
NEW YORK (June 26, 2024) – The National Hockey League announced today a series of rule changes for the 2024-25 season.
These rule changes were unanimously approved by the League’s Board of Governors, NHL General Managers and the NHL/NHLPA Competition Committee. NHL Hockey Operations will work on the precise Rule Book language over the coming weeks.
Following is an overview of the changes:
Rule 38.2 (Situations Subject to Coach’s Challenge)
A coach’s challenge now will be permitted to take down a penalty for puck out of play. This only will apply to delay of game penalties when the puck is determined to have deflected off a player, stick, glass or boards, and not on a judgment call on how the puck left the defensive zone (e.g., batted pucks or if the puck was shot out from the defensive zone). In the event of a failed challenge, another two-minute minor penalty will be assessed (in addition to the existing delay of game penalty).
Rule 63.8 (Line Change Following Dislodged Net)
There will be an adjustment to Rule 63.8 so that the defensive team cannot make a line change in the event its goaltender accidentally dislodges the net (old language applied just to skater).
Rule 76.4 (Face-Off Procedure – Centers)
Following an icing, the offensive center also now will receive one warning (same as the defensive player) for a face-off violation.
Rule 75.3 (Unsportsmanlike Conduct – Player Sitting on Boards)
The referee now will provide the offending team (coach and players) with one warning regarding players sitting on the boards (and will so advise the other team). After one warning in a game, the team precipitating the warning will be issued a bench minor penalty for future violations.
