Historical scope
This draft pairs the NHL 2025–26 rules with the IIHF 2025/26 rulebook. It does not establish current rules. The comparison excludes women’s and youth variations, domestic adaptations, knockout overtime and tournament eligibility regulations.
Practical implications
Check the game lineup and intermission schedule rather than assuming they transfer between formats. The aggressor row concerns a specific fighting classification, not every participant. Overtime similarities here must not be extended to knockout games. For broader context, visit Ice Hockey; related resources may discuss different editions.
Governing texts
Rules side by side
| Situation | National Hockey League · Official Rules 2025-2026 · NHL regular-season games; selected game and penalty provisions. | International Ice Hockey Federation · Official Rulebook 2025/26, Version 1.1, July 2025 · IIHF senior men's championship ice hockey; overtime comparison limited to round-robin or preliminary-round games under Rule 84.1. |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation duration — both formats | Three periods of 20 minutes of playing time. | Same: three periods of 20 minutes of playing time. |
| Regulation intermissions — both formats | Normally 18 minutes; the League may designate another duration. | Normally 15 minutes; the IIHF may designate another duration. |
| Game lineup — both formats | 18 skaters and two goalkeepers. | Up to 20 skaters and two goalkeepers. |
| Overtime — NHL regular season versus IIHF round robin/preliminary round | Up to five minutes, sudden death, normally three skaters and a goalkeeper per team. | Same duration, scoring condition and normal strength for this phase. |
| Minor penalty — regulation play | A skater's minor carries two minutes without replacement, subject to penalty-administration rules. | Same basic two-minute sanction without replacement, subject to penalty-administration rules. |
| Fighting aggressor — during the game | Major plus game misconduct for the aggressor. | Additional minor for the aggressor, plus major and automatic game misconduct. |
Rule editions and sources
- National Hockey League · Official Rules 2025-2026 · NHL regular-season games; selected game and penalty provisions. — National Hockey League — Official Rules 2025–2026, Rules 20.6 and 41–43
- International Ice Hockey Federation · Official Rulebook 2025/26, Version 1.1, July 2025 · IIHF senior men's championship ice hockey; overtime comparison limited to round-robin or preliminary-round games under Rule 84.1. — IIHF Official Rulebook 2025/26 — Version 1.1, July 2025