Following Jason Spezza’s penalty on March 9th for an illegal stick during the game between the Senators and Leafs (game recap here, video here), I thought I would enlighten you all on some of the rules of the game. Once a week I will bring you some points from a different section of the rule book. I will of course, start with the stick.
The stick is undeniably one of the most important pieces of equipment that a hockey player has. Besides ice skates, it has been one of the only constants in the game. helmets are a fairly new part of the game, the copious amounts of pads, etc. But the Stick has always been there. Granted, its shape, and construction material has changed over the years, but the general look and use of the stick hasn’t.
Rule ten (10) of the NHL Rule Book covers the stick and its approved dimensions, and handling during the game (if one is broken). The rule itself covers goalies and players alike and is pretty in depth. Today I bring you some of the more interesting points of Rule 10.
Measurements
Player sticks
No stick shall exceed sixty-three inches (63″) in length from the heel to the end of the shaft nor more than twelve and one-half inches (121/2“) from the heel to the end of the blade.
63 inches is pretty long and should cover even some of the tallest players, but the NHL will allow a 65 inch stick under special circumstances. Just to put it into perspective, 65 inches is almost 5 and a half feet.
The blade of the stick shall not be more than three inches (3″) in width at any point between the heel and ½” in from the mid-point of the tip of the blade, nor less than two inches (2″). All edges of the blade shall be beveled. The curvature of the blade of the stick shall be restricted in such a way that the distance of a perpendicular line measured from a straight line drawn from any point at the heel to the end of the blade to the point of maximum curvature shall not exceed three-quarters of an inch (3/4“).
NHL Rule 10 diagram for player sticks
Photo: NHL.com
This is where Spezza got in trouble (bold text above). The end of his blade was far skinnier than the minimum of 2 inches and did not look (to me anyway) to be curved. Leafs coach Ron Wilson stated after the game, that he felt the stick was illegal and unsafe, so he challenged its legality when he had the chance.
Goalie sticks
In the case of a goalkeeper’s stick, there shall be a knob of white tape or some other protective material approved by the League. This knob must not be less than one-half inch (1/2”) thick at the top of the shaft.
This is the one rule for sticks that I did not know or think would exist. There is no explanation of the necessity of the knob but I speculate (correct me if I am wrong) it’s there to keep the stick from flying out of the goalkeeper’s hands.
There is to be no measurement of any of the dimensions of the goalkeeper’s stick during the course of the game.
This one is interesting as well. A goaltender can play the entire game with an illegal stick and know he may not be punished until after the game, and only monetarily or with a suspension. This would suck in the playoffs. Mid season against a rival wouldn’t be a bad time to test your super-wide stick, though.
Broken Sticks
Any player can continue to participate in the game if his stick is broken, provided he drops the broken stick. If he continues to play with the broken stick he will be given a penalty.This does not include goaltenders who can play with a broken stick until play is stopped.
A player can be given another stick from a teammate or the bench, provided it is not thrown or slid along the ice to him. If a stick is thrown or slid to a player, the person responsible will receive a minor penalty.
Goaltenders cannot receive an new stick from the bench until a stoppage of play. A goaltender can use a players stick until he can legally go to the bench and get a new stick. As with other players a stick cannot be thrown or slid to the goaltender, even if a player is trying to return a lost stick to him.
There you have it. Some of the more interesting rules regarding sticks in the NHL. Check back next week for uniform rules.