Game Misconduct Penalties
23.1 Game Misconduct Penalty - A game misconduct penalty involves the suspension of a player for the balance of the game but a substitute is permitted to replace the player removed. Ten minutes are applied in the league records to the player incurring a game misconduct penalty.
23.2 Fines and Suspensions - A player incurring a game misconduct penalty shall be reported to the Commissioner who shall have full power to impose such further penalties by way of suspension or fine on the penalized player or any other player involved in the altercation.
Any game misconduct penalty for which a player has been assessed an automatic suspension or supplementary discipline in the form of game suspension(s) by the Commissioner shall not be taken into account when calculating the total number of offenses under this subsection.
The automatic suspensions incurred under this subsection in respect to League games shall have no effect with respect to violations during Playoff games. Any request by a Club to have a game misconduct reviewed and rescinded by the League must submit their request in writing to the Hockey Operations Department within 48 hours of the conclusion of the game in which the game misconduct was assessed. Failure to submit the written request within this time frame will automatically result in the game misconduct being upheld and no further review of the incident will be considered or entertained. This does not apply to infractions addressed under Rule 28 – Supplementary Discipline.
23.3 Fines and Suspensions – General Category - In regular League games, any player who incurs a total of three (3) game misconduct penalties in the “General Category” and exclusive of other designated categories, shall be suspended for the next League game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game. For each suspension of a player or goalkeeper, his Club shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000).
In Playoff games, any player who incurs a total of two game misconduct penalties in the “General Category” shall be suspended automatically for the next Playoff game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty during the Playoffs, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game. For each suspension of a player during Playoffs, his club shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000).
| (i) | Fighting off the playing surface | Rule 46 |
| (ii) | Inciting an opponent into incurring a penalty | Rule 75 |
| (iii) | Intervening in an altercation | Rule 46 |
| (iv) | Not properly tied down during an altercation | Rule 46 |
| (v) | Obscene language or gestures | Rule 75 |
| (vi) | Persists in continuing an altercation | Rule 46 |
| (vii) | Removing jersey prior to an altercation | Rule 46 |
| (viii) | Secondary altercation | Rule 46 |
| (ix) | Third major penalty in a game | Rule 20 |
| (x) | Throwing stick outside playing area | Rule 53 |
23.4 Fines and Suspensions – Abuse of Officials Category - In regular season League or Playoff games, any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconduct penalties for abuse of officials related infractions penalized under Rule 39 - Abuse of Officials, shall be automatically suspended for his team’s next League or Playoff game. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.
23.5 Fines and Suspensions – Stick Infractions Category - In regular season League games, any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconduct penalties for stick-related infractions in the “Stick Infractions Category”, before playing in 41 consecutive regular season League games without such penalty, shall be suspended automatically for the next regular season League game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.
In Playoff games any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconduct penalties in the “Stick Infractions Category”, shall be suspended automatically for the next Playoff game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty in this category during the Playoffs the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.
Prior to the commencement of each Stanley Cup Finals, a player will have his current “Stick Infractions Category” game misconducts removed from his current playoff record. They will remain part of his historical record.
| (i) | Butt-ending | Rule 58 |
| (ii) | Cross-checking | Rule 59 |
| (iii) | Hooking | Rule 55 |
| (iv) | Slashing | Rule 61 |
| (v) | Spearing | Rule 62 |
23.6 Fines and Suspensions – Physical Infractions Category – In regular season League games, any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconduct penalties in the “Physical Infractions Category”, before playing in 41 consecutive regular season League games without such penalty, shall be suspended automatically for the next League game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game. In Playoff games, any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconduct penalties in the “Physical Infractions Category” shall be suspended automatically for the next Playoff game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty in this category during the Playoffs the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.
Prior to the commencement of each Stanley Cup Finals, a player will have his current “Physical Infractions Category” game misconducts removed from his current playoff record. They will remain part of his historical record.
| (i) | Boarding | Rule 41 |
| (ii) | Charging | Rule 42 |
| (iii) | Checking from Behind | Rule 43 |
| (iv) | Clipping | Rule 44 |
| (v) | Elbowing | Rule 45 |
| (vi) | Head-butting | Rule 47 |
| (vii) | Interference | Rule 56 |
| (viii) | Kneeing | Rule 50 |
When a player has played in 41 consecutive regular League games without being assessed a major and a game misconduct in the “Physical Infractions Category”, he will have the previous game misconduct penalties removed from his current record. They will remain part of his historical record.
A player’s total games played will cover a two-year time period from the date of the first game misconduct penalty for each category of infraction.
23.7 Automatic Game Misconduct – See 20.4.
23.8 Other Infractions That Could Result in a Game Misconduct – Refer to the Reference Tables – Table 10 – Summary of Game Misconduct Penalties (page 142) for a list of the infractions that can result in a game misconduct penalty being assessed (see specific rule numbers for complete descriptions).
In addition, the following list of infractions can also result in a game misconduct penalty being assessed: (i) interfering with or striking a spectator. (ii) racial taunts or slurs (iii) spitting on or at an opponent or spectator
Any player or non-playing Club personnel who physically interferes with the spectators, becomes involved in an altercation with a spectator, or throws any object at a spectator, shall automatically incur a game misconduct penalty and the Referee shall report all such infractions to the Commissioner who shall have full power to impose such further penalty as he shall deem appropriate.