DHL Rules

Dakota Hockey League 2025/2026 Rules

The Hockey Canada Rulebook is available here for reference

New for the 2025/2026 Season:

 Scheduling:

• New schedules will be released in 2 month blocks
• Division re-alignment will be evaluated in December and February
• Teams can submit 2 blackout dates per scheduling block

 Payments:

• Teams will need a $1000 deposit upon registration to receive a schedule
• The following league payments will be required in September and December
• Schedule will not be released until payments are confirmed
• Due to ice constraints, 11:10 pm games are back this season
• We will do our best to distribute them evenly
• All teams playing games scheduled at or later than 10:40pm will receive pizza (@ Dakota CC)

 Forfeit:

• Teams are expected to play every scheduled game
• Teams that cannot make a scheduled game must notify the league 48 hours prior to their game
• If a team cannot play a scheduled game, the league will do its best to reschedule
  • If not possible the game could be cancelled
• Team gets a win in the standings
• The team that was affected by the forfeit will be able to use the ice immediately, for a practice or intersquad game

 Goalie Eligibility:

• To be eligible for playoffs, the participating goalie must have played at least 1 regular season game on that team.

 No Timekeeper: 

• In the unlikely event of the game having no timekeeper
• The period lengths will be set to 17 minutes run time
• Minor penalties are 3 minutes
• With 1 minute remaining in the third period, the losing team can put a player in the box to stop the clock at whistles

Hockey Canada Rules will be observed; the following changes will apply:

 Length of Games:

• 3 - 12 minute periods.
• 6+ goal differential in 3rd period results in running time until the score gets to within 5 goals.
• The officials may cut the clock to 2 minutes to play if the game is behind due to excessive penalties, etc. 

Start of Game:

• A team must have 5 skaters and a goalie in order to start a game.
• If a team is not ready at game time the clock will start and a Delay of Game penalty will be assessed.
• After 5 minutes (7:00 remaining on the game clock) another Delay of Game penalty.
• At the end of the first period the game will be considered a default win 1-0.
• A team may finish a game without a goalie.
• A goalie who leaves the game (injury, ejection) may be replaced by a skater and the game will continue.
• The team may call the game (forfeit) if they do not wish to continue playing without a goalie.

Tie Games:

• Regular season games will go immediately to a shootout if the game is tied at the end of regulation time.
• Home team will decide who shoots first.
• Each team will get three attempts to score.
• If the score is tied after three attempts, sudden death will determine the winner after an equal number of shots per team.
• Players serving a penalty at the end of the game are not allowed to participate in the shootout.
• All players must have shot once before players can be repeated.

Pucks:

• The home team is to supply the officials with 3 pucks prior to the game.

Signing in:

• All players must legibly sign the game sheet prior to each game and return it to the timekeeper.

Proper Equipment:

• Full face protection is recommended, Visors are required
• CSA Approved Helmets and Visors must be worn at all times during the warm-up and game
• Players not wearing appropriate equipment will receive a 2 minute delay of game penalty and will not be allowed to play until proper equipment is worn
  • ex - CSA approved hockey helmets with visor or cage

Slapshots:

• Allowed in all divisions

Icing: 

• When a puck is shot from inside the defending team’s blue line, to the other end of the ice, crossing the opposing team’s goal line, an icing shall be called.
• The red line will not determine icing, the defending team’s blue line that determine icing calls.

Jerseys:

• Non-matching jerseys will be considered jerseys without numbers and not the same colour as everyone else on the team
  • For example, if a team has red jerseys and another player has a slightly darker red jersey that will be approved
  • The referees will have the ability to decide what a non-matching jersey is
  • A jersey does not need to have a team logo
  • This rule does not apply if a team needs to change jerseys because they have the same colour as the opposing team
• Teams must have at least one numbered set (preferably two) of team jerseys to play in the league
• Taped on numbers are not allowed
• Players with non-matching jerseys are still able to play, however as they enter the game for the first time they will receive a delay of game penalty
• Maximum of 2 minor penalties can be given for non-matching jerseys
  • 1 penalty per player for a jersey offence
• If both teams have matching or similar coloured jerseys, the AWAY team must change

Penalties, Thresholds, Suspensions, Probation:

• Maximum Number of Penalties in a Game is 3
• 3 Penalties of any kind will result in a Game Ejection
  • A double minor counts as 1 towards the total

Penalties: (assuming each penalty does not result in an injury and is not deemed to be a major penalty by the on ice official);

• Minor or Double Minor Penalties at referee’s discretion
  • Slashing, Body Checking (based on level of contact), Head Contact, Butt-Ending, Hooking
• Double Minor Penalties
  • Cross Checking, High Sticking, Clipping
• Minor Penalties
  • Tripping, Hooking, Holding, Holding the Stick, Roughing, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, Diving
• Major Penalties or Match
  • Charging, Boarding, Kneeing, Butt Ending, Spearing, Slew Footing, Checking from Behind 

Regular Season, Player Thresholds:

• Players who receive 40+ penalty minutes in one season will receive an automatic 2 game suspension
• Players who receive 60+ penalty minutes in one season will receive an automatic 4-8 game suspension
  • League will review regarding participation in the league
• Players who receive 80+ minutes in one season will receive an indefinite suspension

Playoff, Player Thresholds:

• Players who receive 15+ penalty minutes will receive a 1 game suspension
• Players who receive 25+ penalty minutes will receive a 3-5 game suspension
• Suspensions will carry on into the next season if there are no more playoff games in the current season.

Suspension Guidelines:

• Fighting: 7-10 games
• Gross misconduct: 3-5 games
• Major/Game Misconduct: 2 game suspension
• Match: League review before player can return

*All suspensions are treated on a case-by-case basis based on the history of the player and the reports from the league’s officials

Team Probation

• Teams that accumulate 250 penalty minutes during the season will be placed on probation
• The league will review the situation with the team manager
• There are no refunds, games will not be rescheduled for teams on probation

Suspended Players:

• Cannot be around the bench/playing area while serving their suspension.
• Teams caught playing a suspended player will have that game forfeited and face further discipline from the league (a team could be removed from the league without refund)
• Suspended players are ineligible to play on any other teams in the DHL until full suspension is served
  • Teams violating this rule will be forced to forfeit the game
  • The suspended player will receive further discipline, and the offending team captain may be suspended

Powerplays:

• To start each powerplay the faceoff is in the offending team’s defensive zone on the bench side of the ice.

Timeouts:

• Each team is allowed a 30 second timeout per game.

Puck to Goalie’s Head:

• When a goalie gets hit in the mask/head with a shot - an automatic whistle will occur
  • Ex: A shot that hits the goalie’s mask and deflects into the goal - by rule is no goal.

End of Game:

• Handshakes between teams are expected unless otherwise directed by the officials
• Leave the ice directly after handshakes to ensure the attendant has time to clean the ice. The dressing rooms must be emptied 30 minutes after games. 

Playoffs:

• To be eligible for playoffs
• Players must have played a minimum of:
  • 12 (winter league) regular season games
  • 5 (spring league) regular season games
  • 8 (summer league) regular season games
• Teams caught with ineligible players will be given a forfeit loss and face further discipline from the league

Team Rosters:

• Teams must submit a full roster with jersey #’s prior to the first game of the season 

Alcohol:

• Absolutely no alcohol permitted on the benches
• The referee can eject a player if alcohol has been spotted on the bench and/or the player appears to be intoxicated
• The offending team may be removed from the league without refund