There are a few existing penalty infractions in the NHL rulebook which you rarely see called on the ice these days and clipping is definitely one of them. In this article, I will take an extensive look at what exactly clipping is and how the league deals with it.
What is Clipping in Hockey?
Clipping takes place when a player hits an opponent just at or below his knees and the aggressor will often lower his body while making contact. It’s possible for a player to attempt to hit an opponent with a hip check but make contact too low on his opponent’s body, resulting in a clipping call.
NHL Clipping Rule Explained:
When it comes to clipping, the NHL deals with the infraction with rule 44 of the league’s rule book.
It states that clipping occurs when the aggressor throws or lowers his body across his opponent’s body at or below the knees of the opponent from any direction.
This is an illegal hit even if the aggressor has one or both of his skates on the ice when the impact is made because the opponent’s knee area has been targeted.
Here is an example of a clipping penalty and suspension on Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins in 2012:
How Long is a Clipping Penalty?
Anybody who is dealt a clipping penalty could be assessed a two-minute minor penalty, a five-minute major or a match penalty.
The punishment dished out by the referee will depend on the severity of the clipping incident. If there’s no injury the infraction will usually result in a minor penalty. If an injury is caused then a major is warranted and this is accompanied by an automatic game misconduct.
If the referee feels that the aggressor deliberately intended to cause injury or did cause injury on the play, then he will hand out a match penalty, which comes with an automatic major penalty.
How is Clipping and Kneeing Different?
Kneeing is covered by rule 44 of the league’s book and this infraction takes place when a player makes contact with an opponent’s body with his own knee. Most kneeing penalties are called when the aggressor hits one of the opponent’s knees and this is typically known as a knee-on-knee collision.
Can You Get Suspended and/or Fined for Clipping?
There is no specific monetary fine or suspension for clipping, but according to rule 28, supplementary discipline may be handed out by the league commissioner at his discretion.
Clipping rarely happens, and typically when it does there is supplementary discipline such as a suspension. Brad Marchands first clipping penalty and call against Salo of the Canucks gave him a 5 game suspension, and his second one against Senators gave him a 3 game suspension.
The longer clipping call caused an injury to the other player which certainly contributed to the increased duration of the suspension.
Rule 28: Supplementary Discipline
Rule 28 states that the league may investigate any incident and hand out additional suspensions and/or fines for any offence committed during a game even if it didn’t result in a penalty. If the opposing team requests an investigation or the league launches one on its own it must initiated within 24 hours of the completion of the contest in which the incident took place.
Rule 23.6: Fines and Suspensions – Physical Infractions Category
In addition, rule 23.6 states that any player who receives two game misconducts in the regular season for infractions in the Physical Infractions Category (which includes clipping), before playing 41 consecutive games without incurring such a penalty, will be hit with an automatic one-game suspension.
With each following game misconduct for a physical infraction the automatic suspension is increased by one game. If a player receives two game misconducts in the playoffs in the Physical Infractions Category he receives an automatic game suspension and this is also increased by a game with each following game misconduct.
However before the Stanley Cup Finals series gets underway his current game misconduct slate will be wiped clean and set back to zero but the infractions will remain on his historical record. Also, when a player reaches 41 consecutive games without receiving a major and a game misconduct in the Physical Infractions Category” the previous game misconducts are wiped from his current record but remain in his stats history.
If a player is hit with a major and automatic game misconduct for clipping his team may ask the league to rescind the penalty. This must be done in writing within 48 hours of the conclusion of game however or the penalty will be upheld. Also, all five-minute major penalties other than for fighting, and match penalties are reviewed on the ice at the time by the game officials and could be confirmed, reduced or wiped out altogether.
What is the Referee Clipping Signal?
The NHL describes the referee’s signal for clipping with rule 29.5 and it reads as such: The referee will strike his leg behind the knee with either of his hands while keeping both of his skates on the ice.
Are Clipping Penalties Common in the NHL?
Clipping is a rarely-called penalty in the NHL due to the simple fact that the infraction hardly ever takes place.
Why Clipping is an Important Penalty in Hockey
The NHL has rules and penalties to help protect the players on the ice. Safety comes first and clipping penalties exist in the rule book because it’s a very dangerous play. Getting hit at the knee or just below it could result in serious season or career-ending injuries as a player may suffer damage to his ligaments, cartilage and/or bones.
In fact, the penalty was introduced by the league in 2002 following a clipping incident in April of that year. During the un-penalized incident, forward Darcy Tucker of the Toronto Maple Leafs lowered his body and made contact with forward Michael Peca, the captain of the New York Islanders during a playoff game. Tucker hit Peca just below the knee and knocked him out of action for the rest of the season and the start of the following campaign. Peca suffered damage to the medial collateral (MCL) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee
The following video shows the late Tucker hit on Peca and is a prime example of a clipping infraction which should result in a five-minute major penalty as well as an automatic game misconduct.
Whats the Difference Between a Hip Check and a Clipping Penalty?
A hip check is a legal check where you use your hip to contact the opposing players in the midsection of their body, typically around their hip area.
The distinction between a legal hip check and an illegal clipping infraction is based on where the contact is made. A clipping infraction happens at or below the knees, while the hip check happen above the knees around the opposing players hip.
This video, which was released by the NHL, shows the difference between a legal hip check and an illegal clipping infraction.
Jamie is the founder of Hockey Response and he is the chief writer/ lead editor. Jamie has been playing hockey for over 20 years. He was the defenseman of the year in NL and has played Jr A level hockey. Jamie has coached several kids hockey camps and he was the assistant coach of the Western Kings.