NHL Icing Rule Explained (The Ultimate Guide)

There are often times during a hockey game when the defensive team is under so much pressure that the only way to relieve it may be to drill the puck all the way down the ice as far as possible into the opponent’s zone.

It’s not always the preferable thing to do as the faceoff will come back into the defensive end and the team which shot the puck down the ice isn’t allowed to make a player change. However, shooting the puck the length of the ice is always better than being scored against.

What is Icing in Hockey?

In hockey, an icing infraction takes place when a team shoots or passes the puck from their side of the ice surface, behind the center red line, and the puck goes untouched and crosses the opponent’s goal line.

The goal line is the red line that touches each corner, it lines up with the goal (net) of each team. The center red line is self-explanatory and is the red line that divides the ice surface in two, the starting faceoff of each period takes place at the middle of this line.

Here’s a photo showing where each goal line is, the center line, and added lines showing examples of a player icing the puck:

If a team is playing shorthanded due to a penalty however, icing the puck is allowed and play continues without an icing stoppage.

The Different Types of Icing in Hockey:

Hybrid Icing

Hybrid icing is used in the NHL and it’s not really black and white as the icing infraction is based on the discretion of the linesmen. When the puck is shot by the defending team into the opponent’s zone the linesmen must decide if it’s icing or not based on which team’s player reaches the faceoff dots first in the zone where the puck has been shot.

The player that shoots it does not have to be the one that chases it to avoid icing, it’s going to be the closest player to the faceoff line. Take a look at the hybrid icing photo example below:

The faceoff dots basically act as the finish line when a player from each team is racing for a puck which has been iced. If the defending player reaches the dots first then the linesman will blow the whistle and icing is called. If a player from the team which shot the puck the length of the ice reaches the faceoff dots first then the icing call is waved off and the puck remains in play.

While the faceoff dots are typically used as the finish line in a race between two opposing players, the determining factor is actually which player the linesman believes would be the first to touch the puck, not who would reach the faceoff dots first. If a race for the puck is simply too close to call by the time the competing players reach the faceoff dots, icing is called.

Touch Icing

As far as touch icing is concerned, the puck is still in play until a player from the defending team other than the goaltender touches the puck after it has been shot into their own zone and passes behind the goal line.

If the puck is shot down the ice and touched first by a player from the team which shot the puck, the play isn’t called icing and it will continue.

No Touch Icing

The opposite of touch icing is no-touch icing or automatic icing, which means the play is automatically whistled dead and called icing as soon as the puck crosses the goal line after being shot into the zone from the other side of the centre-ice red line.

The NHL Icing Rule Explained

The NHL introduced hybrid icing in the 2013/14 season after using the touch-icing rule in previous seasons.

Rule 81.1 of the NHL rule book states:

Icing: For the purpose of this rule, the center red line will divide the ice into halves. Should any player of a team, equal or superior in numerical strength (power-play) to the opposing team, shoot, bat or deflect the puck from his own half of the ice beyond the goal line of the opposing team, play shall be stopped.

Download the 2022-23 NHL rulebook here. Icing is rule 81 and ends at 81.6.

The key here is that the puck must travel the length of the ice untouched after it has been propelled from the team’s own side of center. If the puck touches a member of the defending team including the goalie before or after it reaches the goal line, icing is waved off.

How Has Icing Changed in the NHL Over the Years?

The NHL originally introduced the icing rule in 1937 and amended it in 1939 when teams that were killing a penalty were allowed to ice the puck. In 1951 the league stated that icing would be nullified whenever a goaltender touched the puck before it crossed over the goal line.

The rule was altered again in 1990/91 as icing was also nullified if the puck touched or passed through goal crease whenever the netminder had been pulled in favor of an extra attacker. In addition, icing was nullified whenever a netminder moved towards the puck when it was approaching the goal line.

In the 2005/06 season, the NHL began using the no-change rule regarding icing. This means that the team which iced the puck isn’t allowed to make a player change until after the faceoff which resumes play.

All of the players who were on the ice while the icing took place must remain on the ice for the ensuing faceoff while the opposing team is allowed to make a player change. A defending team will be allowed to make a substitution for an injured player though.

The NHL changed the touch-icing rule to the hybrid method in 2013/14 as a way to help reduce injuries which were occurring to players while racing to the puck as it crossed the goal line. In 2017/18 the league stated that the offending team isn’t allowed to take a timeout after they have iced the puck as a way to earn a rest for tired players on the ice.

Another alteration to the icing rule was added in 2019/20 when the NHL stated that the team which endured the icing would be allowed to choose which dot they preferred for the ensuing offensive-zone faceoff.

How Can Icing Be Waved Off?

There are certain occasions when a team will shoot the puck from its own side of center ice and icing will be waved off by the linesmen. For instance, the linesman determines that the puck could have been played before it crossed the goal line by a player from the defending team other than the goaltender.

Icing isn’t called if the puck was propelled directly down the ice by a player taking a faceoff on their own side of the centre-ice red line. In addition, if the a goaltender moves toward the puck before it crosses the goal line or touches the puck then icing is waved off.

Of course if the puck crosses the goal line between the goal posts then icing isn’t called as it means a goal has been scored and if a player from the team which iced the puck is determined by the linesman to win the race to the puck then the call is nullified.

Are You Ever Allowed to Ice the Puck? 

A team may ice the puck at any time during a game but will have to pay the consequences by having the ensuing faceoff take place back in their own end and not being able to make a player change or call a timeout.

There is never a penalty for icing, only a whistle and a faceoff in your own zone.

A team can legally shoot the puck down the ice and across the opposing goal line if it is playing shorthanded due to having a player in the penalty box. This is stated in rule 81.6 “Numerical Strength”, stating that when the team below numerical strength (short-handed) to the opposing team ices the puck the play continues on. 

Can Teams Challenge an Icing Call?

A team which has been charged with icing the puck can’t officially make an on-ice challenge and have the play reviewed. However they can complain to the on-ice officials and if the officials decide that they made a mistake on the call the icing will be nullified and a faceoff will take place at center ice.

Can Players Change Shifts After an Icing Whistle?

The team which iced the puck isn’t allowed to make a player change before the ensuing faceoff but the opposing squad is free to do so.

However, an injured player is allowed to go off the ice and be replaced.

Where is the Faceoff After an Icing Call?

When icing has been called the faceoff will take place in the zone of the team which iced the puck. This means inside the blueline of the team that iced the puck. The location of the faceoff takes place at the end zone face-off circle nearest to where the puck was when the play has been stopped for icing, whether it was the right or left side of the rink.

Why Do Goalies Put Their Arm Up for Icing?

The goaltender in the defending zone will typically raise his arm when the puck has been iced to let his teammates know that icing is about to be called. If no-touch icing is being used this means the defending players can relax as the puck doesn’t need to be touched.

However if touch icing or hybrid icing is in place, the goalie’s teammates are alerted to the fact that they need to reach the goal line or faceoff dots before an opposing player does or the icing call will be waved off.

Why is Icing Important in Hockey?

Nobody really wants to intentionally ice the puck if they don’t have to, but there could be an instance in the game when it’s more or less unavoidable or the best play to make. A team may be hemmed in its own zone and simply needs to relieve the constant pressure or the player may ice the puck as a way to get a short rest for their tired teammates.

Not all cases of icing are intentional as icing could also be the result of a missed stretch pass which originated from the player’s own side of center ice. It’s important that the linesmen get the icing call right as the offending team will be duly punished for it.

How is Icing Different than Offside?

Icing and offside are two different and unrelated hockey scenarios. Offside occurs when an offensive player enters the opponent’s defensive zone by crossing the blue line before the puck does whereas icing occurs when a team shoots or passes the puck from its own side of the centre-ice red line and it goes untouched into the opposing zone and crosses the goal line.

Read our related post on the NHL offside rule here.

Can You Take a Timeout After Icing?

Implemented during the 2017 and 2018 season, the team that ices the puck is not allowed to take a timeout. However, the other team is still allowed to call a timeout at this time. This is quite a rule as teams down a goal late in the game may need a breather or want to play their top scorers but can’t if they get caught in their own end.

Was Icing Always Part of the Game? 

Icing was introduced into the NHL in 1937 as a way to punish teams from simply shooting the puck all the way down the ice as a defensive tactic. Teams which had the lead would often shoot the puck down the ice to help protect it.

For example: The New York Americans had a 3-2 lead over the Boston Bruins in a 1931 contest and proceeded to ice the puck more than 50 times in hopes of protecting the lead. The fans at Boston Garden weren’t too happy about it and littered the ice in debris to show their displeasure with the tactic.

The teams squared off again a few weeks later in New York with the Bruins icing the puck a reported 87 times as a way of paying the Americans and their fans back on a 0-0 tie. The NHL figured it better create some type of rule to stop these debacles, but it took the league a few years to introduce an icing rule.

Final Thoughts

The icing rule has helped greatly in the evolution of ice hockey as it helps stop teams from shooting the puck down the ice as a tactic. If a team chooses to ice the puck these days then it must face the consequences of its actions.

They’re not dire by any means as they aren’t assessed a penalty on the play, but many teams have been scored against from ensuing faceoffs immediately after icing the puck.

The newer hybrid icing rule has also proved to be a good decision as fewer players are suffering injuries while racing for the puck. When the NHL used touch icing it sometimes resulted in serious injuries with players colliding into the end boards.

No-touch icing also reduces collisions and injuries but it’s doubtful that the NHL will introduce this type of icing as the hybrid version creates excitement when opposing players go all out in a race to get to the faceoff dots or goal line.

Feel free to read our other NHL rule articles: 

• NHL Penalty Shot Rules (The Ultimate Guide)
• NHL Shootout Rules (The Ultimate Guide)
• NHL Helmet Rule Explained (The Ultimate Guide)
• What Is the NHL Broken Stick Rule?
• Do NHL Players Have to Wear Visors? (NHL Visor Rule)
• NHL Interference Rule Explained (The Ultimate Guide)

Jamie

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.