One of the highlights of last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament was when three separate fights broke out in the first nine seconds of a round robin game between Team Canada and Team USA.
Don’t expect the same fireworks at the Winter Olympics in Milan.
While the 4 Nations Face-Off was governed by the NHL, the Olympics are an International Ice Hockey Federation event — and the IIHF has a completely different rule book from the NHL.
The big stuff is the same: You still can’t trip, slash or hook someone; offside and icing don’t change; goals still determine the outcome of the game, etc.
Here are the differences between NHL and IIHF hockey.
NHL vs. Olympic hockey rule differences
Fighting: In the NHL, a fight warrants a five-minute major penalty, which is most often served simultaneously with a member of the opposing team. The two penalties essentially cancel each other out.
In the IIHF, fighting most often results in an ejection from the game. It also often results in suspensions, which carry over from one IIHF event to the next. For example, if a player were to get suspended following the gold medal game, he’d have to sit out the duration of his suspension at the World Championship in the spring.
Hitting: In general, hitting is more heavily penalized in the international game. The women’s game doesn’t permit it at all, and the men often get in trouble for hits that the NHL would consider clean.
One major area of difference is hits to the head. In the NHL, if head contact is incidental to a hit that’s aimed at the body, there is no penalty. In the IIHF, hitting an opponent’s head is not acceptable in any situation — and there are always controversial calls because of it.
Overtime and shootout formats: The NHL regular season breaks ties with five minutes of three-on-three overtime, followed by a three-round shootout if necessary. The Olympics will use the same format in the round robin games, except it’s a five-player shootout instead of three.
In the quarterfinal and semifinal games, overtime will go for 10 minutes, followed by a shootout if needed. Once the gold medal game rolls around, the shootout will disappear — it’s unlimited 20-minute periods of three-on-three hockey.
The IIHF switched the gold medal game format in 2019, as many fans were upset that a one-on-one skills competition was the deciding factor for such a big event.
Roster size: Olympic hockey allows for two additional players on the game roster, meaning teams can dress 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies. If someone gets injured or simply isn’t playing well, the coaches have the option to use the extra players more.
