NHL Announces Huge Rule Changes for Upcoming Season

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Dawson McKenzie
September 17, 2023 (4:10 PM)

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The NHL has just announced some big changes to the rulebook for this upcoming season, that will see some rules get serious edits. Here are the changes that you will be seeing this season.

Helmets Will be Required During Warmups

Say goodbye to seeing your favourite player's flow. After complaints from GMs that players were getting injured from stray pucks, the NHL will now require that all players who entered the league after 2019 wear helmets during warmups. What used to be just a suggestion is now a requirement.

Illegal Sticks Under 1 Rule

There are several conditions around what constitutes an illegal stick in the NHL, and previously, these rules were scattered throughout the rulebook. Now, all conditions regarding illegal sticks will be consolidated under one rule, 10.8. The goal here is to empower refs to enforce the rule more consistently and more often during games.

Coaches Challenge Gets a Huge Addition

The coach's challenge got a buff this offseason, seeing a new play gets added to what can be challenged. Now, if a puck goes out of play without a ref noticing, it is eligible for a challenge by either coach.

Offside Gets an interesting Update

Additionally, there was an update to the offside rule that will allow players to leave the ice to get onside. The rule now reads:

"If, during a delayed off-side, an attacking player in the attacking zone chooses to proceed to his players' bench (which extends into the attacking zone) to be replaced by a teammate, he shall be considered to have cleared the zone when both skates are off the ice, and the Linesperson judges him to have left the playing surface."

While this isn't a major change, it will be interesting to see if any teams figure out how to game the new rule to their advantage.

As seen on Oilers Daily - "Multiple Rule Changes Officially Hit The NHL For 23-24 Season"