Q & A Style This Week!

QUESTION: If a coach was ejected from the game but continues to coach from behind the bench, leaning into the bench area or having kids leave the bench and come to him in the stands, what is the penalty?

ANSWER: There is no penalty for this behavior. If the coach refuses to move, the game officials should work through the offending team to remove the coach and include the incident on the Game Report they submit to the Hockey Association or League so the league can consider it for Supplemental Discipline.

QUESTION: Are video recording devices allowed on players?

ANSWER: Players are not allowed to wear any type of video camera during games. Regardless of how they are mounted.

 QUESTION: After time expires in a period, an official realizes a team was playing with too many players. Can a penalty be assessed since the infraction was not observed during actual play?

ANSWER: If the game officials are certain that a team had too many players on the ice during play, then they may assess the Bench Minor penalty after the period ends.

QUESTION: A player receives a major plus game misconduct for Boarding, followed by a major plus game misconduct for fighting. Should there be two additional game misconducts added (one for two majors and one for two misconducts)?

ANSWER: If a player receives two major plus game misconduct penalties, the player would receive one additional game misconduct for receiving two majors during the same game and one additional game misconduct for four penalties in the same game.

QUESTION: If a player receives a 2 and 10 and later in the game receives a 5 and game misconduct, should there be an additional game misconduct applied? in the case of 2 misconducts, the 2nd is recorded as a game, but in this case the 2nd misconduct is a game misconduct, so is there an additional game added?

ANSWER: Rule 404(a) in the USA Hockey Playing Rules states,

“For the second misconduct penalty assessed to the same player during the same game, a game misconduct penalty shall be assessed to that player in lieu of the second misconduct penalty.”

A Game Misconduct penalty does not apply to this rule for the purposes of cumulative penalties. This rule only applies when a player receives two Misconducts during the same game.