NHL / EA Hockey Rules
An ice hockey simulation game, played head-to-head online.
Head-to-head matches; casual leagues usually shorten periods from the full length.
- •Standard ice hockey league points: 2 for a win, 1 for an overtime/shootout loss, 0 for a regulation loss
- •Track goals for/against per match, same as the real-world Ice Hockey rules on this site
- •Tiebreaker: head-to-head result, then goal differential
- •Agree teams, difficulty and period length before the season
- •Agree overtime/shootout rules for a tied game — most leagues use a short 3v3 overtime then a shootout
- •Screenshot the final score for disputed results
Period length and rules settings
Five or six-minute periods produce a realistic shot count and a fixture of about twenty-five minutes. Leaving periods at twenty minutes gives you a simulation, not a league night, and most groups discover that after one very long evening.
Decide on offsides, icing and penalties as a block. Turning penalties off speeds games up considerably but removes power plays, which are a large part of how hockey games are actually won, so most competitive leagues keep them on.
Team selection and league structure
As with any sports sim, the fastest way to a stale season is everyone picking the same two elite rosters. Drafting teams at the start of the season, with no duplicates, gives each player an identity and forces different playstyles.
EASHL club play is the other format worth knowing about, where each player controls a single skater on a shared team. It makes a very different league, ranking players on contribution to a club rather than on head-to-head results.
Common questions
What period length should a league use?
Five or six minutes. That gives a score range and shot count that feel like hockey, and a fixture that finishes in about twenty-five minutes including intermissions and menus.
Should ties go to overtime and shootouts?
Yes, and decide the points system to match: two for a win, one for an overtime or shootout loss, is the real NHL system and works well for a league table because it rewards getting to overtime.
How do you handle goalie control?
Agree whether manual goalie control is allowed. Most casual leagues leave goalies on automatic, since manual control is a large skill gap that has little to do with the rest of the game.
Should fighting be enabled?
Most leagues turn it off. It interrupts the flow, has little bearing on the result, and adds a source of frustration that does nothing for a competitive table. Leave it on only if your group specifically wants it.
Track a games & others league online
Live standings, scores & head-to-head records
Games & Others rules
Format, scoring & key rules reference
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