The National Hockey League (NHL) consists of 30 teams divided up in

two conferences of 15. Each conference has two divisions in the two
East divisions there are eight teams each and in the West there are
seven.
The layout of the league is as followed:
Eastern Conference:
Atlantic Division (8 teams):
Montreal Canadiens
Tampa Bay Lightning
Detroit Red Wings
Buffalo Sabres
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Florida Panthers
Boston Bruins
Metropolitan Division (8 teams):
Pittsburgh Penguins
New York Rangers
New York Islanders
New Jersey Devils
Philadelphia Flyers
Washington Capitals
Carolina Hurricanes
Columbus Blue Jackets
Western Conference:
Central Division (7 teams):
Chicago Blackhawks
St. Louis Blues
Nashville Predators
Winnipeg Jets
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
Colorado Avalanche
Pacific Division (7 teams):
Anaheim Ducks
Los Angeles Kings
Vancouver Canucks
San Jose Sharks

Arizona Coyotes
Edmonton Oilers
Calgary Flames
The eight best teams in each conference at the end of the regular
season move on to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The top three teams in
each division and then the next two teams in the conference take the
two remaining wildcard spots.

The Positions:
Every coach designates specific lines throughout the game. There are
typically four offensive lines and three defensive lines. Each line has a
specific purpose the first and second offensive lines are usually the
offensive lines, the third is the agility line, and the fourth is the
enforcer line.
The three offensive players that make up a line are as follows:
LEFT WING CENTER RIGHT WING
Left and right wings are offensive weapons while the center plays all
over the ice. All three offensive forwards have a duty to play
throughout the entire rink, but the center is the defensive forward of
the trio.
A coach can change these lines as much as he pleases depending on
the team his team is playing. Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville
changes his lines throughout the game when the Blackhawks need a
boost offensively or defensively.
So, to reiterate, there are always five players (excluding the goalie) on
the ice at one time:
LEFT WING CENTER RIGHT WING
DEFENSEMAN - DEFENSEMAN
The Game:
An NHL game consists of three 20-minute periods with 18-minute
intermissions between periods. During the regular season, if regulation
isnt enough time, there is a five-minute overtime period (sudden

death). If five minutes of overtimes is not enough there is a shootout,

which starts at best of three and then any goal after that is a winner (if
the other team misses their rebuttal). During the Stanley Cup Playoffs,
overtime becomes just another 20-minute period and doesnt end until
the frozen rubber object goes past the goalie and into the net.
Each team has six players on the ice at one time a goalie, two
defensemen, and three forwards. Usually a team consists of 22 players
on the bench during a game. Each team has one timeout to use for the
entire game.
There are four officials on the ice two linesmen and two referees (we
will get into this a bit later).
Every time the game/period starts, theres a penalty, or a stoppage,
there is a face-off between the two teams. A center from each side
meets in the middle of the zone awaiting the officials puck drop. After
every goal, the face-off returns to center ice.
Scoring:
Unlike many sports, record is not the determining factor in the
standings. The NHL uses a point system to rank its teams.
Each win gets a team two points. If regulation isnt enough time, each
team gets one point and then the winner of the game gets the second
point. It doesnt matter if the team wins in overtime or a shootout
they get two points at the end of the day.
Heres an example: The Chicago Blackhawks finished the regular
season with a record of 48-28-6, which means they earned 102 points
(48 winsx2 = 98 + 6 overtime losses (1 point each) = 102).
Officials:
The men in stripes that call the penalties, among other things, are the
officials. As noted above, there are four officials two referees and two
linesmen.
Both sets of officials were black and white stripes, but there is one
major difference the referees have orange bands on their biceps.
Referees are the ruling officials on the ice - they call all goals and
penalties. Referees hold a hand up when they are calling a delayed
penalty, which is explained below.

Linesmen drop the puck on most face-offs, call icing and offsides, and
have the lovely duty of breaking up fights. When a linesman holds his
hand up, it signifies a delayed offside or icing.

Here is a picture of a referee signaling a goal (left) and a linesman

signaling a delayed icing (right).

(Courtesy: Justin St. Pierre)

(Courtesy: NBC Pro Hockey Talk)

Penalties:
There are three types of penalties in a game: minor, major, and
misconduct. A player is ejected from the game when receiving a match
penalty (usually a game misconduct). Minors are two minutes, majors
are five minutes, and misconducts are 10 minutes. Fighting is a fiveminute major.
Common penalties include:

Boarding: When a player body checks another player pushing them

into the boards (this can be a two-minute minor or a five-minute
major/match penalty).
Charging: When a player leaves his feet or takes more than three
strides to hit an opposing player (minor).
Cross Checking: Holding your stick across your chest with two hands
and hitting another player with it (minor).
Delay-of-game: When a player in his own defensive zone lifts the
puck above the glass and it goes outside of the rink without being
deflected by an opposing player (minor).
Elbowing: When a player uses his elbow to hit another player (minor).
High-sticking: When a player raises his stick above his shoulders and
uses it to hit another player (minor/ double minor (4 mins) if blood is
drawn).
Holding: When a player grabs onto a player and doesnt let go after
three seconds (minor).
Hooking: When a player holds another player with his stick and tugs
on it (minor).
Interference: Blocking another player who doesnt have the puck
(minor).
Slashing: Intentionally hitting another player with the stick (minor).
Too Many Men: Extra player(s) on the ice while the puck is in play
(minor).
Tripping: When a player uses his stick or his body to trip the opposing
player (minor).
Unsportsmanlike-Conduct: Challenging a call made by a referee,
deliberately throwing equipment onto ice/out of rink, acting unruly in
any way, etc (minor).
There are other penalties, but the ones above are the ones youll most
likely see during a game. Also any of these penalties can become
majors/match penalties (ejections) depending on the severity.
Below is a diagram of the various signals official use when calling
different penalties and stoppages:

(Courtesy of Indy Fuel Hockey)

Delayed Penalties: When a team commits a penalty and the team
going on the power play retains the puck, this is whats called a
delayed penalty. The referee signals this with a raised arm until the
penalized team regains possession of the puck and kills the play. As
soon as there is a delayed penalty, the team going on the power play
will pull their goalie to add a man advantage. This will last until the
opposing team possesses the puck and kills the play. There is no
penalty if the team scores during a delayed penalty.
Other Rules:
When a referee raises both arms horizontally that signals a wash-out,
meaning no goal.

Icing: A player passes/shoots the puck down the ice when they are
behind the red centerline. The player must be in front of the
centerline before dumping the puck in the opposing teams zone.
Offside: When a player is in the attacking zone without the puck and
then touches the puck. A player must be behind the blue line of the
attacking zone without possession of the puck. The puck has to cross
the blue line before the player does.
ICING (behind centerline)

NO ICING (in front of centerline)