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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsUnder the NHL’s 2025–26 Official Rules, a major penalty is chiefly a five-minute team penalty; a match penalty also removes the offender for the rest of the game and automatically suspends them from further competition until the Commissioner rules. In either case, the team serves five minutes short-handed. The key difference is what happens to the player and what discipline follows.
Major vs. match penalty at a glance
| What happens | Major penalty | Match penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Offender’s game status | The offender serves the major. The major alone does not necessarily remove the player for the rest of the game. | The offender is ordered to the dressing room and suspended for the balance of the game. |
| Team’s penalty-clock burden | Five minutes short-handed for the first major in a game; an opposing power-play goal does not end the major early. | A teammate designated through the playing captain serves five minutes. A substitute may replace the offender after five minutes of playing time. |
| Further discipline | Some major infractions also carry an automatic game misconduct; not every major does. | The offender is automatically suspended from further competition until the Commissioner rules. The referee reports the incident and its circumstances to the Commissioner after the game. |
| Time entered in the record | Five minutes for the major. | Fifteen minutes against the offender: five for the team penalty-clock service and ten for removal from the game. This recording convention does not add time to the team’s five-minute penalty. |
These distinctions follow the NHL Official Rules 2025–2026, Section 4. The comparison is NHL-specific; other leagues and levels may use different rules.
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What a major penalty means
Under Rule 20.1, the first major penalty in a game is five minutes. The offender, except a goalkeeper, is ruled off the ice for that time, and no substitute may take the offender’s place during the penalty. The team therefore plays short-handed.
A major is not cancelled when the power-play team scores. Rule 20.2 requires the player serving the major to remain in the penalty box until the full five minutes expire. A major by itself does not mean the player has been ejected for the rest of the game, although certain listed major infractions also carry an automatic game misconduct.
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What changes when the call is a match penalty
A match penalty includes the five-minute team penalty, but it has additional consequences for the offender. Rule 21.1 says the player is suspended for the balance of the game and ordered to the dressing room immediately. The rule provides for a match penalty when a player deliberately attempts to injure or deliberately injures an opponent; Rule 21.4 also lists other match-penalty infractions, so intent to injure is not the only possible basis for the call.
The offender does not serve the team’s penalty. Under Rule 21.2, the coach designates a non-goaltender through the playing captain to serve the match penalty and any additional penalties. The team remains short-handed for five minutes, after which a substitute may replace the removed player.
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The match penalty also triggers an automatic suspension from further competition until the Commissioner rules. The referee must report the penalty and surrounding circumstances to the Commissioner immediately after the game; any further supplementary discipline is handled under Rule 28.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does the NHL review major and match penalties on video?
The NHL rules provide referees with video-review options for major and match penalties. The league’s Video Rulebook explainer for Rule 20.6/21.5 covers that review process. This does not mean every major or match penalty is automatically reviewed, nor does an on-ice video review decide later supplementary discipline. The NHL’s Video Rulebook index currently includes 2026–27 rule-change material, but the rule details above are verified against the 2025–26 Official Rules; the 2026–27 wording is not established here.
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