How many players are on an ice hockey team?
I · Intermediate · The game · 1 of 13A team may list up to 22 players: 20 skaters and 2 goalkeepers. It needs at least five skaters and a goalkeeper to start. Players may change during play if the one leaving is within 1.5 metres of the bench. At stoppages, the home team changes last. Only the captain may discuss rulings with the referee.
How it works
- Roster: 22 players at most, 20 skaters and 2 goalkeepers, listed before the game.
- Minimum: five skaters and a goalkeeper to start.
- Goalkeeper: one on the ice; may be replaced by an extra skater, who has no goalkeeper privileges.
- Changes on the fly: the player leaving must be within 1.5 m of the bench before the new one enters.
- Line change at stoppages: visitors get up to 5 seconds, then the home team up to 8 seconds.
- Captains: one captain and up to two alternates, or no captain and up to three alternates.
- Speaking to the referee: only the captain, or an alternate if the captain is off, on rule interpretation.
- Complaints about penalties: not interpretation; a minor penalty.
- Ineligible players: removed, and a goal scored with one on the ice is disallowed.
The glossary has the team, the captain, the line change, the roster sheet, the ineligible player and the players' bench.
Tricky cases
A player steps on before the teammate is near the bench. Is that a penalty?
It can be: too many players on the ice, a bench minor, if the officials judge the extra player was fully on the ice.
The captain is in the penalty box. Who talks to the referee?
An alternate captain on the ice.
Can a goalkeeper be captain?
No. A goalkeeper may not act as captain or alternate captain.
Can a team have co-captains?
No. The 2026/27 rules allow a captain and two alternates, or three alternates and no captain.
Why the rule exists
Short shifts let players skate flat out. Giving the home team the last change lets it pick its match-ups, a home advantage built into the rules.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Team size | 22 at most | IIHF 5.1 |
| Captains | New option of three alternates | IIHF 6.1 (2026/27) |
| Line changes | 5 and 8 seconds | IIHF 82.2 |
From the rule book
International Ice Hockey Federation, Official Rulebook 2026/27 (version 1.0, June 2026), Rules 5, 6, 74.1 and 82. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the IIHF Official Rulebook, revised each season.