Hockey Guides
NHL & Hockey Guides
Understand the structures behind the news
Trade rumors, cap chatter, draft chaos — every NHL story sits on top of a system. These guides explain the systems, so the news makes sense.
Explainers
Evergreen plain-language guides to the rules, contracts, and terminology that shape the league.
Hockey Penalties Explained
Hockey penalties explained: minors, majors, misconducts and penalty shots, what each infraction actually is, and how the power play and penalty kill work.
Hockey Positions Explained
What each of the six hockey positions does on the ice — center, wingers, defensemen, goalie — plus how lines, pairs and special teams are built.
Hockey Stats Glossary: Corsi, PDO & PPG
A plain-English glossary of the hockey stats in modern coverage: Corsi, Fenwick, xG, PDO and PPG — what each measures and how analysts use them.
How NHL Standings Work: Points & ROW
How NHL standings work: two points for a win, one for an overtime loss, what ROW means, and how ties get sorted across an 84-game season.
How the NHL Salary Cap Works
How the NHL salary cap works in 2026-27: the $104.0M upper limit, cap hit vs. actual salary, LTIR, retained salary, buyouts, and the new playoff cap.
NHL Entry-Level Contracts (ELC) Explained
What an NHL entry-level contract is, how long it runs, the cap-hit ceiling by draft year, the slide rule, performance bonuses, and the European rule change.
NHL Offer Sheets Explained
How NHL offer sheet compensation works: the 2026 draft-pick tiers, the seven-day match window, and why a team without its own picks can't make one.
NHL Overtime Rules Explained
How NHL overtime works: 3-on-3 sudden death and a shootout in the regular season, full 20-minute periods in the playoffs, and where the loser point fits.
NHL Playoff Format Explained
How the NHL playoff format works: the 16-team field, three per division plus two wild cards, how the bracket is seeded, and why the NHL doesn't re-seed.
NHL Salary Arbitration Explained
How NHL salary arbitration works: who is eligible, player- and team-elected filings, the July hearings, the walk-away right, and why most cases settle.
NHL Waivers and the Waiver Wire Explained
Who has to clear NHL waivers, who's exempt, how the 24-hour claim window works, and why the wire peaks at training camp and again at the trade deadline.
UFA vs RFA: NHL Free Agency Explained
UFA vs RFA in the NHL: what a restricted free agent is, the age and service rules, qualifying offers, offer sheets, and the clauses that shape every deal.
Trackers
Live data pages we keep up to date through the season.