Remember when the USA and Canada had three fights in the first nine seconds of their first meeting in the NHL-run 4 Nations Face-Off?
Don’t count on that happening at the Olympics.
Even though all six combatants in that wild opening are in Milan for the 2026 Winter Games, including USA brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, the International Ice Hockey Federation prohibits fighting, and it could lead to an ejection and a suspension.
“Fighting is not part of international ice hockey’s DNA,” the organization states in Rule 46 of the IIHF rulebook.
“Players who willingly, participate in a ‘brawl/fight’ so-called ‘willing combatants,’ shall be penalized accordingly by the referee(s) and may be ejected from the game,” the rulebook says. “Further supplementary discipline may be imposed.”
Rule 46, which addresses fighting, has 13 sections. Penalties are more severe than in the NHL, which sends players to the penalty box for five minutes.
“Any player who persists in continuing or attempting to continue a ‘fight or altercation’ after they been ordered by the referee to stop, or who resists a linesperson in the discharge of their duties shall, at the discretion of the referee, incur at least a major penalty, plus an automatic game misconduct penalty,” the rulebook says.
Instigating a fight brings an automatic game misconduct, compared to a misconduct in the NHL, and being an aggressor and continuing a fight to inflict damage also brings an ejection. So does being third man in.
Referees have latitude in making calls. A unwilling combatant who throws a punch or two in defense could avoid a game misconduct.
If a fight breaks out, players are supposed to move to their bench area and goalies must stay in the crease unless the fisticuffs is in that area. Failure to listen to on-ice officials can lead to penalties.
However, because players don’t want to be ejected or worse, you almost certainly won’t see them dropping the gloves during the Olympics.
Hockey News