2025-26 NEGAUNEE HOCKEY LEAGUE (NHL)
Rules & Information
1) League Contact Info.
Email: Negauneehockeyleague@charter.net
Facebook: Negaunee Hockey League
US Mail: Negaunee Hockey League, P.O. Box 265 Negaunee, MI 49866
2) League Board
2025-26 Board Members
President Jim Gustitis 906-204-0844
Vice President Jeff Sims 906-360-3854
Treasurer Chris Holmgren 906-361-4656
Secretary Rich Gleeson 906-360-9243
Trustee CJ Lepisto 906-281-1316
Trustee Collin Fleury 906-360-0785
Trustee Mark Perry 906-362-0160
Trustee Pete Carlson 906-250-4055
Trustee Ross Anthony 906-250-0641
Trustee Scott Carter 906-362-9564
Trustee Shawn Kerry 906-869-0313
Trustee Shay Thompson 906-250-9142
Trustee Toby Smith 906-869-0076
Honorary Trustee Tom Bleau Sr.
A. Board Members will serve as Captains of their respective teams. Temporary Alternate captains may be selected by the League Board or Teams Captain if necessary.
B. Any issues or suggestions regarding the League may be submitted to the Board for review. The Board reserves the authority to amend its rules and policies as necessary, provided that all rostered players are duly notified. All decisions rendered by the Board are considered final.
3) Player Registration, League Draft, & Rosters
All player registration forms with initial deposit payments must be received no later than September 3rd, 2025, by the NHL Board for eligibility in the League Draft. Before each season begins, the Board conducts a League Draft to allocate players to teams until all rosters are complete. The purpose of the Draft is to establish balanced teams within each Division, ensuring a fair and competitive environment for every League participant. The Board has the final say as to what division you will play in and what team you are on!
Players who submit their registration by the deadline and were on a team roster in the previous season will be included in the draft. Suspended players and those with outstanding payments are considered on a case-by-case basis. Individuals who were not part of the league roster last season are placed on a waiting list until a spot on a team becomes available. Players remain on the waiting list until they are assigned to a team or until registration opens for the next season. At that point, players must register again to stay on the waiting list for the next season.
If a player is rostered onto a team, but during the season drops from the League (refunded dues), they will still be considered a current player at the next season's registration as long as it is due to injury, illness, and were rostered for 10 games minimum. If that player does not register at the next registration, then they will be considered on the waiting list the next season they register. A player selected to fill a position vacated by another rostered player once the season begins will be considered a “substitute player” and be placed at the top of the waiting list for the next season’s registration regardless of the total number of games played.
The Board retains the authority to reassign players between teams or divisions at any point during league play, if it is deemed necessary based on the Board's evaluation of team strength/attendance etc.
4) League Dues/Payments
No one will play until a minimum of $200 ($0 for goalies) of the entry fee is paid and the League Liability Waiver & Jersey tracking form is signed.
There are two options for paying League Fees
- pay $375 ($0 goalies) total if paid in full by 9/3/25,
- split the payment with a minimum of $200 required by September 3rd, 2025, and a 2nd installment amount of $200 to be due by December 1st, 2025, totaling $400.
A. Players who fail to pay in full by December 1, 2025, will be suspended until payment is made. Missed games do not reduce the amount owed.
B. Any outstanding jersey fines along with past due amounts from prior seasons must be paid before the first game of the season to be eligible to play.
C. Players who wish to drop out of the NHL, and be refunded prorated registration fees, must inform the NHL president in a timely manner. The player will be reimbursed a prorated amount according to the remaining games in the season once a replacement player selected by the League Board has taken his/her place.
D. All checks are to be made payable to: Negaunee Hockey League
5) Liability Waiver & Acknowledgement
All participants must complete the NHL Liability Waiver & Jersey Tracking Form prior to taking part in play. Please note that participation is at your own risk, as hockey is inherently a high-risk sport.
6) Player Jerseys
Each player will be assigned a team jersey for the season, which remains NHL property. Team Captains/Board Members will collect jerseys at the last game of the season. If a player misses the last game, they must return the jersey to an NHL Board member by March 31st. All missing jerseys will incur a $50 fine, and players must return the jersey (if possible) and pay the fine to play in future seasons.
7) Playing Rules
USA Hockey Rules will apply unless overridden by the NHL League Rules. The USA Hockey Rule Book can be found at www.usahockey.com. The Board reserves the right to change its rules and policies as deemed necessary, pending notification of all rostered players.
- All players must be at least 18 years old on the date of the first scheduled game of the season to participate.
- Should an individual pose a risk to themselves or others, whether due to equipment issues or actions, they will be required to leave the ice immediately until the situation has been appropriately addressed.
C. A Minor Penalty sends the penalized player to the bench for three minutes; this penalty can end early if the non-penalized team scores during that time. Play continues with five skaters per team, there is no power play resulting from this infraction. Instead, the non-penalized team receives a "modified" penalty shot, taken by the player who was fouled. For this shot, the shooter starts with the puck at center ice, and all other players must stay at or behind the shooter's defensive blue line. Once the shooter touches the puck, play resumes fully and the other skaters may join in (catch/defend the shooter if possible). If penalties are given to players from both teams at the same time, each will serve three minutes, but no penalty shots are awarded.
D Major penalties cause an automatic Game Misconduct for the offending player; the other team will be rewarded 1 modified penalty shot. Refer to League Discipline Policy below for more information on Game Misconducts.
- No body checking or slap shots (stick above knee height) are allowed.
- All regulations established by the City of Negaunee and Negaunee Ice Arena are applicable to NHL players and spectators.
G. There will be NO center ice red line for icing or two-line passes. Icing will be from behind the defensive blue line.
H. During play, if the puck leaves the playing area (such as into netting or hitting the ceiling etc.) and immediately returns into the playing area, then play will continue. Pucks which are caught in the netting or are unable to be safely played etc. will result in the play being whistled down.
8) League Discipline Policy
To ensure player safety, uphold sportsmanship, and maintain the integrity of the league, the following suspension rules are in effect. These policies are strictly enforced and apply to all players and teams participating in league play. There will be no monetary refund or reimbursement for games not played because of this discipline policy.
All major penalties, incidents, and serious injuries will be subject to review by the Board—once notification has been received—at the next scheduled Board meeting in accordance with this discipline policy. Additional disciplinary action may be imposed at the discretion of the League Board, subject to a Board review. In instances where the Board assesses that the actions are of a severe nature and highly likely to warrant further suspension, a player may be suspended prior to the formal Board review. Decisions rendered by the Board are final.
All Major Offenses (fighting, intent to injure, abuse of officials etc.) that were committed by the same player in previous seasons will and can be taken into consideration to determine disciplinary action in the current season.
A. Major penalty = Game Misconduct: ALL major penalties accessed are Game Misconduct. The offending player is ejected for the remainder of the current game and an additional 1 game suspension (1st offense per season) – Remainder of the current game and a 3-game suspension (2nd offense per season) - Suspension for the remainder of the season (3rd offense per season).
B. Dangerous Play/Intent to Injure: This can include but is not limited to hits from behind, intent to injure, slew-footing, spearing, or any reckless action deemed dangerous by the board. The offending player will be removed from play immediately until the Board is able to fully review and issue proper discipline per the Board review.
C. 3 Penalties in the Same Game: This may result in a game misconduct. The Board will determine ASAP on a case-by-case basis how/if this rule is applied based on severity and perceived intent of the penalties. The offending player will serve the game misconduct based on Section A above.
D. No Fighting: The offending player(s) will serve: a game misconduct and a 1 game suspension (1st offense) - Suspension for the remainder of the season (2nd offense).
E. Verbal/Physical Abuse of Officials: Based on the Referee’s and Boards judgement, this may range from an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, a major penalty with game misconduct, or permanent expulsion from the League.
F. 3 Major Offenses combined (fighting, intent to injure, verbal abuse to officials) by one player, in the same season, will result in suspension of the player for the remainder of the season.
G. After 2 Season-Ending Suspensions the offending player will be permanently suspended from the Negaunee Hockey League. All suspensions, penalties, and disciplinary records are retained from one season to the next. There is no provision for resetting a player's disciplinary history.
9) Games & Game Schedules
Games feature a 3-minute warm-up and two 23-minute periods; no overtime occurs during the regular season. The referee starts the clock on time, regardless of team readiness, unless it is overruled by a League Board Member. Referees may issue Delay of Game penalties at their discretion.
Season schedules will be released as soon as possible before each season begins. Efforts are made to ensure all teams get a similar number of early and late games, though this may occasionally lead to streaks of games at the same time for some teams.
The Negaunee Ice Arena Manager and The NHL Board may cancel or reschedule games due to weather or other reasons and will try to inform players promptly. Team Captains are the primary source for schedule updates, as well as Facebook. Rescheduling of canceled games depends on ice time availability.
10) Player Substitution Policy
Please inform your team’s Captain/Board Member as soon as possible if you know you are going to miss a game.
Players will not select their own substitutes! This will be done only by Team Captains/League Board.
Board members from both teams playing should agree on all players being picked up.
Teams should select substitute players according to the following priority: first, eligible players from the opposing team; second, an available player within the same division; and third, any League member who is available although it is strongly preferred to not substitute between divisions if possible. All Players should be considered regardless of skill. If possible, using the same substitute player each time should be avoided. This process ensures that all League participants can play additional games if they wish. Non-League rostered skaters are prohibited. If further players are needed on an ongoing basis, the Board will make selections from the waiting list.
It is advisable to minimize significant skater advantages during play. For example, rather than playing with 10 skaters against 6, consider “trading” two players to create teams of 8 skaters each. Alternatively, picking up an additional four skaters would allow for balanced teams consisting of 10 skaters on each side.
Players who have missed previous games/shift workers should be given the first opportunity to pick up a game. Teams may pick up players until both teams have an equal number of players with a maximum of 13 in Div 1 and a maximum of 11 in Div 2. Board members may agree to other terms prior to the start of the game if necessary to allow a game to be played. Goalies are exempt and can substitute as necessary to ensure coverage for all games.
11) League/Division Playoffs
Division playoffs will be conducted contingent upon the demonstration of appropriate sportsmanship among players. The Team Captain/Board Members may, by mutual consent, amend or suspend playoff rules in response to unique circumstances, provided that all players are duly informed of any changes. Playoffs will proceed according to the following guidelines:
A. Goalies may be subbed as necessary. For good sportsmanship, effort should be made to be sure the goalie is from the same division or of similar skill when possible.
B. If a team does not have enough players, pick up players may be used. All pick up players must be currently rostered Negaunee Hockey League players. Those on the waiting lists are not eligible for playoffs. The policy is intended to prevent teams from gaining an unfair advantage. Pick up players should come from the same division and, if possible, should have a similar skill level to the missing players. Pick up players may be added up to a total of 9 skaters per team. Teams therefore cannot exceed the League's assigned limits of 11 players. If a team has nine or more skaters, additional players cannot be picked up.
If a team has fewer than nine skaters, it is up to the board member of the respective team to decide if they want to pick up players or just play with who they have.
If a team chooses to pick up players (i.e. individuals not rostered on that team), the picked-up players goals scored will not count. The objective is for teams to compete in the playoffs as they are rostered. Picked up players are sometimes necessary, and the intent is to give the rostered players a rest so they can compete, not to run up scores/win games.
Board members from both teams must agree on the players being picked up.
If a team will not have their board members present for any or all playoff games, a captain should be designated by the team’s board member to act on their behalf.
C. The playoffs use a Round Robin format, with results determining seeding for the championship or consolation game in each Division. Teams earn 2 points for a win, 1 for a tie, and 0 for a loss. Yooper Invitational Tournament Tiebreakers apply if needed, details available on request.
D. Overtime will be utilized in all playoff games when necessary. Each overtime period shall consist of a five-minute running time, sudden death format, played with three skaters per team. If the score remains tied at the conclusion of the overtime period, both teams will receive one point for a tie, and the game will be declared finished.
For Championship Games only, a shoot-out will be implemented if needed to determine a winner, with a minimum of three skaters participating from each team.