Six players, four jobs
NHL.com's guide to positions, written for the Seattle Kraken in 2022, describes each team's five skaters as a centre, a left wing, a right wing, a left defender and a right defender, with the goaltender behind them. The centre and the two wingers are the forwards.
Centre
According to the same NHL.com guide, the centre takes most faceoffs, leads the breakout out of the team's own end and also defends there. On faceoffs, see the faceoffs page for who places the stick first and what happens after a violation.
Wingers
NHL.com says wingers were traditionally placed by the hand they shoot with, but that many now play the "off" wing, on the side opposite their shooting hand, to get a better shooting angle. Wingers battle for the puck in the corners and screen the opposing goaltender.
Defence
Defenders play in pairs. NHL.com describes partners coordinating so that one stays back when the other joins the attack. Defenders block passes, clear the puck from their zone and the front of their net, and often run the power play from the point. The guide also says about 60 percent of NHL defencemen shoot left, so many play the right side; that figure comes from a single source with no date range, so treat it as unconfirmed.
Goaltender
NHL.com sums up the goaltender's job as keeping the puck out of the net, controlling rebounds, freezing, passing or playing the puck, and calling out threats to teammates. The rulebooks give goaltenders their own rules:
| Rule | IIHF Rule Book 2026/27 | NHL Official Rules 2026-2027 | Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-28 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goaltenders on the ice | One per team; may be replaced by an extra skater without goaltender privileges (Rule 5.3) | Rule 5.1 lists two goalkeepers in the 20-player line-up | Up to two in uniform; a registered goaltender may play only in goal (Rule 2.2(a)) |
| Faceoffs | May not take one (Rule 76.1) | May not take part (Rule 76.1) | May not take part (Rule 6.2(b)) |
| Playing the puck behind the net | Minor for delay of game if played behind the goal line outside the trapezoid (Rule 27.7) | Minor for delay of game if played outside the designated area behind the net, judged by the puck's position (Rule 27.8) | No trapezoid in the 2026-28 rules |
| Crossing centre ice | Minor for taking part in play beyond the centre red line, judged by the puck's position (Rule 27.6) | Minor for taking part in play beyond the centre red line, judged by the puck's position (Rule 27.7) | Penalised as interference (Rule 8.3(a)) if the goaltender intentionally takes part in play beyond the centre red line; judged by the goaltender's skates, not the puck (Rule 4.13(c), Interpretation 2) |
Hockey Canada's 2026-28 rules allow more flexibility for younger players. In U13 and below, a player who has been designated as a goaltender may later return to skating; above U13, once designated, the player must stay in goal (Rule 2.4(d)). Its Rule 6.18, which Hockey Manitoba describes as a new goaltender safety rule in the 2026-28 edition, protects goaltenders in U13 and below: if a goaltender is hit in the head by the puck, the referee stops play as soon as it is safe, unless the puck deflects straight into the goal.
Teams carry backup goaltenders. In the NHL, Bleacher Report (2026) says the new collective agreement, effective 16 September 2026, requires each team to name a full-time emergency backup goaltender. The PWHL required three goaltenders per team for 2025-26, according to its announcement of 14 November 2025.
Lines and pairs
NHL.com describes forwards playing as lines of three, with many teams using three or four forward lines, and defenders playing in pairs. Lines and pairs often stay together for weeks or months. Players change both at stoppages and on the fly (see how hockey works).
Captains
Each rulebook lets a team name a captain, who wears a "C", and alternates, who wear an "A":
- NHL 2026-2027 (Rule 6.1): one captain and up to two alternates, or no captain and up to three alternates. No co-captains. Only the captain, when invited by the referee, may discuss the interpretation of rules.
- IIHF 2026/27 (Rule 6.1): new for 2026/27, a team may have one captain and two alternates, or no captain and three alternates.
- Hockey Canada 2026-28 (Rule 2.3): a captain and up to three alternate captains, listed on the game report, with letters about 7.62 cm (3 in) high in a contrasting colour.
How teams set up and move as a unit is covered on the positioning and systems page, and the goaltender's skills on the goaltending page.
Sources
- NHL.com Seattle Kraken, hockey positions explained (31 August 2022)
- IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27 (PDF)
- National Hockey League, Official Rules 2026-2027 (PDF)
- Hockey Canada, Playing Rules 2026-2028 (PDF)
- Bleacher Report, NHL rule changes for 2026-27 (27 September 2026)
- PWHL, officiating department and rule changes for 2025-26 (14 November 2025)
- Hockey Manitoba, Rule of the Week (2026)