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1997 NHL Rulebook - Playing Rules
Rule 66. Leaving Players or
Penalty Bench

No player may leave the players' or penalty bench at any time during an altercation or for the purpose of starting an altercation. Substitutions made prior to the altercation shall be permitted, provided the players so substituting do not enter the altercation.

For violation of this rule, a game misconduct penalty shall be imposed on the player who was the first or second player to leave the players' or penalty bench from either or both teams.

The first player to leave the players' or penalty bench from either or both teams shall be suspended automatically without pay for the next ten (10) regular League and/or playoff games of his team.

The second player to leave the bench from either or both teams shall be suspended automatically without pay for the next five (5) regular League and/or playoff games.

Any team that has a player penalized under (a) shall be fined ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for the first instance. This fine shall be increased by five thousand dollars ($5000) for each subsequent occurrence over the next following three-year period.

All players including the first and second players who leave the bench during an altercation shall be subject to an automatic fine in the amount equal to the maximum permitted under the collective bargaining agreement.

Any player who leaves the penalty bench during an altercation and is not the first player, shall be suspended automatically without pay for the next five (5) regular League and/or playoff games.

Except at the end of each period or on expiration of his penalty, no player may, at any time, leave the penalty bench.

A penalized player who leaves the penalty bench before his penalty has expired, whether play is in progress or not, shall incur an additional minor penalty, after serving his unexpired penalty.

Any penalized player leaving the penalty bench during stoppage of play and during an altercation shall incur a minor penalty plus a game misconduct penalty after serving his unexpired time.

If a player leaves the penalty bench before his penalty is fully served, the Penalty Timekeeper shall note the time and signal the Referee who will immediately stop play.

In the case of a player returning to the ice before his time has expired through an error of the Penalty Timekeeper, he is not to serve an additional penalty, but must serve his unexpired time.

If a player of the attacking side in possession of the puck shall be in such a position as to have no opposition between him and the opposing goalkeeper, and while in such position he shall be interfered with by a player of the opposing side who shall have illegally entered the game, the Referee shall impose a penalty shot against the side to which the offending player belongs.

If a Coach or Manager gets on the ice after the start of a period and before that period is ended, the Referee shall impose a bench minor penalty against the team and report the incident to the Commissioner for disciplinary action.

Any club executive or Manager committing the same offense will be automatically fined two hundred dollars ($200).

If a penalized player returns to the ice from the penalty bench before his penalty has expired by his own error or the error of the Penalty Timekeeper, any goal scored by his own team while he is illegally on the ice shall be disallowed but all penalties imposed on either team shall be served as regular penalties.

If a player shall illegally enter the game from his own players' bench or from the penalty bench, any goal scored by his own team while he is illegally on the ice shall be disallowed but all penalties imposed on either team shall be served as regular penalties.

A bench minor penalty shall be imposed on a team whose player(s) leave the players' bench for any purpose other than a change of players and when no altercation is in progress.

Any player who has been ordered to the dressing room by the Referee and returns to his bench or to the ice for any reason before the appropriate time shall be assessed a game misconduct penalty and shall be suspended automatically without pay for the next ten (10) regular League and/or playoff games.

The Coach of the team whose player was the first to leave the players' bench during an altercation shall be suspended automatically for the next five (5) regular League and/or playoff games of his club and shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000). The Coach of the team whose players came off the bench subsequently shall be suspended automatically for the next three (3) regular League and/or playoff games of his club and shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000). For each subsequent offense of this rule by either or both Coaches over a three-year period, the fines and suspensions shall be doubled.

� 1997 - 2000
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