Hockey Canada and USA Hockey Rules on Stick Tape

NHL rules govern the NHL. If you play in a league sanctioned by Hockey Canada or USA Hockey, these are the books that apply. This article covers only what the rulebooks say directly. Your provincial or state body, or your league, may add its own rules, so check locally.

Hockey Canada (Playing Rules 2026-28)

Sticks are covered in Rule 3.3.

Tape

• Rule 3.3(e): the stick may be wound with any colour tape.

There is no limit on where tape goes or how much.

The end of the shaft

• Rule 3.3(d): the end of the shaft of every stick must be covered to protect against injury.
• For hollow shafts, the end must have a protective cap as well as being covered.

This applies to every stick, not only goalie sticks. In practice, tape over the end cap does both jobs.

Stick size

• Player stick: no longer than 1.60 m (63 in) from the heel to the end of the shaft. The blade must be at least 5.08 cm (2 in) wide and no more than 7.62 cm (3 in) wide.
• Goalie stick: no longer than 1.4 m (55 in) from the heel to the end of the shaft. The blade may not exceed 8.89 cm (3.5 in) in width at any point.

Measurement

Under Rule 3.1, a team can request a stick measurement at a stoppage. Only one measurement of any kind is allowed per stoppage, and the captain or alternate must say which part of the stick to measure. Violations are penalized under Rule 10.6, Illegal Equipment.

USA Hockey (Official Rules 2025-29)

Sticks are covered in Rule 301.

Tape

• Rule 301(a): adhesive tape of any colour may be wrapped around the stick at any place, for reinforcement or to improve control of the puck.

That wording matches NHL Rule 10.1.

The end of the shaft

• Rule 301(a): the end of a hollow shaft must be fully covered.
• The Junior Hockey Edition of the same rulebook adds that the knob at the end of a goalkeeper’s stick must be made of tape or other approved material.

Stick size

• Player stick: no longer than 65 in from the heel to the end of the shaft. The blade may be no more than 12.5 in long and between 2 in and 3 in wide.
• Curve: measured from a straight line drawn from the heel to the base of the toe, no more than 3/4 in at the deepest point.
• Goalie stick: the widened part of the shaft may extend no more than 26 in from the heel and be no more than 3.5 in wide. The blade may be up to 3.5 in wide, or 4.5 in at the heel.

Penalties

A minor penalty applies to a player or goalie using a stick that does not meet Rule 301. Refusing to hand over a stick for measurement brings a minor for unsportsmanlike conduct plus a misconduct.

Side by side

	Hockey Canada	USA Hockey	NHL
Tape colour	Any	Any	Any
Where tape can go	Not limited	Anywhere	Anywhere
End of shaft	Must be covered (all sticks); hollow shafts also capped	Hollow shaft fully covered	Not covered here
Goalie knob	Not specified in Rule 3.3	Tape or approved material (Junior edition)	White, at least 1/2 in thick
Player stick length	63 in	65 in	63 in (65 in by exception)

What we did not find

Neither rulebook, in the sections we read, says whether tape thickness counts in a curve or width measurement, and neither bans any tape colour. If your league has a rule on either, it will be a local addition.

For the NHL details, see NHL rules on stick tape. For goalies, see goalie stick knob rules.