What Do NHL Rules Say About Stick Tape?

The NHL rulebook says very little about tape, and that is the point: skaters can do almost anything they like with it. Everything here is from Rule 10 (Sticks) in the NHL’s 2024-25 Official Rules.

The tape rule for skaters

Rule 10.1 says adhesive tape of any colour may be wrapped around the stick at any place, for reinforcement or to improve control of the puck. In practice that means:

• Any colour. Black, white, patterned or neon.
• Anywhere. Blade, shaft, knob, or nowhere at all.
• Any amount. The rule sets no limit and does not require tape.

Scouting The Refs tested this in 2023 against Vegas captain Mark Stone’s very large knob of hockey and medical tape. Its conclusion: Rule 10.1 puts him in the clear.

The goalie exception: a white knob

Rule 10.2 says a goalie stick must have a knob of white tape, or other protective material approved by the league, at least 1/2 inch thick at the top of the shaft. A stick that breaks this rule is deemed unfit for play.

There is no penalty. The goalie must change the stick, or the knob is fixed, without a minor penalty. Scouting The Refs reported that when the Anaheim Ducks pointed out Frederik Andersen’s red knob in November 2021, officials covered it with white tape. More in goalie stick knob rules.

The stick limits tape sits on

These limits define the stick you are taping.

Measurement	Player stick	Goalie stick
Length, heel to end of shaft	63 in max (exceptions up to 65 in are considered only for players 6 ft 6 in or taller)	No separate limit in Rule 10.2
Blade length, heel to end	12.5 in max	15.5 in max
Blade width (height)	2 in min, 3 in max	3.5 in max; 4.5 in at the heel
Widened paddle	Not applicable	Up to 26 in from the heel, 3.5 in wide max
Blade curve	3/4 in max	No curve limit in Rule 10.2

How the curve is measured

Rule 10.5 describes the check. The referee draws an imaginary line from the heel to the end of the blade and uses a league-approved gauge, secured at the heel, to measure how far the curve sits from that line. Rule 10 does not mention tape in the measurement. We could not find an official ruling on whether tape thickness counts, so we do not make a claim either way.

The Pride Tape episode, 2023

Rule 10.1 allows any colour, but the league can still set policy on what players use. In the summer of 2023 the NHL ended specialty warmup jerseys on theme nights. A league memo then extended the ban to Pride Tape, NPR reported.

Arizona Coyotes defenceman Travis Dermott used Pride Tape on his stick on October 21, 2023 anyway. On October 24 the NHL reversed course after talks with the NHL Players’ Association and the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition. Its statement, as reported by Scripps News, said players “will now have the option to voluntarily represent social causes with their stick tape throughout the season.”

What this means for you

• NHL rules do not apply to your league unless your league adopts them. Check your own rulebook.
• Hockey Canada and USA Hockey publish the playing rules for hockey they sanction. See Hockey Canada and USA Hockey tape rules.
• Whatever the colour, keep the end of the shaft covered. Hockey Canada and USA Hockey both require it for hollow shafts.