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What happens when a defenseman leaves during a game?
The NHL rule text available for the 2022–23 season says an injured player, or one compelled to leave during a game, may retire and be replaced by a substitute. Play continues; the teams do not leave the ice to make a roster transaction. The team therefore draws on players available under the game rules rather than adding someone who was scratched before puck drop. See NHL Official Rules.
If the injured player is serving a major penalty, a substitute must serve it under the special penalty procedure. That substitute is subject to restrictions on returning to the game. The details should be checked against the applicable current rulebook edition.
Why a scratched player cannot simply enter
A scratch is not dressed and available as a game substitute. Activating that player after the game begins would be a roster change, not an ordinary on-ice replacement. The NHL Hockey Operations Guidelines describe roster procedures—including injured reserve and replacement of an injured player on the NHL roster—but those moves address roster availability, not entry into an ongoing game. The guidelines describe a minimum roster of 20 players: 18 skaters and two goaltenders; they also state that a player injured for at least seven days may be placed on Injured Reserve. See NHL Hockey Operations Guidelines.
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How the on-ice change works
When one dressed player replaces another during a normal change, the NHL Rule 74.1 text for 2024–25 says the departing player must be within five feet of the players’ bench and out of the play before the replacement enters. An early entry can result in a too-many-men penalty. This governs a change between players already available to the team; it does not make an undressed scratch eligible to join the game. See NHL Official Rules.
In-game substitution versus a roster move
| Situation | When it applies | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| In-game substitution | During the game, when a player is injured or compelled to leave | An available substitute replaces the departing player under the game rules; a normal change must meet the bench-change conditions. |
| Roster replacement or recall | For roster availability, typically for a later game | The club makes a roster transaction, subject to applicable roster and salary-cap rules. It does not put a scratched player into a game already underway. |
The Carolina Hurricanes’ transaction primer explains injured reserve, recalls and emergency recalls as roster processes. Its COVID-era discussion and season-specific financial figures are historical, so they should not be treated as current rules. See Carolina Hurricanes Transaction Primer.
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What current rules can be confirmed
The NHL FAQ links to a 2026–27 rulebook, while the detailed provisions described above come from the 2022–23 injured-player rule text and the 2024–25 change-during-play rule text. Because the current rulebook wording could not be fully verified here, check the applicable edition before citing a rule number or quoting it verbatim. The practical distinction remains: replacing an injured player during a game is a substitution; adding a scratched player is a roster question, not a mid-game substitution.
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