The official NWAHL guidebook — Information Sheet, 2026–2027 season.
I. Background
The Northwest Amateur Hockey League (NWAHL) understands every amateur hockey association and their teams have different needs and limitations. NWAHL attempts to accommodate teams by using a flexible scheduling approach. Our standings are based on winning percentages, which allows teams to play an unequal number of games during the season. While we cannot accommodate every request, we will do our best to meet every team's needs to the extent possible. In addition, NWAHL makes every effort to keep league costs at a minimum to help reduce the rising costs of playing hockey.
II. League Communications
NWAHL recognizes that every amateur hockey association operates differently. Each association participating in NWAHL is responsible for notifying the League Commissioner about who will serve as its main points of contact. The main point of contact may be the hockey director, coach, manager, and/or designated person. The League Commissioner is not responsible for determining who will serve as the associations or teams' points of contact. However, each association's points of contact must be able to address all issues and questions that arise during league meetings or the season within a reasonable amount of time.
III. Eligibility, League Participation, and Game Scheduling Requirements
All players and teams participating in the league must be properly registered and rostered with USA Hockey and their respective USA Hockey Affiliate.
NWAHL shall hold an initial league planning meeting in June of each year. All associations or teams interested in participating in NWAHL for the upcoming season shall submit their preliminary declarations specifying the number of teams and age divisions no later than June 1st prior to the upcoming season.
After receiving the preliminary declarations, the League Commissioner shall schedule the league planning meeting in June with at least 10 days notice to all associations or teams through their designated points of contact.
At the league planning meeting, all associations or teams shall make their final declarations to play in the league for the upcoming season.
The League Commissioner has full discretion to approve or deny an associations or team's request to join the league based on whether it can meet NWAHL's eligibility and participation requirements.
All teams must commit to playing a minimum of sixteen (16) league games, unless the League Commissioner approves fewer games. A team requesting to play fewer than sixteen (16) league games shall make such a request in advance of the league planning meeting.
At the league planning meeting in June, each association and team shall be able to answer the following questions:
How many teams will participate and in which age divisions?
How many league weekends is each team requesting?
Is the team willing to fly for league games?
Does the team want to host and/or participate in Jamboree or Super Weekends as described in Section IV below?
Following the league planning meeting, the League Commissioner shall submit a proposed league format to all associations for review and approval no later than July 15th. Teams shall have 72 hours from notification of the league format to request adjustments, which the League Commissioner has discretion to approve or deny.
Teams accepted to participate in NWAHL shall submit their available weekends for home and away games for the upcoming season by July 20th unless a later date is approved by the League Commissioner. Ice times are not required on that date.
The league schedule for the upcoming season shall be published to all associations and teams by the first Friday following the first Monday in August, unless teams fail to meet the July 20th deadline to submit their available weekends.
After the initial league schedule is published, teams have 72 hours to request adjustments, which the League Commissioner has discretion to approve or deny. Once the League Commissioner has issued the final schedule, no team may reschedule a game without approval from the League Commissioner.
All teams are required to play other NWAHL teams that are within an 8-hour driving distance from their designated home arena. Teams may host Jamboree and Super Weekends on a voluntary basis.
If a team agrees to participate in Jamboree or Super Weekends at the league planning meeting, then the team is required to participate in such weekends, regardless of date and location, when the final schedule is issued.
Teams accepted into the league that have only one team within an 8-hour driving distance are required to travel outside the 8-hour driving distance from their home arena and may be required to participate in Jamboree or Super Weekends to meet the minimum number of league games.
Teams shall play a minimum of two league games per weekend if the visiting team is traveling less than a 6-hour driving distance. However, those teams may play three games if agreed upon by both teams. If the visiting team is traveling a driving distance of 6 hours or more, then the teams shall play three games on the weekend.
Except for Jamboree and Super Weekends, league games shall be scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays unless agreed upon by both teams and approved by the League Commissioner. Jamboree and Super Weekends may start on Fridays, as late in the day as possible.
Except for Jamboree and Super Weekends and weekends where two home teams are required to coordinate ice times for one visiting team, home teams shall make all reasonable efforts not to schedule games before 8:00 a.m. If necessary for Jamboree and Super Weekends, or where two home teams need to coordinate ice times, games may be scheduled at 7:00 a.m. Games shall not be scheduled before 7:00 a.m. without approval by the League Commissioner or an NWAHL Official.
Home teams are required to cover the costs of games, including ice time and referees, when playing another NWAHL team in their home arena.
All teams shall be available for NWAHL playoffs. The specific weekend will be agreed upon by the teams at the league planning meeting in June. All teams are required to split the costs of playoff games, including ice time and referees, regardless of whether one of the teams is playing in its home arena.
All teams are required to pay a league fee as set by NWAHL at the league meeting in June to help cover the costs of the league website, banners, insurance, playoffs sanctioning, and other administrative costs. The league fee shall be paid by the deadline established by NWAHL. In addition, each team is required to pay a deposit for the playoff's three-game minimum. The league will refund the deposit to teams that do not qualify for playoffs due to winning percentage. The league will not refund the deposit if teams cancel games or do not play the league minimum required regular season games. Payment shall be made by check or electronic funds transfer (EFT). Credit card payments will have an added processing fee.
IV. Jamboree and Super Weekends
A Jamboree Weekend consists of a home team hosting two visiting teams, or three teams playing at a neutral location. The costs of games between the visiting teams shall be split between those teams and paid directly to the hosting association or its designated ice arena. The costs of all games against the home team are covered by the home team as stated above, if the home team is playing in its home arena. If playing at a neutral location, the cost of all games shall be split between the three teams and paid directly to the arena or association hosting the weekend.
Super Weekends consists of a home team hosting three or more teams, or four or more teams playing at a neutral location. The costs of games between the visiting teams shall be split between those teams and paid directly to the hosting association or its designated ice arena. The costs of all games against the home team are covered by the home team if the home team is playing in its home arena. If playing at a neutral location, the cost of all games shall be split between the teams and paid directly to the ice arena or association hosting the weekend.
V. Game Formats and Rules
All USA Hockey Playing Rules apply to regular season games unless a more restrictive NWAHL rule below is in effect. Any NWAHL league game that also serves as a national tournament bound (NTB) qualifying game shall be played in accordance with the rules of the applicable USA Hockey Affiliate, and the affiliate's game rules shall supersede all NWAHL rules below, except for paragraph 2.
All NWAHL game slots must be a minimum of 90 minutes.
12U regular season games shall be three 15-minute stop time periods.
14U regular season games shall be three 16-minute stop time periods.
16U and 18U regular season games shall be three 17-minute stop-time periods, except for two-hour ice slots, three 20-minute stop-time periods are permitted.
For 90-minute game slots, warm-ups shall be 4 minutes with a 1-minute break between periods. For 105-minute game slots, warm-ups shall be 4 minutes with a 1-minute break between periods. For 120-minute game slots, warm-ups shall be 5 minutes with a 1-minute break between periods.
For 105-minute game slots, there shall be an ice cut between the second and third periods. For 120-minute game slots, there shall be an ice cut at the first whistle after the 10-minute mark of the second period or between the second and third periods.
Except when prohibited by an affiliate for NTB qualifying games, timeouts are allowed in the third period at the discretion of the referee. When exercising discretion, the referee shall consider whether there is sufficient time remaining in the ice slot to complete the game.
There shall be no running time during league games, except for 12U overtime under paragraph 10 below. At the start of the third period, if there is less than 30 minutes for 12U games, 32 minutes remaining for 14U games, or 34 minutes remaining in the ice slot for 16U and 18U games, the third period shall be half the allotted time remaining for the ice slot. For two-hour ice slots with 20-minute stop time periods, if there is less than 40 minutes remaining in the ice slot for 16U and 18U games, the third period shall be half the allotted time remaining for the ice slot.
In 12U games, if the game is tied at the end of the third period and at least 10 minutes remain in the ice slot, the teams shall play a 5-minute, 3-on-3, running-time overtime period.
Unless otherwise approved by the League Commissioner, 12U and 14U games shall have a minimum of three referees, and 16U and 18U games shall have four referees.
The home teams may use Time to Score, Gamesheet, the NWAHL portal, or handwritten scoresheets for scoring games. For NTB qualifying games, teams shall use their affiliate's required method of scoring games, if any.
Except for games scored using the NWAHL portal, home teams are required to provide a copy of their scoresheets to the League Commissioner within 24 hours of the last game played of the league weekend.
VI. Timekeeping, Scorekeeping, and Penalty Box Volunteers
For regular league weekends, the home team is responsible for providing a timekeeper and scorekeeper. Both teams shall have volunteers for their respective penalty boxes. All volunteers are required to abide by USA Hockey and SafeSport rules, regulations, and policies.
For Jamboree and Super Weekends and playoffs, the team designated as the home team for each game shall provide a timekeeper and scorekeeper. Both teams shall have volunteers for their respective penalty boxes. All volunteers are required to abide by USA Hockey and SafeSport rules, regulations, and policies. In the alternative, the team hosting the weekend may hire scorekeepers and timekeepers for all games and equally distribute costs among all participating teams.
VII. League Standings and Playoffs
League standings are based on winning percentage, which is calculated by dividing the team's total points by the total number of available points (2 points per game multiplied by the total number of games).
If there are 9 or fewer teams in an age division, the top 6 teams shall attend the league's playoffs. If there are 10 or more teams in an age division, the top 8 teams shall attend playoffs.
The League Commissioner shall establish playoff rules at least 14 days prior to the league playoffs.
Playoffs shall be held at a location determined by NWAHL.
VIII. League Discipline
NWAHL abides by all suspensions imposed under the USA Hockey playing rules and issued by USA Hockey and its Affiliates under the rules, regulations, and policies of USA Hockey and/or the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
By participating in NWAHL, each association and team agrees to abide by NWAHL rules, regulations, and policies set forth in this guidebook and NWAHL's Bylaws.
Failure to comply with NWAHL League rules, regulations, and policies set forth in this guidebook and NWAHL's Bylaws may result in forfeiture of games, suspension from league play, or other disciplinary action taken in accordance with league disciplinary procedures.