The NHL and International Ice Hockey Federation define slashing as the act of swinging a hockey stick toward an opponent, regardless of whether contact is made. Referees are cautioned to consider intent before assessing a slashing penalty. Non-aggressive stick contact to an opposing player's pants or shin pads should not be penalized, according to the NHL. Using a stick to tap the puck carrier's stick should not be considered slashing either, according to IIHF. Stick contact above the shoulders is penalized as high-sticking, not slashing.
Considerations
Stick contact is part of hockey. Some slashes are called, most are not. It's not possible to penalize every infraction. A little slap with the flat of the blade is technically a slash but is seldom penalized. Swinging the stick and slicing an opponent with the narrow edge of the blade directs an intense force to a small area. The higher the force, the more likely the call. Players wear protective padding, but several areas are left exposed for mobility reasons. Aiming a slash at an exposed area of an opponent's body is likely to result in a call. A slash that impedes a scoring chance is almost certain to be penalized.
Calls
Minor, major, game misconduct and match penalties can be imposed for slashing. Referees use discretion when choosing consequences, taking into account severity of contact, injuries, scoring opportunities and altercations. Both governing bodies require at least a major penalty if a player is injured. An automatic game misconduct penalty is imposed when a major penalty is assessed. A match penalty may be imposed if the referee decides a player deliberately injured or attempted to injure a player. IIHF requires at least a major penalty if a player is involved in an altercation at the time of the slash.
Minor Penalties
A minor penalty results in the offending player going to the penalty box for two minutes, leaving his team short-handed. If the opposing team scores, the penalty ends. A quick slash flicked at an ankle with the intent of annoying an opponent may lead to a minor penalty if it annoys the referee, too. However, if a player slides his lower hand, positioned closest to the blade, near his upper hand, toward the butt-end, and slashes an opponent using a baseball swing, the referee is well aware that the intent is not to annoy, the intent is to injure, and a major, automatic misconduct or match penalty will be assessed.
Major Penalties
Major and match penalties result in a five-minute power play that continues if a goal is scored. NHL players receiving three major penalties in a single game are assessed an automatic game misconduct and suspended for the remainder of the game. Major penalties assessed on all IIHF players, including the goalie, result in an automatic game misconduct and suspension from the game. Players assessed match penalties are suspended from further play until the NHL commissioner or IIHF officials rule on the infraction.
Stick Infractions
NHL players who receive two accumulated game misconduct penalties for stick infractions such as slashing, cross-checking, butt-ending, hooking and spearing, as well as boarding and checking from behind, receive a one-game suspension. A third game misconduct results in another suspension, and so on. If an NHL player uses a vicious slash to trip an opponent moving in on goal, tripping or slashing could be called. Since slashing is on the accumulated misconduct list, however, the referee is likely to call slashing, giving the offending player reason to think twice before he uses his stick illegally again.
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