The Western Collegiate Hockey League (WCHA) s trying something radical for the 2025-26 season — allowing players to play the puck or score a goal with a high stick.
Under the league’s new, experimental unlimited high-sticking rule, players will be allowed to play the puck with their stick at any height. That includes loose pucks and scoring attempts. Any attempt to play the puck that results in a penalty will be called appropriately.
“There is a strong interest in this concept from the league’s coaches, and it has been discussed for years,” said WCHA Commissioner Michelle McAteer. “Many believe it’s a skill that can increase scoring chances and puck possession time. We anticipate we will see this utilized in the offensive zone for tips and redirects to increase scoring chances. Also, players will likely try to bat pucks down that are being flipped out of the defensive zone and through neutral ice.”
Minnesota head coach Brad Frost is a supporter of the change.
“First of all, we want more scoring in hockey,” said Frost. “This is an opportunity to have that. Secondarily, and maybe most important for me is it seems like any time there is a potential high stick goal, the referee will either call it a goal or wave it off, and they have an eighth of a second to make that decision. Even if they go back to review, it is still really hard to decide whether that was a high stick or not because of the angles of the cameras, because everything happens so quickly, because of the quality of the cameras.”
The new rule applies only to conference games. The eight members of the WCHA are Bemidji State, Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, Ohio State, St. Cloud State, St. Thomas, and Wisconsin.
“I am not worried that kids will be swinging around their stick like they are fencing or something,” said Ohio State head coach Nadine Muzerall . “It’s going to be highly skilled players. I am not too concerned about it. I think we will be able to be safe in that environment, and we will just see how it goes.”
If you’ve ever been frustrated by a whistle after the puck was played with a high stick or a goal waved off for a stick above the crossbar, you might want to keep an eye on college hockey this season — specifically the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).
