The Western Hockey League (WHL) has introduced three rule changes for the upcoming 2026-27 season.

The league advised that these changes are “being implemented in the interest of enhancing the fan experience, enforcing speed of play, and ensuring scoring plays are ruled correctly.”  

The first is one that NHL fans have been asking for:

‘No Return’ in Overtime

There aren’t going to be any more lengthy puck possession plays in extra time, when teams circle back in their own zone to regroup.  Not only can a team not go back into their defensive end — they can’t even go back into the neutral zone.

It almost works like a delayed offside, just in the opposite direction. If a team carries the puck back into the neutral zone, play will be stopped. If they pass it back, the defending team can play it, but a touch by the previously-attacking team will bring a whistle.  Here’s the full rule:

Should a regular season game be tied after regulation, the two teams will continue to play a five-minute sudden-death overtime period.

In the overtime period, a team in possession and control of the puck in the attacking zone may not retreat – carry, pass, or play the puck – back into the neutral zone or their own defending zone.

This rule also applies to any attacking player within playing distance of the puck who deliberately refrains from playing it and chooses to allow the puck to exit the attacking zone.

When an attacking player carries, passes, or plays the puck back into the neutral or defending zone, the attacking team may not regain possession. However, the defending team can gain possession of the puck in the neutral zone or beyond.

A puck that is carried out of the zone results in an immediate whistle. Other pucks that exit the zone result in a delayed whistle. The Linesperson will signal a delayed whistle for the puck leaving the zone just as they would signal for a delayed offside situation entering the zone. In these situations, the defending team can play the puck in the neutral zone or beyond, the offending team cannot.

Failed passes and self-caused errors in puckhandling that result in the puck exiting the attacking zone also constitute violations.

For violation of this rule, play shall be stopped, and the ensuing faceoff shall be conducted at one of the two faceoff circles in the offending team’s defending zone, with the non-offending team having the choice of which endzone circle the faceoff will take place. The offending team shall not be permitted to make any player substitutions prior to the ensuring faceoff.

NOTE: A team shall be permitted to make a player substitution to replace a goaltender who had been substituted for an extra attacker, to replace an injured player or a player with a broken skate, etc., or when a penalty(ies) has been assessed.

Clarifications:

    • When a faceoff is cleanly won in the attacking zone by the attacking team and the puck exits directly into the neutral zone, it shall not be considered as a violation of this rule and thus will be waived off, unless an attacking player deliberately refrains from playing the puck and chooses to allow it to exit the attacking zone.

    • Pucks exiting the endzone immediately following a shot attempt towards the net shall be waived off, unless the Linespersons or Referees determine that the attacking player deliberately allows the puck to exit the zone. All other puck exits, specifically failed passes, are subject to the rule.

    • If a defending player physically forces the opponent off the puck with a legal body check or stick check causing the attacking player to lose control of the puck, the rule does not apply, unless any attacking player deliberately refrains from playing the puck and chooses to allow it to exit the attacking zone. Both the Referees and Linespersons may stop play for this offense.

    • In overtime, coincidental penalties do not go on the clock, and teams remain playing three-on-three. Should there be staggered minor penalties to each team, they may play four-on-four or five-on-five for a period of time. In these instances only, the ‘No Return’ rule is not in effect. However, as soon as a penalty expires, meaning a team is back on the power play, the ‘No Return’ rule is in effect.

NOTE: ‘No Return’ infractions are not subject to video review.

 

The other two updates are more in line with the NHL rulebook.

Coach’s Challenge for Offside Goals

The WHL is introducing offside challenges. There are a few differences from how it works in the NHL though. 

First, it’s up to the linesman who made the original call to either uphold or overturn the call on the ice via review; there’s no centralized Situation Room weighing in here. 

Second, there are no automatic league-initiated challenges during overtime or in the final minute of regulation; it’s up to the team to decide to challenge and risk a possible delay of game penalty.  Here’s the full rule:

The Coach Challenge has been implemented in the WHL for potential offside goals. A team may only request a Coach Challenge to review a play that results in a goal call on the ice where the defending team claims that the play should have been stopped due to an offside infraction at the blueline by the attacking team. The video review process triggered by the Coach Challenge can only be utilized in a goal situation.

A Coach Challenge must be initiated prior to the centre ice faceoff following the goal. Should a team require more time to determine whether they want to initiate a Coach Challenge, they will be permitted to use their timeout, provided they have not previously used it.

After review, the Linesperson who made the original call will render the final decision to uphold or overturn the original call on the ice.

Teams may initiate a Coach Challenge after goals at any time during Regulation or Overtime in the Regular Season or Playoffs.

There are two possible outcomes from a Coach Challenge:

    • Disallow the goal, reset time on the score clock to the time at which the play should have been stopped, and faceoff at appropriate location

    • Allow the goal and assess a penalty to the coach for requesting the challenge

If one or more penalties – Minor or Major – are assessed between the time of the missed offside and the video review that disallows the apparent goal, the offending team(s), and responsible player(s) will still be required to serve the penalty(ies) identified and assessed, and the time of the penalty(ies) will be recorded as the time at which the play should have been stopped for the missed offside infraction.

If a team initiates a Coach Challenge unsuccessfully, the team is to be assessed a Bench Minor penalty for delay of game on the first occasion. If a team that has already unsuccessfully initiated a Challenge initiates another Coach Challenge that is also unsuccessful, the team is to be assessed a Bench Double Minor penalty for delay of game. Any subsequent unsuccessful challenge shall also result in a Double Minor penalty being assessed.

The standard for overturning the call in the event of a goal call on the ice is if the Video Review determines conclusively that one or more players on the attacking team preceded the puck into the attacking zone prior to the goal being scored, and as a result, the play should have been stopped for an Offside infraction.

 

Referee Review of Major and Match Penalties

Major and match penalties will now be subject to video review to confirm the initial call. As in the NHL, officials in the WHL must call a major or match penalty on the ice in order to review the play. 

From the WHL:

Referees shall review all Major and Match penalties, except fighting majors, on a video tablet at the penalty box in order to confirm the penalty assessed or to downgrade the penalty to a lower category.

The options, after review, are as follows:

    • Confirm the original Major or Match penalty call;
    • Reduce the Major or Match penalty call to a lesser penalty (Double Minor or Minor);
    • Rescind the Major or Match penalty altogether (no penalty)

 

It’ll be interesting to see how the ‘no going back’ rule impacts overtime. The NHL will certainly be watching…