SALT LAKE CITY – With the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season now well underway, fans have had an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the sport for several months. However, at times hockey can be somewhat of a confusing and complex game which requires more of an in-depth knowledge to fully understand.

As part of the hockey 101 series, the following is an explanation of roughing, why it’s a penalty, and what that means for both teams.

Hockey 101: What is Roughing?

According to the NHL, roughing is when a player punches or commits a slamming motion with their hand to an opposing skater’s head or face.

A player can also be penalized for roughing if they intentionally remove an opponent’s helmet during play.

However, any player who yanks, pulls or twists on chin or ear straps to remove a helmet at stoppages will be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Sam Bennett with a costly penalty that leads to Pens tying goal 😬

Pittsburgh commentators compare the play to Bennett’s punch on Marchand in the playoffs 😳 pic.twitter.com/AZsP0yeu4H

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 4, 2025

Roughing is a two-minute minor penalty and can never be categorized as a major or game-misconduct violation.

For more information or an explanation of rules, fans can visit NHL.com.

Utah Hockey Schedule

The Utah Hockey Club will host the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. The game can be viewed on SEG+. Fans can also tune in on air on the KSL Sports APP or on 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule. 

Cole Bagley is the Utah Hockey Club insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.

Take us with you, wherever you go.

Download the new & improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. You can stream live radio, video and stay up to date on all of your favorite teams.

Follow @BagleyKSLsports