All players are well aware of the surface they are playing on. They know the length of the ice and the amount of room they have to play in the neutral zone. Advancements in the game of hockey have led to frequent modifications to the markings on the playing surface. Please note that the below layouts reflect the expectations from the National Hockey League, but there have been teams throughout history, particularly the earlier years, who have had some discrepancies with their hockey markings.
Throughout the history of the NHL, there have been many variances from rink to rink such as Edmonton's center ice facing the players benches or the shorter rinks like the one in the Chicago Stadium. There were quite a few of these abnormalities, but for the sake of the overall history of the NHL, the following graphics will be based upon the typical 200 by 85 foot rink.
Vintage Rinks
1917-1949
1917-18 Season
The rink started out with only a face-off dot and a line between each of the goal posts to show where the nets should set. Those lines cannot be seen in the image as they are covered by the net itself.
1918-19 through 1925-26 Seasons
The playing surface was divided into three zones, with forward passing permitted in the middle "neutral zone." Kicking the puck was also permitted in the neutral zone. These zones were divided up by adding 2 inch thick blue lines 40 feet apart.
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Neutral Zone: 40 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 80 feet.
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Goal line (not painted) to end boards: 10 feet.
1929-30 through 1930-31 Seasons
Additional face-off dots are added to the ice surface, 10 feet in front of each goal. Every time a goaltender failed to clear the puck after making a save, a face-off would be held at the dot in front of his net. No player other than the goalie was permitted to stand between the face-off spot and the net.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line (not painted) to end boards: 10 feet.
1931-32 through 1932-33 Seasons
Three additional face-off dots are added in the neutral zone along each blue line, inside the neutral zone.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line (not painted) to end boards: 10 feet.
1933-34 Season
L-Shaped boundaries were placed in front of each net defining a goaltenders safe area. The boundary was 8 feet by 5 feet.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line (not painted) to end boards: 10 feet.
1934-35 through 1936-37 Seasons
Two 20 foot diameter "penalty shot" circles were added, one in front of each goal, centered at 38 feet from the goal lines. If a player was tripped preventing him from shooting while on what we now call a "breakaway", a player takes a penalty shot which must be taken from inside this circle. A full goal crease was also painted on the ice at this time.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line (not painted) to end boards: 10 feet.
1937-38 Season
Two face-off dots are added in each defensive zone. The dots in front of each of the goals are removed. The goal line was also introduced as new rules governing icing the puck were introduced.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1938-39 Season
The width of each of the blue lines were increased to 12 inches.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1939-40 through 1940-41 Seasons
The goal crease is modified to 7 feet by 3 feet.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1941-42 through 1942-43 Seasons
Twenty-foot face-off circles are added at center ice and in each corner. The penalty shot circles are replaced with short penalty shot lines 28 feet in front of the goal. Minor penalty shots are taken from the line while major penalty shots allow the player to skate in on the goaltender.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1943-44 through 1944-45 Seasons
The center red line was introduced to speed up the game and reduce offside calls. The red line is 12 inches in width.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1945-46 through 1946-47 Seasons
The penalty shot line is removed and all penalty shots are now taken from center ice.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1947-48 through 1948-49 Seasons
The area inside each goal net is painted white to make it easier for referees and goal judges to determine if a goal has been scored.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
Original Six Era
1950-1964
1949-50 through 1950-51 Seasons
The entire surface is painted white following the popularity of the white goal area among fans and officials.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1951-52 Season
The size of the goal crease is increased to 8 feet by 4 feet. Face-off circles were expanded to 30 feet in diameter.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1952-53 Season
The middle set of neutral zone face-off dots were removed.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1953-54 through 1955-56 Seasons
The neural zone and defensive zone face-off dots are enlarged from 6 inches to 12 inches in diameter.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1956-57 Season
Hash marks were added to the defensive zone circles to keep players onside when lining up for a face-off.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1957-58 through 1960-61 Seasons
A single horizontal hash mark was added through each of the four defensive zone faceoff dots. The referee's crease was also added. Its position would vary from rink to rink.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1961-62 through 1963-64 Seasons
"Crosshairs" were added to face-off dots in defensive zones.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
Expansion Era
1965-1986
1964-65 through 1972-73 Seasons
Though some teams had already started using checkered red lines, they are now listed as required in the NHL rule book. Its purpose was to help TV viewers distinguish the red line from the blue lines. This would become less important once color TV became widely available.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1973-74 through 1975-76 Seasons
Cross-hairs updated to T shaped markings.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1976-77 through 1977-78 Seasons
Cross-hairs enlarged and a small horizontal hash mark was added through the face off dot.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1978-79 through 1981-82 Seasons
Double hash marks replace previous markings outside the four face off circles.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
1982-83 through 1983-84 Seasons
Modified defensive zone face-off dots replace all previous markings inside the face off circles.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
Modified face-off dots are still 1 foot in diameter, but no longer completely filled in. These would replace the solid neutral zone dots in the 2002-2003 season.
1984-85 through 1985-86 Seasons
Rink visual of the new goal frames. No ice markings were changed since the 1983-1984 season.
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Neutral Zone: 60 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 70 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 10 feet.
Modern Rinks
1987-Present
1990-91 Season
In an effort to increase offense by giving players more room to operate behind the net, the goal lines, blue lines and defensive zone face-off circles were all moved out one foot further from the end boards.
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Neutral Zone: 58 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 71 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 11 feet.
1991-92 through 1994-95 Seasons
The rectangular goal crease is eliminated, L-shaped markings with both lines five inches long are placed just inside the edge of the semi-circle crease. The entire goal crease and area occupied by the net are tinted blue.
For the 1993-1994 season, the magnetic pegs were replaced with plastic ones.
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Neutral Zone: 58 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 71 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 11 feet.
1995-96 Season
The goal area inside of the net returns to its previous white color.
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Neutral Zone: 58 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 71 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 11 feet.
1996-97 through 1997-98 Seasons
L-Shaped positioning marks are added to the two face-off spots in each defensive end.
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Neutral Zone: 58 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 71 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 11 feet.
1998-99 through 2000-01 Seasons
The goal lines, blue lines, faceoff circles are all moved two feet closer to the neutral zone, creating more room for player movement behind the net. To cut down on in-the-crease violations, the size of the crease was altered to only extend one foot beyond each goal post.
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Neutral Zone: 54 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 73 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 13 feet.
2001-02 Season
The NHL honored the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon by painting ribbons behind each net for all teams.
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Neutral Zone: 54 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 73 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 13 feet.
2005-06 through 2013-14 Season
After the 2004/2005 Lockout, several changes were made to the rink. The neutral zone was shortened to again to allow for more room in each defensive zone. The faceoff circles and goal lines were moved 2 feet closer to the end zones. Trapezoids were added behind the goal lines to limit the area in which goaltenders could touch the puck behind the goals.
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Neutral Zone: 50 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 75 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 11 feet.
2014-15 through 2023-24 Season
The hash marks outside the end zone circles were moved from 3 feet to 5 feet 7 inches separation. The trapezoid grew by two feet from each goal post to create a little extra room for the goaltender to play or recover the puck around the net.
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Neutral Zone: 50 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 75 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 11 feet.
2024-25 Season to Present
The NHL has updated its rules on center ice logos, allowing teams to incorporate their logo within the red center line. However, there must still be a red outline and a white buffer zone surrounding the red line.
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Neutral Zone: 50 feet.
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Defensive Zones: 75 feet.
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Goal line to end boards: 11 feet.