Under the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation, a hockey team is allowed to have up to 20 players with an additional two goalkeepers. Each team is also allowed to have up to six team officials on the bench, though these officials do not participate in gameplay.
Most countries and international events, including the Winter OIympics, follow the game rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation. In the U.S., the National Hockey League has its own set of rules for NHL games. Under NHL rules, each team is allowed to have up to 18 players with an additional two goalkeepers for a total of 20 players. NHL rules do not designate a maximum number of team officials allowed on the bench.
