In the NHL, what type of penalty results from a fight?

In the NHL, a fight results in a major penalty. Each player who fights normally receives five minutes in the penalty box, giving the penalty its familiar nickname: “five for fighting.”

Unlike many major penalties, a fighting major does not automatically make the team short-handed if both combatants receive equal penalties. The players serve their time, while substitutes can usually take their places on the ice. The NHL allows fighting under tightly defined rules, although it remains an infraction and can lead to additional penalties.

A major penalty is more serious than a minor penalty, which normally lasts two minutes. Misconduct penalties last 10 minutes but do not themselves leave a team short-handed, while a match penalty is reserved for especially serious offenses and includes ejection. Fighting can also bring extra penalties for instigating, removing a helmet, using a weapon, or continuing after officials intervene. Leaving the bench to join a fight can result in automatic ejection and further discipline.