FHL Rules Breakdown

If you're chomping at the bit for puck drop as much as I am, you're looking for something hockey related to do. One of my season opening rainy-day projects was to go through the FHL rules and familiarize myself with them. Since the FHL boasts a pretty deep 71 page rulebook, here are the cliff notes; new, important, or otherwise plain interesting.

1. No more than 15 players + 2 goaltenders may be dressed in any one night. This is a mild drop from the NHL's limit of 12 forwards, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies. Additionally, "For pre-season/exhibition games and the first six (6) regular season games, a maximum of 18 players plus two goalkeepers shall be permitted to play in a game." (Page 11)
2. 1 Captain, 2 Alternates. No change here. 
3. Interesting rule here; a too many men on the ice penalty with less than 2 minutes in the game results in a penalty shot for the team that would normally go on the power-play for such a minor penalty, at the referee's discretion (Page 14)
4. Players who lose their helmets are NOT allowed to continue play, except to finish the play they are immediately involved in. (v. NHL continuing play at player's discretion)
5. 3+ slashing or high sticking penalties by one player in a single game = ejection (Page 30)
6. ANY foul language gets a 2 minute minor for unsportsmanlike. We'll see how long this one holds up...
7. Also states that any player who starts a fight receives a game ejection. I don't know about you guys, but I'm all for fighting in hockey [I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out!] so I hope they're mutually ignoring this rule for all players.(Page 49)
8. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one: Any player wearing greater face protection than his opponent, who is also the instigator of the fight, will receive an additional 2 minute minor for unsportsmanlike. 
9. Overtime: 5 minutes of 3 on 3 play. 
10. If no goal in overtime, a ruleset closer to international hockey rules is used. After the third shooter in a team's shootout rotation has taken his shot, any one player may then repeat as many turns as they wish.
11. Playoffs = continuous overtime.
12. Playoff format is 1 seed v 4 seed and 2 seed v 3 seed, best of 5 format