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ICERANK · NHL 27 · PS5

League rules

Short and to the point: how the modes work, how to report a score, what earns you money and what gets you penalized. For step-by-step video guides, see “How to play”.

1. Joining & your account

  • ICERANK runs EA SPORTS NHL 27 tournaments on PlayStation 5. Every mode is free to enter.
  • You must be 18 or older to play. You sign up with your PSN ID — that’s how opponents find you in the game. Telegram is optional, for staying in touch.
  • One person, one account. Duplicate accounts are banned, and their results and earnings are voided.

2. Ladder 1v1

  • Play as any team in NHL 27: NHL clubs, national teams, AHL clubs, European and junior league clubs.
  • “Find opponent” matches you with a player at your Elo level, or you can challenge a specific player. While your challenge is waiting for a reply, you can keep searching and challenge others.
  • Everyone starts the month with 1000 points. Beating a stronger player earns you more points; losing in overtime or a shootout costs you less. The table resets on the 1st of every month.
  • You can play the same opponent up to 2 times a day and 6 times a month. If no score is reported within 6 h, the match is cancelled with no penalty.
  • Only players with 10+ matches make the final monthly standings.
  • Season matches count toward the ladder too: every confirmed regular-season and playoff match adds or takes away ladder points, just like a 1v1 match.
  • For full details and worked points examples, see “Ladder rules”.
  • Monthly prizes: 1st place — 24 300 ₽, 2nd — 16 200 ₽, 3rd — 8 100 ₽, most active player of the month — 8 100 ₽. Prizes are paid in rubles via SBP or to a bank card. The top 3 get trophies on their profile, the top 10 get medals.

3. Season: clubs & regular season

  • Each player takes one of the 32 NHL clubs for the whole season. A free club is yours instantly, in one click.
  • Once all 32 clubs are taken, the waiting room opens. When a club frees up, it goes straight to the first eligible player in the queue, no confirmation needed (tick “any team” and any club counts). That player gets a notification and can start playing right away.
  • NHL format: 84 games per club — 28 within the division, 24 against the rest of the conference, 32 against the other conference; 42 at home and 42 away.
  • Points: win — 2, overtime or shootout loss — 1, regulation loss — 0. Ties in points are broken by points percentage, regulation wins, head-to-head, then goal differential.
  • Players agree on game times themselves in “My schedule”. You can play ahead, in any order; every regular-season game must be played before the regular season ends.
  • Games not played by the deadline may be ruled a forfeit (0:3) for one or both clubs.

4. Playoffs & season awards

  • 16 clubs make the playoffs: the top three in each division plus two wild cards in each conference. The bracket works just like the NHL’s.
  • Every series is best-of-seven in a 2-2-1-1-1 format; home ice goes to the club that finished higher in the regular season.
  • The champion wins the season Cup — it stays on their profile and in the league Hall of Fame forever. Individual awards — MVP, top scorer, “Iron Wall” and more — are tracked in the prize race.
  • Current season prize pool: 81 000 ₽.

5. Inactivity & discipline

  • Season inactivity. A player who disappears holds up the whole league, so this is automated: 3 days without a game — first warning in your messages, 7 days — second warning, 10 days — removed from your club.
  • A player removed for inactivity gets an “Inactive player” badge on their profile, and their fair play rating drops by 20. Play a match after a warning and the counter resets.
  • No-show. Anyone who drops their club in the first 7 days of the season (by leaving or being removed for not showing up) gets a “No-show” badge for quitting the tournament early. Their fair play rating drops to 50.
  • With either badge, your tournament entries (season club, waiting room, cups) go through moderation: league staff decide whether to let you in. Only league staff can remove a badge.
  • League staff can also remove a player from their club if they stop visiting the site or keep piling up overdue games. Results already played stay with the club, and the new owner picks up from where it stands.

6. The match

  • Settings: 4-minute periods, Superstar difficulty, overtime: 3-on-3, then shootout. No ties: overtime, then a shootout, just like the NHL.
  • Any rosters and lines available in the game are allowed. Mods, cheats and quitting a match on purpose are banned.
  • If someone disconnects before the end of the 1st period, the match is replayed. After that, it’s finished from the current score if both players agree; otherwise the referees decide based on screenshots.

7. Reporting scores & disputes

  • After the match, the winner reports the score and must attach a screenshot of the final screen.
  • The opponent gets a notification with the score and screenshot. They hit “Confirm” and the match counts right away — or “Open dispute” if they disagree. No reply within 24 hours and the score is confirmed automatically.
  • Referees and league staff review disputes within 48 hours: they accept one player’s version, order a replay or award a forfeit.
  • Knowingly reporting a false score or faking a screenshot means a forfeit and a Fair Play penalty. Do it again and you’re banned.

8. Cups & Ladder 5v5

  • Weekend Cups are knockout tournaments for up to 32 players, seeded by Elo. Each round has its own deadline. The winner gets a trophy on their profile.
  • Ladder 5v5: a team of 5 starters and up to 3 subs. A team match is five 1v1 games, and the team that wins more of them takes the match. The captain or vice-captain can search for opponents once the roster is full.

9. Fair play & conduct

  • Fair Play is your integrity score (starts at 100). It drops for forfeits, false results and abusing disputes. Below 50, you can’t enter Cups.
  • Respect your opponents. Insults in chat, on profile walls or in messages get a warning, then a mute or a ban.
  • Give reputation (+1/−1) honestly and with a comment. Boosted reputation and collusion are voided.
  • League staff can see private messages. Advertising other leagues, poaching players and spam are not allowed and lead to a ban.

10. Money: wallet, referrals, payouts

  • All earnings (ladder prizes, referral bonuses) go to your “Wallet”. Withdrawals are paid in rubles via SBP or to a card, starting from 1 000 ₽; league staff process each request.
  • You get 81 ₽ for every player who joins through your personal link, once they’ve played 3 confirmed matches. Fake accounts, playing against yourself and collusion: bonuses are voided and accounts banned.
  • Only league staff can see your payout details, and they’re used for payouts only.

ICERANK is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Electronic Arts Inc., the NHL or Sony Interactive Entertainment. These rules may be updated — all changes are announced in the News.