Misconduct penalties in National Hockey League (NHL) games most often involve aggressive behavior or language towards an official.  Misconduct penalties always include a 10-minute time frame where the player must remain in the penalty box.  Unlike other penalties assessed during regulation play, the team doesn't have to play short handed the player serving the penalty.

These types of penalties often fall under the category of unsportsmanlike behavior.  Of course, many misconduct penalties are interpretive in nature, just like most other hockey penalties.  Officials have the dubious job of assessing intent and applying the rules of the game. 

NHL hockey games include a four-man referee team dressed in the traditional black and white referee garb.  Two officials are placed at the center line area of the rink.  These referees are called linesmen.  Two additional referees monitor game play near the goals.  All referees can call misconduct penalties.

However, the difference with a basic misconduct is to stop behavior before it escalates.  Players with two or more major penalties are assessed a misconduct penalty.  Major penalties involve activities such as spearing (jabbing an opponent with the hockey stick blade) or fighting. 

Major penalties are assessed for the protection of the players.  Since hockey is an aggressive sport, referees assume control of the game by assessing both minor and major penalties.  Misconduct penalties can also be assessed when players continue a fight after it has been broken up or seek out opponents from previous fights.  Successive aggressive behavior with repeated misconduct in the form of major penalties results in players being ejected from the game.

Misconduct penalties can include disrespecting an official or verbally abusing the official.  This includes cursing and confronting officials on and off the ice.  Intent to harm an opponent often results in such a penalty.  Kicking, slashing, tripping and shoving opponents into the boards results in misconduct penalties.  Misconduct penalties are almost always served in conjunction with other penalties such as charging, elbowing, tripping or crosschecking.  All accumulated time must be served for every penalty.

There are degrees of misconduct penalties in hockey.  Basic misconduct penalties result in a 10-minute break from the player.  Two other forms of misconduct penalties result in complete removal from the game.  Game misconduct results when a player commits a severe foul with intent to injure an opponent or repeated verbal abuse of the officials.  Players are removed from the arena for the remainder of the game.

Gross misconduct occurs when an infraction is so severe, officials recommend evaluation at a higher level of the NHL.  League officials evaluate the player's conduct to assess the situation.  Gross misconduct violations don't occur during the game.  However, these can be assessed during the game and result in the player being removed from the arena.  Players assessed with gross misconduct cannot return to league play until NHL officials evaluate and review the player's actions.