The other night, Buffalo was called for Too Many Men and the twitterati and redditors quickly jumped on a screencap showing 11 Sabres on the ice at the same time. While Buffalo did earn that penalty, this is not why.
You’re only allowed 6 players - typically 5 skaters and a goalie - so this would seem problematic.
Unfortunately for the twitterati, this is just what we call a “Line Change.”
Rule 74 - Too Many Men on the Ice:
Players may be changed at any time during the play from the players’ bench provided that the player or players leaving the ice shall be within five feet (5’) of his players’ bench and out of the play before the change is made. Refer also to Rule 71 – Premature Substitution. At the discretion of the on-ice officials, should a substituting player come onto the ice before his teammate is within the five foot (5’) limit of the players’ bench (and therefore clearly causing his team to have too many players on the ice), then a bench minor penalty may be assessed.
All of these players are either 5 feet from the bench, or close enough that we’re not going to get the measuring stick out and be pedantic about. What will matter is what happens after all of the players exiting exit, and all of the players entering join the play, a few seconds after this.
If in the course of making a substitution, either the player entering the game or the player retiring plays the puck or who checks or makes any physical contact with an opposing player while both players involved in the substitution are on the ice, then the infraction of “too many men on the ice” will be called.
The puck is at the far end of the ice and no one’s really interacting with opponents in any meaningful way. So we’re clear here too.
Shortly after this, the Sabres did legitimately violate this rule. But this image isn’t it. I haven’t seen a good replay of what happened next, sadly.