NHL Ice Breaker: The Card Hockey Board Game
NHL Ice Breaker: The Card Hockey Board Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
Just like the game on the ice, the object of NHL Ice Breaker is to outscore your opponent through three (3) periods of hockey action. Players move the puck up and down the ice by winning hands, and try to get the puck into the Shooting Zone for a shot on net. Once in the Shooting Zone, it's a showdown between shooter and goaltender.
This quick-start rule sheet includes all the rules for the two-player (one-on-one) game format.
High Hand Wins
Each action in NHL Ice Breaker is based on the mechanic of high card (or hand) wins. Opponents play cards from their hands at the same time. The player with the highest card (or hand) executes their play, as indicated on their card. Card value rankings are as follows: 2s are low, Aces are high, Jokers are highest.
NOTE: Jokers are not "wild" cards.
Starting the Game
Keep a pencil and paper handy to keep track of your team, the score and any statistics.
- Each player selects a NHL team. This will be important if and when you draw a card with your team logo on it.
- Shuffle the NHL Ice Breaker deck. This is your Draw Pile and game clock.
- Alternately deal out five (5) cards to each player. Then place the Draw Pile beside the game board. Do not show your cards to your opponent.
- Place the puck at center ice for a face-off.
- Each player plays a card at the same time into their own Discard Pile to see who wins the face-off. As usual, high card wins. NOTE: In the case of a tie, each player plays an additional card until there is a winner.
- The player with the highest card selects the left or right face-off square (in his/her half of the center-ice circle) to start from. The player then moves the puck the number of spaces indicated in the Pass/Skate section of the card played.
Hands are played like this continuously until one team is able to win enough hands to enter the Shooting Zone for a shot on net.
(Quick-Start sheet: using the markers, set both scoreboards to zero (0), and the period to one (1). Once the first cards have been laid, either player can, if necessary, follow up and add to their first card to make a pair, two pair or three-of-a-kind from the cards remaining in their hand. The player with the higher card (or higher pair, two pair or three-of-a-kind) takes possession of the puck, moving it up the ice the number of spaces and in the direction indicated in the Pass/Skate section of the winning card (or the top card, if a pair, two pair, etc. was played).)
Shot
Once in the Shooting Zone, take a shot on net by playing a card at the same time as your opponent. The Shot section of the card indicates what cards it will score against. Remember, high card wins. NOTE: In the case of a tie, the goaltender wins.
EXAMPLE: The 10 of clubs is a goal against cards 2 to 9 played by your opponent.
If the shooting team has the highest hand, the result is a goal. Add one (1) to your score (using your score marker). Each player then refills their hand up to five (5) cards and the puck is again placed at center ice for a face-off.
Goaltending
Refer to this section of the card when the opposition enters into your Shooting Zone. It's your mission to make the save and keep your opponent off the scoreboard. Once again - high card wins. Check the Goaltending section of the card to see the range of cards your card will stop.
EXAMPLE: 10 of diamonds is a save against cards 2 to 10 played by the opponent. Remember, ties go to the goaltender.
After a Save
After a save, the goaltender has two (2) options:
A. Freeze the puck for a face-off. Play re-starts with a face-off at either face-off circle closest to the goaltender. If the shot was taken from the right-hand side, the face off is held in the right face-off circle, or vice versa. Both players re-fill their hands to five (5) cards. The player who took the shot re-fills their hand first.
B. Play the puck forward. The goaltender can play the puck to either of the two squares directly in front of the goal (indicated with the red arrows). Play continues with the cards in hand. Do not re-fill.
Ice Breaker Squares
There are a number of squares on the game board marked in orange. These are Ice Breaker squares. When the puck stops on one of these spots on the board, it triggers the Ice Breaker function.
After landing on an Ice Breaker square, flip a card off the top of the Draw Pile, and refer to the Ice Breaker section. Ice Breaker plays can lead to penalties, big body checks, turnovers or a game-changing scoring chance. (Quick-Start sheet: the player reads the Ice Breaker section of the card out loud, performs the action indicated, and then places it in their discard pile.)
NOTE: If you land on an Ice Breaker square when there are no cards left in the Draw Pile, shuffle the discards and play a card off the top of the deck.
BREAK AWAY Squares
There are four (4) squares on the NHL Ice Breaker game board marked "BREAK AWAY". The player that lands on one of these blue BREAK AWAY squares earns free advancement to the Shooting Zone for a shot on net.
Important Rules
- Players refill their hands to five (5) cards after every stoppage in play (i.e. when a penalty is called, before a face-off, etc.).
- If play is in progress and you run out of cards, fill your hand to five cards (think of it as a line change 'on the fly').
- If you are out of cards and you land on an Ice Breaker square, flip the Ice Breaker card off the top of the Draw Pile before re-filling your hand.
- Once the Draw Pile has been played through, all of the discards should be re-shuffled, and both players refill their hands to five (5) cards. Players do not re-fill their hands again for the remainder of the period.
- After the final re-fill, cards are only played off the Draw Pile in the following scenarios:
- A. If required for an Ice Breaker.
- B. If a timeout is called (see "Timeouts" section).
- C. If one player runs out of cards before the other. In this case, the player who has run out of cards draws a card randomly off the top of the Draw Pile.
- The period ends when both players are out of cards.
- If you hit the boards during a diagonal Pass/Skate movement of the puck and still have spaces to move, advance those remaining spaces straight ahead.
Periods
The 54-card deck represents one period of NHL Ice Breaker. Once the period is over, shuffle all the cards and deal out five (5) to each player. Start the next period with a face-off at center ice.
The player with the most goals at the end of the third period is declared the winner.
Overtime & Shootout
Refer to page 6 in the Official Rulebook. (Not included in the source sheet.)
Penalties
The Ice Breaker play can lead to a variety of game-changing plays - including penalties. If a penalty comes up on the Ice Breaker card, play stops and the player that played the Ice Breaker card is penalized one card. Instead of re-filling his/her hand to five (5) cards, only four (4) cards are drawn by the penalized team.
A face-off then occurs at the nearest face-off circle, and play continues.
(Quick-Start sheet: the penalized player can only refill his/her hand to four (4) cards and can't refill the hand until all four cards have been played, or the opponent has scored a goal, whichever happens first.)
Playing Multiple Cards
In NHL Ice Breaker, cards can be played individually or in combination. The ability to play multiple cards, like pairs, two pair, three-of-a-kind, or 5-card "Power Hands" (see "Power Hands" section), adds a level of strategy and excitement to NHL Ice Breaker that you will not find in any other game.
Pairs (two cards of the same value) will beat any single card. The play executed is the top card of the pair played (i.e. the card showing face up in your Discard Pile).
Two Pair (two sets of two cards of the same value) will beat any single card or any pair. The play executed is the top card of the two pair played.
Three-of-a-Kind will beat any single card, any pair or any two pair. The play executed is the top card of the three-of-a-kind played.
Remember, the Joker is not a "wild" card. It cannot be used in combination with other cards to build a pair, two pair, three-of-a-kind or a Power Hand (see below).
Power Hands (5-Card Plays)
Another exciting element of NHL Ice Breaker is the ability to play "Power Hands". Power Hands are rare, five-card hands, which include a Straight (five ordered cards), a Flush (five cards of the same suit), a Full House (three-of-a-kind and a pair), a Four-of-a-Kind (four cards of the same rank, plus any other card), a Straight Flush (five ordered cards of the same suit) or a Royal Flush (10-J-Q-K-A of the same suit).
If you manage to get a Power Hand, all five cards can be played at the same time for an automatic goal.
Remember, the Joker is not a "wild" card. It cannot be used in combination with other cards to build a pair, two pair, three-of-a-kind or a Power Hand.
Team Logos
Each NHL Ice Breaker game card has two NHL team logos - one in the Shot section and the other in the Goaltending section. This is where choosing a team at the beginning of the game comes into play. If you play your team card in a Shot situation, it will result in a goal. If you play your team card in a Goaltending situation, it will result in a save. Team cards will beat any single card, pair, two pair and three-of-a-kind. The only hand that can beat a Team Card is a Power Hand.
NOTE: On the off-chance that both players play their respective team cards in the Shooting Zone, the standard rule of 'high card wins' will prevail (ties go to the goaltender).
Timeouts
To call a timeout, a player must verbally declare "timeout" during a stoppage in play. The player that calls a timeout can discard, then replace, up to two (2) cards from his/her hand, one card at a time. The card(s) that are discarded must be shown face up in the player's Discard Pile, and replacement cards are taken off the top of the Draw Pile.
NOTE: Each player can call only one (1) timeout per game.