(Ice) hockey: A stick infraction penalty called when a player carrying his hockey stick above the normal height of his or her opponent?s waist hits or threatens another player.
High sticking is a minor penalty. If serious injury is caused or blood is drawn, a major penalty and a game misconduct result.
If a referee determines that the raised stick was unintentional and no contact occurred, there is no penalty, but play is stopped and a face-off results. Play is also stopped if a player makes contact with the puck via a high stick, a rule which discourages players from swinging their sticks dangerously at an elevated puck.