What is a Healthy Scratch in Hockey?

A healthy scratch in hockey is when a player does not dress in uniform for a game, but not because they are injured and physically unable to play. Thus, the player is “healthy” but they “scratched” from the game’s roster leaving zero chance that they’ll make it into the game.

Reasons for a player being a “healthy scratch” could vary, but most stem from disciplinary reasons, poor performance, or a need for rest.

Obviously, it’s the head coach’s responsibility to make decisions about their team’s lineup, which is based on a number of factors including player performance, team strategy, and rest and recovery. If they ever feel a certain player isn’t at their best either physically or mentally, a healthy scratch designation can allow for rest and refocus for games to come.

Beyond those primary benefits, sitting as a healthy scratch can also provide a much-needed wake-up call or motivation booster for a player who might not realize or is willing to admit they need to pick things up. So, while it can be a frustrating experience, it can have a number of positive benefits.

Hockey is more or less a straightforward sport in terms of lingo, rules, and penalties. The term “interference” is pretty standard, and we all know and love “offsides” across a few of the many different sports. “High stick” is exactly what it sounds like.

But in terms of rosters, injured lists, and more, there is some that could be spelled out a bit more clearly, as is the case here.

That said, the term “healthy scratch” is not only reserved for hockey.

Especially in the days of “load management” and the recent debate around the practice in the NBA, you see the term more and more in basketball:

A “healthy scratch” can also take place when a player is in limbo, and not in a position to contribute to their current team, but also not being released or traded to another squad so that they can play.

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All that said, in basketball you’ll see the mention of “DNP-CD” which stands for “Did Not Play-Coach’s Decision.”

An important question is, when a player is held out of competition, do they still get paid? The answer is yes, they still get paid. The way to think about it is the player is still on the team’s roster, and still on the team’s payroll. They have not been suspended without pay for a number of games for a particular reason; they are simply not playing the game for which they are deemed a healthy scratch.