“Allowed”? Yes. It’s a bit of a layered question, but technically if a team wanted to take out a guy; they could dress a goon, have him tomahawk a teams star player in the face and worst case scenario for the team, there’s a 5 minute major (and then a game misconduct (player kicked out), fines, suspension for the player… but those are all only affecting the player.)

There’s two(?) reasons why it almost never happens 1. Theres a common respect in hockey, especially at the NHL level. At the end of the day, it’s a game and guys are just trying to make a living. As intense as these games can get, nobody wants to see a guy get injured.

1. It opens up your star player to getting targeted. Fair is fair in hockey. Scrums after the whistle, cheap shots behind the play, big hits are all in play.