as per the NHL 2022/2023 rulebook.
Hooking near the hands is not a penalty. You can hook a stick even if it's near the hands.
You have always been allowed to hook a stick and the idea that its a penalty because the stick is parallel is complete bs and not in the rulebook. I blame the refs that don't actually know the rules and the colour commentary that also know very little about hockey
Rule 55 – Hooking
55.1 Hooking - Hooking is the act of using the stick in a manner that enables a player to restrain an opponent.
When a player is checking another in such a way that there is only
stick-to-stick contact, such action is not to be penalized as hooking.
the refs need to stop with these soft calls