TOURNAMENT RULES

  • Each team will play a minimum of five games.
  • All preliminary round games will be two periods of twenty-minute stop time.
  • Pre-game warmups will be three minutes.
  • Each team should be ready to play 10 minutes prior to their scheduled start times without any advanced warning.
  • The warmup clock shall start four minutes before the start of the game, or in the case of delayed games, as soon as the Zamboni doors close.
  • If a team is not ready at the start of warmups, they will forfeit their privilege to warm up.
  • If a team is not ready for the start of the game, that team will be assessed a bench minor penalty.
  • There will be no discussion on coaches' ejections from games.
  • No equipment penalty will be awarded. Teams/players must follow rules if its/his/her ice hockey federation's rules regarding the use of mouth guards and neck guards. 
  • Minor penalties will be two minutes and major penalties will be five minutes. 
  • In case of a regulation tie, there will be a best-of-3 shootout. Three players will be chosen by each team's coach at the end of regulation. Should the tie persist, the shootout will continue one player at a time until the tie is broken. After the first three shots, the team can use any player as many times as they choose. Points are awarded as follows:
    • Regulation win: 3 points
    • Shootout win: 2 points
    • Shootout loss: 1 point
      (See below under tiebreakers for rules in playoff games)
  • All eligible players must be entered on the game's scoresheet prior to the commencement of the game (maximum 22 players, including two goaltenders).
  • Touch-up offsides is allowed.
  • Should an 'Act of God' happen (power failure, major injury, etc.,) after 45 minutes, the game will be called and the score remain as is, no matter how long the game was running at the time of the act. 
  • Running time will be implemented if a game's goal differential is five goals or more at the 10-minute mark of the second period on. The game will return to stop-time if the goal differential returns to the five-goal differential.
  • Each team is permitted the use of one, 30-second timeout per game.
  • Each team must be prepared to furnish proof of age for any of its players upon the organizer's request. Failure to do so will mean the expulsion of the player from the tournament until such proof can be shown. Players will submit to identification checks conducted by tournament organizers prior to the beginning of competition. No exceptions.
  • No Protests will be accepted.
  • A 10-minute delay will be permitted to dress a second goaltender in the event the regular goaltender is injured and the team has no dressed goaltender on the bench.
  • A player can only play for one team and in only one category during this tournament weekend. Failure to do so will disqualify said player. An exception can be made for a goaltender, but unanimous agreement by all tournament head coaches is needed in order to be an exception.
  • A player must participate in at least two games during the round-robin portion of the tournament to be eligible for the playoff round. Exceptions made for goaltenders.
  • Any player leaving the bench to engage in a fight on the ice is automatically disqualified from the tournament as per the discretion of the tournament director and head referee.
    • Coach will be suspended for one-game minimum for not controlling his players, which left the bench.
  • Ice will be resurfaced in between each half.
  • Games are to be started with each team attacking towards their own bench-side of the ice (for example, the home team’s goaltender would start the first period on the away team’s side of the ice). The second period should always be played with each team’s goaltender in their bench-side net.
  • Coaching staff get dressing room keys depending on the schedule at the Office.
  • Sign the game sheet before on-ice warm up.
  • Make sure to have the correct color of the game jerseys.
  • Make sure the dressing room is clean before you leave. In the case, the dressing room is not clean, the organizing committee has the right to disqualify the team from the tournament.
  • All statistics comments should be done within 1 hour after the end of the game at the tournament office by the coach or manager of the team.
  • Coach should control his players at all times.
  • Any player who receives Major Match penalty checking from behind will be automatically suspended for 1 game minimum.
  • Any player who receives an Abuse of Officials penalty will be automatically suspended for 1 game minimum.
  • Players who physically attack the referee will be automatically suspended for the rest of the tournament.
  • No parents should be in the players area or bench, unless it is a medical emergency and help is needed.

In case of injury, the team has the right to request the ambulance, if needed and if confirmed by the medical personnel at the arena. Please be aware, at the rink is only FIRST AID assistance, any special treatment is going to be provided in the hospitals or by staff from Ambulance

ICING: In all age groups, there will be HYBRID icing called. Changing on icing call is not allowed for offending team

DELAY OF GAME: to be called at any time, when a player shoots over the glass in his own defensive zone, unless it is the players bench. It includes the goalie.

HAND PASS AND HIGH STICKS: Face-Offs to be taken in closest dot without getting a territorial advantage. Hand pass is allowed in the defensive zone.

High stick in Offensive zone: face-off goes to Neutral Zone

Shootout procedure: Home team has the choice who starts first.

INTENTIONAL OFF-SIDE: shot on goal - face-off will take place in the Offending team´s defending zone. Continue pressure - face-off will take place in the Neutral Zone.

PENALTIES: MINOR: 2 min. MAJOR: 5 min (attempt to injure player).

MISCONDUCT: 10 min - mouthing, abusing official, discipline. In case of SECOND

MISCONDUCT penalty IN THE SAME GAME, player automatically gets GAME

MISCONDUCT penalty

GAME MISCONDUCT:  5+20 min - In case of SECOND GAME MISCONDUCT penalty during the Tournament, player automatically gets MATCH penalty

MATCH: 5+20 min - Should be awarded an automatic further suspension, which means that shall be suspended for the next game as a minimum, and the case should be dealt with the Proper authority.

 The committee reserves itself the final word on the interpretation of the rules.

The tied teams will go through each tie breaker until ONE team is determined the winner; Example: if no team is determined ahead of all other teams after Tie Breaker #1, then it will move on to Tie Breaker #2, etc

 If 2 teams are tied in points, the following order applies to determine the ranking of teams:

  1. Head-to-Head
  2. Most games won (includes shootout wins)
  3. Best differential Formula
  4. Least goals against
  5. Most goals for
  6. Least Penalty minutes during the tournament
  7. Flip of a coin

In the case where 3 or more teams are tied in points, the following order applies to determine the ranking of teams:

  1. Most games won (includes shootout wins)
  2. Best differential Formula
  3. Least goals against
  4. Most goals for
  5. Least Penalty minutes during the tournament
  6. Flip of a coin

Once a winner of a 3+ way tie is determined, the remaining tied teams will begin the tie breaking process again to determine the next winner.  Example: if 4 teams (Team A,B,C & D) are tied and Team B is determined the winner, then Teams A, C and D would then start the 3+ way tiebreaker over again.  Once the tie-breaker is down to the final 2 teams, you revert back to the “2-team tiebreaker” criteria above.

Playoff Tie Games

If there is a tie game at the end of regulation time during the tournament playoffs, the following overtime rules will apply.

  1. Teams will play 3 v 3 + Goaltender in One, Five minute sudden-death period.
  2. Shoot-out. In case of a regulationtie, we will have a shootout (best of 3 format). 3 players will be chosen by each team’s Coach at the end of regulation.  Should the tie persist, we will continue 1 player at a time until the tie is broken. After the first 3 shots the team can use any player as many times as they choose.

Respect the referees at all times, should you have a situation you would like to discuss concerning a particular individual, we have appointed a referee in chief who is available to you, he does not have the power to change a referees decision. However, we have advised our refereeing staff to treat coaches with respect and they will expect the same in return. They will not exercise any patience when being sworn, screamed or gestured at.