Guelph 2018 Winter Classic Tournament Rules
1) Hockey Canada and OWHA rules shall apply except where listed below.
2) The OWHA minimum suspension guidelines will be strictly enforced according per the OWHA Handbook.
3) The coach or manager must check in at least one hour before the start of their first game (at the arena of their first game) to pick up their information packages and to verify their team rosters. A copy of OWHA team roster must be produced.
4) All teams and players participating in the tournament must be properly registered through the Ontario Women's Hockey Association or their appropriate provincial or national body affiliate.
5) For each pick-up player used in a tournament, a team must present to the registration desk a Pick-up Consent Form, signed by the official contact of her team authorizing her to be a pick-up for this tournament and are to be used only in accordance with the current OWHA rules. Pick-ups are to be registered players only.
6) All players and team staff must sign the game sheet prior to each game.
7) If the tournament is ahead of schedule, teams should be available to play up to 30 minutes prior to the start of their scheduled playing time. Tournament organizers will notify them if the referees are available for such to occur. As per OWHA rules, teams may not take to the ice without referee’s present.
8) Each game will be preceded by a three (3) minute warm up, which begins as soon as the ice resurfacing has been completed. Players and teams must be lined up and ready for puck drop at as soon as the three-minute warm up ends or risk being penalized for delay of game.
9) If at any time during the third period there is a goal differential of five (5) or more, the clock will continue running time, if differential goes back to four, then game will return to stop time.
10) There will be no protests. All officiating decisions, whether made on-ice by the referees or off-ice by tournament officials, are final!
Tournament Format
11) Divisions of 4: Each team will play a 3-game round robin. At the end of the round robin, the teams will advance to the semi finals (1st vs 4th, 2nd vs 3rd). The winners of the semi-finals will advance to the Division championship.
12) Divisions of 5: Each team will play a 4-game round robin. The top 3 teams after the round robin will advance to the playoffs. 1st overall will automatically advance to the Final. 2nd and 3rd will play a semi final. The winner will advance to the Division championship.
13) Divisions of 6: Each team will play a 3-game round robin. At the end of the round robin, the top four teams will advance to the semi-finals. The 5th and 6th place team will play a consolation game. Consolation games can end in a tie. The winning teams of the semi-final games advance to the Division Championship.
14) Divisions of 7: Teams will be randomly seeded in one pool, and each team will play a 4-game round robin. The top 3 teams after the round robin will advance to playoffs. 1St Overall will automatically advance to the Final.
2nd and 3rd will play a semi-final. The winner will advance to the Division Championship.
15) Divisions of 8: Teams will be randomly split into 2 pools (Pool A & B, 4 teams each). Each Pool will play a round robin of 3 games. At the end of the round robin, all teams will advance to the quarter finals, teams will be ranked within their pool based on points, 1st A vs 4th B, 2nd A vs 3rd B, 1st B vs 4th A, 2nd B vs 3rd A. Winners advance to semi finals. Winners will advance to the Division championship.
16) Divisions of 10: Teams will be randomly split into 2 pools (Pool A & B, 5 teams each). Each pool will play a 4-game round robin. At the end of the round robin, the teams will be ranked based on points, top 2 teams in each division will advance to the semi finals, 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool B, 1st Pool B vs 2nd in Pool A. The winner of each semi-final games will advance to the Division championship.
17) Divisions of 16: Teams will be randomly split into 4 pools (Pool A & B & C & D with 4 teams each). Each pool will play a 3-game round robin. At the end of the round robin, the top two teams in each pool will advance to the quarter finals, teams will be ranked within their pool based on points, 1st A vs 2nd B, 1st B vs 2nd A, 1st C vs 2nd D, 1st D vs 2nd C. Winners advance to semi finals. Winners of Semi’s will advance to the Division championship.
Round Robin Play
18) Round robin games will consist of three stop time periods as follows:
a) Intermediate A, Midget A, Midget BB, Bantam A: 12-15-15 (flood every 2nd period)
b) All other divisions: 10-10-12
c) There will be no time-outs or overtime in the round robin
19) The overall standings in round robin play will be determined by using the traditional 2point system: 2 points for winning a game, 1 point for tying a game, and 0 points for a loss. Teams advance based on the total number of points accumulated after their round robin games.
20) In the event of a tie in points between two or more teams at the end of round robin play, the following tie breaking criteria will be used to determine who advances, in descending order down the list until all ties are broken as follows:
a) Most games won;
b) Winner of the game between tied teams (applicable only in two-way ties);
c) Highest goal differential - total goals scored minus total goals against. For the purposes of calculating this sub rule, the maximum goal differential in any round robin game will be capped at four (4). (e.g. if Team A has 7 goals and Team B has 2, for the purposes of calculating the goal differential for this sub rule, Team A will be allotted 6 goals and Team B will be allotted 2 goals for that game);
d) Fewest goals against;
e) Fewest penalty minutes
f) Earliest time of first goal scored in any of the round robin games;
g) Flip of a coin.
Quarter-final, Semi-final and Championship Games
21) Playoff games will consist of three stop time periods as follows:
a) Intermediate A, Midget A, Midget BB, Bantam A: 12-15-15 (flood start of game and end of 2nd period)
b) All other divisions: 10-10-12
See Rule #23 & 24 for overtime and shootout rules.
21) Quarter-finals Semi-final & Championship games, the team with the highest pool ranking (i.e. the team with the most points during round robin play) will be the Home team. In the event of a tie(s), the tie breaking criteria in Rule 20 will be applied to determine the Home team. The Home team must wear their light-coloured uniforms and the Visiting team must wear their dark coloured uniforms. If a team has only one set of uniforms, then the team with two sets must switch to the non-conflicting colour. If both teams have only one set of uniforms each and they conflict, the Home team must change jerseys.
22) Each team will be allowed one 30-second time out in quarter final games, semi-final games and championship games.
23) Quarter-Final and Semi-final games will be played until a winner is declared. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, sudden death (meaning overtime period as described below will end as soon as the deciding goal is scored) overtime will be played as follows:
a) Five minutes of 5-on-5*(Including the Goalie); a horn will sound to end the period; and then,
b) One Round of ‘best of three’ shootout in groups of three players for the first round and then round(s) of single players thereafter. If still tied after the first round of three, then coaches must then choose one player each for the shootout, and if still tied after, another, and so on, until a winner is declared. Every player dressed except goalies must be used before repeats are allowed. Referees will write jersey numbers down or send players to the penalty box to ensure there are no repeated shooters. Shooters do not need to be designated on the game sheet prior to the game.
* “5-on-5” means including the goalie. That is, a goalie is not mandatory and a skater may be substituted for a goalie if desired.
24) Championship games will be played until a winner is declared. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, sudden death (meaning overtime periods described in a) and b) below will end as soon as the deciding goal is scored) overtime periods will be played as follows:
a. Five minutes of 5-on-5*(Including the Goalie); a horn will sound to end the period; and then
b. Five minutes of 4-on-4*(Including the Goalie); a horn will sound to end the period; and then,
c. One Round of ‘best of three’ shootout in groups of three players for the first round and then round(s) of single players thereafter. If still tied after the first round of three, then coaches must then choose one player each for the shootout, and if still tied after, another, and so on, until a winner is declared. Every player dressed except goalies must be used before repeats are allowed. Referees will be asked to write jersey numbers down or send players to the penalty box to ensure there are no repeated shooters.
* “5-on-5” and “4-on-4” means including the goalie. That is, a goalie is not mandatory and a skater may be substituted for a goalie if desired.
25) Penalties that have not expired by the end of regulation time will carry over into the overtime periods; teams can never drop below four players in overtime: i.e. if there is a penalty during the 4-on-4 overtime period, the non-penalized team shall add a player. If a penalty is still being served at the end of the second (4-on-4) overtime, the player serving the penalty may not be in the first group of three players in the shootout, but may participate after.
Photographs
25) Team staff or other individuals apart from fully dressed players MAY NOT step on the ice (for photos or other purposes) at any time. Team Photos only allowed after a championship game and organizers reserve the right to limit photos due to time constraints or otherwise. Helmets must not be removed during the on-ice medal presentations or pictures. An off-ice area will be available for team pictures after championship games.
Player of the Game Awards
26) Player of the Game Awards to be done on the Ice, players to line up at the Blue line immediately following the conclusion of the game and Coaches to select their own player of the game
Coaches to pick up the player of the game award upon check in at each game.
27) Some Long Games may only have 2 Referees.