Guelph Winter Classic > General Tournament Information (Guelph Girls Hockey Association)

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General Tournament Information

Welcome to the Guelph Girls Winter Classic Tournament. To help you plan your weekend, please read through our newsletter as it has some important information about the tournament, dinner ideas, and activities for your team.

Click here for the Tournament Newsletter

Managers Bags

Managers bags will be available at the location of your first game. Included you will find the following:

Tournament rules
Map of Guelph
Coupons
MVP awards

4 pucks
3 McDonalds free meal deals
1 Dominos free large pizza
Lip balm for each player
Gatorade water bottles for each player

Tournament Rules

UPDATED Guelph 2025 Winter Classic Tournament Rules December 4-7, 2025

Click here for PDF copy

Hockey Canada and OWHA rules shall apply except as listed below.

The OWHA minimum suspension guidelines will be strictly enforced according per the OWHA Handbook.

The coach or manager must check in at least 45 minutes before the start of their first game (at the arena of their first game) to pick up their information packages.

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.

Coaches/ managers must select their roster (players and team staff) for EACH game in RAMP at least 2 hours prior to each game.

Pick-up players for this tournament must be added to team rosters via the RAMP Portal. Pick-up players are to be used only in accordance with the current OWHA rules and they must be registered players.

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 referees being present.

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 as soon as the three-minute warm-up ends, or risk being penalized for delay of game.

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.

There will be no protests. All officiating decisions, whether made on-ice by the referees or off-ice by tournament officials, are final.

The Home team must wear their dark coloured uniforms, and the Visiting Team must wear their white/ light-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 and they conflict, then the home team must change jerseys. GGHA 2025 WINTER CLASSIC RULES PAGE 2 OF 5

It is each team’s responsibility to ensure a clean dressing room is left upon completion of their game. All teams are requested to vacate the dressing room 20 minutes or less after their game is completed.

Ice resurfacing will be at the end of each game, or every two periods for ‘long’ games (12-15-15) during the Round Robin phase. During the championship rounds ice resurfacing will occur after the 2 nd period and at the end of the game for ‘long’ games (12-15-15). The ice resurfacing schedule may be changed at the discretion of the organizers and in consultation with the on-ice officials. Teams will be notified of any changes to the ice resurfacing schedule.

‘Short’ games (10-10-12) will use a 2-official system, and ‘long’ games will use a 3- official system. However, the tournament organizers reserve the right to use 2 officials for long games when there are scheduling conflicts.

Tournament Format

This tournament has a four-game guarantee.

Round Robin

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.

Divisions of 5: Each team will play a 4-game round robin. The top 2 teams after the round robin will advance to the Division championship.

Divisions of 6: 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. Teams in 2 nd and 3rd place after the round robin will play a semi final. The winner will advance to the Division championship.

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, 1 st 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.

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, 1 st Pool A vs 2nd Pool B, 1st Pool B vs 2nd in Pool A. The winner of each semi-final game

Divisions of 12: Teams will be randomly split into 2 pools (Pool A & B, 6 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, 1 st Pool A vs 2nd Pool B, 1st Pool B vs 2nd in Pool A. The winner of each semi-final game will advance to the Division championship.

Round Robin Play

Round robin games will consist of three stop time periods as follows:
1. Long’ games (U18A/BB, U15A, U13AA, U22A, and/ or Senior A/B): 12-15-15 (flood every two periods). Some ‘long’ games may have only two on-ice officials.
2. All other divisions (‘short’ games): 10-10-12
3. There are no Time Outs or Overtime in Round Robin play.
The overall standings in round robin play will be determined by using the traditional 2- point 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. Scores posted on the website will reflect the 4-goal maximum differential used for tie breaking and correct standings. Scores in RAMP will reflect the actual score.

Tie-break Rules: 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:
1. Most games won.
2. Winner of the game between tied teams (applicable only in two-way ties).
3. 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 four (4). For example, 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.
4. Fewest goals against.
5. Fewest penalty minutes.
6. Earliest time of first goal scored in any of the round robin games.
7. Flip of a coin.

Quarter-final, Semi-final and Championship Games

Playoff games will consist of three stop time periods as follows:
1. Long games: 12-15-15, with floods at start of the game and after 2nd period)
2. All other divisions: 10-10-12

For Quarter-final, 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 21 will be applied to determine the Home team.

Each team will be allowed one 30-second time out in each quarter-final, semi-final and championship games.

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:
1. Five minutes of 5-on-5 (including the goalie)* ; a horn will sound to end the period; and then, if needed,
2. 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 repeat shooters. Shooters do not need to be designated 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.

Final (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:
1. Five minutes of 5-on-5 (including the goalie)*; a horn will sound to end the period; and then, if needed,
2. Five minutes of 4-on-4 (including the goalie)*; a horn will sound to end the period; and then, if needed,
3. 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.
Penalties
1. that have not expired by the end of regulation time will carry over into the overtime periods.
2. Teams can never have less than 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.
3. If a penalty is still being served at the end of the second (4-on-4) overtime period then the player serving the penalty may not be in the first group of three players in the shoot-out but may participate in subsequent rounds.
Photographs
Team staff or other individuals apart from fully dressed players MAY NOT step on the ice (for photos or other purposes) at any time; others may take photos from the players’ benches. Team photos are 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.

Player of the Game Awards

Player of the Game (MVP) Awards will be done off-ice after the game. Coaches will select their own player of the game. Teams may elect to award all of their MVP awards at the end of their tournament.

Coaches will pick up the MVP awards for Round Robin games at check-in prior to their first game. MVP awards for championship round games will be available at check-in prior to each QF/ SF/ Final game

General Tournament Information, Guelph Winter Classic (Guelph Girls Hockey Association)