St. Thomas Minor Hockey Association
SPECIAL TOURNAMENT RULES AND REGULATIONS
SANCTION
All STMHA tournaments are sanctioned by the OMHA and are governed by the OMHA Tournament Rules and Regulations. All playing rules are CHA with the following exceptions.
ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
A team may sign and use nineteen (19) players for each game, which includes two goaltenders. ALL players must be approved prior to the start of your first game.
Team officials must present their APPROVED TEAM ROSTER for the current season to the tournament office prior to the start of their first tournament game.
Affiliated players (AP) must be registered with the team and listed on an approved roster. Please note; a player may only play for one team during the tournament.
PROCEDURES
Team Managers must report to the arena at least one-hour prior to their first tournament game in order to check in. Teams must be prepared to start 15 minutes before each of their scheduled game times should we require games to start early.
All Non-OMHA teams must provide written permission from their association to participate in this tournament.
Dressing Room locations will be assigned and posted at the arena.
Note: Spectators are asked to not attend the change area or dressing rooms. It is the duty of the team’s manager to communicate and respect this rule at all times. Where applicable, a female dressing room will be provided. Please notify the tournament convener upon your arrival if a separate dressing room is required.
FORMAT
Divisions will be divided into groups for the preliminary round.
All teams are guaranteed three (3) games. The maximum number of games for any team is five (5).
Atom AE - There are 2 Pools - Top 2 teams from each pool after the round robin advance to the Semi-Finals.
Pee Wee AE - 1 Pool - Top 2 teams after the Round Robin advance to the Final.
Bantam AE - 3 Pools of 4 - First place team + a wild card (the team with the next best record from all pools) advance to the Semi-finals
Midget AE - 9 teams, each team will play 2 Round Robin Games. After the Round Robin teams 1-7 will advance to the Quarter Finals - teams 8 & 9 will play a 1 game playoff to dtermine who advances to the Quarter-Finals.
Game Lengths:
Atom AE - Peewee AE
Each preliminary round game will consist of three (3) ten (10) minute stop time periods.
Playoff games will consist of two (2) ten (10) minute stop time periods and one (1) fifteen (15) minute stop time period.
Bantam AE - Midget AE
Each preliminary round game will consist of one ten (10) minute stop time periods and two fifteen (15) minute stop time period.
Playoff games will consist of one (1) ten (10) minute stop time period and two (2) fifteen (15) minute stop time periods. There will be no floods except in the Tournament Final.
There will be a three (3) minute warm up for all games.
POINTS (PRELIMINARY ROUND)
A team’s standing in the preliminary round will be determined by the total points accumulated. No overtime will be played in the preliminary round. There will be a maximum of five (5) points to be awarded for each game as follows:
(a) Two (2) points will be awarded to the winner of a game.
(b) One (1) point will be awarded to each team of a tie game.
(c) One (1) Point will be awarded to the team who scores the most goals during the period for each period of every game.
(d) Half (½) a point will be awarded to each team if no team scores in the period or each team scores the same number of goals in the period.
TIE-BREAKER
In the event teams are tied in points at the end of the preliminary round the following procedure will apply:
a) The result of the preliminary round game involving the tied teams will apply (head to head). The winner of the preliminary round game between the tied teams will advance.
b) If teams are still tied after a), the team with the best goal average will advance. The goal average of a team will be determined by dividing the total number of goals for and against into the total number of goals for. The teams will be ranked in the standings with the team with the highest goal average securing the higher position in the standings.
c) If the teams are still tied after a) & b), the team with the most wins will advance.
d) If the teams are still tied after a), b) and c), then the team that scored the first goal in the game between the two teams will advance. (Applies only where two teams are tied).
e) If the teams are still tied after a), b), c) and d), the team with the least penalty minutes throughout the preliminary round will advance.
f) If the teams are still tied after all previous methods have been applied, then the winner will be decided by a single coin toss. The team determined to have traveled the farthest distance will have the ‘call’ on the coin toss.
One (1) thirty (30) second time-out is permitted in championship games only.
OVERTIME (Quarter-Final and Semi-Final Rounds)
In the event of a tie score at the end of regulation time during a Semi-Final game one sudden victory five (5) minute stop-time period will be played. Each team will be allowed four (4) skaters and one (1) goaltender on the ice. Penalties being served at the end of regulation will carry into the overtime period.
If the two teams are still tied after overtime period, then a three (3) player shoot-out will occur.
The Teams will not change ends for the shootout. The home team will have the opportunity to choose to shoot first. The teams will then alternate shots.
Three (3) players from each team shall participate in the shootout and they shall proceed in such order as the Coach selects. All players are eligible to participate in the shootout unless they are serving a ten minute misconduct or have been assessed a game misconduct, gross misconduct or match penalty.
Once the shootout begins, the goalkeeper cannot be replaced unless he is injured. No warm up shall be permitted for a substitute goalkeeper.
Each team will be given three shots, unless the outcome is determined earlier in the shootout. After each team has taken three shots, if the score remains tied, the shootout will proceed to a "sudden victory" format. No player may shoot twice until everyone who is eligible has shot
OVERTIME (CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES)
In the Event of a Tie in the Tournament Final a maximum of 3 - five (5) minute four on four overtime periods will be played. If the game remains tied a three (3) player shoot-out will occur. Shoot-out rules above will apply.
TIMEOUTS
There will be NO timeouts permitted during the preliminary or semi-final rounds. One (1) thirty (30) second timeout per team will be permitted during the Championship game.
GOAL DIFFERENTIAL
In the event of a five (5) or more goal differential at any time in the third (3rd) period, the clock will revert to ‘running time’. Stop time will not resume until a three (3) goal differential is secured. Minor Penalties incurred during running time will be three (3) minutes in duration.
FIGHTING
All fighting Majors constitute expulsion from the game and the team’s remaining games of the tournament.
Any verbal abuse of an official will result in an automatic game misconduct.
TEAM COLOURS
Teams are to bring two sets of sweaters - one dark and one light. The home team designated on the game sheet will wear the light colour. In the event of conflicting colours, the home team designated will be responsible for changing sweaters.
EQUIPMENT
“The Ontario Minor Hockey Association implemented a ‘mandatory mouth guard’ policy for all OMHA Registered Players. Effective January 1, 2002, As such ONLY OMHA players must wear a mouth guard for all OMHA sanctioned events.”
Approved neck protectors are mandatory for all participants as per CHA rules.
PROTESTS
ALL REFEREE RULINGS ARE FINAL. The tournament committee DOES NOT schedule referees and cannot request an alteration to the referee schedule.
Any protests must be submitted in writing to the Tournament Protest Committee within one hour of the completion of the game in question. All Tournament Protest Committee rulings will be final.