Tournament Rules, 39th Annual Walter Gretzky Tournament, 2019-2020 (Brantford Girls Hockey Association)

39th Annual Walter Gretzky Girls Hockey Tournament 2019 – Tournament Rules

• Teams are to register at whichever arena their first game is at. Player gifts are to be picked up at the Tournament Office at Wayne Gretzky Centre.
• A copy of your OWHA participant registration must be available on request (Roster)

Playing Rules and Tournament regulations are those of Hockey Canada and the OWHA EXCEPT:

• Teams must be available to play fifteen (15) minutes prior to their scheduled time.
• For Representative Teams – Home team will wear LIGHT jerseys
• For all teams: In the case of sweater conflict, the home team will change.
• All teams must be ready to go on the ice as soon as the Zamboni is off and door is shut at which time the two-minute warm up will start.
• Teams will shake hands AFTER the game at the referee’s discretion.
• At the completion of each game both teams will line up on their respective blue lines for the presentation of the Player of the Game awards. Each team is responsible to designate to the referee a player of the game from his or her own team. Try to make the selection as objective as possible so the same player does not receive the award in multiple games.
• The designated visiting team will leave the ice first upon direction of the referee and the home team will remain at their bench until the direction of the referee.
• Only arena personnel, referees, conveners and timekeepers will be allowed behind the area of the timekeeper’s box.

Suspensions

• Intent to injure or fighting penalties will result in the player being expelled from the game and the remainder of the tournament. OWHA penalties and suspensions also apply.
• OWHA rules require suspensions to be served in the next scheduled game. Therefore, a player or coach receiving a suspendable penalty must serve it during the tournament regardless of their leagues additional requirements. It is the responsibility of the teams coaching staff to confirm player/coach eligibility after any suspendable penalty. Due to variations in league rules, any player or coach under suspension entering the tournament is ineligible to participate in the tournament unless first cleared by the Tournament Committee. Either of the above violations will cause the offending team to automatically lose the game in which either of the above occurred. If the offending team loses the game, the score will stand. If the non-offending team loses the game, the score of the game will be recorded as one goal greater for the non-offending team than the offending team’s score. Both the offending participant and the head coach of the offending team will be suspended for the remainder of the tournament.

Timeouts 

• NO timeouts are allowed in round-robin play. 
• One thirty-second timeout will be allowed in Semi-final and Championship games!!!
• Timeouts are NOT allowed in overtime

Game Lengths

• Each Team will play a minimum of four games.
• All Novice, and Atom, division, games will consist of three (3) periods of 10, 10, 12 stop time.
• Peewee A, BB, B, C, HL Bantam BB, B, C, HL and Midget B, C, HL will consist (3) periods of 10, 10, 12 stop time.
• Peewee AA, Bantam A, Bantam AA, Midget AA, Midget A, Midget BB Intermediate A and Senior A games will consist of (3) periods consisting of 12 minutes – 12 minutes and 15 minutes, with a flood between the 2nd and 3rd period.
• Midget AA Final game will be 15-15-15 with a flood between the 2nd and 3rd period
• If the goal spread in the third (3rd) period reaches 7 goals, the clock will run until the spread is less than 7

Overtime

• Regular tournament games will be allowed to end in a tie.
• All championship, and semi-final games play to a winner. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time a sudden victory 5 minute overtime will commence. Teams will play 3 on 3. Players may be changed at any time. Goalies may be “pulled” at any time and a substitute player from the bench may be used. Teams do not change ends for Overtime or Shoot-Outs. If still tied a shoot-out will occur.
• Each team must designate 3 Shooters (S1, S2, S3) on the game sheets prior to the start of the game.
• Any player serving a penalty at the end of overtime will not be eligible to participate in the shoot-out. All players except the shooter and the goalies will remain on the bench. Once a player has shot they will go to the penalty box area. Shooters from both teams will shoot at the same time starting at centre ice. All 3 shooters from each will shoot. If still tied, each team will designate one shooter (other than S1, S2, or S3) at a time until all players on the game sheet (except goalies) have shot. You will continue this process until a winner is decided.
• Penalties will carry over from regulation and overtime periods. Non-offending team will add a skater.

Standings

• Teams will be awarded 2 Points for win; 1 point for a Tie; 0 points for a loss.
• Divisions that have an uneven number of teams registered, one team may play a 4th or 5th game before the Semi or Final, those game(s) will not count towards their point total, their first 3 games played will be the only points tallied in their total.
• BREAKING of a Tournament Tie: Note: In case of more than two teams, tie-breakers will follow the numerical order until all ties are broken.

i. Most Wins
ii. Record Against other tied team (Not applicable in a three way or more tie)
iii. Goals scored minus goals against
iv. Fewest goals against
v. Most goals for
vi. Fewest Penalty minutes
vii. First goal scored when the tied teams played (Not applicable in a three way or more tie)
viii. Toss of a coin

Protests

• A Tournament Committee will hear protests. No protest will be heard regarding a referee’s decision. A $200 deposit, that will be returned if your protest is successful, must accompany all protests. A protest may only be heard if it is brought to the attention of the tournament chairperson or their delegate within thirty (30) minutes of completion of the game in question. A formal written submission can follow the initial notification. A hearing and ruling will be completed prior to the teams next scheduled game.
• All decisions made by the Tournament Committee are final.

Novice

• We will have an option for Novice teams to register as Rep or HL
• Novice teams can register for ½ ice or full ice games (depending on what their team is eligible for- this is the teams responsibility to register for the correct game type)
• All Novice teams will play the same amount of tournament games
• There will be no semi/final or medal games
• Half ice games will consist of a 3 min warm up, and two 20 minute periods- run time
• Half ice game will have a 1-minute shift change buzzer
• Full ice games will consist of a 2 minute warm up, and 3 periods 10-10-12

Miscellaneous

•  Awards will be presented to all Champions/Finalists in all championship games. Both Teams will line up on their own blue lines for the presentation of medals. However should games be behind schedule we may be forced to hand out awards in their respective dressing rooms.
• All players and team officials must sign the game sheet prior to each game.
• Flooding of the ice will occur at the end of each game and may be deferred at the tournament committee’s discretion.
• Please bring game sheet labels in case there are any problems with the game sheet printing and   for placement games where we don’t know who is playing ahead of time.
• Referee’s decision is final and is not subject to appeal or grievance.
•  Tournament officials decision is Final and Binding.
• Teams cannot cancel 30 days prior to tournament as per OWHA rule
• No helmets off while players are on the ice at any time including any pictures-insurance policy
• Anyone on the ice for your team must be insured through Hockey Canada (ie no parents on ice to take pictures)
• Play fair, Play hard and have FUN!