THE 40th ANNUAL WAYNE GRETZKY

INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

RULES AND REGULATIONS

 

1.                   Playing rules and tournament regulations are those of Hockey Canada, the Ontario Hockey Federation and the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario.  The following rules will also apply:

·          Team officials must register at the Gretzky Centre Tournament Office at least one hour prior to their first game. If the team does not play their first game at the Gretzky Centre then registration must take place before their second game regardless of where it is played.  Player gifts are to be picked up at the Tournament Office at registration. 

·          Teams must have approved rosters and/or player and coaching cards along with travel permits for tournament staff to review.  Affiliated players must be registered before the first game and may only play for one team in the tournament.

·          Fighting majors, gross misconduct and match penalties are automatic tournament suspensions.

·          Except for the first game of the day teams MUST BE READY TO START THEIR GAME 15 MINUTES BEFORE the scheduled game time.   Buffers have been built into the schedule and games will start early when possible.

·          Home team will wear white jerseys.

·          All teams must be ready to go on the ice as soon as the ice resurfacer is off and door is shut at which time the two-minute warm up will start.

·          Following the warm-up the Captains from each team will go to center ice and tap gloves in a show of sportsmanship representative of the entire team.  The other participants should wait at their respective benches for the start of the game.  Captains, after greeting each other are to return to their respective benches; there is to be no contact with opposition Coaches.  Officials will approach the team benches so that Coaches and Officials may wish each other a good game.

·          At the completion of each game both teams will line up on their respective blue lines for the presentation of game MVP awards.  Each team is responsible to designate to the referee an MVP 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, convenors and timekeepers will be allowed behind the area of the timekeeper’s box.

 

2.                   Game Lengths:

·          All round-robin games will consist of 10-10-12 minute periods from Minor Novice to Minor Peewee.

·          Mayor Peewee to Midget will consist of 10-10-15 minute periods. 

·          All semi-final and championship games from Minor Novice to Minor Peewee will consist of 10-10-15 minute periods. 

·          All semi-final and championship games from Major Peewee to Midget will consist of 10-15-15 minute periods.

·          No timeouts are allowed in round-robin play. 

·          One thirty-second timeout will be allowed in quarterfinal, semi-final and championships games!!!

·          Timeouts are not allowed in overtime.

 

3.             Round-Robin Play and Playoff Format:

·       Each division from Minor Novice through Major Bantam will be in groups with sizes determined by the number of teams entered.

·          If there are four teams in a division there will be 3-game round-robin play with all four teams advancing to the semi-finals.

·          If there are five teams in a division there will be a 4-game round robin with top four teams advancing to the semi-finals.

·          If there are six teams in a division there will be a 3-game round robin with top two teams advancing to semi-finals.  The remaining four teams will advance to quarterfinals.

·          If there are eight teams in a division there will be two groups of four playing a 4-game crossover.  The top four teams overall will advance to the semi-finals.

·          If there are ten teams in a division there will be two groups of five teams playing a 4-game round robin with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals.

·       In all cases the teams advancing to the quarterfinals, semi-finals and championship games will be re-seeded to determine match-ups.

 

4.             Two points are awarded for a win and one point for a tie. 

·          In the case of a two teams tied in points after round-robin play, the tiebreaker system shall be as follows in the order shown:

·          Head to head winner in the round-robin play will advance.

·          Team with most wins.

·          Best goal percentage based on (total goals for) divided by (total goals for plus total goals against).

·          If teams are still tied then the team with the least total amount of penalty minutes in all round-robin games will advance. 

·          Flip of a coin.

·          However, in the case of three teams tied in points after round-robin play the team with the best goals for/against average will advance.

 

5.              A tie existing at the end of regulation time in a semi-final or championship game will be decided by sudden victory and the following shall apply. 

·       Both teams will start with four skaters and a goaltender for three minutes.

·        If no goal is scored, then each team will play with three skaters until a winner is decided. 

·       Player changes may be made at any time during the overtime and teams may pull their goaltender. 

·       Penalties will carry over from regulation and overtime periods.  Non-offending team will add a skater. 

·       No timeouts are allowed in overtime.

 

6.      In the case of any disputes the decision of the tournament committee will be final.