Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Provincial Hockey Tournament Rules
April 2016
The goal of the MNRF Hockey Tournament is to annually bring together current and past MNRF employees from across the province for friendly and fair hockey competition and socialization in an environment in which all individuals are treated with respect.
The MNRF Hockey Tournament Committee will be responsible for the supervision, interpretation and enforcement of these rules.
Code of Conduct
During the course of all activities and events all participants; including players, coaches, managers, officials, volunteers and supporters shall conduct themselves at all times in a respectful manner and shall comply with the OPS Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Policy.
Team captains/reps are responsible to ensure all their players are made aware of this code of conduct and to ensure that no disrepute is brought upon MNRF or the tournament through team or player conduct, logo, display, action or inaction.
As this event is part of the extended workplace, non-compliance with this code of conduct shall result in disciplinary action by the MNRF Hockey Tournament Committee including up to suspension from current and/or future tournaments and may involve disciplinary action by the MNRF.
Table of Contents
Section A – General Rules……………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………..3
Team and Player Eligibility ……………………………………………………………………………………………………3
Women’s Division Exceptions………………………………………………………………………………….4
Equipment…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
Tournament Schedule and Game Format………………………………………………………………………….....5
Rules of Play………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
Penalties………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7
Round Robin Play and Standings……………………………………………………………………………………….……7
Tie Breaking Rules………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
Semi-finals and Finals…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
Overtime………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
Shoot-out………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...8
Protests………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....8
Section B – Seeding of Teams………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………..8
Section C – Provincial Committee Structure and Tournament Fund………………………………….………………..9
Section D – Suggested Scheduling Formats……………………………………….……………………………….….………….10
Division with Ten Teams – one group………………………………………………………………………….………..10
Division with Eight Teams – two groups…………………………………………………………….………………….10
Division with Six Teams – one group………………………………………………………………………….………….11
Division with Four Teams – one group…………………………………………………………………………….…….11
Division with Seven Teams – one group………………………………………………………………..……….……..11
Division with Five Teams – one group……………………………………………………………………………….…..11
Division with Three Teams – one group………………………………………………………………………………...12
Section E – Awards…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………….13
Section A – General Rules
Team and Player Eligibility Rules
1. All Ministry of Natural Resources permanent employees, Group 3, probationary staff and retirees; spouses of permanent, probationary, Group 3 staff and retirees are eligible. Unclassified staff, provided they have been employed for at least 66 days in the previous 12-month period, is eligible. All participating players must be over the age of 18.
2. Players who have participated in two previous MNRF Provincial Tournaments as MNRF employees are eligible to play. (Players who participated in tournaments under this rule prior to 2006 will be allowed to continue to participate. Effective January 1, 2006, for any new players to be eligible for this exception the player must have been an MNRF employee as outlined above.)
3. Offspring of MNRF permanent, retired, probationary or Group 3 staff are eligible provided offspring are over the age of 18.
4. Each participating team will consist of a maximum of 18 players (including goalie), one coach, one manager and one trainer.
5. At least 50% of each team must be comprised of retired staff, regular staff, probationary staff, Group 3, unclassified staff who have been employed for at least 66 days in the last 12-month period or spouses of regular or probationary staff.
6. Those staff employed by other Ministries, Authorities, the OPP or Commissions are not eligible for the tournament.
7. A team may use a goalie that is not eligible under the above rules provided the goalie is over 18 years of age and it is noted on the registration list.
8. No participating player may be carded, 9 months prior to the date of the tournament, by the NOHA, OHA, OMHA, OWHA, Professional, Semi-Professional, Varsity University or College teams. Teams using carded players will forfeit all games in which the ineligible player participated if a protest is filed and upheld by the MNRF Hockey Tournament Committee.
9. Should non-MNRF teams participate in the tournament they will only be eligible to play in the round robin segment of the tournament.
10. Exceptions to these rules must be approved by the MNRF Hockey Tournament Committee. Exceptions will be approved only where a team does not have a minimum of 13 players excluding the goalie.
11. Application in writing to the MNRF Hockey Tournament Committee for any exceptions must show names, age and previous hockey experience including highest level of organized hockey played.
12. A team or player suspended from participation by the MNRF Hockey Tournament Committee will be enforced by the Organizing Committee for the current year’s tournament.
13. Roster changes cannot be made after the commencement of the tournament without consent and approval of the MNRF Hockey Tournament Committee and the Host Organizing Committee.
14. At no time shall a player play on more than one team in the same division.
15. For each game, barring injury, each participating team will dress players in accordance to the Tournament eligibility rules. In the case of coach, manager and trainer, they need not wear team sweaters but must remain behind the bench for the duration of the game. Violation of this rule will result in forfeiture of the game in which the violation was proven (to the satisfaction of the MNRF Hockey Tournament Committee) to have occurred.
16. Exceptions will be considered by the MNRF Hockey Tournament Committee should goalies be injured and unable to play.
17. To be eligible to play in the scheduled games on Saturday, a player must have played at least one game for that team on Thursday or Friday unless that person has received special approval from the MNRF Hockey Tournament Committee.
18. Violation of player eligibility rules will result in forfeiture of the game in which the violation was proven to have occurred.
Women’s Division Exceptions
19. In addition to the regular MNRF Tournament Team and Player Eligibility Rules the following rules will apply to the Women’s Division when it is included in the tournament.
a) No OWHA carded playerson A, AA, within the 9 months prior to the date of the tournament and AAA teams within the past21 months.
b) Allow 17-year-olddaughter of tournament eligible parent participating on the team as a player, coach, manager or trainer.
c) Allow one sister per staff member and mothers of MNRF staff per Eligibility Rule 7.
d) Allow any unclassified staff who has been employed by MNRF within the last year.
e) Allow members of the Ontario Public Service who qualify per the Women’s Division Exceptions
Equipment
20. Protective CSA approved headgear must be worn by all players. Players without protective headgear will not be allowed to play. (Facial protection is not mandatory except for goalies, but is strongly recommended).
21. Goalies must wear CSA approved facial protection. If the facial protection does not have a CSA sticker it will not be allowed to be used. If an approved goalie mask cannot be produced the goalie cannot play.
22. The tournament organizers will supply one set of hockey sweaters to be worn by the visiting club, should a uniform color conflict occur. The MNRF Arena Manager and/or referee’s ruling on sweater change shall be accepted as final.
Tournament Schedule and Game Format
23. Home team will be the first team named on the schedule for the round robin series of play.
24. Tournament organizers shall ensure that no team will be scheduled for more than one game starting earlier than 10:00 am
25. Ice will be flooded at the completion of each game.
26. Two (2) qualified referees will officiate each game.
27. Each game will consist of two (2), 15-minute stop time periods
28. Each team must indicate one captain and two assistant captains on the score sheet prior to each game.
29. The procedure at the start of the games will be as follows:
a) Teams should be prepared to start games immediately following the flood.
b) The timekeeper will sound the buzzer and start the clock at the time the game is scheduled to start.
c) A three (3) minute warm-up period will be allowed, and then the timekeeper will sound the buzzer a second time.
d) Immediately after the second buzzer, the referee will signal both teams to centre ice for the start of the game.
e) Should one team not show or be prepared to play, the referee will award the team on the ice (1) goal and signal the clock to start. The clock will run continuously and the referee shall award a goal for each three (3) minutes the clock runs. If after 15 minutes (1 period) the team does not show, the game will be forfeited.
f) If the end of the previous game is ahead of schedule and both teams are not ready to play, Rule 29(b) will take effect when both teams are ready to play or at the scheduled time of the game.
Rules of Play
Playing rules will be as set out in “The Official Rule Book” of the Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) except as follows:
30. Slap shots shall not be allowed.
a) A slap shot violation will result in an immediate whistle and a face-off in the defending zone of the team that committed the infraction.
b) Goals resulting from slap shots shall not be allowed.
c) Slap shots are defined as those shots where the stick is raised above the knee on the back draw.
31. No body checking shall be allowed. Referees will be instructed to call body contact in the style and manner that has become standard in Old-timer and Non-contact Men’s League play. (See CHA Rule 50 for complete description).
32. The red line will NOT be in effect for two line offside passes.
33. After a stoppage of play
a) The visiting team will be allowed five seconds to make any player changes and then
b) The home team will be allowed five seconds to make any player changes.
c) As soon as the ten seconds has elapsed, the referee taking the face-off will blow the whistle and prepare to drop the puck. If after five seconds the players are not in position to take the face-off, the offending team’s center will be ejected.
d) Any subsequent infractions by that team during the game will result in a delay of game penalty.
34. A Mercy Rule will be in effect in which, at the discretion of the organizing committee,
a) The game will go to running time if there is a five (5) goal spread with 10 minutes remaining in regulation time.
b) There will be no reverting back to stop time for the balance of the regulation game.
c) If a player is assessed a penalty during stop time and during that penalty the clock goes to running time under the Mercy rule the penalized player (s) will still be allowed to return to play at the designated time of penalty expiration.
Penalties
35. Penalties will be called as set out in Section Four of the CHA official rule book
a) minor - 2 minutes
b) major - 5 minutes
c) misconduct -10 minutes
36. Penalties assessed during the running time will be
a) 3 minutes for a minor,
b) 7 minutes for a major/match penalty
c) 12 minutes for misconduct.
37. A penalty assessed during stop time will remain as per CHA rules even if running time is started during the duration of the penalty.
38. When coincidental minor penalties occur, the teams will play at full strength.
39. Any player who is assessed THREE PENALTIES in one game shall be ruled off the ice for the remainder of the game (Game Misconduct). It shall be necessary to place a substitute on the penalty bench immediately to serve the third penalty.
o (Note 1): Any combination of minor, bench minor or major penalties shall apply to the personal total of any individual in the game.
o (Note 2): Players assessed a Game Misconduct under the Three Penalty rule will not be suspended from additional games.
40. Any player assessed a 5-minute penalty for fighting will also be given a game misconduct and will be suspended from the rest of the tournament. (Further suspension from future MNRF tournaments will be decided by the MNRF Hockey Tournament Committee).
41. If any player deliberately injures or attempts to injure another player, in addition to the appropriate penalty, a game misconduct will be assessed and the player will be suspended for the remainder of the tournament.
42. Any manager, coach, player or trainer who strikes, pushes or deliberately abuses a referee or other game official shall be suspended from this tournament and subsequent MNRF tournaments.
Round Robin Play and Standings
43. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time in the round robin play, there will be no overtime. Teams will be awarded the following”
a) Win 2 Points
b) Tie 1 Point
c) Loss 0 Points
44. In the event that teams are tied in the standings at the end of round robin play, the placement of teams in the standings for semi-final games will be determined as follows.
Compare the teams using the appropriate paragraph and rules below. Start with Tie Breaking Rule “a” moving sequentially through the rules until the tie between the teams is broken. The team is placed higher in the standing with a positive response to the Tie Breaking Rule e.g. Team A has “Lower number of penalty minutes” than Team B. Team A is placed above Team B in the standings.
Tie Breaking Rules
Two Teams Tied
a) Winner of round robin game between the teams.
b) Lower number of penalty minutes. A game misconduct or game ejection will be counted as 30 penalty minutes for the purpose of the Tie Breaking Rules
c) Winner of flip of a coin.
More than Two Teams Tied
Compare all teams at the same time using the rules for “Two Teams Tied”. When one team is deemed to be higher in the standing, start comparing the remaining teams at the first rule “a” moving sequentially through the rules until the tie between the teams is broken. Repeat the process until all teams are ordered in the standings.