TOURNAMENT RULES & regulations

The tournament will be played under the Hockey Canada rules unless otherwise specified by the Tournament Committee. Hockey Canada’s rulebook can be viewed online at www.hockeycanada.ca or download the app to your smartphone. Due to the nature and weekend format of the tournament, there can be situations or circumstances where the Tournament Committee reserves the right to adhere to and/or not adhere to Hockey Canada rules, which is done based on the best interest of the Tournament and for all those involved. Each situation will be investigated and evaluated and then ruled upon by the Tournament Committee on a case-by-case basis. All rulings from the Tournament Committee are final. 

Body contact is not permitted in the Top Dog Classic Tournament.

1. Jerseys: All home teams must wear dark-coloured jerseys. If the team does not have dark-coloured jerseys, the Tournament Committee must be notified one (1) hour before the game time so other arrangements with the opposing team can be made. It is the home team’s responsibility to make sure this is done. If there is a delay in the starting of the game, the home team will be assessed a two (2) minute penalty for delay of game. 
2. Mouth Guards: Mouth guards are highly recommended by the Tournament Committee, and the coaches of each team are asked to have all their players wear them but are not mandatory. 
3. Neck Guards: Players must wear neck guards, no exceptions! All players in the tournament are also required to wear approved helmets, neck guards and full-face masks. These neck guards MUST be
   BNQ certified as per Hockey Canada rule 3.6 (F). Referees are to follow this rule as per the wording strictly. 
4. Skate Sharpening: Skate sharpening equipment is not allowed in any dressing rooms. There will be skate sharpening service available from the Huskie Men’s Hockey Equipment Manager upon request. Cost: $5 per sharpening.

A Huskie Men’s Hockey Trainer will be on- site throughout the weekend to attend to any medical situations. 

1. Roster Size: All teams are only allowed to register and dress twenty (20) players – 18 skaters & 2 goalies. The roster entered on the first game sheet of the tournament is the official roster for the rest of the tournament, and once the first game has started, the roster is frozen, and no other players may be added. Meaning if you have a small roster and would need an affiliate player if one of yours were to get injured, then you should have that affiliate player added to your roster prior to the tournament and then just cross them off on the game sheet when they don’t play/dress. If any of the twenty (20) registered players are not able to be present for the first game, then it is the teams’ responsibility to ensure the absent players name is included on the first game sheet. 
2. Goalies: Should a team only have ONE GOALIE on the team, and the goalie gets injured, then the rules for goalie changing will apply as follows. The team whose goalie was injured will have to put an additional skater on the ice (as a player or in net) until the player going in goal has changed from his player gear to the goalie gear. 
3. Overage Players: Overage players are not permitted. 
4. Underage Players: Underage players are permitted.
5. Players on Multiple Teams: Players are not permitted to play on multiple teams within the tournament.
6. Ineligible and/or Illegal Players: Amassed while using said player(s) and all points for said games will be reduced to “0”. The losing team (the legal team) will be awarded with three (3) points and a one (1) to zero (0) win. Further, the coach and/or coaching staff of a team that is caught knowingly or unknowingly using an ineligible and/or illegal player(s) could be subject to suspension at the discretion of the tournament committee. 

1. Insurance: All teams must submit a copy of their team insurance policy prior to the start of the tournament. 
2. Game Sheets: Each team is responsible for confirming their roster and identifying their starting goalie on the game sheet at least a ½ hour before each game. Game sheets are to be signed off on at the registration table. Any inactive players should be crossed out. 
3. Dressing Room: Each team will be designated a dressing room for duration of the tournament. All dressing rooms will be left clean by the team after each game. Damages to dressing rooms or other Arena properties are not acceptable. Any damage to a dressing room, that team’s Manager and Head Coach will be held responsible for the cost of the damage. All players must be supervised by a Team Official when in the dressing rooms.
4. Team Conduct: Coaches and/or Managers are responsible for the conduct for the players and parents during the tournament. Any abuse, racial remarks, or unbecoming conduct towards any players, referees, tournament staff & committee members or other fans will result in the person(s) responsible being removed from the arena for the rest of the tournament. Also, a five (5) minute major penalty will be assessed to the team with the abusive person(s) or player responsible. Please have your team ready to go at least 10 minutes prior to the game so that schedules can be accurately kept. 
5. Top Dog Of The Game: Both Coaches are to pick the Top Dog of The Game for their own team following the game and will be awarded on the ice at the end of each game. Awards will be given to each team’s manager upon check-in at the tournament. After each game, team managers or a member of the coaching staff must let the on-site Tournament Arena Coordinator know who their team's Top Dog of the Game was for that game.

1. Game Lengths: All Games will be 3- 20-minute stop time periods with floods every two periods of play.
   1. The Tournament will supply warm-up pucks, two on-ice officials for round robin play, three on-ice officials for playoffs, and one timekeeper.
   2. Teams are not required to provide volunteers for the penalty box.
   3. All pucks must be returned to the timekeeper immediately after warm-ups. Under no circumstances are teams to take the provided pucks with them.
2. Delayed or Late Games: If a game is running behind or if an accident should occur, game times may be adjusted at the discretion of the Tournament Committee. Although all games should be able to be completed within the allotted time, we understand that there can be situations where this is not the case. Any changes outside of the above will be decided by the TournamentCommittee and their decision is final. 
3. Mercy Rule: If a team is losing by a difference of 5 or more goals at the start of the second period or any point thereafter, then straight running time will apply. All penalties will remain 2 minutes for a minor penalty, 5 minutes for a major, and 10 minutes for a misconduct. The clock will be stopped at the start of a penalty to allow for timekeepers to input penalty time on the clock. If the team that is behind gets to within 4 goals, stop-time will resume. 
4. Overtime: All ties in round-robin play will remain a tie. Overtime will occur for playoffs and finals. Overtime will be a five-minute stop-time, 3-on-3 sudden-death period. If the game remains tied, each team will select 3 shooters, and players will take one shot on an alternating basis. The team with the most goals wins. If still tied, this process will repeat on a sudden-death shootout basis using new players until a winner is declared. Every player on the roster must shoot before a player can be used again. 
5. Timeouts: Each team has one thirty (30) second timeout per game but must adhere to rule 10.1 7 (F) of the Hockey Canada Rule Book. 
6. Icing: Automatic Icing will apply at all games
7. Penalties: Minor penalty: 2 Minutes Major penalty: 5 Minutes Misconduct: 10 Minutes All Major penalties will be reviewed by the Tournament Committee and the decision is final. No protests will be heard. Officials are to complete all write-ups on the back of the first game sheet (white copy) as required by the rules. All suspensions will be dealt with by the Tournament Committee.  Should a player receive the combination of either, 2 Game misconducts, Gross misconducts, and/or Match penalties during the tournament that player shall be ejected from the remainder of the tournament.  Any coach or manager who receives a Game Misconduct under rules 11.5(b), (c), and (d), for harassment of the officials, or a Gross Misconduct, shall be suspended for the remainder of the tournament. No exceptions, no appeals. Coaches and managers are expected to treat the officials with the utmost respect. Any issues with the officials can be brought to the attention of the tournament committee after a minimum ‘cooling’ period of 6-hours.
8. Stick & Head Infractions: Three (3) stick infractions or three (3) head contact infractions in one game is an immediate game ejection. The stick penalties are high sticking, slashing, cross-checking, spearing and butt-ending.
9. Fighting: Any players who instigate a fight will be ejected for the rest of the game and further action could be imposed by the Tournament Committee.  If a fight occurs, all skaters must go to their bench. Goaltenders must stay in their crease unless it is unsafe to do so at which point the goaltender must clear the area. Any player/coach leaving the bench to participate in or become involved with a fight will be suspended for the tournament. All fighting penalties will be reviewed by the Tournament Committee and their decision will be final. 

1. Point System: 3 Points for a Win | 2 Point for a Tie | 1 Points for a Loss 
2. Goal Differential: The maximum goal differential (Goals For – Goals Against) in a single game is seven (+/-7). 
   1. Example 1: Team A beats Team B ten (10) to zero (0). For tiebreaking purposes, Team A would receive seven (7) goals for and zero (0) goals against, while Team B would receive zero (0) goals for and seven (7) goals against. 
   2. Example 2: Team A beats Team B ten (10) to two (2). For tiebreaking purposes, Team A would receive nine (9) goals for and two (2) goals against, while Team B would receive two (2) goals for and nine (9) goals against. 
3. Tiebreaker – Two (2) or more Teams. Each time a tie between any of the Teams is broken the tie breaking system will reset & repeat for the remaining tied teams. 
   1. Tiebreaker #1 - Head-to-Head (two tied teams)
   2. Tiebreaker #2 - Winning Percentage (If Head to Head is a tie and if multiple teams are tied)
      Calculated as: (Wins + 0.5 * Ties) / (Games Played) 
   3. Tiebreaker #3 - Best Goal Differential (rule 7b applies)
      Calculated as: Goals For- Goals Against
   4. Tiebreaker #4 - Total Goals Against (rule 7b does not apply)
   5. Tiebreaker #5 - Coin Flip Team managers will be called prior to the coin flip taking place

All tiebreaking is done by the tournament committee after the last round robin game. Once all ties are broken and advancing teams have been determined, a tournament-wide message will be sent to inform everyone.

All playoff matchups on the website are not confirmed until the tournament-wide message has gone out.

If you have received the confirmation message and you believe a mistake has been made, please call the tournament line (provided upon arrival). If the message has not gone out, please do not call the tournament line, as everyone is doing their best to get the games up as soon as possible.

1. Any actions by a team that is not covered under the rules of Hockey Canada but interpreted as disrespectful to either the opposing team, referees or arena coordinators will be subject to disqualification for that game or the remainder of the tournament as determined by the Tournament Committee.
2. Protests of any kind will not be accepted by the Tournament Committee, protests will result in the teams’ expulsion from the tournament.
3. Any team officials, game official or staff under the influence of alcohol will not be permitted on the bench or on the ice. 

The Tournament Committee can amend and/or veto any of the rules outlined within this document.