Tournament rules

Below are the tournament rules and regulations for the Coco Lemay Tournaments. We ask all coaches, parents, and players to review these rules carefully to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

1. Playing Rules

1.1 Official Rules: All games will follow the official playing rules mandated by Hockey Eastern Ontario Minor (HEO), except as noted below.

1.2 Uniforms:

  • Home teams will wear light-colored jerseys.
  • Away teams will wear dark-colored jerseys.

1.3 Mouthguards & Neck Guards:

  • Players are required to wear mouthguards and neck guards if mandated by their home district in league play.

2. Game Structure

2.1 Period Lengths:

  • U10 to U13: 3 x 11-minute stop-time periods.
  • U14 to U18: 3 x 15-minute stop-time periods.

2.2 Warm-Ups:

  • Teams will have a 3-minute warm-up period, starting when the Zamboni has left the ice.

2.3 Mercy Rule:

  • If a team leads by 5 goals in the third period, the clock will run continuously.
  • If a 7-goal lead occurs in the first or second period, running time will also apply.
  • If the goal differential is reduced to 2 goals, stop-time will resume.

3. Time-Outs & Overtime

3.1 Time-Outs:

  • One 30-second timeout is allowed per team in all playoff games.
  • No time-outs are allowed during round-robin games.

3.2 Overtime and Shootouts (Playoff & Championship Games Only):

  • Overtime Period: One sudden-death 5-minute period with 3 skaters + goaltender.
  • Shootout (if still tied):
    • Each team will select three skaters to participate in the shootout.
    • Head coaches must provide the list of these three players to the game officials immediately following the overtime period.
    • Any player who was penalized during overtime and still has time remaining in their penalty is not eligible to participate in the shootout.
    • The team that scores the most goals with these three skaters will be declared the winner.
    • The HOME team has the option to shoot first or last.
    • Once the shooting order is determined, it will remain the same for all rounds of the shootout.
    • The shootout will alternate between teams: one player from the first team will shoot, followed by one player from the second team, and this process will continue until all three players from both teams have taken their shot.
  • Sudden-Death Shootout (if still tied): 
    • Each skater chosen for the sudden-death shootout must not have participated in any previous round of the shootout.
    • The team that shot first in the previous round will once again shoot first in the sudden-death round.
    • Any player who was serving a penalty at the conclusion of overtime is ineligible for the shootout.
    • Continue alternating shooters from each team, following the same order as previous rounds, until no skaters remain who have not yet participated.
    • Once all eligible skaters have shot, the shootout will restart in reverse order, beginning with the player who most recently shot. Teams will continue alternating up and down their list of skaters until a winner is determined.

4. Standings & Tie-Breakers

4.1 Points:

  • 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss.

4.2 Tie-Breaker (Round Robin):
If tied in points, standings will be determined by:

  • Head-to-Head Results: If two teams are tied in points, the result of the game between those two teams determines the higher-seeded team. This is only applicable in two-way ties.
  • Most Wins: If head-to-head does not resolve the tie (or if there are more than two teams tied), the team with the most wins during the round robin is ranked higher.
  • Goals Ratio: If still tied,  the team with the highest ratio of goals for divided by the sum of goals for plus goals against: GF / (GF + GA) is ranked higher.
  • Fewest Penalty Minutes: If still tied, the team with the fewest accumulated penalty minutes during the round robin is ranked higher.
  • Fewest Goals Against: If still tied, the team that allowed the fewest goals during the round robin is ranked higher.
  • Coin Toss: If all other tie-breakers fail to resolve the tie, a coin toss (or random draw) is the final method of determining ranking.

In the Case of Three or More Teams Tied: The above tiebreakers are applied in order to break the tie, but in multi-team scenarios, once a team is separated, the process typically restarts from the beginning (without reverting to previous criteria). 

5. Penalties

5.1 Stick and Head Contact Infractions:

  • As per Hockey Canada Rule 4.2, any player who receives three or more stick infraction penalties during the same game (including high-sticking, cross-checking, slashing, butt-ending, and spearing) will receive a Game Ejection penalty. Players receiving this penalty must immediately leave for the dressing room and remain there for the rest of the game.
  • This same rule applies to Head Contact infractions.

5.2 Game Misconduct:

  • Any player or team official who receives a game misconduct penalty will be penalized at a minimum according to the HEO Minor Code of Discipline but may face additional penalties imposed by the tournament committee or a higher governing body.
  • Teams from outside the HEO district are advised to consult their own disciplinary codes to determine if their home branch imposes stricter penalties than those assessed by the tournament committee. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in further sanctions by the home association/branch. 
  • Major Penalties:
    • All major penalties will be reviewed by the tournament director, in conjunction with the Crush Association Board of Directors and the most senior on-ice official available. The assessment may result in a suspension increase or remain as originally assessed.
    • The Tournament Director must receive the disciplinary result of the infraction resulting in the game misconduct before the penalized player may return to game action.

5.3 Fighting:

  • Any player receiving a penalty for fighting will be suspended for the greater of:
    a. The minimum number of games according to the HEO Minor Code of Discipline,
    b. The minimum number of games according to the code of discipline for the player’s home branch, or
    c. The remainder of the tournament (if the player's team has fewer games remaining than the suspension).

6. Other Game Notes

6.1 Player of the Game/Hardest Worker Award:

  • A Player of the Game or Hardest Worker award may be given at the conclusion of each game.
  • No player may receive the Player of the Game award more than once during the round-robin portion of the tournament.

6.2 Post-Game Handshakes:

  • For all games, players will engage in handshakes after the conclusion of the game unless otherwise directed by the game officials.

6.3 Home Teams for Playoff and Championship Games:

  • For playoff and championship games, the home team will be the team with the highest seeding after the round-robin portion of the tournament.

7. General Administrative Rules

7.1 ZERO Tolerance:

  • Taunting, berating, or disrespectful behavior towards players, officials, staff, or tournament volunteers will not be tolerated. This applies to parents, players, team officials, and other spectators.
  • The tournament director reserves the right to remove any offending parties from the tournament.

7.2 Referee Decisions:

  • All referee decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

7.3 Protests:

  • Protests must be accompanied by a $200 deposit ($100 refundable if successful). All protests must be made to the Tournament Director (or their delegate) within 30 minutes of the game in question.
  • A hearing and ruling will be completed at least one hour before the team’s next scheduled game. All decisions made by the Tournament Director are final and must be respected.

7.4 Forfeits:

  • Forfeited games will result in a 5-0 score or the current goal margin, whichever is greater.

7.5 Team Rosters and Documentation:

  • Teams must bring their official branch-issued team roster or player cards, as well as proof of age and identity for all players.

7.6 Game Start Times:

  • Teams must be prepared to start 15 minutes prior to their scheduled start time. Failure to be ready may result in a delay of game penalty or forfeit at the discretion of the Tournament Director.

7.7 Team Check-In:

  • Teams must check in one hour before their first game and at the tournament desk before each subsequent game.

7.8 Team Conduct:

  • Team officials are responsible for the conduct of all players at all times.
  • No shooting, stickhandling, or passing of any objects is permitted anywhere in the facility except on the ice surfaces.
  • Any damage to dressing rooms that is not reported will be the responsibility of the team that last occupied the room.
  • Any pre-existing damage must be reported immediately to the Tournament Director or building staff before entering the ice.
  • Teams found responsible for damage to tournament facilities (including hotels) or unacceptable dressing room conditions may be ejected from the tournament.

7.9 Team Off-Ice Warm-Ups

  • Teams are encouraged to complete off-ice warm-ups outside the facilities. No balls may be used within the arenas.

7.10 Facility Rules and Regulations:

  • Teams should familiarize themselves with the building rules and regulations posted in the lobby of the facilities.

7.11. Tournament Rule Changes:

  • The Tournament Director reserves the right to change or alter these rules at any time without prior notice in the best interest of the tournament.

Thank you for participating in the Coco Lemay Tournament! We look forward to an exciting and respectful tournament experience for all teams.