NOVA SCOTIA MI’KMAW HOCKEY ASSOCIATION

RULES & REGULATIONS

DRAFT

revised 11-OCT-2017

1. Penalties

All Game Misconducts, Gross Misconducts and Match penalties will be reviewed by the NSMHA Rules/Discipline Committee, and additional suspensions may be applied. Players assessed a Game Misconduct, Gross Misconduct or Match penalty are not eligible for any award in the tournament.

Fighting - If a fight occurs, all players except the goaltender shall immediately retire to the front of their respective bench or to a neutral area designated by the Referee and shall remain there until the Referee calls them back to resume play.  Goaltenders must not leave their crease unless directed by the Referee to do so.  Players on the bench (or team officials) shall not go on the ice during the fight/altercation.

2. Substitutions

If a goalkeeper goes to his/her bench during the game for any reason, he/she must be replaced immediately.  If play is halted for a player who is apparently or actually injured, that player must leave the ice until after play is resumed (with the only exception being the goaltender).

3. Suspensions

Notice of all suspensions during the Tournament will be forwarded (with a full report of the circumstances) to the player’s regular league officials.  The NSMHA Rules/Discipline Committee may require players and team staff to appear at hearings into these matters. A player who is suspended in her/his regular league cannot play in an NSMHA Tournament until her/his suspension is lifted by their regular league officials.

4. Eligibility

Teams and Players must be registered and in good standing with NSMHA.  Proof of registration must be available upon request.

5. Composition of Teams

Each team may register twenty-three (23) properly registered and affiliated players, but only twenty (20) players including two goaltenders may dress for each game.  A minimum of six (6) players, including one goaltender are required to start a game.

6. Alternate Goalkeeper

The alternate goalkeeper must be ready to play at all times during a game. Only two (2) minutes will be allowed for a goalkeeper to recover from an injury.  After two minutes, he/she will be replaced immediately.

7. Player Eligibility

Senior players playing in NSMHA Tournaments and Leagues must have Indian Status; players in youth divisions must have Indian Status or have at least one parent with Indian Status to participate. Proof in the form of a non-expired, federally-issued Indian Status card and Birth Certificate must be available upon request should a player’s eligibility come into question. Failure to produce this proof will deem the player “ineligible”.

Players participating in NSMHA-Sanctioned Tournaments and Leagues must follow Hockey Canada age categories. Players in the second year of their respective age category may dress as an Affiliated Player for a team in the next higher age category (e.g., A second-year Bantam player may dress for a Midget team). This player must be designated on the Team Roster form and game sheets with “AP” beside his/her name. Overage players are not permitted. Players are not permitted to play on more than one team in any one age-division of the same Tournament.

If it is proven that a team has registered/listed an ineligible player, that team will be automatically disqualified from the Tournament, and notice of such irregularity will be forwarded by the Tournament Rules/Discipline Committee to the NSMHA and subject to further sanctions. Team managers will properly submit their team’s roster of players eligible to play to Tournament officials, and will have the necessary supporting documentation, including proof of player eligibility.  Team rosters submitted to the Tournament on the Players Registration Form may be amended up to the final registration prior to the team’s first Tournament game.

Players listed on a Senior B roster must not be a rostered player of a high-level competitive hockey team at any point during the current hockey season. This includes, but is not limited to: U18 Major, Junior B, Junior A, Major Junior, Semi-pro, Pro, College/University, or Senior A in any Native tournament.

8. Team Colours

Home team will wear light-coloured uniforms and the visiting team will wear dark-coloured uniforms. Sweater changes, if necessary, will be decided by the Tournament Committee.

9.  Home/Visiting Team           

Home/visiting teams are predetermined for Round Robin play.  For the playoff round, the home team will be decided by Team Standings.

10.  Mandatory Equipment

Helmets with full face masks, and neck guards are compulsory for all players under the age of eighteen (18) years. Mandatory Equipment must be approved by Hockey Canada (Canada) and/or IIHF (International).

11. Dressing Rooms

Only players, team officials named on the team roster, and Tournament officials will be permitted in dressing rooms and the dressing room area.  Team Managers must report to Tournament officials at the arena where the game is scheduled, one hour prior to game time to receive dressing room key.

12. Game Report

The game sheets are to be completed by both teams twenty (20) minutes prior to game time. Players not playing in any game must be deleted from all pre-printed sheets of the game report.

13. Game Officials

All referees and linesmen officiating in the Tournament must be qualified and registered by their respective Hockey Canada Association. Off Ice officials will be assigned by the Tournament.

14. Time and Conditions of Play

The ice will be flooded at the start of all games.  Warm up time will be 2 minutes or as determined by the Referee, in consideration of time available.  Teams not ready to start play at the scheduled time and/or when the Referee calls the players to centre ice for the initial face off, will be subject to a delay of game penalty, and possible forfeiture of the game. Games shall consist of three (3) twelve periods of regulation time as decided by the Tournament Committee. For stop-clock games, if a team leads by five (5) or more goals, clock becomes running-time; stop-time resumes when the goal differential is less than five (5) goals. Teams will be allowed one thirty (30) second time-out which may be taken at any time during playoff games only. Only one time out will be allowed per one stoppage of play.

15. Round Robin

Round Robin games will consist of three (3) periods of regulation time, with no over time.

Points will be awarded in the Round Robin as follows:

Win - 2 Points                Tie - 1 Point                Loss - 0 Points

If, after all Round Robin games have been played in a division and there is a tie in the standings, the following format will be used to determine the final standings:

a)         If teams faced each other in Round Robin play, the winner of that game will place higher.

b)         The team with the best goals for and against record (total goal difference) will place higher.

c)         The team with the lesser total amount of penalties in minutes (PIM) will place higher.

d)         The team with the higher goals-for total will place higher.

e)         The team with the fewest goals-against total will place higher.

f)          Coin toss.

16. Playoff Games

Playoff games will consist of three (3) periods of regulation time. If a tie exists at the conclusion of regulation play, a five (5) minute stop-time, sudden-victory overtime period will be played.  If a tie still exists, a shootout will determine the winner: Each team will select three (3) players, who in turn have a penalty shot attempt; the total score from these three shooters will determine the winner. If a tie remains, each team will alternate shooters until a winner is decided.

17. Protests

Protests must be filed in writing by team officials (signed by Coach and Manager) at the arena Tournament office within thirty (30) minutes after the conclusion of the game.  The decision by the Tournament Rules Committee will be final and may not be protested. It should be noted that a Referee’s decision is final and may not be protested unless it concerns an interpretation of the rules as outlined in the Hockey Canada rulebook.

Should a team come under protest for player eligibility, that player must produce proof of their eligibility before that team’s next game. Failure to produce proof will deem this player ineligible and as per rule 7 - the team will be disqualified from tournament play. The onus is on team staff (Coach and Manager) to ensure their players are eligible and have the proper documentation.