This memo is to clarify the format of the play-offs, including regular season standings tie breakers, play-off format and overtime policies. Please read your on-line schedule carefully. Some divisions can have a game that is scheduled on a night other than your regular night of play!

1) TIE BREAKER FOR REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS
1. Fewest penalty minutes. The tied team that has the fewest penalty minutes will place higher.
2. If penalty minutes are tied, then use head to head record.
3. If still tied, then use goal differential (i.e. plus/minus).
4. If still tied, coin toss.

2) PLAY-OFF ELIGIBILITY
In order to be eligible to play in the play-offs, a player must have played in at least five (5) regular season games, at least one of those games prior to July 1, 2008 and must have signed a waiver that is currently on file in the True North Hockey Canada office. If a team suspects that a player on the opposing team is ineligible, there is procedure that must be followed in order to protest the game. In the case of a protest, the game is still played to its conclusion. A formal protest for an illegal player or anything else related to eligibility must be lodged before the start of the 3rd period. First, inform the referee and the game supervisor that you suspect the player’s ineligibility. Have the alleged offending player approach the game supervisor’s box and on the back of the game sheet have them, print their name, address, and telephone number, as well as give their signature. If the allegedly offending player refuses to comply with the request, it will be considered an admission of ineligibility and the team will forfeit the game. A written submission plus a $200 protest fee must be filed by the team representative to the league office within 24 hours of the conclusion of the scheduled game. League officials will review the circumstances surrounding the protest and contact team reps within 48 hours. All decisions are final and are not subject to review/appeal. The team rep can risk suspension or team expulsion if it is proven that he knowingly allowed the ineligible player to participate.

3) PLAYER I.D.
All players must present valid photo identification when requested by a league official prior to their playoff game. Players that do not produce valid photo identification upon request will not be permitted to play in their playoff game.

4) PLAYOFF FORMAT
In the playoffs, every game is played until a winner is determined.
True North Hockey Canada utilizes two playoff formats dependent on playoff division size.
A) For playoff divisions comprised of 4, 5 or 8 teams, a double elimination tournament format will be used.
B) For playoff divisions comprised of 6 teams, a Modified Round Robin format will be used.
At the conclusion of the modified round robin the following tiebreaker formula will be used:

2 Team Tie Breaker
Head to Head record against each other.

3 Team Tie Breaker
Step 1 – Determining First Seed
1)  Fewest Penalty Minutes (Based on playoff games)
2)  Best Plus/Minus (Goals For less Goals Against – Based on playoff games)
3)  Fewest Penalty Minutes (Based on regular season games)
4)  Coin toss.
Step 2 – Determining Second Seed between remaining two teams
Head to Head record against each other

5) OVERTIME FORMAT
In all overtime games, the teams play 4 on 4 plus goalies for a 5 minute "sudden victory" period. During this period, the teams can only change on the fly unless there is a penalty, in which case both teams can change. The teams can also change if a time-out is called.

If there is more than one penalty to a team, the second and subsequent penalties are delayed and not started until the first penalty expires. If the player strength is 5 on 3 going into overtime, it will be played this way until the first whistle after the player strength goes back to 5 on 4 or even. At this point, the player strength will be changed to 4 on 3, or 4 on 4 (depending on the situation).

If teams are still tied at the end of the overtime period, a five man simultaneous shootout will ensue with each team allowed five shooters, each shot being taken by a different player.

Any players in the penalty box when the 5 minute overtime period ends, are not allowed to participate in the shoot-out.

Total goals scored will determine the winner. If the teams are still tied after the first five shots, a sudden death simultaneous shoot-out will determine the winner. A player can not shoot a second time until all of the players on the team, except the goalie, have taken a penalty shot. Should one team run out of shooters, the team can then go back to the top of the order, in which case the opposing team can also go back to the top of the order.

6) RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY POLICY
True North Hockey Canada does not schedule games on statutory holidays as recognized by the Government of Canada or the Province of Ontario. Games that fall on religious holidays that occur on dates other than recognized statutory holidays will not be re-scheduled by True North Hockey Canada. It is up to the individuals that are affected by this policy to choose between playing hockey or observing their religious practices. True North Hockey Canada can not and will not reschedule games for teams or individuals wishing to observe their religious holidays.

PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE DELAYS
IN THE START TIME OF YOUR GAME DURING PLAY-OFFS
DUE TO GAMES GOING INTO OVERTIME!!!

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