CONDENSED HIGHLIGHTS (for fan interest purposes only)
GOVERNING HOCKEY RULES
The DHC will be contested under Hockey Canada Rules & Regulations (including the Minimum Suspension Guidelines).
INJURED PLAYER
Should a stoppage of play occur because of an actual or apparent injury to a player resulting from physical contact with an opposing player or such opposing player’s equipment (e.g., stick), the injured or apparently injured player is not permitted to return to play until five (5) minutes of playing time has elapsed since such stoppage. Where this rule applies, the bench will be notified by a linesman of the time after which the player can return to play. If the player returns to play prior to the expiration of five (5) minutes of playing time, the linesman shall blow the play dead and inform the referee of the infraction. Such player shall then receive a 10 minute misconduct. This rule does not apply to goalies.
PENALTY FACE-OFFS
When an infringement of a playing rule has been committed resulting in a time penalty (appearing on the scoreboard), the ensuing face-off shall take place at one of the face-off spots in the offending team’s defensive zone except in the following 4 circumstances:
a. When a penalty is assessed after a goal, the face-off will take place at centre ice.
b. When a penalty is assessed at the end (or before the start) of a period, the face-off will take place at centre ice.
c. When the defending team is to be penalized and that one of the two defensemen or both, or players on the point or any other player coming off the attacking team’s bench goes deep into the offensive zone (the top of the face-off circles being the limit) during a gathering at a stoppage of play, the ensuing face-off will take place in the neutral zone at one of the face-off spots outside the offending team’s zone.
d. When the non-defending team clears the puck and icing is called, the ensuing face-off will take place at one of the face-off spots outside the zone of the team that iced the puck.
Note that when a time differential occurs because of multiple penalties, the ensuing face-off will take place in the shorthanded team’s zone. In the case of multiple penalties when no time differential occurs, the ensuing face-off will take place at the face-off spot nearest to where the stoppage of play occurred.
Also, if there is a premature substitution on the non-offending team’s goaltender, the back linesman will stop play and ensuing face-off will still take place in the offending team’s zone.
LINE CHANGE ON ICING
A team that is in violation of icing shall not be permitted to make any player substitutions prior to the ensuing face-off. Should the offending team elect to utilize their team time-out at this stoppage of play, they are still not permitted to make any player substitutions. However, a team shall be permitted to make a player substation to replace a goalkeeper who had been substituted for an extra attacker, to replace an injured player, or when a penalty has been assessed which affect the on-ice strength of either team. The determination of players on ice will be made when the puck leaves the offending player’s stick. If the offending team purposely tries to make a change, a warning will be given to the coach and if it occurs again a delay of game penalty will be assessed.
PUCK OUT OF PLAY
When any player, excluding the goaltender, shoots or bats (using the hand or stick) the puck directly (non-deflected) out of the playing surface, except where there is no glass, the offending team is not allowed to change its on-ice personnel before the next face-off which will occur in the offending team’s defensive zone. When the puck is shot into the players’ bench, the violation will not apply. When the puck is shot over the glass behind the players’ bench, the offending team is not allowed to change its on-ice personnel.
When the puck goes out of the playing area directly off a face-off, the violation will not apply.
Should the offending team elect to utilize their team time-out at this stoppage of play, they are still not permitted to make any player substitutions. However, a team shall be permitted to make a player substation to replace a goalkeeper who had been substituted for an extra attacker, to replace an injured player, or when a penalty has been assessed which affects the on-ice strength of either team. The determination of players on ice will be made when the puck leaves the playing surface. If the offending team purposely tries to make a change, a warning will be given to the coach and if it occurs again a delay of game penalty will be assessed.
ROSTER
Team are allowed to dress a maximum of twenty (20) players, of which two (2) must be goaltenders, for each game. For any game, each team may dress a maximum of nine (9) 20-year old players.
JERSEYS
In each game of the DHC, the team designated as the “home” team will wear their dark-coloured jersey while the team designated as the “away” team will wear their light-coloured jerseys.
For round-robin games, “home” and “away” teams are designated as set out in the DHC schedule. For non- round-robin games (i.e., playoff/championship games) the “home” team will be the team that finishes in the higher position during round-robin final standings.
TIME OUTS & BREAKS
Each team shall be allowed one thirty (30) second time-out during regulation time or overtime. All games will include a sixty (60) second break at the first even strength whistle after the 10 minute mark in each period to take care of the ice maintenance along the player benches and goal creases.
OVERTIME
Round Robin – If a round robin game is tied at the end of regulation time there will be a three (3) minute intermission followed by a ten (10) minute, 4-on-4, stop-time, sudden victory period. Teams will start the overtime period in the same end as their bench is located. If still tied, a shootout will follow (see below). Semi-Final & Gold Medal – If a semi-final or gold medal game is tied at the end of regulation time there will be a fifteen (15) minute intermission followed by a twenty (20) minute, 5-on-5, stop-time, sudden victory period until a winner is declared.
SHOOTOUT
If the game remains tied at the end of the ten (10) minute overtime period, the teams will proceed to a shootout. The shootout will commence immediately following the conclusion of the ten (10) minute overtime period. Goalkeepers shall occupy the goal closest to their Team’s players’ bench for the shootout. The home team shall have the choice of shooting first or second. The teams shall alternate shots. Eligible players from each team shall participate in the shootout and they shall proceed in such order as the Coach selects. All players are eligible to participate in the shootout unless they are serving a ten minute misconduct or have been assessed a game misconduct or match penalty. When a goaltender has been assessed a misconduct, the player designated to serve the misconduct penalty becomes ineligible for the shootout. If the misconduct is assessed to the goalkeeper during the course of the shootout, the player designated to serve the misconduct must be a player who has yet to shoot and thus becomes ineligible to shoot. Once the shootout begins, the goalkeeper cannot be replaced unless he is injured. No warm up shall be permitted for a substitute goalkeeper. Each team will be given three shots, unless the outcome is determined earlier in the shootout. After each team has taken three shots, if the score remains tied, the shootout will proceed to a “sudden death” format. No player may shoot twice until everyone who is eligible has shot. If, however, because of injury or penalty, one team has fewer players eligible for the shootout than its opponent, both teams may select from among the players who have already shot. This procedure would continue until the team with fewer players has again used all eligible shooters. Regardless of the number of goals score during the shootout portion of overtime, the final score recorded for the game will give the winning team one more goal than its opponent, based on the score at the end of overtime.
POINTS IN ROUND ROBIN
1. During the round-robin portion of the DHC, teams shall be awarded three (3) points for a win in regulation, two (2) points for a win in overtime, one (1) point for a loss in overtime and zero (0) points for a loss in regulation time.
TIE BREAKING PROCEDURE
1. Following the round-robin games, the teams shall be ranked first (1st) to fifth (5th) based on points gained in the round-robin.
2. Where two or more teams are tied at the conclusion of the round-robin games, the following formula will be used to determine the standings of each of the five teams.
a. In the event that only two (2) teams are tied for a position at the conclusion of the round-robin, the team that won the game between the two teams shall be awarded the higher position.
b. In the event that three (3) or more teams are tied for position at the conclusion of the round-robin, the tie breaking procedure shall be as follows:
i. The team with the best win-loss record in games involving the tied teams gains the higher position
ii. If two (2) or more teams are still tied after (b)(i), then in the games involving the tied teams, add each team’s goals for and goals against, divide this sum by the teams goals for. The team with the lowest quotient gains the higher position in the standings. If there are still teams tied, they go to the next step of the tie breaker procedures (not published here due to length and complexity).