FWSSC Tournament Rules & Regulations

Hosted by Balmoral Hall School
January 22-25, 2026

Hockey for All Centre, Winnipeg, MB

The Tournament format will include 9 Teams with a 4-game guarantee

  • Warm up - 5 min.
  • Game - 20-20-20 min with a 5 minute (3 on 3) OT + shootout if needed in Round Robin Games

The Tournament will be divided into 1 division of 5 teams and 1 division of 4 teams with each team playing 4 round robin games within their division (teams will play 2 games on one of the three days (Thursday, Friday, or Saturday)).

Sunday Games: Semi Finals, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and placement games will occur.

Divisional Break Down and Playoff format

  • 1 Divisions of 4 teams – seeded #1 through #4 after the 4 game Round Robin
  • 1 Divisions of 5 teams – seeded #1 through #5 after the 4 game Round Robin

Semi Finals

  • 1st Semi: 1st seed of Pool 1 vs 2nd seed of Pool 2
  • 2nd Semi: 1st seed of Pool 2 vs 2nd seed of Pool 1

SUNDAY Placement Games

  • 5th Place Game: 3rd Place of Pool 1 vs 3rd Place of Pool 2
  • 7th Place Game: 4th Place of Pool 1 vs 4th Place of Pool 2
  • No additional Game for 5th place of Pool 2

Finals

  • Gold Medal Game: Winner of 1st Semi Final vs Winner of 2nd Semi Final
  • Bronze Medal Game: Loser of 1st Semi Final vs Loser of 2nd Semi Final

PLEASE BE PREPARED TO START 15 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED GAME TIME.

One (1) 30-second timeout will be permitted per team/per game in all Round Robin games.

Hockey Canada and Hockey Manitoba Playing Rules apply. Hockey Canada, Hockey Manitoba Roster Rules apply. Suspensions and/or major offences will be reviewed, and disciplinary actions will be communicated by the Referee-in-chief of the tournament.

HOME TEAM wears WHITE – VISITING TEAM wears DARK.

NOTE: Hockey Canada Hybrid Icing Rules and No-Change on an Icing Rule will be used during the Tournament

Teams will be allowed to pick their face off locations for all Powerplay opportunities and Icings against offending teams.

Rink Resurfacing

  • The ice will be resurfaced after every period played on the ice surface.
  • The ice will not be resurfaced prior to overtime; overtime will be considered as part of the preceding period.
  • The ice will not be resurfaced after warmup. Puck drop will immediately commence.
  • The Tournament Committee retains the right to alter the resurfacing schedule if the need arises.

Round Robin Overtime

(Note: at end of Regulation Teams to line up at Centre ice for the faceoff no meeting at Bench)

  • OVERTIME (3 on 3) If the game is tied after regulation play a 5-minute (stop time) sudden victory period playing 3 players plus a goalie (3 on 3). Teams will not switch ends. If a penalty is called the teams will play 4 on 3. If a second penalty is called against the same team the teams will play 5 on 3 and could play 5 on 5 or 5 on 4 if penalties expired during play. If this occurs the teams will play 5 on 5 or 5 on 4 until the next whistle, then revert to 3 on 3 or 4 on 3.
    Note: 2 points for a win in OT and 1 point for a loss in OT.
  • If the game is still tied a 3 player Shoot Out is required. Shoot Out will be a 3 player Shoot Out with each team sending out 3 shooters. If still tied after 3 shooters each team will send out 1 shooter at a time until a winner is determined.
  • Players are to be sent to center ice one at a time. Coaches do not need to name shooters ahead of time on game sheets. Timekeeper will record Shooters # on the game sheet.
  • Shots are taken one at a time with the Visiting Team going first.
  • The Game continues until a team scores and the opposing team is unsuccessful.
  • A player that is in the Penalty Box at the end of the Overtime period for any reason or has been ejected cannot participate in the Shoot Out. No player can take a second shot until all players (excluding the goalies) have taken a shot. If “A” team has 14 skaters eligible to shoot and “B” team has 15 skaters eligible to shoot “A” team can start again (i.e. use their 1st shooter/original rotation) after their 14th shooter and “B” after their 15th shooter.

Points Awarded

  • Regulation Win: 3 pts
  • OT Win: 2 pts
  • OT Loss: 1 pt
  • Regulation Loss: 0 pt

Final Division Standings

If there is a tie in points after the round robin games, the following tiebreakers will be used to break the tie:

  1. Head-to-Head (Record against other tied teams)
  2. Most wins in round robin (Overtime win is a win)
  3. Goal Differential (Goals scored minus Goals Against) (Capped at +8)
  4. Fewest goals are allowed in round robin play
  5. Earliest First goal scored in Round Robin
  6. Flip of a coin.

Example:

  1. First Tiebreaker (Head-to-Head)
    If 3 teams are tied for 1st place with 4 points each and no one defeated the other 2 teams proceed to tiebreaker #2
  2. Second Tiebreaker (Most Wins)
    If teams had the same number of wins, then proceed to tiebreaker #3
  3. Third Tiebreaker Goal Differential (Goals Scored minus Goals Against (+/-)) Best Plus/Minus.
    If tied go to tiebreaker #4
  4. Fourth Tiebreaker (Fewest Goals allowed)
    Goals Allowed: Team #1: 3 GA, Team #2: 5 GA, and Team #3: 5 GA.
    Team #1 would be awarded 1st place due to the fewest goals allowed. If Team #2 and Team #3 still tied go to tiebreaker #5
  5. Fifth Tiebreaker (Earliest Goal scored in Round Robin) between the tied teams
    If tied go to tiebreaker #6
  6. Sixth Tiebreaker (Flip of Coin)

Playoffs (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Placement)

  • One-30 second timeout will be permitted per team/per game in all Playoff Games.
  • PLAYOFF OVERTIME (except Gold Medal Game) (3 on 3) If the game is tied after regulation play a 5-minute (stop time) sudden victory period playing 3 players plus a goalie (3 on 3). Teams will not switch ends. If a penalty is called the teams will play 4 on 3. If a second penalty is called against the same team the teams will play 5 on 3 and could play 5 on 5 or 5 on 4 if penalties expired during play. If this occurs the teams will play 5 on 5 or 5 on 4 until the next whistle, then revert to 3 on 3 or 4 on 3.
  • If the game is still tied a 3 player Shoot Out is required. Shoot Out will be a 3 player Shoot Out with each team sending out 3 shooters. If still tied after 3 shooters each team will send out 1 shooter at a time until a winner is determined
  • Players are to be sent to center ice one at a time. Coaches do not need to name shooters ahead of time on game sheets.
  • Timekeeper will record Shooters # on the game sheet.
  • Shots are taken one at a time with the Visiting Team going first.
  • The Game continues until a team scores and the opposing team is unsuccessful.
  • A player that is in the Penalty Box at the end of the Overtime period for any reason or has been ejected cannot participate in the Shoot Out. No player can take a second shot until all players (excluding the goalies) have taken a shot. If “A” team has 14 skaters eligible to shoot and “B” team has 15 skaters eligible to shoot “A” team can start again (i.e. use their 1st shooter/original rotation) after their 14th shooter and “B” after their 15th shooter
  • Note: In Gold Championship Game only. Overtime will be a 10-minute (stop time) (3 on 3) period before a Shoot Out in required. Shoot Out will be a 3 player Shoot Out with each team sending out 3 shooters. If still tied after 3 shooters each team will send out 1 shooter at a time until the winner is determined.

Placement Games OT

  • OVERTIME (3 on 3) If the game is tied after regulation play a 5-minute (stop time) sudden victory period playing 3 players plus a goalie (3 on 3). Teams will not switch ends. If a penalty is called the teams will play 4 on 3. If a second penalty is called against the same team the teams will play 5 on 3 and could play 5 on 5 or 5 on 4 if penalties expired during play. If this occurs the teams will play 5 on 5 or 5 on 4 until the next whistle, then revert to 3 on 3 or 4 on 3.
  • If the game is still tied a 3 player Shoot Out is required. Shoot Out will be a 3 player Shoot Out with each team sending out 3 shooters. If still tied after 3 shooters each team will send out 1 shooter at a time until a winner is determined.
  • Players are to be sent to center ice one at a time. Coaches do not need to name shooters ahead of time on game sheets.
  • Timekeeper will record Shooters # on the game sheet.
  • Shots are taken one at a time with the Visiting Team going first.
  • The Game continues until a team scores and the opposing team is unsuccessful.
  • A player that is in the Penalty Box at the end of the Overtime period for any reason or has been ejected cannot participate in the Shoot Out. No player can take a second shot until all players (excluding the goalies) have taken a shot. If “A” team has 14 skaters eligible to shoot and “B” team has 15 skaters eligible to shoot “A” team can start again (i.e. use their 1st shooter/original rotation) after their 14th shooter and “B” after their 15th shooter.