British Columbia High School Hockey League

Transcription

1 British Columbia High School Hockey League School District Information Package Presented by: Scholastic Hockey Operations West

2 Contents: Page 3 - Introduction Page 3 - Vision Page 3 - Purpose Page 4-1, 2, 5 Year Plan Page 5 - Insurance Coverage Page 6 - Game/League Structure Page 7 - League Policies Page 9 - League Rules Page 10 Round Robin Format and Rules Page 11 Tournament Format and Rules 2

3 Introduction Scholastic Hockey Operations West (SHOW) in cooperation with BC Hockey has created the British Columbia High School Hockey League (BCHSHL). Both parties came together in the Summer/Fall of 2009 with a common interest and vision for the sport of ice hockey to exist in BC high schools. Between the two groups much thought and debate has gone into the design of a system that can be successful in both short and long terms. Although this year it is considered only to be a pilot project, we are optimistic that the program can be sustained for years to come with much room for growth. Vision To grow the game of ice hockey by providing a provincial league that is separate from the existing minor hockey season, which compliments and benefits both the High School and Minor Hockey systems in British Columbia. Purpose To act as a platform for all high schools to develop and maintain hockey programs within their athletic departments. To allow schools to compete against one another in an organized league. Future opportunities lead to the declaration of BC Champions. To provide the players with a new experience that is unique from what they would receive through minor hockey with minimal interference with existing BC Hockey programming. To assist in the development of BC athletes Five Year Plan Year 1 The plan for the 1 st year, which is scheduled for March 2010, will be for the league to operate as a pilot project with 16 teams from 4 zones within the Lower Mainland (Fraser Valley). The format for the league in year one will be a three game round robin for each team within their zone, then a single game elimination tournament for all the teams at the end of March that will declare a champion. The league will run for the entire month of March 2010, and has been scheduled to avoid the BC Hockey Championships and spring break as best as possible. Due to ice availability the league was restricted to this time frame. The 2010 Olympic Games has also made this time frame possible, as it has pushed the minor hockey season ahead of its usual schedule. 3

4 The league operator will use this pilot to analyze the interest in the province by both high schools wishing to participate and spectators willing to attend games. A complete program analysis will be an integral component of the program. Year 2-5 Year 2 plans will be based on the success of Year 1 and the analysis of the pilot information. Expansion in the Lower Mainland includes more zones, more teams, and more games. The league will also look to operate into April and start later in March to avoid complications with BC Hockey Championships. The plan is to keep the format the same from year to year with the inter-zone round robin and a single elimination tournament at the end to declare a champion. The league operating format and hierarchy is expected to remain for ease when establishing zones throughout the province. It will streamline and standardize the process for new zones. Year 5 By the 5 th year of existence, the league will encompass most areas in the province. Although it may be new to some areas outside of the lower mainland, the rules/formats/policies that have been developed over the 5-year span will serve as a strong foundation for areas to start up comfortably. Insurance Coverage The program will be made available to players that are currently members of BC Hockey. Hockey Canada insurance coverage will be in effect for all sanctioned activities. The BCHSHL will operate as a no body checking league however incidental contact is inevitable and it is assumed that all players are aware of the on ice dangers involved. Resource material is available as a reference for those involved in the BCHSHL. Safety for players, coaches, game officials and spectators is a major priority for BC Hockey and SHOW. Fighting and any attempts to injure will not be tolerated, and suspensions from the league will result. As an extension of BC Hockey programming suspensions occurring in club team hockey will effect participation in the BCHSHL and vice versa. As stated, all teams will be responsible for the due care of their players and coaches, and must show that they are prepared to deal with any medical emergency that may arise. Teams will also have insurance coverage for any on ice practices they hold during the length of the league. Teams should check with BC Hockey for other team development events as insurance coverage may be dependent on special sanctioning of the event. Safety, risk management and insurance will be a topic with team representatives at a league meeting prior to play commencing. 4

5 Game/League Structure This season all four teams in a zone will play on the same day in a back-to-back format. All four zones play on different days throughout the week i.e. Zone 1 on Monday, Zone 2 on Tuesday etc and are spaced out as evenly as possible throughout the three weeks of round robin play. It has been designed this way to allow league operators to pay full attention to each game, which will be beneficial especially in the early stages of the league. The concluding Tournament of Champions will be spaced over four days with the first two days being for the round of 16, the third day being the round of 8 (quarter finals), and the fourth day being the round of 4 (semi finals) and the round of 2 (finals). Each game will be 1.5 hours long that will include the following: 5 minute warm up Introductions and national anthem 3-15 minute stop time periods In round robin play if a game is tied at the end of regulation, there will not be overtime or a shootout and each team will be awarded 1 point. In the Tournament of Champions, if a game is tied at the end of regulation, a BC Hockey approved shootout procedure will result. League Policies The following are policies that all teams must abide by during enrollment in the league: 1. Teams must have a minimum of one coach present on the bench at all games. If the coach is not a school coach, there must be a representative from the school administration present at the game. 2. Teams must have stop sign patches on the backs of all game jerseys. 3. Teams must complete their roster sheet and submit to BC Hockey prior to February 7, The roster sheet must have signatures from all participating players and coaches. 4. Teams may change players and coaches from the roster up until March 1, 2010 by submission to BC Hockey. After that date teams may only make player changes with special request from the league operator and only the following conditions will be accepted: 5. A current player can no longer participate due to medical reasons or suspension. 6. A team does not have enough players to participate in the league. 7. All league fees must be paid to BC Hockey prior to participation. 8. Teams wishing to do 50/50 draws during their games must obtain their own gaming license. 9. The league is open to students in grades 10, 11, and Players must be registered in the school for which they play. 11. Players must be BC Hockey members registered through their local association. Junior hockey registered players are excluded. 12. Four teams per zone will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. All other applications will be put on a waiting list. 5

6 13. Teams are required to have a policy in place on what to do in case of a medical emergency involving a member of their team during a game. 14. Game spectators may be charged an admission fee. League Rules The British Columbia High School Hockey League follows the Hockey Canada playing rules currently used by BC Hockey. BCHSHL has rules and guidelines that are unique to the league, and are noted below: 1. A stop sign patch is required on the back of jerseys. 2. The winner of a round robin game will be awarded 2 points. 3. The loser of a round robin game will get 0 points. 4. Each team will get 1 point for a tie in a round robin game. 5. No sportsmanship points are awarded. 6. The league operator will collect game sheets after each game. One copy will go to each team, and two copies will go to the league organizer. 7. Suspensions that occur in round robin or tournament will be as outlined by the BC Hockey. 8. The ice slots will be 1.5 hours long. 9. The round robin will consist of 3 games for each team. 10. Every team will play 1-4 tournament games. 11. A champion will be declared at the end of the Tournament of Champions. 12. A most sportsmanlike team will be acknowledged at the end of the tournament. 13. A forfeited game will be considered a loss for the forfeiting team and a win for their opponent. Round Robin Format and Rules In the Round Robin Series, each team from a Zone will play each other once. After all of the games are played the teams will be ranked 1 st -4 th based on game points accumulated. Teams will get 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. The round robin will begin in early March 2010, and the schedule will be sent to the team reps and also posted on the league website. The top team in each zone will automatically be placed in the top 4 spots for the 16-team championship tournament. The official ranking procedure posted below will rank all other teams into the next 12 spots: 1. The team with the most points. 2. The team with the most wins. 3. The team with the least goals against. 4. The team with the most goals for. 5. The team who wins a coin toss. Each game will consist of three 15 minute stop time periods. In the round robin if a game is tied at the end of regulation, there will not be overtime or a shoot out, and each team will receive 1 point. 6

7 The league operators will schedule all game times and referees, as well as payment for all game officials. It is intended that each team will play once per week for three weeks, and all teams will play on the same day at the same rink in a back-to-back format. For any other inquiries about the Round-Robin Format or Rules please contact the league operator at Tournament Format and Rules In the Tournament, each team will compete in a single game elimination format that will eventually declare a Champion. Each team is guaranteed 1 game to a maximum of 4 games. The following format will apply to the tournament games: 1 st Round 1. 1 st place vs. 16 th place 2. 2 nd place vs. 15 th place 3. 3 rd place vs. 14 th place 4. 4 th place vs. 13 th place 5. 5 th place vs. 12 th place 6. 6 th place vs. 11 th place 7. 7 th place vs. 10 th place 8. 8 th place vs. 9 th place 2 nd Round 1. Winner 1-1 vs. Winner Winner 1-2 vs. Winner Winner 1-3 vs. Winner Winner 1-4 vs. Winner rd Round 1. Winner 2-1 vs. Winner Winner 2-2 vs. Winner th Round 1. Winner 3-1 vs. Winner 3-2 The games will be three 15 minute stop time periods. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, a winner will be decided by a BC Hockey approved shootout procedure that will be supplied to all participating teams. The goal of the tournament is to create a situation in which teams can build school spirit and have fun doing it, in a highly competitive atmosphere! 7