33rd Annual CHEETAH CHALLENGE – 2022

Tournament Rules

1. All games will be played under School Sport Nova Scotia (SSNS) rules except as outlined below and there will be no protests allowed.

2. Suspensions during the tournament will be based on SSNS guidelines.

3. Players who are under suspension for a gross misconduct, game misconduct or match penalty are ineligible to participate in tournament games unless their suspension terminates during tournament play.

4. Teams should be at the rink one hour before scheduled game times. Teams must be prepared to begin a game up to 20 minutes prior to the scheduled start time if required.

5. A  five-minute warm-up is allowed before each game. All round robin games will be three stop-time periods of 15 minutes, with ice resurfacing after the five-minute warm up and after the second period. Quarterfinal, Semifinal and the Championship games will be two 15-minute stop-time periods and a 20 minute, stop-time third period with ice resurfacing after the second period. 

6. If, at any time during the first two periods of any game, a goal differential of six goals exists, the balance of the game will be played at straight time. If at any time in the third period of any game, a goal differential of four goals exists, the balance of the game will be played at straight time. Once any game starts to be played at straight time, it will not revert back to stop time.

7. Minor penalties will be two minutes in duration unless the game is being run at straight time at the time of the penalty infraction. Those penalties will be three minutes in duration.

8. Ties will not be broken during round robin play.

9. The “Five Point System” will be in effect for the round robin games in the tournament (see #18 "Five Point System" below).

10.  In the event a team is unable to play a scheduled game, the other team will be awarded five points with a winning score of 3 to 0.

11.  There are four, 4-team divisions (A,B,C & D).  All teams in the 4-team divisions will play three round robin games against the teams in their division.  At the end of round robin play, the two teams with the highest number of points of the 4 teams in their division will advance to the Quarterfinals. Any ties will be broken by using the tiebreaking procedures outlined in number 14 below

12.  At the end of all round robin games, the quarterfinal teams will be determined, and the games will match the advancing teams as follows:

1. The Division (A) team with the highest number of points versus the Division (B) team with the second highest number of points.

2. The Division (B) team with the highest number of points versus the Division (A) team with the second highest number of points.

3. The Division (C) team with the highest number of points versus the Division (D) team with the second highest number of points.

4. The Division (D) team with the highest number of points versus the Division (C) team with the second highest number of points.

The higher ranked team will be the home team in these quarterfinal games

13.   At the end of the quarterfinal games, the semifinal teams will be determined, and the games will match the advancing teams as follows:

1. The team with the highest number of points accumulated in the round robin versus the team with the lowest number of points in the round robin.

2. The team with the second highest number of points accumulated in the round robin versus the team with the third highest number of points in the round robin.

The higher ranked team will be the home team in these semifinal games.

14. Ties in points will be broken as follows:

1. Record of direct round robin games between tied teams (if applicable);

2. The ratio of goals for divided by goals against from all round robin games ( calculated to four decimal points);

3. The team with the least penalty minutes from all round robin games; 

4. A coin flip. 

NOTE:  If more than two teams are tied, the highest ranked team will be determined first, then the tie breaking formula will start over to break any remaining ties between those teams remaining tied.

15. The winners of the semifinal games will meet in the Cheetah Challenge Championship final. The team with the highest number of points in the round robin  will be the home team with ties broken as determined in number 14 above.

16. There are no ties after round robin games. If a quarterfinal, semifinal or the Championship Final game is tied at the end of regulation time, there will be a tie-breaking procedure as per the following:

1. A two-minute break followed by a 5-minute stop time, sudden victory overtime period with 3 skaters per team. 

2. If the game remains tied and the tournament committee determines there is enough time available, a second 5-minute stop time sudden victory period with 3 skaters per team will continue until the tie is broken. If there is deemed not to be enough time, the teams will go to a 3-player shootout as per the MHSHL rules for breaking ties in Regional Playoff games.

3. Penalties will be two minutes and will be served in the following manner: (i) the penalized player will serve the penalty, (ii) the penalized team will have the allocated 3 skaters and the other team will be allowed one additional skater, to a maximum of five.  At the first stoppage of play after the penalty has been served, both teams will return to playing with three skaters.

17.  Teams will be permitted one thirty second time out per game.

18.  Five Point System - Applies to Round Robin Play Only:

There’s a maximum of 5 points for each round robin game played based on:

• Two Points for a win

• One Point for a tie

• Zero points for a loss 

In addition, one point assigned per period as follows:

• One point awarded for a period won

• 1/2 point awarded for each period tied

• Zero points awarded for period lost