U9 Tournament Rules:

For all games, the coach / manager shall have their team in the arena a minimum of thirty (30) minutes before the scheduled game time. If the tournament is running ahead of schedule, the starting time of any game may be advanced a maximum of twenty (20) minutes at the discretion of the Tournament Committee. Each team is required to vacate the dressing room within 20 minutes after their game has ended.

Players, bench staff & ideally a lone guardian is allowed to enter the back doors to aide their player in getting ready. Please proceed asap to the stands after as the halls get too congested. All spectators are asked to enter and exit the front doors and not go in dressing room hallway please. Upstairs will be open for spectating too.

1. U9 teams will play 3 half ice games consisting of 20 minute straight-time periods.

2. Small Novice nets, with black pucks. If help is available at time of floods to move the boards, it would be appreciated to keep things rolling. Helpers must have helmet & skates on.

3. Visiting team change benches after first period.

4. 90-second shift length.

5. All double-shifting players are required to "tag up" at bench before returning to play, or play will be whistled dead. On tag up we haven't been blowing the play dead more honor system placed on the team - to keep the play going.

6.            Official to place live puck in neutral area on shift change (no faceoffs); dead puck from preceding shift to be retrieved by official. Again, we have just been allowing the play to continue without interference from the ref regardless of where puck is

7.             On play stoppages comprising ( i ) goals ; or (i i ) a goaltender freezing the puck , the puck (or new puck) i s dropped immediately at centre ice with no set formation. When goaltender freezes the puck or a goal is scored, the ref blows the play dead, opposing team is to back up to roughly the center of playing surface, again to try to keep play moving.

8.             Penalties, per HNS guidelines, will require the offending player to be sent to the bench for the remainder of the timed shift; no power plays and the coach will instruct the player on what happened. U9 officiating tends to differ from place to place so we 'd like to warn the players if they need to tag up at the bench, if there will be faceoffs, etc . 

9. After the buzzer goes there is just enough time for a quick fun shootout for both sides!  A few players each game. Please ensure you keep track each game of who has had their chance to go as ideally, we'd like all players to have one shot each. Probably five shooters from each team each game? It gives the kiddos their moment to shine and seeing their excitment in the spotlight is great. It also gives teams and fans the moment to cheer their hardworking goalies on. Remind them it's all in good FUN so have your phones ready for photos ? If you have a goalie who is goalie all games, please make sure they have a chance to shoot too if they want it!

Let' s have a great time watching our little athletes play the game we all love!