Rules

The tournament is specifically intended for players born in 2010, regardless of the league they play in. Permissions for overage players must be requested separately in advance from the tournament director (pekka.manninen@vuokattiareena.fi), who will evaluate each request on a case-by-case basis. There is no limit on the number of players used in the tournament. A team may have up to 19 skaters and 2 goalies in a single game. Rosters may be updated during the tournament with players who have represented or are representing their club's U15 age group during the spring season.

A team official without a valid player license is not allowed to be in the bench area. There is no limit on the number of team officials in the bench area.

The tournament follows the Finnish Ice Hockey Federation's (SJL) U15 rules with certain tournament-specific exceptions. Games are played 3x20 minutes without ice warm-up. Total game time is two hours. The tournament is played in two groups of four teams each, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals, and the bottom two moving to the lower bracket. Both brackets are played to completion, meaning each team will play five games during the tournament. Ice resurfacing occurs after each period during tournament games.

There are no overtime or shootouts in group stage games. If the game is tied after 60 minutes in the games following the group stage, a 5-minute overtime will be played without ice resurfacing in a 3 vs. 3 format. If still tied after that, the game will be decided by a shootout using the best-of-3 method. If still tied, the game will proceed to sudden death, where the same player may shoot as in the first 3 attempts.

Timeouts are allowed only in placement games on the tournament's final day due to scheduling constraints.

The home team will wear dark jerseys, and the away team will wear light jerseys. Teams may deviate from this by mutual agreement before the game starts. Any change must be reported to the tournament director at least 30 minutes before the game starts, who will then inform the game officials.

A player or team official receiving a match penalty is suspended until the matter has been reviewed by the tournament's disciplinary body and a decision has been made. Two 10-minute penalties will result in a 1-game suspension. A match penalty counts as one 10-minute penalty. If a match penalty is awarded after the game, it automatically results in a 1-game suspension.

Tournament Rules

The tournament adheres to the current competition and junior rules of the Finnish Ice Hockey Federation (SJL) with the exceptions noted in these rules.

The tournament jury does not handle referee reports but forwards them to the respective team's regional disciplinary officer for further processing.

Tournament Format

The tournament is played as a single round-robin series where each team plays against every other team once. In the series, a win earns two (2) points, a tie earns one (1) point, and a loss earns zero (0) points.

Team standings in the series are determined based on points earned.

In the event of a tie in points, team standings are determined in the following order:

1. Points
2. Points in head-to-head matches
3. Goal difference in the group
4. Goal difference in head-to-head matches
5. Goals scored in the group
6. Goals scored in head-to-head matches
7. Penalty minutes in the series/group
8. Draw

Match Duration

The match duration in the tournament is 3x20 minutes, with a total running time of 120 minutes per game. No overtime is played.

Period Breaks

• After the 1st period: 15 minutes (ice resurfacing)
• After the 2nd period: 15 minutes (ice resurfacing)

The ice is resurfaced after each game.

Teams must be in the immediate vicinity of the rink, fully equipped, five (5) minutes before the scheduled match time. If a team does not arrive on time, they are deemed to have lost the match 5-0.

Player List and Jerseys

The team listed first in the match schedule is the home team and plays in darker jerseys, while the away team plays in lighter jerseys, unless otherwise agreed upon by the teams.

The final player list must be submitted to the officials 30 minutes before the team's game.

Awards

The winning team of the tournament is awarded a trophy.

Insurance and First Aid

All players and officials must have a valid license approved by the SJL. The tournament organizers are not responsible for any injuries, and there is no separate first aid personnel on site. Each team must bring adequate first aid equipment with them.

Referees

Games are officiated by referees from the Kainuu Ice Hockey Referees Association.

Game/Match Penalties

Penalties follow the SJL's competition rules. Major penalties resulting in suspension will prevent the player from playing further in the tournament, as according to SJL rules, suspensions must be served in league games. Thus, a player receiving a suspension is banned from playing until the penalty is served in a league game.

Schedule Changes

The tournament organizer reserves the right to change the match schedule, game duration, ice resurfacing, or any other related organizational matters.

Protest Handling

The tournament jury consists of the Tournament Director and the Chief Referee from the Kainuu Ice Hockey Referees Association. The Tournament Director has the final decision-making authority in case of disputes. Protests must be submitted in writing within 15 minutes after the game ends. The protest fee is 100 euros, which will be refunded if the protest is upheld.

Contact Person

Pekka Manninen, pekka.manninen@vuokattiareena.fi, +358401872170

The tournament organizer reserves the right to make changes.