11.0 Post-Season Playoffs, Playdowns and Championships, Structure, ALLIANCE Manual of Operations (Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario)

11.0 – POST SEASON PLAYOFFS, PLAYDOWNS & CHAMPIONSHIPS

 

11.1 Playdowns and Playoffs:

 

.1   The  ALLIANCE Playdown format and League Playoff  format shall be determined by the Structure Committee in consultation with member associations/zones as soon as the full structure and OHF/HC playdown  formats  and dates are known.

.2   Member Associations shall declare group winners, and notify the Executive Director where applicable.

.1   A team that does not wish to enter playdowns must indicate such intent prior to the ALLIANCE classification meeting.

.2   All teams qualifying for ALLIANCE or OHF playdowns must fulfill their obligation to their Association(s).

.3   Failure to comply with 11.1.1 or 11.1.2 of this Rule will result in a one (1)-year suspension of the team.

 

.3   ALLIANCE Hockey shall receive One Hundred & Fifty Dollars $150.00 per team per series for all ALLIANCE Hockey Playdown, League Playoff and Playoff round robin series.

 

11.2 Playdown Deadlines and Groups:

 

.1   Each scheduled league will have a winning team declared at applicable divisions/categories by dates determined by the ALLIANCE Structure Committee or the league will forfeit the right to send any team into the playdowns.

 

.2   Any single team playing in a mixed league/division/category may be reassigned to another league in their category on the decision of the ALLIANCE Structure Committee after consultation with the local association.

 

11.3 Playdown Series:

 

.1   Playdowns will consist of a minimum of the best of three (3) games.  A best of five (5) or best of seven (7) game series may be scheduled.

.2   The ALLIANCE may give prior authorization to extend a quarterfinal, semi-final or final series to seven (7) games.

 

.4   Where playdown dates and details cannot be agreed upon by the competing teams, the ALLIANCE will determine dates, times and details of the playdown series.

 

11.4 Tournaments During Playdown and Playoff Competition:

 

.1   There will be no tournaments scheduled after the start date of Playdown and Playoffs for Representative AAA and Seeded League AA/A hockey. The only exceptions are the Quebec Peewee Tournament, Canada/Ontario Winter Games and the Silver Stick Finals.

 

NOTE:  In any ALLIANCE Playdown series where BOTH teams attend a tournament during the series, the length of the series will be reduced in order to adhere to the predetermined series deadline. This policy will also be applied to any series that is affected by delays caused by High School Hockey, school  exams or any other non-ALLIANCE activities. These restrictions would apply mainly to teams qualifying for OHF Championships.

 

11.5 Neutral Referees:

 

.1   During ALLIANCE Hockey Playdown  Finals Championship Series, Referees will be assigned out of the ALLIANCE Hockey office. Zone Coordinators will present their best Officials based on supervisions over the course of the season and those Officials will be assigned by the ALLIANCE Hockey Office. This procedure will be used for Representative AAA and Seeded AA/A Hockey.

 

.2   In emergency situations where neutral Referees are required for a game, members of the ALLIANCE Hockey Referee Program Development staff (Referee Supervisors and Instructors), are to be considered neutral.

 

.3   In the event that neutral Referees do not appear for a scheduled game, whether through a scheduling error or any other reason, and alternate neutral Referees cannot be located in a short period of time, then the game may proceed using qualified local Referees, if available.

Neutral Referees are not necessary for BB & B Hockey.

 

11.6 Playdown Game Location:

 

.1   Home ice advantage for playdown series between teams with no regular season league play will be determined:

 

.1   In a three (3) game series the teams will toss a coin to determine the location of the third game;

.2   In a five (5) game series the teams will toss a coin to determine the location of the fifth game;

.3   In a seven (7) game series the teams will toss a coin to determine the location of the seventh game.

 

.2   If regular season league play has occurred, home ice advantage for playdown series will be determined by:

 

.1   The team with the higher league standing (most points).

 

.2   If the teams are tied in points:

 

.1   The team with the best record in head-to-head regular season league games.

 

.2   The team with the best goal differential in head-to-head regular season league games.

 

.3   The team with the least penalty minutes in head-to-head regular season league games.

.4  Coin toss.

 

.3   All succeeding games shall alternate except where other arrangements have been agreed upon by both centres prior to the start of the series.

 

11.7 Home and Home Series:

 

.1   Home and Home series will be played only in cases of emergency. The conditions of any such series shall be specified by the ALLIANCE.

 

11.8 Playdown Series:

 

.1   Playdown Point System

 

Any odd game series shall be decided on a points system, two (2) points for a win, and one (1) point for a tie.  All series shall be:

 

.1   best 2 of 3 (4 points)

 

.2   best 3 of 5 (6 points)

 

.3   best 4 of 7 (8 points)

 

11.9 Overtime in a Playdown Series:

 

.1   All ALLIANCE playoff games will allow for overtime.

.2   When overtime is required to declare a winner, sudden victory will apply.

.3   Length of overtime will be five (5) minutes, stop time, unless section 11.9.4 of this regulation applies.

.4  At the end of regulation time, in a deciding game (game 3 or 4 in a 2 of 3 series, game 5 or 6 in a 3 of 5 series or game 7 or 8 in a 4 of 7 series), and the two (2) teams are tied in points in the series, as many as three (3), ten (10) minute stop time sudden victory periods may be played.

.5   If teams are still tied after 11.9.4 then another game will be scheduled by the Ice Schedulers with approval of the Executive Director.

 

11.10 Declaration   of   Championship   Teams   (AAA, AA/A,   BB & B):

 

.1   Championship teams for   HC,  OHF  and ALLIANCE Championships must be declared a minimum of 7 days prior to the Championship start date.

.2  Failure to meet the above deadline may result in the teams being declared ineligible for the Championships.  Permission to extend the deadline may only be approved by the Structure Committee.

 

11.11 Award Policy:

 

.1   ALLIANCE Hockey and ALLIANCE Hockey Championship Hosts will provide Championship presentation material for twenty- three (23) participants or as determined by the category's seasonal registration numbers.  This includes all players, team officials and affiliate players. Additional presentation material may be ordered at a cost to the local association.

 

11.12 Award Presentation Procedures:

 

.1  When a final series has been narrowed down to two (2) teams, the  presentation  material is  then sent to one of the finalists, who are responsible for having the presentation material and at the deciding game where applicable.

 

.2  It  is  up  to  the Home Team’s   Ice Scheduler   or  Team Representative (to be determined by the Association) to contact the Regional Vice President to see if they are available to make the trophy presentation on that date.  If the Regional Vice President is unavailable,  the Ice Scheduler or Team Representative is to contact the following people in this order: the Representative Council Chair, the Representative Council Vice Chair and finally the team Coach to make the presentation.

 

.3  Once the Presenter has been decided, the Association will then coordinate the information with the ALLIANCE Office.

 

11.13 Completion of Scheduled Games:

 

.1   All schedules, scheduled games and ALLIANCE Playdown and Playoff series must be completed as per the final agreed contract.  Failure to comply with said contracts may result in sanctions to team officials, local associations and causes the team to be ineligible for any remaining play.

 

.2   All regular season games that have no impact on the final league standings must be played prior to the conclusion of playdown dates. Games that impact the standings must be played prior to the start of playdowns and playoffs, upon approval of the ALLIANCE Structure Committee Chair.

 

11.14 Playdown Format for U18 AAA Hockey: