Overview

The Canadian Pond Hockey Championship is an initiative of the Kinsmen Club of Bolton... More

Rules

The rules of pond hockey are basic - 4 on 4 players, no goal tending, a 75ft X 150ft rink with standard width nets that are only 10 inches high... More

Venue

The venue is in the gorgeous setting of the Albion Conservation Area, off Hwy. 50 near Palgrave in the Caledon Hills...More

Communications

Prior to the actual event, ALL communications between teams and the organizers will be by email only...More

Overview

The Canadian Pond Hockey Championship is a not for profit initiative of the Kinsmen Club of Bolton to introduce a winter challenge to lovers of the game and give them an opportunity to play the Canadian game as it was originally conceived.

In this annual event, teams from across Canada and North America are challenged to participate within 4 divisions of 6 teams each. Some of these divisions may be industry divisions, for example, there may be one or two firefighter, police or other divisions where the winners can brag of being the industry champions (even if only in the qualifier series). Other Industry Divisions will be added where there are at least 6 teams available to participate in that division.

Kinsmen are a not for profit organization so all proceeds raised by the event will be used for community services, with a portion donated to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Research Foundation. This event will be managed and run BY VOLUNTEERS, including an official assigned at each rink for each game played

The rules of pond hockey are simple: four-on-four players on-ice with four man rosters, no goalie or body blocking shots on a goal that is a net of regulation width but only 10 inches high.

The tournament itself will have five rounds of play for each division, with each of the teams in the divisions challenging the others in their division. Each team then, is guaranteed five games, each game consisting of two 15-minute periods with no clock stoppage once a period starts and a 5-minute half-time break. All teams will play one night game on Friday night and four on Saturday.

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Rules

General

The rules of the Canadian Pond Hockey Championship are intended to provide an environment that encourages skill, speed, stamina and FUN. And we want to do this in a safe environment for all involved.

1. All players must wear helmets and hockey skates. Protective equipment is optional but highly recommended.

2. No goalie equipment or goalie sticks are permitted.

3. All teams must have matching light and dark jerseys or uniforms.

4. There will be at least one off ice official (Monitor) at each rink to monitor the play (scoring, puck reset, and arbiter of infractions). THE MONITOR IS ALWAYS RIGHT AND DECISIONS FINAL!

5. Once the horn is sounded indicating start of play, there will be no stopping of the clock for any reason until the period has ended.

6. Penalties for rule infractions may be called by the Monitor or requested by a Team Captain and decided by the Monitor.

7. There are no offside or icing calls or any other situations that will stop play.

8. The team that has been scored upon must move the puck (quickly so the game is not delayed) over the ½ ice point before the defending team can engage in play.

9. There are no overtime periods in round robin play.

10. During Championship games only, teams will play one 3-minute overtime period in the case of a tie. The team that scores the most will be declared the winner. If the score remains tied at the end of the 3 minute overtime period, play will continue unabated and the first team to score wins (sudden death).

Loss of Possession of Puck

Certain situations as follow will result in possession of the puck being transferred to the opposing team.

1. Contacting the puck with a stick above the waist will result in a loss of possession.

2. Raising the puck intentionally will result in a loss of possession.

3. If a puck goes out of bounds, the last team to touch it loses possession. If the out-of-bounds puck cannot be quickly retrieved, the Monitor will toss in a new puck to be played from the area where it left the rink.

Minor Penalties

If a minor penalty is charged to a team, the opposing team will be awarded a goal point as well as possession of the puck. Minor penalties include the following;

1. No Slapshots allowed. Such action will result in a minor penalty.

2. No checking is allowed. Such action will result in a minor penalty unless deemed serious enough to be a major as determined by the Monitor.

3. Players cannot fall or lay on the ice or lay their sticks down in an effort to protect the goal area (goal tending). Such action will result in a minor penalty.

4. During restart, the defender must give his opponent 2-stick lengths of space. Failure to do so will result in a minor penalty.

5. Teams will be required to give their opponents ½ ice after a goal is scored or a change in possession occurs for a penalty/infraction. Failure to return to home ice as required will result in a minor penalty.

Major Penalties

Any major penalty, which includes any action that could possibly injure another player, spectators or officials, will result in the ejection of the offending player from the rest of the tournament. The team that receives the ejection will play the remainder of the tournament shorthanded (3 on 4). The Monitor will determine major penalties which may be appealed to the opposing team only if the infraction is against the opposing team. Major penalties include the following;

1. Any action that could cause injury to an opposing player such as tripping, cross-checking or other such action may be assessed as a major penalty.

2. Fighting or physical aggression AT ANY TIME OR ANYWHERE AT THE VENUE will result in a major penalty. The Monitor or an Event Official will attempt as best as possible to determine the initiating offender (i.e. who threw the first punch).

3. Intimidation or abuse of officials will be considered a major penalty. This includes yelling, swearing, or arguing about calls.

4. No checking is allowed. Such action will result in a minor penalty unless deemed serious enough to be a major as determined by the Monitor.

5. The organizing committee reserves the right to prohibit any player or team from participating if they are deemed to cause safety concerns.

The organizing committee reserves the right to add or delete rules.

Teams will be informed of changes via our web site and/or at the pre-tournament orientation meeting.

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Venue

The venue for the event is an open-air pond of sufficient size to accommodate 4 rinks, each 75 ft wide by 150 ft deep. The timing is set for mid-February, on "Family Day" long weekend, which is historically in the middle of the coldest period of the year, minimizing the risk of adverse weather that for this event is unseasonably warm weather. If necessary due to weather conditions we may postpone the event for up to several weeks.

Located an easy drive from the Toronto area, the venue is in the gorgeous setting of the Albion Conservation Area, off Hwy. 50 near Palgrave in the Caledon Hills, Ontario. The lake at Albion is a damned off area and is relatively shallow so readily freezes in the winter. There will be food and beverage available at the site's pavilion, a warm up tent, bonfire and the Chalet at the park is nearby.

For friends, family and spectators, also available at the park are two cross country ski trails (with full rental equipment available) and a toboggan run. See the Spectators page for more.

Directions to the Albion Conservation Area are available on this website.

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Communications

Prior to the actual event, ALL communications between teams and the organizers will be by email only. Other forms of communications such as telephone and fax cannot be supported. Remember that this event is run by volunteers so responses to emails may not be immediate but done as fast as possible under the circumstances.

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