Notekeu Hockey League Rules and Policies 

Updated October 2023 

Player Eligibility

1. No registered player will be allowed to officiate for his own team unless both teams agree
2. To be eligible for playoffs, players must have participated in at least five (5) regular season games for the team in which they are participating playoffs with. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE
3. A U18 or younger affiliated player qualifies to play in league playoffs without having played five (5) games provided that player plays regularly in the local minor hockey system or league within the Notekeu Hockey League. All affiliated players must be sent to the league upon registration
4. Any team that uses an ineligible player will be fined $200 and a game forfeiture
5. Fines shall be paid within one week or before the teams next game, which ever comes first 
6. A rookie shall be any player playing his first year of senior hockey or any player of junior age or under playing his first year in the league. Unsigned affiliated players shall be considered a rookie only when they are signed on a regular team roster. They will not be eligible for this award as an affiliated player
7. IMPORT RULE:

3 – Junior A or equivalent, NCAA or equivalent, University or equivalent or higher levels of hockey

41 – minimum career games in any of those categories over their Jr. career

Locals count only as being from the town your Sr. team is located in or if currently living in that town. These players will not count as Imports. Any player having played in the above mentioned levels would be considered an import if they are not from or currently residing in the town the Sr. team is based in

Ex: A guy from Limerick, currently living in Limerick would be an import to Assiniboia

If a player moved from somewhere else moved to live in the town the Sr. team is based in and played in the above mentioned levels of hockey they would not be considered an import 

Three (3) years consecutively with the same team allows that player to be considered a local in his fourth year with that team

Thirty Five (35) and older players whose 35^th birthdays are the same year the season begins (January, July or December of the same year, etc.) would not count as an import

An import may not leave one team and join another team without his playoff eligibility resetting. He must play 5 games for the new team he has switched to, to be eligible for playoffs

Regular Season

1. Home teams will be in charge of letting the league president, league statistician and referee in chief of their games know when a game is cancelled or start time is moved, along with rescheduled time and date the game is to be played.
2. Home teams will be in charge of sending a LEGIBLE picture to the league statistician, president and governor after every game before MIDNIGHT.
3. Regular Season and playoff formats will be discussed and decided on at the leagues first annual or general meeting.
4. Game times will be 8:00 PM on Friday nights and 7:30 PM on Saturday nights. Any changes must be cleared with the visiting team and home team will updated everyone as previously mentioned.
5. At the end of three (3) periods with the score tied, each team will be awarded one point. Overtime will commence after a two (2) minute rest period. Teams will not change ends.
6. There will be a five (5) minute sudden death, three on three overtime period. If the teams are still tied there will be a 5 man shoot-out to follow. The visiting team will shoot first. All five (5) players will shoot unless one team is mathematically eliminated. 
7. If the teams are still tied after five (5) shooters a sudden death shoot out will start. Teams may not reuse a shooter until one team has completely used all of their eligible shooters.                                 EXAMPLE: Home team has 14 skaters and visiting team has 17 skaters. Once the home team has used their 14^th shooter, the visiting team may now start back with their 1^st shooter.
8. Any team that forfeits a regular season game will pay the opposing team $500 and any other costs incurred from the forfeiture. 
9. Any team with capable local linesmen are encouraged to let the Referee in Chief know

Regular Season Tie Breaker

1. If two or more teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, the standings of the teams is determined in the following order:

The fewer number of games played (Ex. Points percentage)

The greater number of games won.

The greater number of points earned in games between the tied teams. If two teams are tied and have not played an equal number of home games against each other, points earned in the first game played in the town that had the extra game shall not be included. If more than two teams are tied, the higher percentage of available points earned in games among those clubs, and not including any “odd” games shall be used to determine the standing. 

Playoffs

1. Overtime in playoff games will start after a two (2) minute rest period and be followed by a ten (10) minute sudden death period. If the teams are still tied a flood will occur and twenty (20) minute periods will follow.
2. Any team that forfeits a playoff game will pay the opposing team $1000 and any other costs incurred from the forfeiture. 

League Awards

1. Rotating trophies will be awarded to the “Most Valuable Player”, “Top Goalie”, “Best Defenseman”, “Top Rookie”, “Most Sportsmanlike” and “Best Coach” as voted on by teams. A trophy for “Best Goals Against” will be given to the goalkeeper(s) having played for the team with the lowest “GAA”. A trophy for “Top Scorer” will be given to the player who leads the league in scoring for the regular season.
2. The President will notify each team when to send their nominees for league awards. Each team will send the name of their candidates for voting on league awards to the President. Once teams receive the voting lists a first, second and third choice are then voted on by each team and sent back to the President. A team cannot vote for their nominated players. 5 points for a first-place finish, 3 points for a second-place finish and 1 point for a third-place finish. In the event of a tie-on points, the nominee with more first place votes will win. If still tied the two will share the trophy. 
3. A “Playoff MVP” will be chosen at the end of the league final between the president and the coaching staff of the two teams competing in the league final. 
4. All trophies must be returned to the current league executive by the Christmas Break.