The Kelssek Hockey Association looks forward to welcoming competing teams to this 39th World Cup of Hockey tournament. If you have signed up, you may begin posting your rosters and RPs in this thread.
Some basic rules
The winner is the team that scores more goals than the other team. Each team can have 6 players on the ice at any time, and players are constantly being subbed on and off. A team that needs a goal or two late in the game will often "pull the goalie" - sub the goalie off for a forward, with the obvious risk that this gives the other team a chance of scoring an empty net goal.
All stoppages are restarted with a face-off between the two centres. A linesman drops the puck between them and the game is live when the puck touches the ice.
Offside - the rink has two blue lines dividing it into three zones, the defensive, neutral, and offensive zone. A player is offside if they are already in the offensive zone when the puck is passed to them. Some video reviews of excruciatingly close calls might help this rule make sense.
Icing - the rink also has a thick red line dividing it into two halves, and two thinner goal lines. If a team sends the puck across the opposing goal line from inside their own half, this is "icing" and the game is stopped and restarted inside their defensive zone. The penalized team is not allowed to substitute players during the stoppage. In French this rule has a rather more descriptive name: "refused clearance" (dégagement réfusé).
Fouls are punished with penalties. Most penalties are "minor" penalties, where the infringing player is sent off for two minutes or until the other team scores. Teams cannot be reduced to below 4 players. If they get more penalties when already down to four players, they stack on top each other (so the other team gets more 5-on-3 time).
Some infractions include:
- Slashing - chopping the other player's stick or hands with your stick (sideways 'sweep check' or upwards 'stick lifts' are fine)
- Hooking - using your stick like a hook to slow down an opponent
- Tripping - Duh
- High sticking - this is the one that you most often see a 4-minute double-minor when it draws blood. Technically the rulebook says "causes injury", but blood's become the de facto interpretation.
- Interference - Checking a player when the puck is not is playing distance
- Roughing, elbowing, charging, boarding, kneeing - Bodychecking a player in an illegal or excessively forceful way.
How are international rules different from the NHL?
Schedule (preliminary)
Cutoff time will be 2100 EST/ 0200 UTC. Dates are given in the North American time zone.
MD1: 23 Feb - 2v5, 3v4
MD2: 25 Feb - 5v3, 1v2
MD3: 27 Feb - 3v1, 4v5
MD4: 29 Feb - 1v4, 2v3
MD5: 2 Mar - 4v2, 5v1
Round of 16: 4 Mar
Quarterfinals: 6 Mar
Semifinals: 8 Mar
Final and bronze medal match: 10 Mar
Groups
The cities listed next to the group are the order of venues for each matchday. Hence, Group B plays MD1 in Breton, MD2 in Outineau, etc.
Group A - Outineau, Saint-Rémy, Breton, Neorvins, Colwyn
Tjun-ia (UR)
Anthor (22)
Free Republics (10)
Gergary (63)
Neu Engollon (1)
Group B - Breton, Outineau, Burnaby, Alavaria, Mazinaw
Mercedini (2)
Vdara (UR)
Qasden (23)
Bolgano (68)
Cassadaigua (11)
Group C - Vickery, Ulyanof, Novonaya, Latrobe, Clayquot
Fluvannia (UR)
Banija (12)
Abanhfleft (3)
Terre Septentrionale (27)
New Moreessia Ban (UR)
Group D - Kirkenes, Redswyth, Latrobe, Clayquot, Ulyanof
Siovanija and Teusland (4)
Sarzonia (UR)
Vangaziland (32)
Trolleborg (UR)
Savojarna (13)
Group E - Alavaria, Langlois, Neorvins, Outineau, Saint-Rémy
Kelssek (33)
Adyatin (UR)
Swiaji (UR)
Vilita and Turori (5)
Royal Kingdom of Quebec (14)
Group F - Redswyth, Kirkenes, Mazinaw, Vickery, Burnaby
Oscioru (UR)
Devonta (15)
Equestria (7)
Huelavia (33)
Nikaton (UR)
Group G - Latrobe, Alavaria, Vickery, Mazinaw, Novonaya
Kita-Hinode (16)
Imperial Joseon (UR)
Kandonica (UR)
Gyatso-kai (33)
Ko-oren (8)
Group H - Clayquot, Latrobe, Kirkenes, Redswyth, Neorvins
Valanora (9)
St Saratoga (19)
La Fiorita (UR)
Recuecn (UR)
Taeshan (48)
The teams finishing in the top two positions of each group will advance to the round of 16. Match-ups will be determined by seeding based on the following criteria:
1. Position in the group
2. Standings points
3. Goal difference
4. Goals scored
5. Randomization
This is only for the round of 16; subsequent rounds will follow the usual bracket we know and love.
Rules and format
During the group stage, teams winning in regulation are awarded three points, the loser none.
Where there is a tied score in the group stage, teams are given one point each. A five-minute sudden-death overtime, with three skaters per team, will follow. If the score is still tied after overtime, Game Winning Shots will be used. The team winning in overtime or shoot-out is awarded the extra point for a total of two points.
Ties in the standings are broken in the following way:
1. Number of points (three points for a regulation-time win, two points for an overtime or shootout win, one point for an overtime or shootout defeat, no points for a regulation-time defeat);
2. In case two teams are tied on points, the result of their head-to-head match will determine the ranking;
3. In case three or four teams are tied on points, the following criteria will apply (if, after applying a criterion, only two teams remain tied, the result of their head-to-head match will determine their ranking):
2. Goal differential in head-to-head matches between the teams concerned;
3. Number of goals scored in head-to-head matches between the teams concerned;
4. Result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams;
5. Result against next-best ranked team outside tied teams;
Games which end in a tie after regulation time
All overtime periods are played three skaters on three.
In case of a tie at the end of regulation in a round of 16, quarterfinal, semi-final or bronze medal game, there will be a 10-minute, sudden-death overtime period, following a three-minute intermission. The teams will defend the same goals as in the third period. The team which scores first is the winner.
If no goal is scored during the sudden-death overtime, there will be a game winning shot (GWS) competition ("shootout"). Each team must select three shooters to compete in the GWS. If the score is still tied after the teams have had three attempts each, the teams continue to shoot in pairings until the shooter of one team misses and the shooter of the other team scores.
In the gold medal game there will be 20-minute periods of overtime, following a full intermission during which the ice will be resurfaced. The teams will change ends. The team which scores first is the winner.