Suspension Guidelines

HOCKEY NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO SUSPENSION LIST

The Suspension List has been designed to be the minimum suspensions to be levied for the first time occurrence during the hockey season. In order to reduce the possibility of having excessive punishments being levied please do not make these suspensions more severe, as part of normal operations. However, when dealing with repeat offenders, the suspension list has also been designed to enable member organizations to take whatever recourse they may feel is required to control the situation and therefore prevent reoccurrences.

MATCH PENALTIES

• Molesting Officials Indefinite Suspension (miniumum7)
• Deliberate attempt to injure 3 games
• Grabbing the face mask (match) 3 games
• Spitting on opposing player Indefinite Suspension (minimum7)
• Spearing 3 games
• Buttending 3 games
• Headbutting 3 games
• Checking from behind (match) 3 games
• Kicking 3 games
• Second match of season Indefinite Suspension (minimum 3)
  (And any further occurrences)

FIGHTING AND CHECKING FROM BEHIND MAJORS

• First Offense 0 games
• Second Offense 2 games
• Third Offense 3 games
• Any further occurrence Indefinite Suspension (minimum 3)
• Second fighting major penalty during the same stoppage in play. 3 games
• Player identified as first to leave players bench during a fight or to join into a fight or leaving the penalty box to join into a fight. 3 games
• Coach whose team is penalized for players leaving the player’s bench or penalty box. 3 games

GROSS MISCONDUCT

• First offense 3 games
• Second gross of season
• and any further occurrences 3 games

PRE-POST GAME ALTERCATIONS

• Any player involved where Fighting majors and game misconducts are assessed. Indefinite Suspension (minimum3)
• Coach of a team whose players are so penalized. Indefinite Suspension (minimum 3)
• Any team involved in a pre or post game brawl. * Indefinite suspension of traveling privileges and/or fine to be determined by the HNO.
• A pre-game altercation is defined as any altercation that occurs prior to the teams lining up on the ice to start the game. (June/98)
• A post-game altercation is defined as any altercation involving players and or team officials who come off the bench at the end of the game or any altercation that was clearly started well after the conclusion of the game. (June/98)

NOTES TO SUSPENSION LIST

1. The game that the infraction occurs does not count as a game served.
2. It is the responsibility of each team manger/coach to ensure that his/her players serve their appropriate suspension. When in doubt seek and obtain clarification or sit the player until clarification is obtained. Suspensions of less than 8 games will not be appealable to the HNO.
3. HNO player or team official suspension will only be served through “meaningful� games.
4. A “meaningful� games is a regular league, play-off (league or inter-branch) or sanctioned tournament game.
5. EXHIBITION GAMES AND NON-SANCTIONED GAMES SHALL NOT BE USED FOR THE SERVING OF SUSPENSION NDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
6. Players and team officials under suspension, other than the assessed for a violation of CHA Rule 71, are allowed to practice with their teams, at the discretion of their Association, but may not participate in any regular league, play-of or tournament games, inside or outside the Branch, until their suspensions have been served in their entirety.
7. Suspensions at one level of hockey apply to ALL levels of hockey within the Branch.
8. Suspended players must serve their suspensions through the team with which they are carded or of which they are the “property�, unless the player’s team has been eliminated from or is not participating in further play that season and the player is to remain with the affiliated team for the balance of the season (i.e. Affiliated players cannot, except under those circumstances, serve their suspension with the affiliated teams).
9. Any player or team official under suspension, other than that assessed for a violation of CHA Rule 71, that has been carried over from a previous season shall not be prohibited form participating in any tryout activities (not including sanctioned pre-season games). The suspension will recommence at 12:01 a.m. the day of the first meaningful game of the team for which the player is registered.

CHA REGULATION R-DISCIPLINE OF CLUB, TEAMS, PLAYER AND OFFICIALS.
1. Any team using a suspended player in play-off, league, exhibition or tournament games shall be liable to immediate suspension.
2. Any person responsible for a team having used a suspended player shall also be suspended.
3. Any team found guilty of having used any ineligible player in any league, play-off, exhibition or tournament game, shall lose any points earned in any game in which the ineligible player participated. The player and/or team officials shall be liable to further disciplinary action in accordance with Regulation F 10.