Northern Nova Scotia High School Hockey League

2025-2026

Teams

        Hants East Tigers

        Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars

        Northumberland Night Hawks

        North Nova Gryphons

        Dr JH Gillis Royals

Game Format

        Home team will supply warm up and game pucks.

       When possible teams will go on the ice directly after the previous team(s) for a 7-minute warm up.  Ice will be resurfaced, teams will return with only the starting line-ups on the ice.

        O Canada will be played, if possible.

        1 fifteen-minute period and 2 twenty minute periods will be played with a flood between the 2nd and 3rd periods.

        If there is a tie:  There will be a five-minute stop time 3v3 sudden-victory-overtime if time permits. If still tied, the game will be recorded as a tie. Time required would be 8 minutes. Penalties during the stop time overtime period will be 2 minutes. If there is a penalty, the teams will play 4v3. If the penalized team receives another penalty, the teams will play 5 on 3. When the penalized player's penalty is over, the player (s) will return to play until the next stoppage of play. If there is not enough time for stop time, there will a five minute straight time sudden-death-overtime period. Penalties during the straight time overtime period will be 3 minutes. If there is a penalty, the teams will play 4v3. If the penalized team receives another penalty, the teams will play 5 on 3.  When the penalized player's penalty is over, the player (s) will return to play until the next stoppage of play.

        Points will be awarded as follows: Regulation win is 4 points; Overtime win is 3 points; Overtime loss is 1 point; if the game finishes as a tie, each team will be awarded 2 points

        Each team is permitted one 30-second time out per game.

        Admission to games is Adults $5; Students/Seniors $2

        As Scott advised, the Sunday start time of 1PM earliest has been lifted.

        SSNS is No Change Icing.

Schedule

        The schedule will consist of each team playing all of the other teams in the league 4 times for a total of 16 games. 2 home and 2 away.

        Make up Games- the home team will present two dates and reasonable times to the visiting team. The visiting team must not already be playing on the date(s) presented. The visiting team will select one of the dates presented and the make-up game will take place. If, for any reason, the visiting team cannot select one of the dates the home team will be awarded the victory. Every effort is to be made to reschedule pre Christmas break games before the Christmas break.

        All games are to be completed by. Any games that cannot be played by this date will be lost. The final standings will be determined at this time.

Suspension reports

        Reports must be sent to the Northumberland Regional Director Dan MacDonald via e-mail MacDonaldk@ccrce.ca. Dan is registered on the web page that officials use for submitting game reports. Teams are to ensure local referees are advised of Dan’s contact information and that he is registered on the system.

Game Sheets& Website

All game will be done on Grayjay this upcoming season

Website link https://nnshshl.grayjayleagues.com/

League Standings and Regional Play-Offs

        Regional Play-offs will begin the weekend of Feb 27^th -March 1^st   CEC To Host

        The last day to determine a Regional Winner is March 1^st, 2026. Provincials are to be held March 27-29^th (Western Region).

        To determine the ranking for Regional Play-Offs, each teams’ points for the entire regular season schedule will be used to determine placement within their respective Division. The higher team in standings for the regular season will remain the higher team when Division standings are calculated. The higher ranking team will be the home team for the series.

        The SSNS tie breaker for hockey will be used to determine positions if two teams are tied. It will read as follows which include adjustments for our league.

        New for 2025-2026 Season. The provincial championship for hockey will be a six-team championship. This change will allow SSNS to host the championship in a two-day format if weather conditions require cancellation of one day of competition. As we saw this spring, there can be snow days even in April so this new format will allow flexibility to host the championship over two days if required.

After regular season play, if two or more teams are tied in points in a division, the following is the tie-breaker:

        Total points earned in games amongst the tied teams.

       Most regulation wins in games amongst the tied teams.

        Most OT wins in games amongst the tied teams.

        Goal differential in games between the tied teams (goals for minus goals against) with the team with the higher number being awarded the higher standing.

        If still tied, repeat steps 1 to 4 but include the record of all the teams in the division, not just the tied teams.

        If still tied, the higher standings will be determined on the ratio of goals for, to goals against to three (3) decimal places (goals for divided by goals against). In calculating this ratio only the records of the teams tied against each other shall be considered.

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        Overtime for Regional Play-offs will be a five minute 4 on 4 followed by 3 on 3 sudden victory until a winner is decided. Time will be stop time. Penalties will be two minutes. A penalized team will not go below 3 skaters. If there is a penalty, the teams will play 4v3. If the penalized team receives another penalty, the teams will play 5 on 3.  When the penalized player's penalty is over, the player (s) will return to play until the next stoppage of play.