CGHL Constitution - As of October 2024
The Constitution of the City Gents Hockey League Revised
October 2004, August 2011, September 2016, September 2018, September 2019,
October 2020, October 2022, October 2024 Article 1: Purpose of the League The City Gents Hockey League (CGHL) was formed, and exists today,
to promote sportsmanship, goodwill and foster the sport of hockey on a friendly
and competitive basis. The rules, by-laws and regulations of both the CAHA and NBAHA, as
well as any other rules, by-laws or amendments imposed by the League itself
within this Constitution, shall govern the League. Article 2: League Administration The governing body of the League shall consist of a Board of
Governors and an Executive. The League Board of Governors shall consist of one voting
representative from each team in the league. The League Executive shall consist of 3 Co-Presidents. This
Executive will be elected by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board of
Governors at the beginning of the season and will sit on the Board of Governors. The Presidents are to receive an honorarium, to be determined by
the League Board of Governors, and to be paid at the start of each season. In
addition, there will be an executive expense account to be used to cover
incidental costs associated with League activities. Reimbursement to be
based on receipts provided. Article 3: Powers of the Executive All members of the Executive shall refrain from making any public
comment or statement on any League matters that have not yet come before the
Board of Governors. The Board of Governors can amend or
change rules from time to time, at their discretion, to benefit the League, as approved by a 2/3 majority
vote. Board of Governors The Board of Governors shall consist of a representative from each
team in the League. No more than two members of any team shall attend a meeting
and each team is allowed only one vote at League meetings. To hold an official League meeting a quorum shall consist of a
representation of a simple majority of teams in the League (i.e. 12 teams: an
official quorum is seven (7)). Responsibilities 1)
Shall be responsible for the passing of any rule changes. 2)
Shall be responsible for the passing of any constitution
amendments and/or changes. 3)
Shall have jurisdiction over the admittance of any new teams. 4)
Shall have jurisdiction over anything not specifically covered in
the constitution. 5)
All decisions of the
Board of Governors must be passed by a two-thirds majority vote of the members
present (quorum), No
proxy votes allowed – must have representative present. 6)
All members of the League Executive are to be elected by a
two-thirds majority vote of the members present (quorum). 7)
Shall have the power to remove from office, for just cause, any
member of the Executive by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present (quorum). a)
Shall, within one week of the removal of the Executive member from
office, appoint an individual as his replacement. 8)
Any team not having a representative at an official League
meeting, without just cause and prior notification, shall be fined $25 dollars. Note: Any rule changes or changes in the constitution shall not be
passed until after a second League meeting and shall not be applied
retroactively.
The President and/or Co–Presidents Responsibilities 1)
Shall preside at all Executive and/or League meetings. 2)
Shall have the power to issue a suspension to any member of the
League for any infraction of the rules and by-laws in accordance with the
guidelines set out in Articles 7 and 8. 3)
Shall serve as a consultant to the Suspension Appeals Board 4)
Shall be considered the trustee of the League. 5)
Shall be responsible for commencement of League operations
including: a.
Booking of appropriate ice times in city arenas b.
Making arrangements for League game officials c.
Calling of the first League meeting for each season d.
Issuing invitations to all teams from the City Gents Hockey League
of the previous season to rejoin the League e.
Make arrangements for a replacement for any team, which decides
not to return. f.
Making arrangements for League schedules g.
Making arrangements for the annual banquet if so desired by the League Governors h.
Is
chair of the annual All Star Game Committee if so desired by the League Governors 6)
Shall set agendas for all League meetings. 7)
Shall act as the spokesperson for the League. 8)
May appoint special committees. 9)
Ensures that all members adhere to the rules and regulations of
the CGHL. 10)
Presents awards and/or trophies to their recipients at the
appropriate time and place. 11)
Communicates regularly with on-ice and off-ice officials. 12)
Shall produce copies of the minutes of the previous meeting for
the Board of Governors. 13)
Shall record the minutes for any meeting of the League. 14)
Shall prepare annual operating budget. 15)
Shall record all financial transactions for the League and prepare
a year-end report of all financial transactions which occurred during the year. 16)
Shall ensure that all monthly debts are paid in accordance with
the terms advised. Statistician and/or Timekeeper The statistician/timekeeper’s primary responsibility is to record
and report on all relevant League statistics arising from the playing of all
League games. The statistician/timekeeper will be paid for his/her services on a
regular basis throughout the season at the rate which is to be determined on a
per game basis. Responsibilities 1)
Shall serve as timekeeper for all League games or, in the event of
his absence, shall make arrangements for a suitable replacement to fulfill his
duties. 2)
Shall advise the President of any major infractions such as
fighting, misconduct’s, match penalties, etc. as soon as possible after the
infraction, and forward a copy of the game report to the President along
with any written comments by the referees or officials. 3)
Shall
maintain and update the League Website. 4)
Shall update website with a team roster one-week after player registration deadline. 5)
Shall
keep records of all suspensions and other statistics relative to team play (website). 6)
Shall inform the officials and players (by way of clock) as to the
amount of time available for warm-up and shall ensure that the game clock
starts on time.
Suspension Appeals Board A 3 man committee, plus an alternate, appointed by the Board of
Governors, along with the President of the League, shall deal with any appeals
of suspensions or protests that the players or teams feel have been
unjustifiably dealt with by the President in his original decision. The decision of the Suspension Appeals Board shall be by a
majority vote and the decision shall be final.
Article 4: Protests / Appeals The procedure for the filing of a protest or appeal is as follows: 1)
The protesting team shall notify the opposing team of the protest
before the completion of the game. 2)
The President must be notified within 48 hours of the completion
of the game under protest. 3)
The protesting team or appealing player shall forward a written
copy of the protest to the President and to the opposing team. 4)
A sum of $50 shall be forwarded with the written copy of the
protest. 5)
The President shall then render his decision within 48 hours of
receiving the official protest. 6)
The $50 will be returned to the protesting team if the protest is
ruled in their favor. 7)
If the team or player feels the President’s decision is wrong or
unjust, the team or player can appeal the decision to the Suspension Appeals
Board whose decision will be final. 8)
In the case where a team is protesting a game, all applicable
points will be awarded to the team that wins the protest. 9) Constitutional fines / suspensions will
not be appealable
Article 5: Official Tie Breaking Rules 1)
There are no overtime games except for the playoffs. After
regulation time has been played during the playoffs and there is still a tie, a
5 minute sudden death will be played. Upon completion of the 5 minute sudden
death, and a tie still remains, a shootout consisting of 3 players chosen from
each team will occur and a winner will be decided. If there is still a tie
after the 3 player shootout, (1) new individual player will be chosen from
each team until one player scores and a winner will be declared, and until all players on
bench are used there will be no repeat players used in shootout. 2)
In the regular season games, ties count as one point in the
standings and the group winners are determined by the highest number of points
awarded in aggregate for the regular season games. Two points will be awarded for
a win and zero points for a loss. a.
If there is a tie for a group based on points then the tie is
broken as follows:
i. Case 1. In order of priority based on regular season
totals.
a) greatest number of wins.
b) record between the two teams.
c) greatest positive difference of goals for and against.
d) highest total of goals for.
e) least amount of penalty minutes.
f) if there is still a tie then the two teams will play a playoff game of
which the team winning will win the group. The time of the game will be agreed
to by the two teams.
ii. Case 2. Three (3) or more teams tied in points
for a group.
a) best record among the teams from playing only those games against the tied
teams.
b) the same as case 1.
c) the same as case 1.
d) the same as case 1.
e) the same as case 1.
f) if there is still a tie, the remaining tied teams will play a mini-game of
5-minute periods starting one (1) hour after the regular season games are over.
If three or more teams are still tied after applying these rules, then the
mini-games will be played in a round-robin fashion. If there is still a tie,
the results of the mini-games shall count as a round-robin result and the above
rules shall be applied. Article 6: Playoff Format
League Championship The top 8 teams during the regular season will qualify for the
playoffs for the League Championship. The following format will apply for
the League Championship playoffs: First Round: Best of 5 Series 1 vs. 8 2 vs. 7 3 vs. 6 4 vs. 5 Second Round: Best of 5 Series The four winners of the first round shall advance to the
semifinals. The top remaining team shall play the lowest ranked team, with the
two remaining teams playing each other. Third Round: Best of 5 Final Series The two remaining teams play each other for the League
Championship. CONSOLATION PLAYOFFS In the spirit of fair play there will also be a consolation
playoff series. Consolation playoffs will be arranged on an ad hoc basis each year
depending on the number of teams not in the top 8.
Article 7: General Rules The rules herein set down by the City Gents Hockey League shall
prevail and in all other instances the CAHA and/or NBAHA rules shall apply. 1)
The City Gents Hockey League shall consist of twelve (12) teams.
Each team will be required to maintain a $150.00 performance bond (to be topped
up and/or paid at the first of each season) to cover the payment of any fines
incurred during the year. 2)
The teams shall play a balanced schedule, playing each other team
three (3) times. 3)
Each team may have 2 players under 25 but over 21 years
of age by April 1st of current season. Goalies are omitted from this
rule. 4)
Deadline
for player registration will be Oct. 31st of the playing season and
must be submitted to the League Statistician. 5)
Maximum number of registered players allowed is 25 per
team and the minimum number is 12 players. Note: The goalie is
considered a player. 6)
Each player must play 1/3 of regular season games in
order to be eligible for playoffs. 7)
If a serious injury occurs during the season in which a
player will be out for an extended period of time, that player may have these
games counted towards his season total so that he can come back to play in
playoffs if possible. In this instance the injured player or team rep must let
league executive know that they are expected to be out for an extended period
time and provide a doctor’s note proving the injury/timeframe. All games missed
go-forward from the time the player notifies league executives will count
towards their total game count for playoffs. No back dating of time missed due
to injuries will be counted. When a player notifies the league of an injury
(and provides doctor’s note) they are to automatically miss the following 4
games. 8)
In case where team needs a replacement goaltender, first attempt
at a replacement needs to be a goaltender from the CGHL. If all CGHL
goaltenders have been contacted and none can play, then a goaltender from a
similar caliber league can be used. Any goaltenders from different leagues need
to be approved by one of the co-presidents prior to the start of game play. Any team using a non-CGHL goaltender without
President approval will forfeit the game in question. 9)
Any team caught playing with unregistered players shall forfeit
the game or games in which the ineligible player participated, and be fined $50
per incident. 10)
A team must ice 5 skaters and a goaltender to constitute a
team. The game may begin without a goaltender, however, the team must have
a properly equipped goaltender on the ice by the 6:00 minute mark of the 1st
period. Failure to do so shall result in the forfeit of the game. 11)
Forfeited games will result in the forfeiting team receiving a
fine equal to the cost of the ice time, which will be paid to the opposing
team, plus the points for that game. This fine will be go against the
forfeiting team’s performance bond and will be paid directly to the CGHL, who
will then turn it over to the opposing team. If both teams forfeit, the fine will
be paid by both teams directly to the League. Both teams will be awarded a loss
in this situation. 12)
The CGHL will not allow any team in the League to postpone a
regularly scheduled game (exceptions may take place at the discretion of the
League Executive). 13)
Each team is allowed one captain and no more than two alternates.
These players must have a jersey clearly marked in contrasting colors with “C”
or “A”. Only these players will be allowed to speak to a referee over a
dispute. 14)
Mandatory equipment - helmets properly fastened with chin straps,
gloves, pants, and shin guards. Goaltenders must also wear facemasks. 15)
Sticks must be in good condition with no cracked or splintered
edges, etc. 16)
Teams must have team sweaters of the same color and sweater
numbers must be assigned each player on registration deadline. Senior
teams shall have preference with existing team colors in case of conflict. 17)
Teams are permitted to take a 30-second time out, provided that
the score of the game is within a five-goal spread and there is time
permitting. 18)
Players and teams are to be held responsible (i.e. including
financial restitution) for their actions and for any damage done to any arena
and/or personal or public damages while playing with the City Gents Hockey
League. 19)
Teams may have their membership suspended or canceled if their
money is not paid by the date set by the League at the beginning of any new
season. 20)
All minor penalties are two minutes in duration during stop time
(three minutes if the clock reverts to straight time). All major penalties are
five minutes in duration during stop time (seven minutes if the clock reverts
to straight time). 21)
All high stick infractions will be treated as minor penalties
(i.e., two minutes) unless an injury occurs, and then the infraction will be
treated as a major penalty. 22)
Slapshots will be permitted. 23)
The CGHL will play three twelve-minute stop time periods during
all regular season and playoff games. If with five minutes or less remaining in
the third period, the goal spread is five or more, the timekeeper will be
instructed to allow the clock to run on straight time. Stop time will take
effect again if a sufficient number of goals are scored to reduce the goal
spread to less than five (last five minutes of any game only).
Article 8: Major Penalties, Fines, and Suspensions
1)
Any 5 Minute Major Penalty
(With exception of High Sticking Majors to be reviewed individually) First Offense a) Occurs
in the first or second period, results in a suspension for the remainder of
that game and as well the subsequent game played by his team and a $25 fine. b) Occurs
in the third period results in a suspension for the remainder of that game and
the subsequent two (2) games played by his team and a $25 fine.
c) The fine will be applied to the team’s performance
bond Second Offense d) Notwithstanding paragraph 1(b) above, any player assessed a
second major penalty at any time during the same regular or playoff season,
shall be suspended immediately for the subsequent three (3) games played by his
team and he shall be fined $50 dollars which must be paid in the above manner before he is
permitted to play. Third Offense e) Suspended immediately for a minimum of seven (7) games including
playoffs and the team shall be fined fifty $100 dollars and must be voted back
in by a majority vote of the Board of Governors to be allowed to continue to
play in the League. 2) Misconducts Any player receiving 3, Ten Minute Misconducts
receives an automatic $25 fine and 1 game suspension. Each ensuing Ten Minute misconduct
results in an additional $50 fine accompanied with a 1 game suspension. Players
receiving 5, Ten Minute Misconducts are eligible for additional suspension
by the President. 3) Gross Misconducts / Match Penalties Disciplinary action at the discretion of the President and a fine
to a maximum of $100. Minimum 3 game suspension for the first offense, final
number of games to be determined at the discretion of the Co-Presidents,
depending on severity of incident. Suspensions of 10 games or greater must be
accepted back into play by a majority vote of the Board of Governors. 4) Minor Penalties If in any game a player receives 4 minor penalties, he will be
ejected from that game. A double minor is considered to be two penalties. 5)
If a player wishes to join our League after being suspended from another League
must be accepted into the League upon review and approval by the board of
governors. 6) The League Registration fee shall be
divided into 3 payments with dates set out by the league Executive. First
payment ($500) paid at first meeting, second payment ($2,500) at second meeting,
and the third payment will be the balance due at date set by the league
executive, prior to the start of the season.
A $5 fine per day until commitment met after first meeting will be
applied and subsequently a $10 fine per day after second meeting if commitment
not met will be applied. If there is a balance owing at 5PM on the Friday prior to
the start of the league play, the team owing will forfeit the first game and
will receive a fine equal to the cost of the ice time. No team will participate
in any game until the full balance owing for league registration, fines, and
performance bonds are paid in full with the league. 6) All team and individual fines assessed by the League shall be
collected by deducting an equal amount from that team’s existing performance
bond held by the League. Should the teams’ performance bond be
insufficient to cover these fines, the team must make full payment prior to
their next game or risk possible suspensions as determined by the League. 7) Any items not covered by the constitution will be
addressed by the Executive and the Board of Governors. Final decision in these
cases will be made by the Executive.
Note:
All suspensions and fines will be carried over to any subsequent season for which
the player registers.
Narcotics:
Effective 2011-2012 season teams caught smoking and or smoking narcotics in the arenas will be fine $25 for first
offense, $50 for second offense and $100 for the third offense. Any team
repeating the offense may be subject to suspensions of games or removal from
the League. The President shall have express authority in such matters.
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