U9 Division – Transition to Full-Ice Play Effective January 11
Hockey Canada and GTHL rules permit U9 non-competitive (House League) divisions to transition to full-ice play beginning January 11th, 2026.
Accordingly, the North York Knights U9 House League will move to a full-ice, 5-on-5 format effective January 11th. This change aligns fully with Hockey Canada guidelines.
With the transition to full-ice, the following rules and procedures will apply:
Game Administration
- Scores will be kept by the timekeeper.
- Completed game sheets must be submitted at least 5 minutes prior to the game start and must clearly indicate which players are present.
- Teams that do not submit a completed game sheet on time may be assessed a two-minute delay of game penalty.
- The timekeeper will record the bench count at the end of the first shift; no players may be added after this point.
Game Format
- Games will consist of two 21-minute periods.
- A 3-minute shift buzzer will be used.
- At the end of each shift, play will resume with a face-off at the face-off dot closest to where play was stopped when the buzzer sounded.
- No icings will be called.
Off-sides
- For the first two weeks of full-ice play, all off-sides will be called as delayed off-sides.
- Referees will yell “off-side” to the offending team and instruct the offending team to turn the puck over to the defending team and clear the offensive zone.
- Any delay in turning over the puck will result in a whistle and a face-off outside the blue line.
- After the initial two-week period, off-sides will be enforced per standard Hockey Canada rules.
End-of-game Procedures
- Stop time will be used in the final minute of the game when the score difference is two goals or less. Once stop time begins, it will continue to the end of the game, even if the leading team scores.
- Teams may only pull their goalie during the final shift of the game.
Penalties
- Penalties are served by the offending player during their own shifts.
o Example: if a player receives a two-minute penalty with 20 seconds remaining in their shift, they will serve the remaining 1 minute and 40 seconds during their next shift.
o The shift immediately following the penalty will be played 5-on-5.
o The penalized player’s next shift will be played 5-on-4 for the remainder of the penalty or until a goal is scored.
- This system ensures that no other player loses ice time due to a teammate’s penalty.
Please ensure parents are aware of this process, particularly that penalty time does not re-start immediately on the next shift and that play may continue at 5-on-5 while a player is in the penalty box. This will help avoid confusion or concerns directed at the timekeeper.
Fair Ice Time Expectations
The North York Knights are committed to fair and equal ice time for all players. As such:
- All teams must roll lines fairly, with players participating in the order they come off the ice.
- Coaches may not consistently double-shift select players.
- Teams may not run separate offensive and defensive lines designed to give certain players more ice time – e.g. Some coaches have run defense lines from one door, and offense at the other, and have an uneven number of shifts for defense and offense. In some cases, a coach played 3 defensemen and 3 forward lines – with his best players on defense so they could constantly double shift. This type of conduct will be flagged by the timekeeper or referee and will result in a warning from the league. Repeat offenses with result in forfeit of the game.
- Coaches should designate positions for the next five skaters scheduled to go on the ice.
Please also ask parents to arrive at the arena at least 30 minutes prior to game time to allow for attendance to be taken and game sheets to be submitted on time.
Thank you for your cooperation and for helping ensure a smooth and positive transition to full-ice play for our U9 players.
North York Knights Hockey Association
