Three days of co-ed hockey at the Bedford four-pad, played by twenty-four teams across three divisions. Here is what to expect, what it costs, and when things are due.
Mark the calendar
Deposits hold spots on a first-come basis, and the field has sold out before. The roster deadline is the one organizers are strictest about, because divisions are set from what teams submit.
$300, non-refundable, due when you register. This is what holds your team's place in the field of twenty-four.
The remaining $800 is due on or before this date. Payment details come back with your registration confirmation.
Submit your full roster for approval. Organizers use it to confirm your division. Later changes need approval before the weekend.
Every player signs the waiver before stepping on the ice. No waiver, no game, with no exceptions.
Organizers run registration, payments, rosters and game information themselves this year rather than through a platform. Expect a person to reply to you, which sometimes takes a day or two.
The rink
Locally still called the HRM 4-Pad, and renamed after Greenfoot Energy Solutions took the naming rights. Four NHL-size sheets under one roof means games run close together and teams rarely wait long between them. There are dressing rooms, food service and a pro shop on site.
61 Gary Martin Drive, Bedford, Nova Scotia B4B 0G7. Roughly twenty minutes from downtown Halifax outside of rush hour.
Game format
Games are short and stop-time, which keeps the schedule tight across four sheets. The full rulebook covers penalties, goal limits and tie-breaks.
Read the full rulesGoals scored beyond a five-goal differential stay off the scoreboard, though they are recorded on the game sheet. Individual players are capped at two goals a game; a third counts for the other team.
Entry fee
Split across a roster of fifteen, that lands near $75 a player for the weekend.
Teams short on players can borrow a registered skater from another team in the same division, with organizer approval in advance. This does not apply to finals.
Questions
Recreation Lower exists for exactly this. It is where newer skaters land, and players with more skill in that division are expected to pass to them and share shifts. If you can skate and stop, you can play this weekend.
From the roster you submit, weighing the age and playing history of the majority of your skaters, plus recent league results. Organizers describe it as their best guess, and they can move a team or a player who lands in the wrong place.
Registration runs by team, though organizers keep a list of skaters and goalies looking for a bench. Email them and they will pass your name along to captains who are short.
The $300 deposit is non-refundable. It covers ice booked in advance, and every dollar of the entry supports the fund either way.
Donations made through the QEII Foundation fundraising page are receipted by the Foundation. Team entry fees are a tournament fee rather than a donation, so they are not receipted.
Please bring them. Admission is free, the stands hold plenty, and the auction tables are worth a look between games.
Ready when you are
Send the organizers your team name, division and captain contact, and they will come back with payment details.