Coach & Manager Guide

1. REGISTRATION: All teams must submit a $600 non-refundable deposit at the time of registration, or pay in full. Please carefully review your registration before submitting. Teams are responsible for registering in the appropriate division.

Your team's spot is not guaranteed until the deposit or full payment has been received.

If your organization pays by check, please mail payment promptly. Checks can be sent to:

Nickel City Hockey
7319 Berkshire Dr.
North Tonawanda, NY 14120

Please include your team name, age division, level, and tournament name with any payment.

2. TOURNAMENT START TIME: Nickel City Hockey tournaments begin as early as 7:00 AM on the first day of the event, regardless of age level, travel distance, or time of year. All teams should register with the understanding that they may be scheduled for a 7:00 AM game on the opening day.

Local teams, traveling teams, younger teams, and older teams all have the possibility of receiving an early start time. If your team is unable to play as early as 7:00 AM on the first day of the tournament, we recommend not registering for the event.

By registering, teams acknowledge and accept the possibility of an early start time. Once schedules are released, requests for schedule changes due to travel plans, player availability, or family commitments generally cannot be accommodated. Refunds will not be issued due to scheduling conflicts after the tournament schedule has been published.

For many events, Nickel City Hockey offers a Late Start Guarantee, which guarantees a first game start time of 12:30 PM or later on Friday. These spots are limited and frequently sell out well in advance. Once all Late Start Guarantee spots have been filled, no additional start time requests can be guaranteed.

Please communicate these expectations to all families prior to registering so there are no surprises when the schedule is released.

3. HOTEL INFORMATION: Nickel City Hockey tournaments are Stay-to-Play events. Teams residing outside of an 80-mile radius from the primary arena are required to book accommodations through our designated housing partner. The Team Manager or Primary Contact is responsible for creating the room block, distributing booking information to families, and ensuring compliance with the Stay-to-Play policy.

Teams that do not comply with the Stay-to-Play policy may be subject to removal from the tournament and forfeiture of tournament fees. Room blocks booked directly with hotels do not satisfy this requirement.

Traveling teams should plan to arrive the evening before the tournament begins, as first-day games may be scheduled early in the morning.

Once a room block has been created, families should book promptly before the block expiration date. After expiration, rooms are returned to the hotel and availability cannot be guaranteed.

4. TOURNAMENT SANCTIONING: Nickel City Hockey hosts both USA Hockey sanctioned and independently insured events. Please verify which type of event your team is attending so that the appropriate documentation can be submitted.

For USA Hockey sanctioned events, teams must submit an approved USA Hockey or Hockey Canada roster at least two weeks prior to the tournament.

For independently insured events, accident insurance coverage will be secured for all participating players and coaches.

5. ROSTERS: Only players listed on approved rosters may participate. If it comes to Nickel City Hockey staff's attention that an ineligible player is participating, the team may be subject to disqualification.

Teams may not roster players outside of their approved age classification or competitive level. Rosters are locked once a team's first game begins. No players may be added after that point.

6. TEAM TRAVEL: We strongly recommend waiting until your division is confirmed before making non-refundable travel arrangements. Nickel City Hockey reserves the right to cancel a division if participation requirements are not met. Nickel City Hockey is not responsible for airfare, transportation, or other travel expenses associated with a canceled division or tournament.

7. ADDITIONAL TRAVEL AND EVENT PLANNING: Nickel City Hockey is not responsible for any costs associated with airfare, transportation, event tickets, or other travel-related expenses if schedules change, games are rescheduled, divisions are modified, or a team elects to withdraw from an event.

Families should not purchase tickets to professional sporting events, college sporting events, concerts, attractions, or other scheduled activities with the expectation that tournament schedules will accommodate those plans. Tournament schedules are built around the needs of all participating teams and facilities, and Nickel City Hockey cannot guarantee game times that avoid conflicts with outside events or activities.

8. TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: As soon as the tournament schedule becomes available, it will be posted online under the Tournament Schedule section of our website. We distribute schedules as soon as they are finalized, which could be several weeks in advance or as little as one week prior to the tournament. While we make every effort to minimize schedule changes, adjustments may occasionally be necessary. Please encourage all families to monitor the schedule leading up to the event.

9. TEAM CHECK-IN: Upon arrival, Team Managers should check in at Tournament Headquarters to receive tournament materials and team gifts. Individual players do not need to check in separately.

10. LOCKER ROOMS: Locker room assignments are managed by the arena. Please check with arena staff or facility schedules upon arrival rather than Tournament Headquarters.

The Team Manager or Coach is responsible for inspecting the locker room before departure. Any concerns regarding locker room conditions or damages should be reported directly to arena management.

11. REFEREES AND SCOREKEEPERS: Nickel City Hockey utilizes local USA Hockey assignors and officiating organizations to schedule referees for all events. Tournament staff do not directly supervise game officials. Questions regarding officiating may be directed through the appropriate referee assignor.

12. GAME SHEETS: Game sheets will be automatically populated using submitted rosters. Following the tournament, game sheets may be accessed through the Nickel City Hockey website.

13. PLAYER STATS: For some tournaments, player statistics are tracked, but not all events include player stats. Shots on goal are not tracked.

14. SCHEDULES, SCORES, AND STANDINGS: Tournament schedules, scores, and standings will be updated online throughout the event. In some locations, scoreboards may also be displayed within the facility.

15. TOURNAMENT RULES: Tournament specific rules are posted on each event page of our website.

16. PLAYER OF THE GAME AWARDS: Upon check-in, the Team Manager will receive Player of the Game awards to be distributed throughout the tournament. Following each round-robin game, the coach may recognize one player for outstanding performance. At the conclusion of the tournament, the coach may award the final Player of the Game honor to the team's overall standout performer.

17. LIVE BROADCAST: Teams will be notified prior to the tournament if live streaming or broadcasting is available. Many facilities also utilize LiveBarn for game coverage.

18. MOUTH GUARDS: All teams must adhere to applicable USA Hockey or Hockey Canada mouth guard requirements.

19. JERSEYS: The home team should wear light-colored jerseys unless otherwise communicated. Teams are responsible for ensuring there is sufficient contrast between jersey colors. If a conflict exists and alternate jerseys are unavailable, one team may be required to wear practice jerseys or pinnies.

20. PRACTICE PUCKS AND WATER BOTTLES: Teams are responsible for bringing their own practice pucks and water bottles.

21. TOURNAMENT RETURN POLICY: The $600 tournament deposit is non-refundable.

Teams that cancel more than 45 days prior to the event will forfeit their $600 deposit. Teams that cancel within 45 days of the event start date will forfeit all tournament fees paid.

Refunds will only be issued if Nickel City Hockey cancels a division or tournament.

Any exceptions to this policy must be approved in writing by Nickel City Hockey.

22. CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES: Only rostered players and authorized team personnel are permitted on the ice surface following championship games. Parents, spectators, photographers, and other guests may not enter the ice at any time. These requirements are mandated by facility and sanctioning regulations, and violations may result in removal from the arena.