Series rules & information

Overview

PHD – Team Ontario is proud to present the 6th annual "BEST OF BEST" series. This event is designed to bring the best GTHL, EASTERN OMHA, WESTERN OMHA & ALLIANCE players together to battle against each league's best players. Just like the CHL's Canada/Russia series, we want to showcase the best of all four leagues! This isn't your typical tournament and with its unique format it's been the talk of Ontario during the spring/summer season. Four teams, four leagues, one winner to be crowned "BEST OF BEST" and end the debate of which league has the top talent! This is an ELITE series only and has become the most sought-after event that everyone wants to be part of!

Details

PLEASE NOTE: Each birth year will start after their BRICK invitational year. Each birth year will have 3 years in the series. After the third year in the series, their age group will fall out of the series. There will be a MAX of 3 birth years in the series as of 2023 and every year after.

• 2026 Divisions: 2014 | 2015 | 2016 Birth Years (separate divisions)
• Dates: August 5th to 8th, 2027 (4 day series for all age groups)
• Games: 6 x Series Games & 1 x Championship Game
• Championship Games: Gold Medal & Bronze Medal Games
• Skills Combine: Day 1 of the series
• Team Camp: TBD by HC and GM per team
• Ice Breaker Tournament: July 22nd to July 25th (GTA) – 5 games min | 7 games max
• Jersey and Swag Package for each player

Format

• 4 day series (August 5th to August 8th, 2027)
• Arena – Scotia Bank Pond, Toronto
• Teams will play 1 or 2 games per day
• 6 x Series Games | 1 x Skills Competition | 1 x Championship Game
• All teams will participate in THE THRONE (July 22nd to 25th, 2027)
• All teams will receive a BOB Jersey | Swag package

Team Camp

The HC and GM will determine if and when the Team Camps will be. An added cost might apply if teams decide to hold a camp to get ready for The Throne and Best Of Best Series.

Ice Breaker Tournament — "The Throne"

• All 5 BOB teams per age group will participate in a pre-tournament July 22nd to 25th
• Arenas: Scotia Bank Pond and Ford Performance Centre, Toronto
• 10 other ELITE teams will be hand selected per age group to participate
• 4 round robin games and a quarter final game or a consolation game are guaranteed per team
• BOB teams will NOT play each other until quarter finals

Best of Best Series

• Top 2 teams with the most points after the 6 x BOB series games will play in the Gold Medal game
• Bottom 2 teams will play in the Bronze Medal game
• BOB 3 stars will be presented at the end of each game (Trophies) — picked by series council members
• The team that wins the series will be presented with the Series Cup, Gold Medals and a special edition Best of Best Series watch for each player & coach
• The 2nd place team will receive Silver Medals for each player and coach
• The 3rd place team will receive Bronze Medals for each player and coach
• Games will be promoted on social channels (Instagram | Facebook)
• Most games will be streamed live and broadcasted
• Music played throughout the game
• National anthem played prior to each game
• BOB 3 stars of the game will be interviewed at the end of the game

Included for Each Player

• Team Jersey
• Team Pant Shell
• Team Socks
• Team Hat
• Team Athletic T-Shirt
• Team Athletic Shorts

Rules

Games will follow OHF Rules. Additionally, here are items that coaches, managers and players should know.

• Each team MUST have a full roster of 17 players (9 forwards | 6 defense | 2 goalies)
• All players MUST be born in the birth year of the division
• All players are ONLY eligible to play for the league in which they played during the 2025-26 winter season (doesn't matter where the player plans to play in 2026-27)
• Team rosters MUST be representative of at least 40% for the 2015's, 30% for the 2014's and 30% for the 2016's of the teams they are representing (Example: If the league has 10 teams, then you must have a min of 1 player from 4 of the teams for the 2015's / 3 of the teams for the 2014's / 3 of the teams for the 2016's)
• Each team is allowed to have a MAX of 1 import player
• Only players who were submitted on the original Best of Best roster are allowed to participate in the tournament
• Teams listed on the left side of the matchup on the schedule are designated as the home team
• All games will include a 3-minute warmup
• All games will consist of three 15-minute periods, with a flood after the second period (or after 2 periods of play)
• Teams are allowed to use one 30-second timeout per game
• A player must participate in at least five games during the round robin portion of the tournament to be eligible for the playoff round. The only exception being if the player can provide proof of an injury during the tournament
• Players who are ejected from a Best of Best game for any reason will be suspended for their next game. Players who are ejected twice during the Best of Best Series will be suspended for the remainder of the series. Ref in Chief will review all ejections and suspensions to determine the final outcome

Standings & Playoff Seeding

Wins are worth two points. Ties are worth one point. There will be no overtime in round-robin games. If, at the end of round-robin play, two teams are tied, the tie-breakers are as follows:

• 1. Head-to-head record between the two teams
• 2. Total wins in round-robin play
• 3. Goals for, divided by goals against in games played between the teams who are tied
• 4. Goals for, divided by goals against in all games
• 5. Fewest goals against in all games
• 6. Most goals for in all games
• 7. Fewest penalty minutes in all games
• 8. Coin toss

Three or More Teams Tied

If, at the end of round-robin play, three or more teams are tied, the tie-breakers are as follows. These tie-breakers will be used to rank all 3-4 of the teams that are tied.

• 1. Head-to-head record between the teams who are tied
• 2. Total wins in round-robin play
• 3. Goals for, divided by goals against in games played between the teams who are tied
• 4. Goals for, divided by goals against in all games
• 5. Fewest goals against in all games
• 6. Most goals for in all games
• 7. Fewest penalty minutes in all games
• 8. Coin toss

Playoff Overtime

A playoff game that is tied at the end of regulation will play a 5-minute OT in a 3-on-3 format. If the score remains tied at the end of OT, there will be a sudden-death shootout. Each team will pick one shooter. If the score remains tied after each team has had one shootout attempt, each team will pick a NEW shooter. The game will continue in this format until the tie is broken. No shooter can participate in the shootout twice until all players have participated once.

Import Players

An import player can be any player as long as the following has taken place: A player MUST attend their BOB regional tryouts in which they play winter hockey in. Example: A player who plays in the GTHL must attend Team Toronto tryouts. A player who plays in the Eastern OMHA must attend Team East tryouts. A player who plays in the Western OMHA must attend Team West tryouts. A player who plays in Alliance Hockey must attend Alliance tryouts.

• A player MUST be cut or released by the GM and HC from your BOB region in order to become an eligible import player for other BOB regions
• If a player decides NOT to attend their BOB regional tryouts, they are ineligible to become an Import Player in the BOB Series
• A player who declines an offered spot on their BOB team for ANY reason cannot play for any other region
• Regions have until January 7th to offer players a spot on their BOB team. Players who attended their BOB regional tryouts and were not offered a spot by this date can become an import player for any other region
• If a BOB region is rostering an import player, they MUST call Gio Massimi by January 7th to inform him. He will then verify that the appropriate steps have been followed prior to allowing an import player on the roster
• Each region is ONLY allowed 1 import player per team. The teams that played in the Bronze medal game the previous year will have some flexibility with import players (RULE TBD)
• Each region still must hit their league minimum representation if they choose to roster an import player
• An import player can also be someone who plays winter hockey outside of the 4 main leagues (GTHL | Eastern OMHA | South Central OMHA | Alliance Hockey). Example: Someone who plays winter hockey in the Northern Ontario Hockey League or the HEO (Ottawa Region)
• These import players can choose any BOB region they wish to tryout for and can play on any BOB team without being cut or released
• If a BOB region decides to take this type of import player, they STILL need to have their minimum % representation of the teams in their league represented on their BOB team. Also, this type of player counts as their ONE Import Player, which means that the team cannot take anyone who has been released from another BOB region
• These import players MUST attend all series games, or they will NOT be allowed to play in the championship game
• GM's and HC's CANNOT offer an import player a free ride or other perks to attract them to their BOB region over the other BOB regions
• PLEASE NOTE: If a player was asked to play in the BOB and declines for whatever reason they will NOT be eligible to participate in the Series or The Throne whatsoever. No exceptions and this rule will be enforced 100%

Reserve Players

• Each team needs to submit two players on their roster as "reserve players". Only 2 reserve players are allowed per region
• Reserve players are ONLY allowed to be used in a BOB Series game if a full-time rostered player is sick, injured or otherwise cannot attend and the coach has been notified in advance by the parents
• Approved reserve players are the ONLY players allowed to fill in for the region if one of the above happens
• Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES is a region allowed to ask a full-time rostered player to sit out or miss a game so that a reserve player can play in a BOB series game
• Reserve players must be a part of their own region or someone that is not playing in 1 of the 4 regions. Also, reserve players do not count towards the % representation ratio for the region's regular roster
• A reserve player is allowed to attend practices and any other added events that the region organizes
• Each region will be given 2x extra jersey, pant shells and hockey socks to be used if needed. There will be no name on the back of these jerseys. Also, regions don't get to pick the numbers for these jerseys
• Reserve players will have the option to order a jersey and or swag package on the GSW website

Under Age Players

Regions will ONLY be allowed to roster an underage player in their first year of the BOB series. Years 2 & 3 regions will NOT be allowed to roster an underage player under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. Example: The 2026 BOB Series has 3x age groups (2014's | 2015's | 2016's). The 2015's will be allowed to roster a MAX of 1 underage player per region. The 2016's & 2014's will NOT be allowed to roster an underage player.