Winter Invitational Groups Announced

Each team will play the other three teams in their group before deciding who will advance to the elimination round.  The elimination round will consist of a single-elimination, 12-team tournament.  To determine the teams that will advance, the process will be as follows:

The top two teams from each group will advance based on win-loss record, with ties being broken by (a) head-to-head competition, (b) the point system described below, (c) goal differential, (d) goals against, (e) periods won, and (f) coin toss.  In addition to the 10 teams chosen for being in the top two of their group, two wild card teams will be chosen, to be determined by the point system described below first, then using the same tie-breakers as described above.

Points will be awarded both by game result and the result of each period.  Each period will have two points available and each game will have 4 points available, for a total of 10 points possible in every game.  Winning a period earns 2 points, tying a period earns 1 point, and losing a period earns 0 points.  Winning a game earns 4 points, tying earns 2, and losing earns 0.  It is mathematically impossible for the winning team in a game to earn less than 6 points. 

To seed the elimination round, the point system above will be used, but seeds may be adjusted to encourage as much cross-regional play as possible.  During the elimination round, ties will be broken by a 4-man shootout, followed by a sudden death shootout if necessary.

Games will start at 9:00 a.m. (EST) on Friday morning, so teams will want to arrive on Thursday night, flying into the Detroit/Wayne Country Metropolitan airport in the event of air travel. 

Hotel information is once again available through AllSportMarketing. Visit their website at allsportmarketing.com or click on the link on the Winter Invitational page to take you directly to the NCRHA Winter Invitational Hotel Page.  Teams should make every effort to use the NCRHA-preferred hotels on this list, as they are the best rates around and can help the NCRHA and yourselves earn room comps. Information on other activities to plan in the area will be forthcoming

The NCRHA is excited to offer this event for the first time this season and looks forward to seeing the great competition in Wixom less than one month from now.