Participation
Big Bear events are USA Hockey sanctioned, unless otherwise noted, and the sanction number can be found on the event page for each tournament. If the sanction field reads ‘Pending’, then the sanction number has been applied for, and we are waiting on the registrar to process our application.
Rosters and travel permits
• To participate, each team must provide a stamped, certified USA Hockey roster a minimum of 20 days prior to each event. A stamped, certified USA Hockey roster will include the signature of your USA Hockey district registrar.
• Travel permits are required from all Canadian and International teams.
• These forms must be uploaded in your Team Self-Management Portal
Application Process and Team Placement
• The biggest challenge in bringing together teams from all over the U.S. and Canada lies in the reality that very few programs use the same guidelines to determine skill levels. Our goal is to determine, as best we can, where each team belongs for the best tournament experience. We rely a great deal on your input, especially in the early fall and spring. No one wants to travel great distances to either win or lose a game by 10 goals. While it is extremely difficult to create the perfect matchups every time, we do pledge to each Big Bear participant that we will never knowingly put teams of different skill levels in a division just to fill a slot.
• One of our top priorities is to create balanced and equal competitive brackets. We use an evaluation process based on the information you’ve provided on your application, as well as more in depth information such as your teams league, division within that league, overall record, goals for/goals against, and more. If at any time after registering your team you are unsure about their placement, please contact our office and we would be more than happy to discuss.
• We strongly discourage handicapping your team where you sign up. If you’re an A team and are having a rough stretch, do NOT sign up in a B division. Our Sales Staff will ensure you are placed in a division with similarly skilled teams.
• If we feel your team isn’t a good fit or if your division doesn’t have enough teams, we will notify you via phone or email to discuss other options. We may recommend moving to another event either on the same weekend, or a different point throughout the season where the competition is more comparable to your team’s skill level. The intended purpose is to create the best playing experience for your players and their families.
• If you are not interested in moving to another event on the same weekend or later in the season, you will receive a full refund.
Levels of Competition
Predicting results of opposing teams and therefore establishing competitive groups of teams from various areas requires a great deal of communication and a general understanding of how different USA Hockey, Canadian, and other IIHF affiliates manage their hockey programs. While our methods are not fool proof, we give you our pledge that we take our jobs very seriously. We will never intentionally place teams together that don’t belong. Our ultimate goal is to have as many one score games as possible with divisions where all the teams are tied after their second game of the tournament. Unfortunately, the game of hockey and especially youth hockey can be unpredictable, and this does not always occur.
Start and End Times
• Tournaments may start as early as 8:00 AM on Friday, however most events start early afternoon.
• Louisville, Madison, Knoxville and Nashville events can begin as early as 7:00 AM on Friday.
• The finals should not begin later than 6:00 PM on Sunday.
For events beginning on Saturday (MLK and President’s Day weekends), we complete round robin play by Sunday afternoon with consolation games and semi-finals late Sunday (ice permitting). Monday is generally reserved for finals and sometimes consolation games. If you have requested a scheduling consideration that doesn’t fit within the previous scheduling description like attending an NHL game, your team will likely be asked to play games on Friday. See the schedule section below for a list of special considerations.
Schedules
• Schedules will be posted on the tournament website no later than the Friday proceeding the event.
• Unfortunately, events may unfold which cause a schedule change. Always check back closer to the start of the event to ensure you are using the most current version.
• Please share this information with your team. We prefer parents to address their concerns to one of their team contacts.
Special considerations
• Special requests, such as a coach who coaches multiple teams, attending a college or pro game, or any other request outside the realm of the tournament you plan to attend should be in writing and emailed to [email protected]
• If you wish to a attend a professional, college, or junior game while at one of our tournaments, please send an email to both [email protected] and [email protected]. A response of “Approved” must be received to confirm your request. If you buy tickets without going through this process you may have to choose between your tournament game and your outside entertainment.
Air Travel
Please provide a team itinerary as soon as it is available.
Our tournament coordinators will work closely with your team contact to ensure that your games are scheduled with your arrival and departure dates and times in mind.
Please send this information (last flight in and first flight out) to Carrie - [email protected]
Age Charts
All events that occur after April 1, require teams to register in accordance with the age guideline for the next fall season.