Tiny Fighters Cup

Individual Registration & Blended Rosters

Players registered individually and were placed on balanced event teams by staff. The format encouraged new friendships and a shared experience across traditional team lines.

2026 Pricing

• 8U: $145 skater | $125 goalie
• 10U & 12U: $235 skater | $175 goalie

Optional experiences gave families additional ways to participate in the mission and deepen their connection to the event.

Adult Charity Game

The 18+ Adult Charity Game was held Saturday, April 25. Spectator donations influenced light-hearted game action, and participants received custom Howies event jerseys.

Skills Competition

The Skills Competition was held Sunday, April 26 in a per-event challenge format. Individual champions received custom Tiny Fighters Cup medals.

NICU Tribute Banners

Families displayed custom 2’×3′ double-sided banners honoring NICU connections. The banners were produced locally by Working Dog Press and taken home as keepsakes.

Pucks for Preemies

Participants signed custom pucks and wrote notes of encouragement for NICU families, creating a tangible reminder that those families were not fighting alone.

The inaugural online challenge ran from April 4 through April 25, 2026. Players created individual fundraising pages and shared them with friends and relatives, extending the event’s impact beyond the rink.

Top fundraisers in the 8U, 10U, and 12U divisions were recognized during a Sunday awards ceremony. Milestone rewards celebrated participation at multiple fundraising levels.

Account-creation instructions, participant contact-upload steps, and the 2026 join code have been removed because the fundraising campaign has ended.

Uniforms, Teams & Color Identity

Each age division featured Royal Blue, Gold, White, and Black teams. Players received matching jerseys, socks, and team-colored event shirts, helping blended rosters quickly develop a shared identity.

Team Lunch & Off-Ice Connection

Saturday team lunches at The Steel Pub gave players time to connect away from the bench and helped the blended rosters feel like complete teams.

Five-Game Guarantee & Championship Sunday

Festival-style scheduling provided predictable game blocks and reasonable breaks. Every team advanced to a meaningful Championship Sunday matchup.

Championship Medals

2026 Weekend Playlist

Player and family song requests helped create the soundtrack for nearly 40 hours of hockey. The request form is closed, but the archived playlist remains available.

Listen to the 2026 Playlist

2026 Jersey Design

These rules are preserved as the format used for the inaugural event. Future events may use an updated rules package.

Event Tone

• This is a fun, safe, charity event.
• Keep games moving and help maintain a positive environment.

Game Format

• 8U: 4v4 Half Ice
• 10U: 5v5 Full Ice
• 12U: 4v4 Full Ice

Warmup

• Each game begins with a 3-minute warmup.

Period Lengths

• 8U: 3 x 12-minute periods
• 10U: 3 x 18-minute periods
• 12U: 3 x 18-minute periods

Clock

• Regulation only is played with a running game clock.
• The regulation clock stops only for injuries.

Round Robin Overtime

• Overtime applies to all round robin games.
• Round robin overtime is 3-on-3, 5-minute stop clock, sudden death.
• If overtime ends scoreless, the game ends in a tie.
• If the game ends in a tie, each team receives 1 point.

Playoff Overtime

• Playoff games cannot end in a tie.
• If a playoff game is tied at the end of regulation, teams play a 3-on-3, 5-minute stop clock sudden death overtime.
• If the game remains tied after overtime, the game advances to a shootout.

Shootout Format

• Each team selects 3 shooters.
• Teams alternate attempts.
• If one team leads after 3 rounds, that team wins.
• If the shootout remains tied after 3 rounds, it advances to sudden-death shootout rounds.
• No player may shoot a second time until all eligible shooters on that team have shot.
• Shootout procedures are administered by the officials.

Standings / Points

Round robin standings are determined by total points earned.

• Win: 3 points
• Overtime Win: 2 points
• Overtime Loss: 1 point
• Tie: 1 point to each team
• Regulation Loss: 0 points

Round Robin Tie-Breakers

If two or more teams are tied in points at the end of round robin play, tie-breakers are applied in the following order:

• 1. Head-to-head result
• 2. Goal differential
• 3. Fewest goals allowed
• 4. Coin flip

Line Changes

• The timekeeper controls line changes.
• The buzzer sounds every 1:30.
• Players change on the fly.

After a Goal

• The team that was scored on takes the puck behind its own net.
• The scoring team retreats to the blue line.

Penalties

• No traditional penalty box penalties.
• All penalties result in a live-play penalty shot.
• The shooter starts with the puck at center ice.
• All other players line up behind the opposing blue line.
• On the whistle, play is live and continues.

Safety & Conduct

• Dangerous play and unsportsmanlike behavior should be addressed immediately.
• Referees may remove a player at their discretion for unsafe or repeated misconduct.

Final rosters, the weekend schedule, Adult Charity Game information, and GameSheet results remain available as records of the inaugural event.

The inaugural event depended on a large community working together. We are grateful to everyone who gave time, expertise, energy, equipment, space, and financial support.