Lunenburg Tabletop Hockey League

JANUARY 28, 2020


The Heritage Cup has been in development since 2015 and was scheduled to begin during the second season. Unfortunately, due to delays and numerous issues the concept was placed on hiatus for a few years. When the fifth season was approaching it was decided it was the perfect time to bring back the idea. Originally the Heritage Cup was scheduled to coincide with the beginning of the fifth season in a weekly round robin format. After a vote amongst league members it was decided that the Heritage Cup would be best suited to close the season through a one day special event. This decision also helps out with members who are unable to attend league nights every week.

What is the Heritage Cup?
The Heritage Cup is a special event designed to boost the entertainment value for the league members. The entire idea of the Heritage Cup is to celebrate the heritage of the game of table hockey by playing on vintage table hockey games throughout the years. Having different tables that incorporate various playing styles adds challenge and fun for players. It also allows newer players to experience just what it was like to play table hockey in its earlier years. While the LTHL plays on STIGA tables throughout the regular season, the Heritage Cup will bring a fresh experience with these classic games.

Heritage Cup Format:
The Heritage Cup is open to all members of the LTHL. The format for the tournament is fairly simple and exciting. Unlike the regular season where players are drafted into teams of two, the Heritage Cup is designed for individual performance. This means it’s every player for themselves! The league will be divided into two pools: Pool A and Pool B. Players will be chosen at random for each pool. In each pool the players will play against everyone in their pool once. This year there will be four players per pool meaning that each player is guaranteed a minimum of three games. Players will alternate the tables they play on according to the schedule. Standings for each pool will be tracked by win-loss records. The top two players in each pool after all three games have been played will advance to the playoff bracket. The two players in each pool who advance to the playoff bracket will face off in a single game. The table each game is played on will be decided at random. The winners of the playoff bracket will advance to the Championship series. In the Championship series the final two players will face off in a best of three game series. The player with the best win-loss record will decide which table to start the series on. If somehow there is a tie the table will be decided with a coin toss. The first player to win two games will be crowned the inaugural winner of the LTHL Heritage Cup.

Rules and Tiebreakers:
All games will be contested exactly the same as games in the regular season: Two-five minute periods. There can be no ties. If a game is tied at the end of the second period both players must compete in sudden death overtime until a winner is decided. In the situation that there is a tie in win-loss records at the end of the Pool round, the tiebreaker will be decided by the player who has the best goals for minus goals against average. Therefore, all goals scored in the Pool round are very important because it can decide who will advance to the Playoff bracket. If somehow there is a tie in win-loss records and goals for minus goals against averages, those players will have to compete in a sudden death game where the first person to score a goal breaks the tie.

There are a few differences in game rules for the Heritage Cup: There are certain areas on the board called “dead zones”. These are areas on the ice where the puck cannot be reached by any player. If the puck comes to a stop in a dead zone and cannot be played the referee is to count to five and stop the clock. A face-off from center ice must then take place.

The mercy rule will not be enforced during the Heritage Cup. This is due to the goals for minus goals against average system. If the mercy rule was enforced for this tournament it could restrict a player who would need a certain number of goals if they were heading to a tie in records with another player. This decision is to keep things fair for everyone.

Each player is entitled to one sixty second time-out per game. A time-out can only be called when play is stopped and the player must announce it to the referee. Please read the rule book for more on game rules.

It is the referee’s job to tally scores and record them in the boxes at the top of the score sheet at the end of each period. At the end of each game the referee is to sign the score sheet and make sure both players also sign the sheet. The referee is to record the final scores on the whiteboard before the next round starts.

Which games will the Heritage Cup feature? Stay tuned as we will announce those games in the very near future.

The date for the inaugural Heritage Cup has been set for Tuesday, February 11th. The start time is still being decided. This event is going to be one of the biggest in LTHL history and will be talked about for years to come. Get ready to go old school! The Heritage Cup is the perfect event to celebrate five seasons of the Lunenburg Tabletop Hockey League. Stay tuned for more information on this event.