League Rules
Last Revised: September 2021
Summary
League consists of 8 to 12 GM's.
Each GM chooses their players with 12 forwards, 6 defence and 2 goalies counting at any one time with a maximum of 82 games played for any one position.
1. Contracts
Salary cap is equal to $198 million and each GM must be below the cap at the beginning of the season.
- Contracts can be a maximum of 5 years.
- Salaries must remain constant over the duration of contract (no pro-rating).
- As the result of a trade a team may exceed the salary cap by up to 10 million during the course of a season. Prior to the start of the next season the team must be under the salary cap once again.
- If a player abandons an NHL contract or retires due to injury (ie no longer has an NHL or affiliate contract – such as the AHL) a team has three options:
- Buyout the player as per section 3.
- Keep the player on the team's roster with the current 'swank' contract and the applicable salary cap hit.
- In extraneous circumstances a request to dump (remove without penalty or cap hit) the player from the roster during the off-season, giving up any rights to said player when/if the player returns. This request will be submitted to the other GMs for a vote on whether the dump is acceptable with a simple majority needed to pass. This is to be used in unique circumstances where the contract abandonment could not be foreseen (eg Kovalchuk, Datsyuk). Instances of players with a history of abandoning NHL contracts (Radulov) will be less likely to be granted a dump.
**All contracts signed prior to September 2015 shall be grandfathered into the previous definition of Free Drops and be allowed to drop on regular retirements.
1a. Waiver Pickups
Each GM will have 2 in season waiver pickups per season. The players can be nominated up to midnight on trade deadline day. The waiver picks can be traded. A GM nominates a player via group email then each lower team gets an option on the player in waiver order based on points at the time of nomination*. GMs have until the midnight after 48hrs have passed to make a claim. If a GM makes a claim, their position in order does not change. For traded waiver picks it will keep the waiver order of the original owner. If a traded pick is up against it's original owner the GM in the higher waiver order will take precedence. The contracts will be 1 year x 1 million and regular buyout and salary cap rules apply when trying to add.
*If the nominating GM is tied in pts with another team or teams (even if they are the lowest in the standings) – the other team(s) shall have an option on the nominated player.
If there is a tie in points not including the nominating GM, the tie breaker shall be the lowest goals for. If that is also tied then the team who placed lowest the previous season shall get the first option.
2. Drafting
There are 2 drafts during the summer off-season. (entry draft and free-agent draft)
Entry Draft
- Shall consist of 2 rounds.
- Round 1 will be determined by a weighted lottery for everyone out of the money: 4th 12%, 5th 10%, 6th 12.5%, 7th 13.5%, 8th14%, 9th 15%, 10th 17%.
- Places 1, 2 and 3 shall select 10th, 9th and 8th respectively.
- Round 2 is by reverse order of standings.
- Each team must have a minimum number of games (1560). If a team does not play enough games they shall be sent to the back of the lottery group to receive the lowest percentage. If two or more teams fail to make the minimum games then the team that plays the least shall get the worst percentage.
- Entry level contracts are 1M for a maximum of 3 years.
- A player can remain a prospect for as long as a player has not exceeded 20 games.
- Player eligibility will be limited to those selected in the current year's NHL entry draft.
- If a rookie plays 20 games or more for a team that has the 30 player maximum, the GM must decide whether to buyout one of the existing players or let the rookie go back to free agency. If a buyout occurs the $1 fee shall be paid at the next draft.
Free Agent Draft
- Can only sign free agents during one of these designated meetings.
- Begins with auction of any/all available players (ie players without a contract).
- Highest monetary contract wins (ie overall value of contract).
- Minimum 'up' bid is 500K.
- Teams lineup must include 13 forwards, 7 defensemen and 3 goalies at the end of the draft. After the draft these minimum requirements are no longer required.
3. Buyouts
- Buyouts can only occur at the Free Agent meeting before the draft takes place. (Not withstanding section 2f).
- GM must put an extra $1 into the coming season's pot.
- The overall contract value will be applied to the coming season's cap by taking 1/3 of the contract (rounded up) and spreading it over the original duration. (Minimum $1M)
- There is no limit on the number of buyouts a GM can do as long as they conform to points a, b and c.
4. Trading
- Trades are allowed up to one day after the NHL trading deadline.
- Trades are then allowed again on July 1st.
- GM's must adhere to the salary cap, not-withstanding section 1-d.
5. Point System
Skaters
- 1pt for goal
- 1pt for assist
Goalies
- 2pts for win
- 3pts for shutout
- 1pt for shootout loss
6. Cost & Payout
- Each GM will put $20 into the pot at the beginning of each season
- At the end of the season the funds will be distributed. (minus any fees for pool management software).
- 1st place will get 70%
- 2nd place will get 20%
- 3rd place will get 10%
- To prevent GM's from 'tanking' a team to get a higher draft pick, the last place GM must pay $20 and the second last GM shall pay $10. The funds collected will be used as the winnings of the playoff pool.
7. Disputes
Any disputes will be voted on by all GM's and a simple majority rules. In the event of a tie a coin will be flipped to determine the outcome.
Changes to the rules should only occur during the off-season where a simple majority vote will suffice. However, in the event of a tie status quo will be recognized.
8. Revision Log
| Section | Sub-Section | Summary | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| --------- | ------------- | --------- | ------ |
| 2 | ~ | Removed 5 year restriction for prospects | Fall 2019 |
| 1 | ~ | Addition: Exceed Salary Cap by $10M clause | Pre-Feb 2015 |
| 1 | E | Addition: KHL/Retirement clause | Pre-Feb 2015 |
| 6 | C | Addition: 'tanking' team clause | Pre-Feb 2015 |
| 2 | C | Revision: changed 3 to 5 years for rookie contracts. | Pre-Feb 2015 |
| 4 | C | Revision: not-withstanding section 1-D. | Pre-Feb 2015 |
| 1 | ~ | Revision: Salary cap set to a firm $198 million. | Pre-Feb 2015 |
| 6 | C | Revision: tanking fee increased to $20 for last place and $10 for second last. | Pre-Feb 2015 |
| 2 | A.1 | Addition: tanking clause added | Feb 28, 2015 |
| 1 | D | Revision: changed free drops so that regular retirements are not included. Addition: added sub clauses * and ** | Sep 20, 2015 |
| 2 | A | Revision: changed the draft order logic to reverse weighted lottery. | Sep 20, 2015 |
| 1 | D | Revision: changed the free drops rule so that it is only allowed via GM vote. | Sep 25, 2016 |
| ~ | ~ | Changed numbering for consistency. | Sep 28, 2021 |
| 1A | ~ | Added Waiver Pickup. | Sep 28, 2021 |
| 2.1.2 | ~ | Changed percentages of lottery and added minimum number of games played. | Oct 3, 2022 |
| 2.4 | ~ | Reworded Draft eligibility. | Oct 3, 2022 |
| 1a | ~ | Added tie clarification to Waiver Pickups. | Oct 3, 2022 |
| 2c | ~ | Add rules regarding team minimums for position slots. | Sep 23, 2025 |