The CMHL (Cyber Management Hockey League) was started in April 2004. The CMHL is a simulation-based league which uses SimonT Hockey Simulator (STHS) software, version 3.1.6. A parallel farm league (the ICHF) runs in conjunction with the CMHL. Throughout the year, games in both leagues are simulated (herein commonly referred to as “simming”, “games are simmed” or “the sim”) in keeping with a schedule time frame that closely mimics the real-life NHL.

League members are provided with free software, the STHS GM Client version 3.1.6, which they can use to manage their teams.

1.2 Code of Conduct

The CMHL code of conduct applies to League Management, General Managers, Assistant General Managers, and all other forum users. Members who do not abide by the code of conduct will be subject to immediate dismissal.

Show your fellow General Managers respect. Trash talking, rivalries and debates are encouraged, but it’s up to the General Manager to stay within the lines
Any racist, sexist, or otherwise derogatory comments will lead to immediate dismissal.
Any cheating or collusion will lead to immediate dismissal.

1.3 Commissioner and League Officials (LO’s)

The CMHL employs one Commissioner overseeing league duties, Dave (lightningbolt). Dave is supported by League Officials.

The League Officials work together as a committee to ensure that the league runs smoothly. Each LO has an equal say on all matters and are in place to support the Commissioner as well as prevent any cheating or dictatorship. As well, the LO’s represent the General Managers and shall be available should any GM have any concerns.

2. GENERAL MANAGERS

2.1 Duties

As a General Manager in the CMHL, you have some specific duties that shall be done on a regular basis. The duties include, but are not limited to:

Most importantly, have fun!
Follow the CMHL Code of Conduct
Create and update lines and rosters for both the CMHL and ICHF and making sure they are both within the roster limitations and representative of the best team you can put forward. (see 7.3)
Make trades to improve your franchise (see 7.1)
Sign Unrestricted Free Agents (see 5.4.3, 5.4.4) and negotiate with the agents to sign Restricted Free Agents (see 5.4.1, 5.4.2)
Ensure your team’s finances stay within the salary cap (see 7.2)
Participate in the CMHL Entry Draft (see 5.3)
Respond to e-mails and messages in a prompt fashion
Actively participate in message board discussion

If you do not fulfill your duties, you may be subject to dismissal.

2.2 Participation

Being active and social around the league is a must and is just as important as your General Manager duties. Reading and posting on the message board is mandatory. The message board is a very important communication tool which will often contain important information along with some great discussion.

The CMHL has a minimum participation rule which is as follows:

Every General Manager must update their lines due to injury or trade prior to their next game. Unless otherwise announced on the forum, regular season simming is done every day of the week except Saturdays and statutory holidays.
After each Game Day, an updated league file is created and made available to GMs through the website. This league file can be downloaded and used with the GM Client to complete team lineups.
General Managers will be notified by Private Message on the League Forums when a Game Day has been simmed and provided with a link to the league injury list.
A strike system is employed for failing to submit complete lines for either the CMHL and ICHF teams prior to each game played. General Managers receiving five (5) strikes during the course of a season will be subject to dismissal at the League Officials’ discretion. (See Section 9.6)
Throughout the year, General Managers are expected to be present. A bi-weekly attendance post will be used to verify everyone's presence and positive presence can result in team budget bonuses (See 9.5)

2.3 Leave of Absence

To the credit of the CMHL, the league has a history of being able to retain their General Managers. The League Officials realize that the CMHL is for entertainment and real life does intervene. We understand the time and effort that our members commit to making our league what it is, and as a result, there will be exceptions made towards General Managers’ duties and participation as long as notice is given. If a General Manager is studying for exams, experiencing increased workloads for the short term, is going on vacation, injured, getting married, experiencing a death in the family, etc., they may not be able to fulfill their duties in that time period. By notifying the League Officials, the league will help the General Manager manage his/her team for that time frame. If a General Manager is gone for longer than planned, or is no longer responsive to messages, they may be subject to dismissal.

2.4 Complaints

To file a complaint or express concerns within the league, you may e-mail or send a private message to the Commissioner or a League Official. If you have any concerns, they will be dealt with professionally and privately.

3. CMHL SIMMING

3.1 Attribute Definitions

Player performance is based on their ratings in a variety of skills. All numbered attributes are on a scale from either 40 or 50 to 99, unless otherwise noted. The STHS website provides a full breakdown of all the ratings and stastical categories.

3.2 Game Results

Game results will be displayed on the league website. Full NHL-style box-scores are provided included detailed play-by-play summaries for both CMHL and ICHF games.

3.3 Statistics, Schedules, Standings & Box-scores

The league standings, schedule, statistics and box-scores will be updated with minimal delay following the simming of each game day. All of this will be presented on the league website. STHS v.1.1.14 will be used to simulate the games each day and run the CMHL. All General Managers can download the GM Client from the CMHL website in order to manage their rosters and lineups along with instructions on how to use the software. The GM Client and League Files are available to download on the league website.

4. REGULAR SEASON

4.1 Season Length

Each club will play 82 games, 41 games at home and 41 on the road. Games will be typically be simulated once per day, Monday through Friday. There is usually no games simmed on National holidays, and messages will be posted when there will be no games simmed. Any variation will be announced in the Shoutbox. The CMHL season generally commences around the third week of October with the playoffs wrapping up in June. A full summer off-season allows player ratings to be updated (i.e. “rerates”) prior to the CMHL Entry draft, free agency and preparation for the coming season.

4.2 All-Star Break

Each season, the CMHL and ICHF will hold an All-Star break, typically on a weekend. The starting lineups for each team will be determined through a polling of all 30 General Managers, to be conducted one week prior to the All-Star game. The League Officials will determine the players to be included in this poll and there will be one poll per position per team. The remainder of the roster and the lines will be determined by the General Managers of the Eastern and Western conference leaders at the time of the release of the poll.

4.3 Trade Deadline

The trade deadline will occur around the completion of 80% of the season schedule. The trade deadline shall be noted on the SIM schedule. No trades or free agent signings will be permitted between this date and the completion of rerates, after the playoffs.

4.4 Playoffs

Playoffs will be conducted in both the CMHL and ICHF. The top eight (8) teams in each conference will qualify for the post-season playoffs, with matchups to be determined by seeding. Each team that qualifies for the playoffs will be assigned a ranking (1-8) within their Conference, based on their finish in the regular season standings, for each playoff round until the CMHL Cup Finals. For each subsequent round the matchup with be determined by the remaining seeding in each Conference (eg. 1vs8, 2vs7, 3vs6, and 4vs5), with the two eventual Conference Champions playing for the Stanley Cup. Each matchup will be in a best-of-seven format with each winner moving to the next round. Each subsequent round will be organized in the same format.

5. OFF-SEASON

5.1 Awards

Awards will be given out at the conclusion of the playoffs. Where necessary, and except for the Lester B. Pearson Award, the League Officials will choose three (3) finalists for each award and the General Managers will then be polled to choose the winner of each award. There will be one award in each category for both the CMHL and ICHF. A history of past CMHL and ICHF award winners can be found on the website.

5.2 General Manager Hall of Fame

Each summer, up to two GMs may be inducted into the CMHL Hall of Fame. The criteria for entering the Hall of Fame is that the GM must have completed three full seasons as the manager of a CMHL team. Each summer, a list of eligible GMs will be compiled along with their career records (estimated to the extent possible) and achievements. All GMs in the CMHL will be asked to vote for the entrants, assigning a 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice. 1st choice picks will be awarded 5 points, 2nd choice picks 3 points and 3rd choice picks 1 point. The top point getter, and, at the discretion of the League Officials team, the second highest point getter will be awarded entry into the GM Hall of Fame.

5.3 Retirement

Players are never retired from the CMHL during the season, but rather at the first offseason opportunity. The confirmation of the retired player must be verified by a legitimate media source. Players will be deemed to be retired, in the offseason, should any of the following situations have occurred:

The player announces his retirement from professional hockey;
The player signs a contract or is loaned to a club outside of North America with no intent to return (i.e. such as during an NHL lockout);
The player has been inactive from professional hockey for one full season – this includes semi-professional leagues such as LNAH (Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey);
The player does not sign with a professional club and, instead, commits to a U Sports (formerly CIS/CIAU) program;
The player, if drafted from a non-North American club, does not arrive to play in North America by the age of 24.
The player is on LTIR in the NHL for at least two full seasons.

Should a retired player become re-eligible for the CMHL (i.e. by returning to play professional hockey in North America within a 24-month period from the time said player retired from the CMHL), the CMHL team that held the player’s rights prior to his retirement has the option to re-instate his previous contract as it stood. If that team declines, or if the player returns and secures an NHL contract, after that 24-month timeframe, the player becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent. Returning players must have a valid NHL Standard Player’s Contract (SPC) from an NHL club to be eligible to return. This does not include minor league (AHL, ECHL, CHL, UHL) contracts. Returning players will be assigned ratings based on their most recent season of North American professional hockey, with ratings reduced at the discretion of the League Officials to account for time spent away from professional hockey. Rights to players who are retired to Europe or USports can be retained at the request of the GM losing the player. That player will be added back to the Prospect List with the year in which he becomes a UFA beside his name. If the player returns prior to that date, he will be an RFA for that team. If he has not returned in that year, he will be removed from the Prospect List and become a UFA if he ever returns. Rights to these players may be traded as any regular Prospect. Effective at the conclusion of S16, should a player retire from the CMHL, or remain playing outside North America, while still on their Entry Level Contract with a CMHL organization, that player will be removed from the organization’s roster along with any other retired players. As a player still on their ELC, however, said player will be placed back on the organization’s Prospect List in the SIM, where he will remain until the conclusion of his ELC. The affected player will have his situation noted with an asterisk (*) beside his name on the team’s prospect list for the duration of his ELC, and shall become a UFA available to any CMHL organization should he return at a later date.

5.4 CMHL Drafts

5.4.1 Entry Draft

The CMHL entry draft will be no earlier than the NHL Entry Draft, on a date chosen by the League Officials in consultation with the General Managers. The Entry Draft will consist of seven rounds with 31 selections awarded per round for each of the CMHL’s organizations. General Managers must select players who were drafted in the most recent NHL Entry Draft or any unsigned prospects that were released from team prospect lists that summer (see 6.1.6). Players selected in the Entry Draft will be immediately assigned to their respective teams’ prospect list (see 6.1.6). Trades may occur before and during the Entry Draft, and unused draft picks may be traded until used for a selection. The order of the draft is determined by the concluding season’s standings. Picks 1-15 are awarded to non-playoff teams from lowest points total to highest points total. Picks 16-31 are awarded as follows. The Stanley Cup winner automatically selects 31st overall, with the Stanley Cup Finalist selecting 30th. The division winners will precede the Stanley Cup Finalists arranged in ascending order by points. All other playoff teams will select between the non-playoff teams and division winner/Cup Finalists in ascending order of points. For the non-playoff teams, a weighted draft lottery will take place using http://www.tankathon.com/nhl, determined by CMHL regular season standings. The winner of the draft lottery will move up 4 spots in the draft order.

5.4.2 Expansion Draft

The CMHL periodically increase the number of Franchises in the league, mirroring Expansion in the NHL. A CMHL Expansion Draft will take place one season after the corresponding draft in the NHL, assuming we have an existing General Manager interested in taking over the operations of the proposed organization and a General Manager waiting to join the league to take their place. At some point during the offseason after the Expansion Draft is officially announced by the CMHL, the GM changes have been announced, but before the Entry Draft and Free Agency, each team will be required to protect a list of signed players that cannot be drafted by the expansion team. Each existing team will have the option to protect either of the following scenarios:

7 forwards, 3 defensemen and 1 goaltender, or:
8 forwards and/or defensemen and 1 goaltender.

Once an organization posts their protected list, if any player on a protected list gets traded, no other player may be substituted or added to said team’s protected list.

Prospects are ineligible to be selected in the Expansion Draft. As well, any player who is signed to a CMHL or ICHF contract and is 22 years old or less as of the beginning of the season following the Expansion Draft, is a protected entity is not eligible to be selected in the Expansion Draft.

Trading will be frozen for two days prior to the Expansion Draft through to midnight MST the day after the Expansion Draft.

The Rules of the Draft are as follows:

The Expansion Team may not select players from the Official Protected Players List released earlier that month by each existing CMHL franchise;
The Expansion Team may not select and player from an existing CMHL franchise's Prospect List;
The Expansion Team may not select any player on the roster of a CMHL franchise who is 22 years of age or younger in the SIM file and signed to an existing contract through the following season and beyond.

On the night of the Expansion Draft, the GM of the Expansion Team shall post his selections one by one, commencing with the Anaheim Ducks and continuing alphabetically though to the Winnipeg Jets. This is the Expansion Team’s moment to shine, so the selections may be posted either in individual threads or in a mass list, with that choice being that of the new GM of said Expansion Team.

5.5 Rerates

Ratings are redone for all players at the end of each season by the League Officials. Rerates are conducted based on CMHL or NHL statistics and general player knowledge, depending on the player’s status and CMHL games played. Players who play 20 or more regular-season CMHL games receive a rerate based on CMHL statistics. Players who play 19 or fewer regular season CMHL games receive a rerate based on NHL (real-world) statistics.

The basis for each attribute is as follows:

CK - Hits per Minute Played
FG - Major Penalties Per Season
DI - Penalty Minutes Per Game
SK - General Player Knowledge
ST - Player Weight
EN - Minutes Played Per Game
DU - Games Played
PH - General Played Knowledge
FO - Faceoff Win Percentage
PA - Assists Per Game
SC - Goals Per Game
PS - Based on original SC and adjusted based on performance from year to year
DF - General Player Knowledge (PK Ice Time and Shots Blocked Will be Used; +/- will NOT be used)
EX - 3 Attributes Points Per Season + Bonus for Playoff Progression (CMHL Only)
LD - Mimics EX unless otherwise justified
Goalies - Completed on a subjective basis at the judgment of the re-rater (The following statistics are used: Wins, Shutouts, Save %, GAA and Minutes Played)

Each team may appeal the rerate process in two manners:

A General Manager may elect for up to two players, who were originally rerated based on CMHL statistics, to have rerates done based on NHL statistics. A General Manager may only NHL rerate a player that was on his/her roster at the end of the prior season. See: Budget for more information (Section 9.1)
A General Manager may bring up to three (3) players to Rerate Arbitration. Each team may argue the subjectively based ratings of their players (i.e. SK, PH, DF for forwards; All goalie statistics except ST, SZ, EX and LD). A Re-rate Arbitration Committee is formed in each off-season to oversee this process, generally composed on one League Official and two GMs.

Should a mathematical error be detected in the calculation of a player’s ratings, the GM is to notify a member of the League Officials team without delay so that the error can be corrected.

5.6 Off-season Contracts and Free Agency

No contracts will be allowed if your team surpasses the Salary Cap (See 7.2). No contract may be longer than four (4) years in length. At the end of each season, contracts are reduced by one year and players are aged, immediately after the Stanley Cup is awarded, by one year. If a player is 29 years of age or younger when their contract is expired, the player will be deemed a Restricted Free Agent (See 5.4.1) and his rights shall be held by the team. Players of 30 years of age or more when their contract is expired shall be an Unrestricted Free Agent (See 5.4.3) and shall be released from the team immediately after the conclusion of the playoffs. UFAs are then free to negotiate with any team per the schedule outlined in the offseason, except for Loyalty UFAs (see 5.4.4). To clarify, players who are 28 or under during the season with 1 year left on their contract will become RFAs in the offseason as they will become 29 or under when their contract length is changed from 1 to 0 years. Players who are 29 or older during the season will become UFAs in the offseason as they will become 30 or older when their contract length is changed from 1 to 0 years.

5.6.1 Player Agents

All Restricted Free Agents and Loyalty Unrestricted Free Agents are represented in the offseason by a player agent, who is assigned at the beginning of the free agent period each offseason. This player agent is also a General Manager in the CMHL and has been appointed to the position by league management. Player Agents will remain anonymous to all GMs other than league management. Should a Player Agent disclose to any GM their identity they will be replaced. The agent may not negotiate contracts for teams within his own division (obviously including his own). Player agents and General Managers work together to come to agreements regarding player contracts. It is the objective of the Player Agent to negotiate contracts and terms that are fair value to both his client and the team vying for the player’s services. Trying to hold the GMs feet to the fire to impede the process is not permissible and will result in the Agent being replaced. Negotiations at an impasse may be submitted to the Commissioner with a full copy of the negotiation process by the GM for arbitration if they feel they are being unjustly treated. In such cases, the LO team (minus any member who may be involved in the contract negotiations) and Commissioner will discuss and either mediate the process or render a final decision.

5.6.2 Restricted Free Agents (RFAs)

Restricted Free Agents have limited rights as free agents. They are free to negotiate with their own team as much as required and can negotiate with other teams on a restricted basis. In order to retain the rights to an RFA, teams must first make a qualifying offer to the player as follows:

Existing Salary Under $1M - Qualifying Offer is 110% of previous salary;
Existing Salary $1M or above - Qualifying Offer is 100% of previous salary.

If the offer is not made by the specified date (to be determined and announced by the League Officials in the offseason), that player shall become an Unrestricted Free Agent and be able to negotiate with any team with no restrictions. Once the team makes a qualifying offer the team holds that player’s rights to negotiate a new contract. Should the player receive, but not accept the qualifying offer, his rights will be retained by the club and enter negotiations with an agent (See 5.4.2). The team will be provided an exclusive negotiating opportunity of 10 days (in which a total of 7 negotiation exchanges should occur) during which no other team may negotiate with said player. A contract cannot be agreed to between an Agent and a team controlling his rights for less than the Qualifying Offer. Once the team’s exclusive time period has passed, any team may also negotiate with the player’s Agent. Should a team other than the one holding his rights agree to a contract, an Offer Sheet (See 5.6.3) would be presented to the Commissioner by the organization presenting the offer. The team owning the players’ negotiation rights would then have the choice to match the offer and sign the RFA or accept the Offer Sheet and the compensation that would be required. Should the team and player not reach an agreement by the start of the season, the player is said to be holding out and is ineligible to play. Players who have not reached an agreement by the 41-game point of the season shall be prohibited from playing in the second half of the season, regardless of an agreement being reached.

5.6.3 Offer Sheets

Any team is permitted to negotiate with a Restricted Free Agent after the exclusive negotiating period has expired. Should an agreement be reached, an “offer sheet” is submitted to the Commissioner by the organization presenting the offer, along with a copy of the negotiations with the Agent. The Commissioner will then review the offer sheet and present it to the team that owns the player’s rights. The General Manager in ownership of the rights to that player must review the offer sheet and decide whether to match or allow the player to sign with the other team. The General Manager has seven days to decide whether the team would like to match the offer. If the team decides not to match, the player then is signed to that contract with the new team. The team which the player is leaving shall be awarded compensation based on the Compensation Table in 10.1. The new team must be capable of providing the appropriate compensation to the prior team in for the offer sheet to be considered and processed.

5.6.4 Current Unrestricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents have full rights as free agents. They are free to negotiate with any team at any salary, above and below any previously received RFA qualifying offer if applicable. General Managers can commence making offers to any Unrestricted Free Agent on the date specified by league management. Offers made on Unrestricted Free Agents will be reviewed and processed weekly. Offers will be determined based on discretion from the League Officials. Varying factors will determine the result of each offer. Overall monetary value will often be the determining factor, but per the League Officials discretion, results may vary – including rejection of the offer altogether.

5.6.5 Pending Unrestricted Free Agents

No team may negotiate a contract with their Unrestricted Free Agents until the player’s existing contract has expired. Once their contract has expired Unrestricted Free Agents become a Free Agent. In the offseason, each team may retain exclusive negotiations rights for a 10-day period on up to two pending (2) Unrestricted Free Agents (known as “Loyalty UFAs”), depending on that team’s budget and what other budget options are used (See 9.1). Loyalty UFAs are under no obligation to resign for more money than they made the previous year. They may sign for any amount as negotiated with their Agent. The Loyalty UFA option gives the team losing the player an exclusive negotiation window before that player can negotiate with other teams. See Section 7.1.2 for information on trading Loyalty UFAs.

5.6.6 Unassigned Player Signings

An unassigned player signing refers to the signing of free agents who are not currently in the CMHL database. Any player who is not a member of any CMHL organization (either on the roster or the prospects list) and is also not on the Free Agency List will need to be created and entered into the database. To be eligible, a player must have been drafted or signed by an NHL team (tryout contracts during training camp are not eligible). To sign an Unassigned Player, the General Manager must make an offer through the Forum to the assigned LO. These are monitored on a weekly basis and are approved or rejected by a committee consisting of the Commissioner and LOs based on prior offers, offers submitted by other team’s, the player’s value in the league and his opportunity to succeed if signed by the team making the offer. Such offers will be processed weekly throughout the year except when trading is not allowed (i.e. between the trade deadline and the beginning of the offseason), based on the following parameters:

A team may place bids on a maximum of seven (7) Unassigned Players per round, unless it has less than 7 rosters spots available. That said, if a team has, for example, only three (3) roster spots available, said team may not place more than three (3) bids on Unassigned Players that round. Teams should use the guideline that, were they successful on all bids offered, the signings will not put them over the Player Cap set out in the CMHL Rule Book.
The LO team will assign contracts, as a group, based on the contract terms and the opportunity within the organization offering the contract. To clarify, if a player has an opportunity to be a top pairing D-man on Team A, or a 3rd pair D-man on Team B, and the offers were comparable, Team A would likely have the edge as it would allow the player to potentially increase his worth long term based on performance opportunity.
An Unassigned Player that is signed in this manner cannot be traded by the team that signs him until after he has played a minimum of 5 games with his new organization. Furthermore, any team attempting to do so, whether intentionally or unintentionally, shall receive a Strike and the trade shall be denied.
The LO who is running the signing process for Unassigned Players submits his bids to the Commissioner on the Monday and Tuesday of each week via the email account that the GMs use to submit their line files during the season. The Commissioner submits his bids via the same process on the Monday and Tuesday of each. These emails remain unopened until the end of the week when bids are processed. GMs may submit their bids commencing Wednesday of each week via cmhllines@gmail.com. Weekly bidding closes Saturday at noon MST. In a case of a roster emergency, either the LO running the process or the Commissioner may submit a bid(s) between Wednesday morning and Saturday noon MST, if they post on the Forum to provide notification to the GMs. Submitted files are not to be opened by either said LO or the Commissioner prior to Saturday when bidding closes in order to maintain the integrity of the process. Both management members monitor the email address.
The minimum contract offers for Unassigned Players or UFAs during the offseason is 1@300K, 2@350K, 3@400K, and 4@450K. Offers for established players submitted at the minimum is likely to be rejected.
Should a player become available (whether he was just bought out or just signed an ELC in the NHL) that week, that player is not eligible for bid submissions until the following week to provide everyone an opportunity to submit a claim.

6. PLAYERS and COACHES

6.1 Players

6.1.1 Salaries

Player salaries shall be provided on both the Roster page and the Finances page on the website. When a player is on the CMHL team, he must be paid his salary in full, with the accompanying hit to the Salary Cap. A player making $2,500,000 per season must remain on the CMHL team and cannot be assigned to the ICHF. Eligible players who make $2,499,999 and below will be charged 10% of their salary on the Salary Cap – provided he has not played 20 CMHL games or more that season. After 20 CMHL games, the player’s full Cap hit will apply for the rest of the season, regardless of whether he plays in the CMHL or ICHF. The minimum player salary is $300,000 and the maximum is $10,000,000.

6.1.2 Position Changes

A player’s position may be switched at any time during the season. It must be noted in your team’s Activity Thread that the General Manager must create in the Team Activities forum. A player playing out of position will see his performance reduced by the simulator. The position change should be a player’s valid position as shown on one of the following websites and as listed in the Position field for the player (information within texts on a player's page will not be considered):

6.1.3 Aging

All players will age by one (1) year at the conclusion of each season when the following season’s re-rates are posted. The aging date will be set as September 1st in the sim.

6.1.4 Prospects

When a player is drafted by a CMHL club in the CMHL Entry Draft (See Section 5.3), that player is placed on that club’s Prospects List. These players do not occupy a roster spot and thus, do not receive a salary. Players may remain on this list for up to three (3) years before they must be signed to a rookie contract or be released.

Released players will re-enter the CMHL Entry Draft, where they may be re-selected by any club and placed on that club’s Prospects List for a second three (3)-year stay. At the end of this second three (3)-year stay, the player must be signed or released to the Unrestricted Free Agency Pool.

A prospect may be signed at any time prior to the end of their three (3)-year term at no expense to the team beyond the salary they receive in their rookie contract. See Table 10.2 for the Prospect Contracts chart.

6.1.5 Rookies

To be classified as a rookie in the CMHL, a player must not have played in more than 20 CMHL games in the preceding season or 12 CMHL games in each of the preceding two seasons. Any player of the age of 26 or older shall not be considered a rookie.

6.1.6 Injuries

Every player is subject to injury, which includes goaltenders. After every game day, a CMHL General Manager is required to check the injury report posted in the sim files, which displays the type of injury and the expected amount of time missed.

Players that are injured will have to be replaced in the lineup before the team’s next game. If they are not, their lineup will be deemed ineligible. This will result in a strike being placed against the General Manager.

Players that are at 95CD or over are fatigued and are not injured, thus eligible to return to game action. These players will not need to be replaced but may need some rest.

An injured player may not be demoted to the ICHF.

An injured player can be traded but may NOT be bought out.

If a situation occurs where an injury will put a team over the salary cap, that team will have to get below the cap prior to their next game. If a General Manager is unable to get below the salary cap, that General Manager will receive a strike for every game day delayed until he is able to get under the cap (as simming cannot be completed while a team is over the salary cap)

6.1.7 Waivers

Waiver placements are announced in the Waiver Wire thread in the Team Activities Forum. The waiver order to start the season will be the reverse standings from the previous regular season. A team claiming a player successfully moves to the bottom of the waiver list.

The waiver process commences once a player has dressed for their 20th Pro Game and continues until the end of the season.

Once the Trade Deadline passes, rosters are not frozen, just trading is. Teams need to be able to waive or buy out players if necessary (for example, cap issues caused by injured players).

Once the Trade Deadline has passed a player can still be either bought out or sent directly to the ICHF as follows:

If the purpose is to buy the player out, the GM must post his intent in his team's activity thread. The player is then released from his contract and becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent. Said player will remain a Free Agent until Free Agency resumes in the off-season.

If the purpose is to reassign the player to the organization's farm team, the GM must post his intent in his team's activity thread. The player is then placed on waivers for 48 hours. Should another team claim the player, he becomes their resource. Should he clear waivers then he is assigned to the farm team. Any player who has dressed for more than 20 games in the CMHL during the season will be assigned to the farm at 100% of their CMHL salary.

Any player 22 years of age or under will be exempt from being placed on waivers unless the team waiving said player posts that he is waiving the player for the purpose of a buyout. In that case the player is removed from the team’s roster and the player remains on waivers for 48 hours. If the player is claimed by another team, the team waiving that plyer is reimbursed the Contract Buyout Fees for that player(s).

Players on waivers may be claimed by any other team in the CMHL. That team will then assume the player’s full salary, contract and hit to the cap. If more than one team places a claim, the team highest on the waiver list who can demonstrate that they can accommodate that players salary within their salary cap will obtain that player. Players cannot be claimed on waivers if it would put that team over the salary cap. The claiming team will then be moved to the lowest spot on the waiver list.

Players cannot be arbitrarily put on waivers in order to offer them up to the league for free. To be placed on waivers, a player must either be demoted after playing 20 CMHL games, or he must be bought out.

The Waiver Wire commences once a team has played 20 regular season games.

6.1.8 Contract Buyouts

A player may be released from his contract at any time during the season. This can be accomplished via posting such in the Team’s Activity thread in the Team Activity Forum. Bought out players are removed from the roster immediately. During the season, all bought out players (be they in the CMHL or ICHF) must be placed on waivers for 48 hours prior to becoming unrestricted free agents. Between the Trade Deadline and the conclusion of the off-season this is not necessary, and the player will be instantly released. A financial penalty is applied to teams that buy players out - See Budget, Section 9.1.

Bought out players are added to the unrestricted free agency (UFA) pool. GMs cannot negotiate with recently bought out players until the start of the next UFA period. In other words, a player that has been bought out cannot be signed during the UFA signing period in which he is bought out. This is to give all GMs a fair amount of time to pursue bought out players.

6.1.9 Maximum Games Started for Goalies

No goalie shall start more than 70 games during the regular season. Once a goalie has started his 70th regular season he will be suspended until the start of the playoffs. Goalies may exceed 70 games played since being brought into a game in a relief role is beyond the control of the GM. GMs are expected to monitor the GS statistic for their goalies to ensure that they are not overplaying their starters. The league will issue updates at the quarter point and halfway point of the season, as well as a week before the trade deadline.

6.2 Coaches

Every CMHL and ICHF team will be allowed one (1) coach who will be assigned with a set of ratings, much like each player. Coaches can be hired and/or fired at any point during the season. All coaches will receive a base salary of $300,000. This salary does not count towards the salary cap. Each coach will be re-rated each off-season based on their team’s performance. Coach eligibility is as follows:

CMHL Coaches - To be eligible to be a CMHL coach, the person must have coached at least 20 games in the NHL in the last 3 NHL seasons.

ICHF Coaches - To be eligible to be an ICHF coach, the person must have been an assistant coach in the NHL for at least 20 games in the last 3 NHL seasons OR been a head coach in the AHL for at least 20 games in the last 3 AHL seasons. Any coach that has head coached at least 20 games in the NHL in the last 3 NHL seasons is not eligible to be an ICHF coach.

Coach Retirement - Any coach who does not meet the above criteria is to be retired during the offseason.

7. TEAM OPERATIONS

7.1 Trading

Teams in the CMHL may trade players, draft picks and future considerations in order to address their team’s needs. Should a team include future considerations, they must be clearly stated in the deal in the form of draft picks or players. There will be a record kept of future considerations that are either met, rejected or pending in the Approved Trades Thread.

As soon as two General Managers agree upon a deal, one General Manager shall make a post in the Pending Trades forum with the title of the thread indicating that a deal has been reached. The other General Manager must follow up with a confirmation. An explanation of the deal should be included as every deal comes with the possibility of being approved pending review.

Once a deal has been posted and confirmed by both parties, it cannot be reversed or modified unless both parties restate their confirmation to the new deal.

Trades will be reviewed by a League Official and will be either approved, denied due to not possessing that asset (player, draft picks) or assigned to the Trade Committee for review.

Any General Manager in the CMHL may also request a posted trade be assigned to the Trade Committee for review by posting said request on the Trade thread and providing the reason for said request. Such a request may then be allowed or rejected by the Commissioner or Acting Commissioner. Once a Trade posting has been requested, only the two GMs involved in the trade may post with regards to the trade until a decision has been posted by the Commissioner or Acting Commissioner.

The Trade Committee consists of a panel of General Managers and/or League Officials selected by the Commissioner. These selected members of the panel will vote to either approve or deny the transaction – with the majority being the rule. Trade Committee members may not be involved in the deal or be in the same division as a team involved in the deal. If a trade is rejected, the General Managers involved will have the opportunity to re-work the deal, and once posted the revised trade may be subject to further review.

7.1.1 Trade Deadline

The annual Trade Deadline occurs roughly 80% through the season. Trades will not be allowed to be processed beyond the Trade Deadline cut-off until the playoffs have ended. The official date of the trade deadline will be noted on the season’s schedule in the simulator and announced on the League Forum by the League Officials.

7.1.2 Trading Free Agent Rights

Negotiation rights to Loyalty UFAs and Qualified RFAs can be traded once trading commences in the off-season, however teams acquiring a Loyalty UFA or Qualified RFA will have to abide by the negotiation process in once it opens. This does not come without risk and works as follows:

When trading for, or trading, a Loyaltied Unrestricted Free Agent, the trading team pays the fee and the receiving team carries the responsibility of negotiating and signing the player within the loyalty window. If the receiving team is not able to sign the player within the loyalty window said player will become a UFA and be open to offers from other teams, meaning that the receiving team would lose the assets they traded if they did not sign him.

When trading for, or trading, an unsigned RFA, the receiving team will bear the responsibility for signing the RFA or dealing with any potential offer sheets. The receiving team will need to take into consideration that any RFA who has not been signed to a contract prior to Game #42 of the following regular season will not be eligible to play in either the CMHL or the ICHF for the remainder of that season. The team would then lose his rights the next off-season, rendering said player a Free Agent, unless they qualify the player that off-season.

A reminder, the trades of any unsigned UFAs or RFAs can be posted by the GMs when the trade is agreed to and the trade shall be processed once approved. The team trading for the unsigned player will have said player added to their roster, however that player will obviously not be eligible to play until a contract is agreed upon through the Free Agent signing processes.

7.1.3 Conditional Draft Picks involved in Trades

When a team trades a conditional pick, the highest draft pick that the trading team has available for that year and round that they post as conditional will be identified in the sim. It will remove it from their list of available picks and add it to the team on the receiving end. The pick will not show up as an asset of the receiving team. This will ensure that the condition will be able to be met. Since the pick will not be available to the receiving team until the condition is met, the pick cannot be inadvertently dealt away. If the condition is not met, then the “conditional” tag will be removed, and the pick will return to the original team.

7.2 Salary Cap

The CMHL Salary Cap is set at $50,000,000 and shall remain as such every season. The ceiling of the cap shall not be surpassed by any team at any point during the regular season. At no point during the season will the salary cap be raised. The League has the authority to deny any trade or free agent signing that would put any team over the Salary Cap, unless an explanation of how that team will be below the Salary Cap prior to their next game.

Please note that the CMHL Management advises each GM to always retain a cap buffer of approximately $500,000, as there is no cap leniency for injured players. Teams must have cap room to be able to call a player up when necessary from the ICHF to your CMHL team. Doing so requires you to accept the full salary of a farm player for the duration of the injury.)

The CMHL Salary Floor is set at $25,000,000. Every team must always be above the league’s minimum salary cap.

The Salary Cap is increased to $53,000,000 once every team in the league has played their 41st game of the schedule. Five SIM days prior to the Trade Deadline, which is established prior to the season commencing (at approximately 80% of the schedule) the Salary Cap increases to $57,500,000, remaining at that figure throughout the off-season until the week prior to the commencement of the following season. The Salary Cap is then reset to $50,000,000 the week prior to the commencement of the following season in the fall. All teams are required to be below the $50,000,000 Salary Cap by this time.

Organizations are not allowed to exceed the Salary Cap at any time during the regular season or playoffs. If a team makes a trade that will cause the organization to exceed the Salary Cap, that Trade will be rejected.

Due to the economics of the League and the absence of inflation, the Salary Cap is not anticipated to increase or decrease over time. However, the topic will be reviewed by the Commissioner and League Officials at the finish of each season.

7.3 Rosters

Every team is required to dress 20 active, non-injured players on each of their CMHL and ICHF teams throughout the regular season and playoffs. This must include a minimum of two (2) goaltenders, six (6) defensemen and three (3) forwards at each position. A team may not exceed fifty (50) roster players combined between the CMHL and ICHF.

7.3.1 ICHF Injury Replacement Players

Should a CMHL team suffer an injury, they must have an additional roster player who is able to replace the injured player at his position. Unknown Player are no longer used on either the CMHL or ICHF rosters. Illegal rosters are manually reviewed, and a team without a player who they can use to replace an injured player will receive a strike the first time, followed by fines thereafter. A team's inability to submit new lines replacing an injured position player will not allow the Simulator to SIM that day.

7.4 Lines

All lines must be created using the GM Client that can be downloaded through the CMHL Forum. Lines shall then be submitted to the Simmer through email to cmhllines@gmail.com. Submitting your lines via Private Message will not be accepted unless the General Manager is not present that day and notifies the simmer prior to the sim. This practice will not be accepted in a sustained manner and should only be used for emergencies.

Should a General Manager be away for an extended period, he/she must notify the League of their absence, and either ask the League or another General Manager to monitor and submit their lines.

The GM Client will indicate whether lines are complete and accurate. A team cannot complete and submit lines without having a complete and legal roster. Rosters and lines may be saved and submitted in 10 games batches, however, if used, it will remain the responsibility of the General Manager to monitor their games and make changes should their team suffer any injuries or suspensions in either league. Failure to do so will result in a strike.

Any General Manager that is caught using lines that considerably hurt their team’s chances at winning in hopes of obtaining the best draft pick possible will be warned by the Commissioner. A second such incident will be subject for dismissal. All teams are always required to ice their best roster, depending upon fatigue or injuries to their roster.

A goaltender should be replaced in the starting lineup should he be fatigued, or his performance will drop considerably.

A player is required to play a position in which he has been approved to play in the simulator. A player is eligible to be switched to another position if there is confirmed evidence that the player has officially played that position in real life (See 6.1.2) and proof has been submitted on the team’s Team Activity thread and approved.

8. THE ICHF

8.1 Farm Team League

The ICHF is a 31-team affiliate league. Each CMHL team has its own ICHF affiliate in which that team’s prospects and depth players will play. Players can be recalled and assigned to the ICHF as per the waiver (See Section 6.3) and roster (See Section 7.3) rules.

Full standings, statistics, box scores and schedules will be provided for the ICHF. ICHF games will be Simmed with every CMHL game according to the ICHF schedule.

Injuries and suspensions will occur in the ICHF and the player shall, if possible, be replaced by another roster player. Should the team not have an extra player to replace an injured or suspended player, an Unknown Player may be used in his place (See Section 7.3).

ICHF Awards and All-Star Game will proceed in the same manner as the CMHL. All rules that apply to the CMHL will also apply to the ICHF, except for salary structure.

ICHF Team Names may be changed during the offseason. The league will collect all requests for ICHF Team Name changes and will process them all in one batch during the month prior to the start of the regular season.

8.1.1 Eligible Farm Players

Any player with an SC or PA of 70 or higher that is placed on the farm during the course of the regular season or playoffs will NOT receive a free NHL re-rate, and will not be eligible for an NHL-rerate or ratings freeze with bankroll at the end of the season.

9. TEAM BUDGET

9.1 Team Budget

For the purposes of the team budget, the CMHL season runs from the beginning of the offseason to the end of the playoffs. Budgets will be set at the beginning of the offseason based on performance in the prior season. Every CMHL team will be issued a starting budget of $12,000,000. Over the course of the season, money will be accrued or removed based on team performance, GM activity and penalties. An organization’s Team Budget cannot be traded – it is for the GM and the GM alone. This money can be used at any point in the season to release (buy out) a player from their contract or be used in the off-season to purchase benefits.

Money will be awarded throughout the season based on a General Manager’s activity (through bi-weekly check-ins), All-Star Game selections, Player of the Week winners and nominations, end-of-season award winners and playoff finishes.

Conversely, money is removed for failing to submit lines as and when required or buying a player out. During each off-season each organization will use Team Budget funds for purchasing off-season activities. For more details on these benefits, rewards and penalties, see the sections below.

If a GM leaves his team during the season, that team’s budget will be reset to the average of the budgets of the other CMHL teams (or to the starting budget of 12M if the average is lower than that) such that a new GM is not penalized for the behavior of a past GM.

9.2 Offseason Benefits

Each benefit is available to GMs to be used during the off-season to help them manage their following season’s roster and salary cap.

A team cannot use more than two of any benefit, nor can that team use more than a combined eight benefits in any off-season. If a team does not have the budget available to them, the General Manager will not be able to purchase any benefits.

The Off-season Benefits available are as follows, with each benefit costing $2,000,000:

9.2.1 NHL Rerate

Should a player’s CMHL season be subpar compared to his NHL season, a General Manager may deem it worthy to re-rate that player using his NHL stats from the prior season. Only statistically-based ratings are changed (CK, FO, PA, SC, etc). Subjective ratings (SK, PH, etc.) will remain unchanged but can be taken to rerate arbitration (see 5.5 Rerates).

9.2.2 Loyalty UFA Negotiations

Should a player of 30 years of age or above become an Unrestricted Free Agent, a General Manager can use this benefit to purchase a period of exclusive negotiating with an agent before Free Agency commences. (See 5.6.5 and 7.1.2 for important information regarding Loyalty UFAs)

9.2.3 Salary Cutback

Should a General Manager wish to, he may take advantage of the Salary Cutback to reduce the Contract Salary on an existing contract by 10% for the remainder of that contract. This benefit may only be used once throughout the contract of a player (i.e. if it is used in Year 2 of a 4 year deal, it cannot be applied again in Years 3 or 4).

9.2.4 Rating Freeze

This Benefit allows teams to use earned bankroll to freeze a signed player’s ratings for the upcoming season (i.e. their ratings from the prior season will carry forward and remain unchanged). For forwards, CK FG DI FO PA SC DF and PS are the ratings which are frozen. Other ratings (SK, PH, ST, EN, DU, EX, LD will be adjusted as usual). Goalie ratings to be frozen are AG RB SC HS and RT. All other goalie ratings will be adjusted as usual.

9.3 Contract Buyouts

During the regular season a player can be released at any point using budget money. The team must buy a player out at a cost of every remaining dollar owed to the player, including the current season’s pro-rated value and the full value of each subsequent season on the contract. Bought out players are removed from the roster immediately and placed on waivers for 48 hours. If a player is claimed on waivers, the team is absolved of the buyout cost and the claiming team takes on the salary. If the player clears waivers, the money is removed from the team budget.

Example: I want to buy out Brendan Morrow (contract – 2 years remaining @ 3.5 Million per year) 25 games into the season. His buyout cost will be determined by the following: (57/82x3,500,000) + 3,500,000 = $5,933,000.

FOR Season 19 ONLY - Any buyouts processed before the end of Season 19 (that is...the final day of the playoffs) will be applied at 50% of their value.

9.4 Team Performance Rewards

The following rewards apply to CMHL teams. All rewards will equally be distributed at the ICHF level but at 50% of their CMHL value.

Winning the Cup: $3 million
Losing in the Cup Finals: $2 million
Losing in the Conference Finals: $1.5 million
Losing in the Semifinals: $1 million
Losing in the Quarterfinals: $500K
Winning Your Division (Reg Season): $2 million
Any individual player trophy: $1 million
Any GM Trophy(Including induction into the Hall of Fame): $1 million
Player on All Star team: $500K each player
All Star Game GM: $500K each GM
Player of the Week: $100,000 for the winner each week, 30k for 2nd place and 10k for 3rd place

9.5 GM Activity

A bi-weekly check-in/attendance post will be created on the forums and GMs will have 72 hours to post their presence. These check-ins will sometimes be combined with league activities such as All-Star or awards ballots. All GMs that respond within 72 hours get a 250k bonus to their bankroll. GMs can post in advance of a check-in to notify us of a planned absence/vacation and that will equally count up to a maximum of 3 times.

9.6 Strikes

Strike #1 = $500,000 Penalty
Strikes #2-5 = $1,000,000 Penalty
Strikes #6 and beyond = $2,000,000 Penalty and possible dismissal from the league at the discretion of the Directors

10. COMPENSATION TABLES

10.1 Offer Sheet Compensation

Should a team not be able to re-sign their Restricted Free Agents in the allotted time prior to Unrestricted Free Agency commencing, any Restricted Free Agent is eligible to be tendered an offer sheet by any of the other 29 CMHL teams. The team making the offer sheet must have, at the time the offer is made, the appropriate compensation for the offer. The picks must be available for the following CMHL Entry Draft, except in cases where there are multiple selections coming from the same round. In that situation, the draft picks may come from future years after the picks from the upcoming year have been expended. However, the team which is relinquishing the player and receiving the compensation also receives the right to choose which draft picks from the other team and may choose to select a pick from a future year, even if the team making the offer sheet has a pick from an earlier year. NOTE: the team making the offer sheet does NOT require their original pick for compensation. Any pick can be used if it is from the appropriate round and is available for the appropriate draft.

Offer (Salary Per Season)	Compensation
$300-000 - $660,000	None
$660,001 - $1,000,000	3rd Round Selection
$1,000,001 - $2,000,000	2nd Round Selection
$2,000,001 - $3,000,000	1st Round Selection, 3rd Round Selection
$3,000,001 - $4,000,000	1st Round Selection, 2nd Round Selection, 3rd Round Selection
$4,000,001 - $5,000,000	2x 1st Round Selections, 2nd Round Selection, 3rd Round Selection
$5,000,001 & Up	4x 1st Round Selections

10.2 Prospect Entry Level Contracts

All prospect contracts are for a duration of three (3) seasons. Salary is based upon their selection in the Entry Draft as listed below.

For draft years after 2017:
1st Round (1-15) - $950,000
1st Round (16-31) - $900,000
2nd Round (32-46) - $850,000
2nd Round (47-62) - $800,000
3rd Round (63-77) - $750,000
3rd Round (78-93) - $700,000
4th Round (94-108) - $650,000
4th Round (109-124) - $600,000
5th Round (125-139) - $550,000
5th Round (140-155) - $500,000
6th Round (156-170) - $450,000
6th Round (171-186) - $400,000
7th Round (187-217) - $300,000

Today's CMHL Games :	- -
Today's ICHF Games :	- 2 - 1	- 4 - 1	- 3 - 2	- 4 - 3