Table of Content

Section 1 – Roster Lists .............................................................................. 3

Section 2 – Minors (MIN) List ..................................................................... 4

Section 3 – Free Agency & Waivers / Entry Waivers .................................. 5-6

Section 4 – Roster Move Limits .................................................................. 6

Section 5 – Salaries / Salary Cap / Trading Money .................................... 7-8

Section 6 – Player Drafts ............................................................................ 9-10

Section 7 – Minor Leagues / Junior Leagues / International Players .......... 11-12

Section 8 – Trading .................................................................................... 13

Section 9 – Daily Cutoff / Trade & Roster Move Deadlines ........................ 14

Section 10 – Standings & Conferences ...................................................... 14

Section 11 – Playoff Format ....................................................................... 15

Section 12 – Statistical Categories ............................................................. 16

Section 13 – Tie-Breaking Procedures ....................................................... 16

All rules are subject to change without input from league members. All members will be
notified of all changes prior to them taking place.

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 Section 1
ROSTER LISTS

Teams are allowed no more than 31 total players on the Main Roster. Included on the Main
Roster are the Active Roster (23) and Injured Reserve / Suspension List (IR) (6).

1.1 – ACTIVE ROSTER

Each team may have no more than 23 players on the Active Roster from which to create an
active lineup (a list of players collecting stats for a particular day).

A team may not have fewer than 10 players on the Active Roster.

Active Roster positions will include:

- C, LW, RW (four each in the active lineup)

- D (six each in the active lineup)
- G (one goalie in the active lineup, but no more than three total on the Active
Roster)
- Four bench players of any position.

1.2 – INJURED RESERVE / SUSPENSION LIST (IR)

A team may place a player on the IR only when that player has an injury marker next to his
name on Fantrax, or if the player is on an NHL suspension list.

A team may have no more than six players on this list at any one time.

If a player has an injury marker removed from his name, he must be removed from the list and
placed on another eligible list. Failure to do so within 24 hours of a player becoming healthy
will result in transactions being locked for that team until the player is removed from the list.

Players who are on an NHL suspended list during the season may also be placed on this list.
The same 24-hour rule applies to players coming off of suspension.

Players must be removed from IFHL IR prior to the start of the following year’s draft, unless
the player is expected to miss the start of the NHL regular season. Permission from the
Commissioner must be given for a player to remain on the list prior to the start of the draft.

Players on this list will not count against a team’s salary cap.

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 Section 2
MINORS (MIN) LIST

Every team is given 12 spots designated to protect minor league and non-injured inactive
players, as well as for special protections for a team’s own minor league players.

These spots do not count against the Main Roster limit from Section 1.

*See Rule 7.2 for what players are considered “minor league players.”

2.1 – ELIGIBLITY
To be eligible for a MIN spot, a player must meet any of following:

 Any player with a real-life status of “minors, inactive, free agent, or waivers”
 Any player 20 years old or younger, regardless of real life status
 Any skater with fewer than 41 career NHL games played (including current season) or
any goalie with fewer than 21 career NHL games played (including current season),
regardless of real life status

---

Players will be ineligible for the MIN list if they meet any of the following conditions AND
none of the above conditions:

 Any player currently on an active NHL roster

 Any player 21 years old or older
 Any skater with 41 or more career NHL games played (including current season) or any
goalie with 21 or more career NHL games played (including current season)

Teams will have two days to move players who become ineligible for MIN while on the list, or
the team's lineup and roster will be locked.

2.2
Players from the team’s own minor league system may be placed on this list at any time to
protect him from real-life movements, as long as the player meets the conditions list in Rule 2.1.

2.3
Players on this list will not count against a team’s salary cap.

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 Section 3
FREE AGENCY & WAIVERS / ENTRY WAIVERS

3.1 – FREE AGENCY

All players on the free agent list are players that were left over from the draft or players that
were released and cleared waivers during the season.

3.1a
Free agent signings will not be granted if:

 The team has insufficient cap space

 The team has insufficient roster space
 The team does not have eligible moves remaining for the week (Section
4)
 The player is not listed on the Fantrax Database (EXCEPTION: See
Section 3.6)
 The player has not made an official NHL regular season appearance
during the current season (must be signed via waivers)

3.2 – WAIVERS

3.2a
Waiver priority will be determined by random draw before each season.

3.2b
During the season, if more than one team signs different players through waivers on the same
day, all involved teams will be moved to the bottom of the priority list, with the order of those
teams remaining the same.

3.2c – Waiver signings will not be granted if:

 The team has insufficient cap space

 The team has insufficient roster space
 The player is not listed on the Fantrax Database (EXCEPTION: See
Section 3.6)

3.2d – There are no maximum number of waiver requests for the season

3.2e – All waiver claims must be made on Fantrax AND emailed emailed to the Commissioner,
not posted on the message boards.

3.2f – GMs may withdraw a request at any time before the player is signed.

3.2g – All players will be on the waivers for a period of two (2) days. All players become free
agents at 8pm ET on the date posted on with their name on Fantrax.

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3.5 – ENTRY WAIVERS

3.5a – RIGHTS OWNED BY AN IFHL TEAM (Non-MIN list)

When a player is called up to the NHL in real life and his rights are owned by an IFHL team
(minor leagues only), that team will have two days from the start time of the player’s first game
(this is when the game started, not the time the player took the ice) to sign the player. An
appearance by the player must take place. If the player sits the bench, then the two-day clock
will not start until he makes an on-ice appearance.

During the two-day period, other IFHL teams are permitted to place a waiver claim on the
player by emailing the Commissioner.

If, after the two days, the team does not move the player to the Main Roster, waivers will be
processed on the player. If no team put in a claim for the player, he becomes a free agent.

3.5b – RIGHTS NOT OWNED BY AN IFHL TEAM

When a player is called up to the NHL and his rights are not owned by an IFHL team, the
players is placed on two-day waivers from the start time of the game the player makes his first
appearance.

After the two days, waivers will be processed on the player. If no team put in a claim for the
player, he becomes a free agent.

Waivers requests for players under Rule 3.5 must be emailed to the Commissioner. No claim for
the player may be made on Fantrax until given the go-ahead by the Commissioner.

3.6
If the player has not been added to the Fantrax Database after the two-day period has passed, he
is eligible to be signed by any team, as long as he has played an NHL game in the current
season.

3.7
If a player is released by an IFHL team during the off-season and he has yet to play an NHL
game, the rights to that player has been relinquished and he may be drafted by any team in the
upcoming draft.

Section 4
ROSTER MOVE LIMITS

A GM is limited to three free agent signings per week. Exceptions to this rule are:
- Waiver signings or Entry Waiver claims
- A new GM is granted unlimited moves for 48 hours

Free agent signing limits are reset each Monday during the season.

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 Section 5
SALARIES / SALARY CAP / TRADING MONEY

5.1 – PLAYER SALARIES

All salaries are based on real-life player salaries at the time of salary lock each summer.

All salaries are locked three weeks prior to the start of the draft. Salaries do not change during
the season.

Players entering the Fantrax database after this deadline will be given the league minimum for
that season.

5.2 – LEAGUE MINIMUM SALARY

Because IFHL uses real-life salaries, the league will use the NHL league minimum salary listed
in the CBA.

 2019-20 – $700,000
 2020-21 – $700,000
 2021-22 – $750,000

5.3 – SALARY CAP

The cap will change every season because of an increase in league minimums.

The cap will be set at the total cost of all players on the salary list (not including players making
league minimum) divided by 31 (the number of teams in the NHL), then adding 5% of that
total, then rounding to the nearest million.

NOTE: There will be no luxury tax in IFHL. Except for trading money (see below), these are
hard caps.

5.4 – TRADING MONEY

Teams will be allowed to trade money out of and into the payroll for players or draft picks.

5.4a
Teams cannot trade money more than two seasons out of the current season. This is to protect
any new GM who takes over a vacated team.

5.4b
Money traded for the current season does NOT roll over to the follow season. All payrolls are
reset to default after each season, plus or minus what was previously traded for that season
alone.

Money traded affects the salary cap of that team. If a team brings in $10M, their cap is raised by
$10M for that season, while the cap would go the opposite direction for money sent out.

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5.4c – TRADING LIMITS
Teams are limited to how much they can trade out for the current season and for future seasons.
There is no limit to how much teams can bring in.

 For any current season, teams can trade out no more than $15M.
 For future seasons, teams may not trade out more than $7.5M.

The limit on how much a team may trade is based on the net amount traded for that season. For
example, if the limit is $15M for the current season, and the team has sent out $3M and received
$3M in trades, then the team’s remaining amount allowed is $15M.

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 Section 6
PLAYER DRAFTS

6.1
Each year’s draft will begin on September 1st, unless otherwise noted.

6.2
The draft is four (4) rounds of sixteen (16) picks per round. Drafts take place in serpentine
format.

6.3
Draft order is determined by the previous season’s final standings and playoff results.

 Picks 1-8: A draft lottery including the bottom eight non-playoff teams
from the previous regular season standings (Rule. 6.4)
 Picks 9-12: Reverse regular season standings of Conference Semifinals
losers
 Picks 13-14: Reverse regular season standings of Conference Finals
losers
 Pick 15: IFHL Finals Runner-up
 Pick 16: IFHL Champions

6.4
The first eight draft positions will be determined by a draft lottery consisting of the eight teams
that did not make the playoffs in the previous season. The results of the lottery will be
announced by the Commissioner after each year’s playoffs. The last place team will receive
eight (8) entries into the lottery, second-to-last will receive seven (7) entries, and so on.

The lottery is generated using random.org and it randomized 10 times. A screenshot of the
results are available by the Commissioner upon request.

6.5
Draft picks can be traded during any open trading period, including during the draft.

6.6
Each team will have a 4-hour period to make their pick. If a team doesn’t draft in the time
given, they will be skipped. If the team is skipped, they still can make that pick at any time after
the time has expired.

Picks may not be made on Mondays.

6.7
To avoid being skipped, a GM who believes he is unable to make his pick when it is due should
send a list of players to either the Commissioner or another GM for that person to pick for him.
If all players on the list are unavailable, the pick will be skipped.

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6.8 – PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

 If a player played in a junior league listed in Rule 7.3a at ANY point in his career and
his rights belong to an NHL team NOT taken in IFHL, he is eligible to be drafted.
 If a player has played only college and/or any league outside those listed in Rule 7.3a, he
cannot be drafted.
 Players in a professional minor league system affiliated with the NHL (ECHL or AHL)
are eligible for the draft if they are under a professional contract with an NHL team,
regardless of number of NHL games played. A player is not eligible if they have fewer
than 10 NHL games played and are signed to a contract by the minor league team itself,
not the NHL parent club.
 A player belonging to a minor league system of an IFHL team is not eligible to be
drafted, unless that player appeared in at least one NHL regular season game during the
previous season, provided he is not currently on a team’s Main Roster or Rights
Reserved list.
 International players that have not played in any eligible junior league are only eligible
if they signed a professional contract with an NHL team not taken in our league during
the offseason.

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 Section 7
MINOR LEAGUES / JUNIOR LEAGUES / INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS

7.1
Any player not drafted by an NHL team in real life (American or international) signed to an
NHL team (major or minor league contract) during the IFHL regular season will automatically
be property of that team in IFHL. If that team is not chosen, he will not be eligible to be signed
until the next year’s draft, or through the two-day waiver period if he is called up and plays a
game in the NHL. If that team is chosen, he may only be signed by another team after clearing
the two-day Entry Waivers period.

7.2 – MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS

Players eligible to be labeled as "minor league players" in IFHL must have played in the NHL
fewer than 10 games during the previous NHL season, or fewer than 10 games and be on a
minor league roster at the time during the current season after the start of the first NHL game of
the regular season.

7.2a – ELIGIBLE MINOR LEAGUES

Only minor leagues that have affiliations with the NHL are considered part of the “minor league
system.” Pro players that have not played in the NHL or have recently been demoted must come
from one of these leagues and must have a contract with an NHL team.

Currently, the eligible minor leagues are the American Hockey League (AAA) and the ECHL
(AA).

The Federal Hockey League (Low-A) and the Southern Professional Hockey League (High-A)
are not eligible as they do not allow affiliations with NHL teams or their minor league systems.

7.2b
Players in the minor league system of teams chosen in IFHL are automatic property of that team
in IFHL, unless the player’s rights are owned by another team. These players may be traded or
signed in IFHL by the team who owns the rights to the player.

7.2c
If a minor league player is traded in real life and has not been protected by the IFHL GM who
held his rights, his rights transfer to the new team without compensation. If that team is not
chosen in IFHL, the player become ineligible to be signed by any GM until he is called up to
NHL, unless he is on a Rights Reserved list (See Section 6).

7.2d
Minor league players affiliated with teams not chosen by an IFHL GM may not be signed
during the season until they have been called up and gone through the two-day waiver process.

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7.3 – JUNIOR LEAGUE PLAYERS
Any junior league player whose rights belong to an NHL team belongs to that team in IFHL. If
the team is not chosen in IFHL, that player is eligible to be drafted provided he comes from one
of the eligible junior league (see Rule 10.9). If the player is not drafted in IFHL, he can only be
signed during the season if he makes an NHL appearance, at which point the player will be
placed in two-day waivers.

7.3a – Eligible non-NHL players must have their rights owned by an NHL team and come from
any league listed as Major Junior, Canadian Junior A, or American Junior A (Tier I, Tier II, and
Tier III only). Players in lower tiers or leagues, including college players, are ineligible.

7.4 – INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS

For the purposes of IFHL, the term "international player" describes any player not from the
United States or Canada who has yet to play in an eligible junior league, an eligible minor
league, or the NHL.

7.4a
If an international player is signed by an NHL team during the offseason and was not drafted in
the IFHL Draft, he will become a minor league player in the signing team’s system. That player
will then go through the Entry Waiver process if he makes an NHL debut during the regular
season.

7.4b
If an international player is signed to a real-life NHL contract during the regular season, he must
go through the two-day Entry Waiver period after playing his first NHL game.

7.4c
An international player that is considered a free agent in NHL is ineligible to be signed or
drafted in IFHL, unless he has played in any eligible league mentioned in Section 7. He must be
signed by an NHL team to be eligible in the above rules.

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 Section 8
TRADING
8.1
Teams are permitted to trade any of the following:
- NHL Players
- Any other players whose rights belong to an IFHL team
- Draft Picks (No more than the current / upcoming draft + next two seasons)
- Money (No more than the current season + next two seasons)
- Waiver priority (Teams will switch priority position)
- Future Considerations (Must be made within one calendar year from trade
post or teams may face disciplinary action)
- Any other item at the discretion of the Commissioner or League

8.2
All trades must be posted to the Fantrax message board and include all teams and items
involved.

8.3
Trades may include more than three teams at one time.

8.4
A player that is on a team’s MIN list when traded, may only be placed on the MIN list of the
new team if he is eligible under Rule 2.1

8.5 – TRADE POLLS

All trades will go through a 48-hour period of review by the league. Players will change teams
during this time.

A 48-hour poll will be created if three or more GMs protest a trade on the basis of collusion,
conduct detrimental to the league, or a belief that a rule has been violated.

During the 48-hour review process, a poll will be created in which all GMs – excluding those
involved in the trade – will be required to vote to allow or veto the trade. A majority rules in the
polls.

Players will be moved back to their original teams if a majority vote to veto. All stats
accumulated during these 48 hours will count for the new team if they were in the lineup.

Consistently failing to vote could lead to a GM's dismissal or suspension from the league under
Section 2.

The Commissioner has the discretion to create or deny a poll request at his will.

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 Section 9
DAILY CUTOFF / TRADE & ROSTER MOVE DEADLINES

9.1
A “day” in IFHL ends after the final NHL game for that day is completed.

If the move occurs after this time on Sunday night / Monday morning, the move will count
against the new week's roster move limits.

9.2
The trade deadline will be 11:59pm ET on the final day of the third to last week of the IFHL
regular season.

9.3
Trading will be closed until two Mondays after the final day of the IFHL playoffs, or unless
opened early by the Commissioner. Trading will remain open until a date specified by the
Commissioner.

9.4
Free agent and waiver signings can continue for all teams until 11pm ET on the final day of the
IFHL playoffs.

Section 10
STANDINGS & CONFERENCES

14.1
Standings will be calculated based on a one-win system. The system awards one win, one loss,
or one tie based on the "final score" at the end of the week.

For instance, if a team wins 6 out of 10 categories, that team will be given one win (1-0) in the
standings.

14.2
Conferences are currently set geographically with a single list for each conference. This system,
however, is subject to change with prior notice.

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 Section 11
PLAYOFF FORMAT

Conference Semi-Finals
Match 1: AC first-seed vs. Wildcard*
Match 2: AC second-seed vs. AC third-seed

Match 3: NC first-seed vs. Wildcard*

Match 4: NC second-seed vs. NC third-seed

Note: The Wildcard spots may come from either conference. The Wildcard team with the worse
record will be placed with the conference winner with the better overall record. The other
Wildcard team will be placed in the other conference.

Conference Championship
Match 5: Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2

Match 6: Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4

IFHL Championship
Match 7: Winner of Match 5 vs. Winner of Match 6

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 Section 12
STATISTICAL CATEGORIES

Scoring is Head-to-Head (H2H).

Skaters
Goals
Assists
Plus-Minus
SOG
Special Teams Points (STP)
Hits
Blocked Shots

Goalies*
Goalie Points (2 x wins + OTL + SOL)
Saves
Shutouts
Goals Allowed Average
Save Percentage

NOTE: Teams must have two goalie appearances during the week for Goalie categories to
count.

*While they will not be official categories for goalies, any goal, assist, STP, or SOG by a goalie
will count toward a team’s total skater stats for the week.

Section 13
TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURES

For ties in yearly standings or playoff series:

1) The greater number of total match wins during the current season.

2) The greater number of match wins between the tied clubs during the current season.

3) The best conference record during the current season. (NOTE: If this is a tie for a conference
title, this procedure will move to the number two spot.)

4) The best categorical winning percentage during the current season.

5) The greater number of categorical wins during the current season.

6) The least amount of categorical losses during the current season.

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