1.1 - Each team is comprised of a pro roster and a minor league roster.
1.2 - The pro roster is comprised of up to 23 players, 6 of which must be defense-eligible players.
1.3 - The minor league roster is comprised of up to 25 players. Minor league players must all meet minor league eligibility requirements as defined in rule 1.4.
1.4 - In order to be minor league eligible, players must have been born in (current year - 25) or later. Skaters must have less than 200 NHL games played, and goalies must have less than 90 NHL games played. "Current year" is defined as the calendar year in which the season starts.
1.5 - Teams may place up to 4 players from their pro roster on Injured Reserve during the season. In order to place a player on injured reserve, the player must meet one of the following criteria:
The player has been placed on injured reserve by their NHL team
The player is designated as IR status in Yahoo
The player has missed at least three full NHL games
The player has been projected to miss at least three full NHL games by a reputable news source (eg. TSN, Sportsnet, ESPN). If using this criteria, GMs must provide a link to the news source in their Roster Movement post.
Teams may place players on Injured Reserve beginning on September 1st if the player is expected to miss at least three full NHL games at the start of the season by a repubale news source. GMs must provide a link to the news source in order to place players on Injured Reserve before the start of the NHL season. At the conclusion of the season, teams must remove all players from IR and return to a 23-man pro roster. Any players still on IR at the conclusion of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs will be released to free agency. Players forfeited in this manner are subject to waivers as per rule 2.6.
1.6 - A short grace period on the 25-man minor league cap is afforded to GMs once the entry draft begins. Incoming picks are not subjected to the 25-man cap during the draft and can be carried in excess of your normal minor league players. Minors must be reduced to 25 or fewer players at the conclusion of the draft. Teams carrying more than 25 minor league players 14 days after the final pick of the entry draft will automatically forfeit their recent picks, starting with the most recent, in order to become compliant. The commissioner will provide notice to those teams not compliant at the conclusion of the draft. Players forfeited in this manner are subject to waivers as per rule 2.6.
1.7 - Teams must be compliant with all eligiblity rules before the start of the season. The compliance cutoff date is September 25th each year. The following must be compliant by this date:
Teams must be below the salary cap ceiling and above the salary cap floor
Teams must carry at least 6 defense-eligible players on their pro roster
Teams must not carry any players in their minor league that do not meet eligibility requirements as per rule 1.4.
1.8 - If teams are not roster compliant, the commissioner will make moves at their discretion on behalf of the team to make them compliant. Any players signed or released as part of compliance adjustments are subject to normal rules regarding free agency pickups, minor callups or waivers.
If the team is over the salary cap, players will be demoted or released to free agency as necessary.
If the team is under the salary floor, players will be called up or signed from free agency as necessary. Low-salary players may be released or demoted to sign higher-salary free agents.
If the team is carrying players in the minor league that do not meet eligibility requirements, the players will be called up or released.
If the team is not carrying 6 defense-eligible players on their pro roster, players will be called up or signed from free agency as necessary. Other players may be released or demoted to sign defense-eligible free agents.
1.9 - Teams must follow all applicable roster rules at all times during the season, including but not limited to roster composition, salary cap, minor eligibility, player movement, and minimum time periods for free agent signings and minor league callups. If a team is found to be in violation of a roster rule at any point in the season, in addition to the rules outlined in rule 1.8, the offending GM will receive a warning from the commissioner via a PM on the forums. Further violations will result in draft pick forfeiture at the discretion of the commissioner. The commissioner may choose to dismiss a general manager from the league if violations continue or draft pick forfeiture is not possible due to lack of available picks.
2. Roster Movement
2.1 - Teams can pick up free agents and release players at any time, so long as they maintain roster compliance. In order to complete a transaction, GMs must post the move on the forums and make the change in the website database. If the move is during the season and involves players on a team's pro roster, the GM must also make the transaction in Yahoo.
2.2 - In the event of a tie between two teams attempting to pick up the same free agent, the team who posts on the forums first receives the player.
2.3 - During the season, free agents signed to the pro roster or minor league callups to the pro roster must be held on your pro roster for a minimum of 72 hours.
2.4 - Teams can call players up and send players down from the minors at any time, so long as they maintain roster compliance. In order to complete a transaction, GMs must post the move on the forums and make the change in the website database. If the move is during the season and involves players on a team's pro roster, the GM must also make the transaction in Yahoo.
2.5 - During the season, teams may make a maximum of 5 acquisitions to their pro roster per week. This includes both free agent signings and minor league callups to the pro roster.
2.6 - Players released to free agency are subject to a 24-hour waiver period. Teams are eligble to put in a waiver claim during this period by contacting either the team releasing the player or the commissioner. If only one claim is submitted, the claimant receives the player, and if necessary, must make a roster move to accomodate them immediately. If more than one team submits a claim, the claimant with the highest waiver priority receives the player. Any team who makes a successful claim, regardless of how many claimants there were, is moved to the bottom of the waiver priority list. The current waiver priority can be found in the Roster Movement forum.
3. The Salary Cap
3.1 - All players have a salary number based on their NHL contracts, as defined by CapFriendly.com. Players on standard NHL contracts use the player's Cap Hit, and players on entry level NHL contracts use the player's Base Salary as the cap hit.
3.2 - The HF Dynasty salary cap is 136.5% of the current NHL salary cap for that season.
3.3 - The HF Dynasty salary floor is the same at the current NHL salary cap for that season.
3.4 - Teams cannot exceed the salary cap or go under the salary floor at any point during the season. No movement or trade will be processed if it puts a team over the salary cap or under the salary floor. If for any reason a team is not salary compliant, the commissioner will make moves for that team in order to bring it into compliance, as per the guidelines in rule 1.8.
4. Trades
4.1 - Trades can take place at any point during the season, up until the trade deadline, at which point no more trades can be made until the conclusion of the HF Dynasty playoffs.
4.2 - Teams may trade players from their pro roster, minor league roster, or draft picks no more than two years in advance of the current season.
4.3 - All trades must be posted to the Completed Trades forum, and all teams involved must post that they accept the trade. Once all teams involved have accepted the trade, the commissioner must approve the trade. If the commissioner is involved in the trade, any of the members of the trade committee may approve the trade.
4.4 - In the event that a manager not involved in the trade believes the trade to be detrimental to league balance or fairness, they may request a vote within 72 hours of the commissioner's approval. The trade committee votes on whether or not to strike the trade. Any trade struck down will be reversed by the commissioner if a majority is reached.
4.5 - The trade committee was created when the league was formed in order to maintain fairness and balance, and its members have the right to vote down a trade if they feel it is unfair or detrimental to league balance. The current trade committee members are Winnipeg, Toronto, Cowichan, Bakersfield, and Georgetown.
4.6 - The trade deadline is the Sunday night following the NHL trade deadline, at 11:59pm Pacific. Trades must be posted and accepted before this to receive approval.
5. The Entry Draft
5.1 - The entry draft consists of 3 rounds of 12 picks, for a total of 36 picks.
5.2 - Draft order in each round is determined by the final regular season standings. Teams are seeded in reverse order of points, with the exception that the Dynasty Cup Champion always receives the last pick in each round.
5.3 - Teams who do not qualify for the playoffs are eligible for the draft lottery, with the winner receiving the 1st overall pick. The odds of winning the pick are 40% for the 12th-place team, 25% for 11th, 15% for 10th, 10% for 9th, 7% for 8th and 3% for 7th. The draft lottery will be conducted by the commissioner between the conclusion of the HF Dynasty season and the NHL entry draft.
5.4 - The team that holds the 1st overall pick begins the draft by posting their pick at the conclusion of the NHL Entry Draft's 1st round. Successive teams have 24 hours from the timestamp on the previous pick's forum post to make their picks. If a team does not make their pick within 24 hours, the next team in the draft order may make their pick. Teams who have missed a pick can make their selection at any time.
5.5 - 24 hours after the final pick of the draft, teams may sign undrafted players at a rate of one every 24 hours. Players who went undrafted in the NHL Entry Draft may only be signed if they are no longer eligible for the NHL Entry Draft.
6. Scoring and Playoffs
6.1 - The league uses a weekly head-to-head scoring format.
6.2 - The scoring categories are Goals, Assists, Points, Plus/Minus, Penalty Minutes, Powerplay Points, Hits, Wins, Goals Against Average, Save Percentage and Shutouts.
6.3 - Each team's active lineup consists of up to 3 centers, 3 right wingers, 3 left wingers, 6 defensement, 3 utility skaters of any position, 2 goaltenders, 3 bench players of any position, and 4 injured reserve.
6.4 - Teams must have a minimum of 3 goaltender appearances per week. Teams who do not will forfeit all goalie scoring categories for that week.
6.5 - The top 6 teams at the conclusion of the regular season are awarded playoff spots, with a one-round bye going to the teams finishing 1st and 2nd. The team finishing 1st plays the winner of the 4-5 matchup in the semifinals, while the team finishing 2nd plays the winner of the 3-6 matchup in the semifinals.