Rule Book:

The Lighthouse Hockey League (LHHL) is an Internet Hockey League based on Sean Bates' FHL Simulator program. It is designed to provide the individual the opportunity to GM their own hockey team. The players used in LHHL are for the most part fictional, with the occasional real name thrown in for flavor. I will assume most of you are familiar with the FHL software and leagues. If you aren't familiar with the software please refer to the primer as it may answer some of your questions.

1. Guidelines:

One team per General Manager
ICQ is not mandatory, but is encouraged.
Active response to messages is mandatory (e-mail or ICQ)
Games will be simulated by the Commissioner using FHL.
All teams are playing to win the Nautical Cup.

We have 22 teams; divided into 2 conferences, with 2 divisions per conference. Each team will play an 82 game season.

At the current time, the top 8 teams from each conference make the playoffs.
An entry draft will be held each season consisting of 5 rounds, the order determined by point standing in the regular season.

2. Rosters

Game rosters consist of 20 players, 2 G, and at least 3 C, 3 LW, and 3 RW, and 6 D. You may then select 3 players at your discretion to fill your roster. Generally, 3 forwards are chosen to make 4 forward lines. You are allowed to have 25 players on your Parent Roster, with an additional 25 on the Farm Club. This allows you to have a total of 50 players. Keep in mind that you need to be able to field a valid squad for every game at the Parent Level. In order to do this, you will need to have at least 3 goalies in your team's system and 7-8 defensemen. These are bare minimums; most clubs will exceed these numbers by a healthy margin.

Position changes will be permitted on a case by case basis; frequency however will be very low. Changing a player's position may result in a negative effect on his ability.

3. Trades

You are able to trade players, money, and draft picks. To complete a trade you must include all details in the trade message. Both GMs must submit the same information to the message board. One will submit, second will confirm, and commish will evaluate. A player or draft pick can not be traded simply for money. There is a cap of $5 Million in cash considerations. Every deal must contain a player or pick, and no team can send only money to another. Money can be sent in addition to, but not in place of, players and/or picks. After any trade make sure that you resubmit your lineup! New acquisitions will join your team at the same level (Parent/Farm) that they existed on the previous team.

Future considerations will be allowed, as long as terms are spelled out at the time of trade. Examples of future considerations: right to swap picks in a given draft (making both picks ineligible to be traded away), a player rated 68-73 OV, or something along those lines. A named player is not allowed, and will be included as a current transaction. The trading deadline will be 80% of the season. If the Commish thinks that a trade is too one-sided, he may refuse the trade and ask both parties to modify it in order to make it more suitable. Trades do not need to be even (1 for 1, 2 for 2), any number of players can be offered in a transaction.

4. Salary Cap

Our league will operate under a salary cap. Each team is expected to respect and stay under the salary cap. Year to year, the salary cap will change to reflect current economic conditions. The salary cap applies to salary commitment and takes into account players at the parent and farm club. Failure to comply with the salary cap, will result in a fine of $1,000,000 or amount over the Cap per week, whichever is higher.

The league has a minimum salary level of $200,000 for players at the Parent level (translates to $20,000 at the farm level).

5. Retirement

Player retirements will occur as a random event. The older a player is the more likely that they will retire. Players without contracts for more than a season will automatically retire. A program called FHL Stuff created by Daniel Gothe will be used as a means to determine player's whether a palyer wants to retire or not. This program looks at the impact the player had during the previous season. If they are happy with their roles, they will continue playing, if unhappy they may ask to be traded, or retire.

Each season an Entry Draft will be held. The regular season point standing will be used to determine the draft order, and will consist of
5 rounds. Players eligible for the Entry Draft will compete in a number of collegiate, junior, and international leagues.
Information about these players will be made available through your Scouting function. Players drafted in the Entry
Draft will sign 3-year contracts based on their position taken in the draft.

Unrestricted Free Agents are eligible to sign with any team without compensation. Signing Restricted Free Agents will result in compensation
to the team holding rights to the player. Each season, your team will have so many units available to resign players. Each team will have 4 points
to use to resign their existing talent. This will allow teams to sign some of their players prior to the Open Free Agent period.
Eligible free agents are most likely to sign contracts equal or greater than the average of their peers. Generally, players are
not willing to take reductions in pay. However, as some salaries were severly inflated during the first free agency period
there will be a few exceptions to this trend. Players will take into account productivity and value to the team.

The minimum salary is $200,000. The maximum contract is 5 years.

Restricted Free Agents who do not agree to a contract during the renegotiation phase will become Unrestricted Free Agents.

Players over 29 years old will become unrestricted free agents.