FEDERAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
RULES AND REGULATIONS v1.1
1.1
Introduction
The purpose
of The Federal Hockey League is for the participants to have fun. The Federal
Hockey League is a strictly non-commercial activity without any fees.
1.2 Definitions
These are
the basic definitions of The Federal Hockey League
1.2.1 The Federal Hockey League (FHL)
The Federal
Hockey League consists of the Major Pro League including Farm Teams
1.2.2 The Affiliated Federal Hockey League (AFHL)
AFHL is an
affiliate league that employs players not on the Pro roster.
1.2.3 The Junior Federal Hockey League (JFHL)
The Junior
Federal Hockey League is the talent generator for The Federal Hockey League.
The Junior Federal Hockey League has no human GM΄s, and is fully managed by the
Commissioner.
1.2.4 The Euro Federal Hockey League (EFHL)
The Euro
Federal Hockey League is the european
talent generator for the Federal Hockey League. Also players not under contract with FHL
teams, may choose to play in the Euro league. The Euro Federal Hockey League
has no human GMs, and is fully managed by the Commissioner.
1.3
The Website
The Site is
the web space where all information regarding The Federal Hockey League and The
Junior Federal Hockey League, and the Euro Federal Hockey League is stored.
2.1
FHL Simulator
The program allows the league to enter team information such as coaches, arena names and capacities, as well as farm teams. It also allows us to manage player databases and personally create players according to the description provided by the General Manager. Perhaps the most astounding aspect of the software is its ability to produce team revenues and expenses as well as maintaining player contracts. The program enables trading, drafts, prospects, waivers and many, many more options. It also outputs web pages (.html files) for just about any statistic that can be imagined including game results and a schedule which it generates automatically as well.
2.2
Date System
The FHL Simulator works on a real time basis. In other words, each day simulated with the FHL program is equal to one real day. For example, if a game night is simulated on October 25, all statistics will be reported as of October 25.
2.3
Ratings and Re-rates
The FHL Simulator software rates each player on specific abilities. Players are rated in each category out of 100 and are listed according to their overall average, also out of 100. Players are rated in the following categories:
Players
PO (Position) Position man player
HD (Handed) R = Shoots Right, L = Shoots Left
CD (Conditioning) Fatigue (% health - OK=100%)
IT (Intensity) Aggressiveness and attention
SP (Speed) Skating speed
ST (Strength) Physical strength
EN (Endurance) Ability to play longer and more often
DU (Durability) Injury resistance and recovery
DI (Discipline) Ability to avoid taking penalties
SK (Skating) Skating ability
PA (Passing) Passing ability
PC (Puck Control) Ability to control the puck
DF (Defense) Defensive ability
SC (Scoring) Offensive ability
EX (Experience) Hockey sense over a career
LD (Leadership) Ability to be a team leader
OV (Overall) A simulated average of all attributes
Coaches
OF Offence
DF Defense
LD Leadership
EX Experience
During the season, FHL randomly fluctuates player ratings depending on their current season performance. If a player is doing well, his ratings may increase affecting his overall rating to increase by 1 or 2 points. On the other hand, players who are doing poorly can decrease in rating points. Most changes take place when players are on the farm roster. Pro players seldom change, but it is possible.
At the end of the playoffs each year, FHL will re-rate every FHL player according to their overall season performance and their age. History tells us that FHL is quite biased to young players and usually increases their attributes. The opposite is true for older players, but these rules are not always set in stone. The change will usually be a slight one and will not affect the performance of a team as a whole any great deal. FHL will also add one year to each player's age and deduct one year from each player's contract during this procedure.
2.3
GM Editor
GM Editor is the software used to complete line changes for your team. The following is a brief set of instructions on how to use it.
2.4 Line Changes
Line changes are a key step in the level of participation that is expected of an FHL General Manager. Regular line changes are encouraged by the league and are in no way considered a hindrance to anyone's time schedule at Head Office. The league has provided software entitled GM Editor which is downloadable for free from the website. It is easy to use and kept up to date on a daily basis. No line changes will be implemented unless they are completed using the GM Editor.
Line changes are not guaranteed for implementation by game time if they are not received by 8:00pm (EST) on the day of the game. FHL will always use your last submitted line changes if you do not refresh them before each game. For assistance or instructions on how to use the GM Editor software, see the GM Editor section of this handbook or contact your GM Rep, Les McDonald at federalleague@sympatico.ca.
2.5 New GMs
New GM's will be on a one month probationary period. During this period, they are free to make trades, but every deal will closely monitored and the league will not tolerate any one sided deals in which a new GM is being taken advantage of.
Section 3 Team
Finances and Player Movement
3.1 Team
Revenues and Expenses
Finances heavily affect teams in the FHL. Teams generate revenue by selling tickets to their home games. The FHL Simulator software uses a predetermined formula to calculate a team's revenue. It takes into effect the current ticket price, which is adjustable by the General Manager at designated times throughout the season, as well as the seating capacity of the team's arena. Teams will earn on average, 20% more than (seats X ticket price).
Teams may also generate revenue by signing up for endorsements such as: Broadcast Rights, Arena Naming Rights, Team Sponsorship, and Equipment Sponsorship
On the other side of the coin, a team also has expenses during the season. It costs money to travel and play road games. Again, the FHL Simulator software uses a predetermined formula to calculate a team's expenses. Also, player contracts are deducted proportionately on a daily basis, which also affects a team's expenses. The higher a team's payroll is, the more costly it is to put those players out on the ice night after night.
It is highly recommended that a team's projected revenue be at least 3 times higher than it's projected expenses for the year if the team wishes to stay financially stable. This can be altered through changes in ticket prices. The catch is finding out what the right price for your team is. If your team is doing well, more fans fill your building, but if your team is doing poorly, no one shows up, hence, affecting your daily revenue.
Revenue is generated during a team's 23 home games. Expenses are deducted for all 80 games during the season. A team is still financially affected during the playoffs in the same manner as it is during the season.
3.2 FHL Arenas
The maximum capacity of any arena is 23,000 seats and can only be adjusted during an off-season.
3.2.1 Arenas
Each team will receive $75 million at the beginning of season 1. With this money the team must buy a stadium and pay it's first year salaries. Bear in mind, that as teams play home games, each team receives the ticket money that can be used towards salaries. The amount of money received for home games is determined by the ticket price (set by the GM) as well the number of tickets sold.
There will be 4 different stadiums a team can buy.
Stadium Prices
3.2.2 Arena Maintenance
The maintenance on arena's will be a flat annual fee based upon the seating capacity of the arena as follows:
The maintenance fees will include all repairs, cleaning staff, security, as well insurance policies which every arena require. All costs for the previous season is withdrawn prior to the Free Agency period.
3.2.3 Capacity Increase Cost
The matrix below is used to decide the cost for added capacity. No arena may
be expanded more than 10% each year, and the maximum potential is 15% compared
to the original capacity. No expansion beyond that is possible without building
a new arena.
Please note that increases must be rounded to the nearest 100.
|
Seats added |
Base Cost |
|
100 500 |
$2,000 / seat |
|
600 1000 |
$2,200 / seat |
|
1100 1500 |
$2,400 / seat |
|
1600 2000 |
$2,500 / seat |
|
2100 2500 |
$2,700 / seat |
|
2600+ |
$3,000 / seat |
3.3 Ticket
Prices
There are no minimum or maximum dollar amounts assigned to ticket prices. Teams can adjust their ticket prices three times per season. Once at the beginning of the regular season, once at the all-star break and once at the beginning of the playoffs.
3.4
Endorsements
Each FHL team will have the oppourtunity to sign a TV contract, an Arena naming rights agreement, a team sponsorship deal, and an Equipment deal. All contracts will cost the FHL team, but the rewards will be worth the cost. Remember extra cash flow can be a signed free-agent.
3.5 FHL Salary
Structure
Here is the current Salary Structure and Pay Scale that is used in the FHL. The following dollar amounts are minimum requirements only and players may be paid more if the General Manager wishes to do so as long as the applicable salary cap is not breached. This pay scale MUST be followed at all times. It was created to try to pay players equally depending on their ratings. This means the better players will cost more and the not so good players will be at bargain prices so to speak.
The first chart is to be used when signing C1-RFA's, C2-RFA's, UFA's,
Franchise Players and when offering Contract Extensions. The second chart is to
be used when signing draftees to their initial contract (JFHL 1-Year Prospect
Contract or FHL 1-3-Year Initial Contract. These scales are to be used for all
contracts negotiations.
Team Salary Cap = $50,000,000
No Player Salary Cap
Contract length will be:
1-5 years (Pro and Farm Players)
1-3 years maximum (Contract Extensions)
1-3 years (Drafted Rookies)
1 year (Prospect Contracts)
Min Roster will equal 32 players
Max Roster will equal 50 players
Min goaltenders will equal 4 (Pro + Farm)
Violation of roster limits will result in a fine of $1,000,000 per player
above/below and will be deducted on a daily basis.
Any player rated below 61 will be paid a base salary of $250,000 regardless of
contract length
FHL Salary Scale (Minimum Requirements)
(C1-RFA / C2-RFA / UFA / Franchise Players / Contract Extensions)
|
Player |
1-Year |
2-Year |
3-Year |
4-Year |
5-Year |
|
61-62 |
350,000 |
400,000 |
500,000 |
575,000 |
650,000 |
|
63-64 |
375,000 |
450,000 |
525,000 |
600,000 |
675,000 |
|
65-66 |
400,000 |
475,000 |
550,000 |
625,000 |
700,000 |
|
67-68 |
450,000 |
500,000 |
575,000 |
650,000 |
750,000 |
|
69-70 |
500,000 |
650,000 |
750,000 |
850,000 |
1,000,000 |
|
71-72 |
600,000 |
725,000 |
825,000 |
925,000 |
1,100,000 |
|
73-74 |
700,000 |
800,000 |
900,000 |
1,000,000 |
1,200,000 |
|
75-76 |
800,000 |
900,000 |
1,000,000 |
1,200,000 |
1,300,000 |
|
77-78 |
900,000 |
1,050,000 |
1,175,000 |
1,300,000 |
1,400,000 |
|
79-80 |
1,000,000 |
1,300,000 |
1,500,000 |
1,650,000 |
1,800,000 |
|
81-82 |
1,250,000 |
1,550,000 |
1,700,000 |
1,850,000 |
2,050,000 |
|
83-84 |
1,500,000 |
1,625,000 |
1,800,000 |
1,950,000 |
2,300,000 |
|
85-86 |
2,000,000 |
2,250,000 |
2,500,000 |
2,650,000 |
2,800,000 |
|
87-88 |
2,500,000 |
2,650,000 |
2,800,000 |
3,100,000 |
3,300,000 |
|
89-90 |
3,000,000 |
3,250,000 |
3,500,000 |
3,750,000 |
4,000,000 |
|
91-92 |
3,250,000 |
3,500,000 |
3,750,000 |
4,000,000 |
4,250,000 |
|
93-94 |
3,500,000 |
3,750,000 |
4,000,000 |
4,250,000 |
4,500,000 |
|
95-96 |
4,000,000 |
4,250,000 |
4,500,000 |
4,750,000 |
5,000,000 |
|
97+ |
4,500,000 |
4,750,000 |
5,000,000 |
5,250,000 |
5,500,000 |
FHL Initial Contract Salary Scale (Minimum Requirements)
(JFHL Prospect Contract (1-Year) or Draftee's Original FHL Contract (1-3-Years))
|
Player |
1-Year |
2-Year |
3-Year |
|
61-64 |
75,000 |
100,000 |
125,000 |
|
65-66 |
100,000 |
125,000 |
150,000 |
|
67-68 |
125,000 |
150,000 |
175,000 |
|
69-70 |
175,000 |
200,000 |
225,000 |
|
71-72 |
200,000 |
250,000 |
300,000 |
|
73-74 |
250,000 |
300,000 |
350,000 |
|
75-76 |
300,000 |
350,000 |
400,000 |
|
77-78 |
400,000 |
450,000 |
500,000 |
|
79-80 |
500,000 |
550,000 |
600,000 |
|
81-82 |
600,000 |
700,000 |
800,000 |
|
83-84 |
750,000 |
850,000 |
950,000 |
|
85-86 |
800,000 |
900,000 |
1,000,000 |
|
87-88 |
900,000 |
1,000,000 |
1,100,000 |
|
89-90 |
950,000 |
1,050,000 |
1,150,000 |
|
91+ |
1,000,000 |
1,200,000 |
1,400,000 |
3.5 FHL Team
Salary Cap
The league has imposed a strict Team Salary Cap of $50,000,000. The cap is for both pro and farm rosters combined but does not include your coach. The cap will only be in effect for the regular season. Teams are free to carry as much payroll as desired in the playoffs and during the off-season up until opening day of the next FHL Regular Season Schedule. The penalty for exceeding the FHL Team Salary Cap is set at double the amount exceeding the Salary Cap and is deducted on a daily basis direct from the team's bank account. Your current team's payroll can always be found by clicking the Salary Cop link on the website.
Example: Your payroll is listed as $52, 500,000. You will be penalized 100% the overage ($2,500,000) above the Salary Cap, which is $2,500,000 every day until you come under the cap. No Exceptions!
Head Office will police all teams on a daily basis to ensure compliance with the $50,000,000 ceiling. Teams violating the league's salary cap will not be informed via email or boardroom post and are responsible for monitoring their own team's salary cap situation. Remember, it takes effect on opening day of each season. Your team's financial situation pertaining to the Salary Cap can be found using the coinciding link on the website.
3.6 AFHL
Finances
The AFHL stands for the Afilliated Federal Hockey League and is the minor league development organization of the FHL. Each FHL team has an AFHL affiliate club to use as a developmental tool and a place to play prospects which can be used to fill in for injured FHL players if the need arises. Players can be moved freely between the two rosters as long as they follow the waiver rules in place and the salary restrictments set by the league.
All players earn professional contracts. However, when players are assigned to AFHL clubs, they only earn 10% of their professional contracts. That being said, no AFHL player can earn more than $3,000,000 (pro) or $300,000 (AFHL). It is alright to assign a player earning exactly $3,000,000 or less to the AFHL but anything above this amount will result in a monetary penalty to the franchise. That penalty will be as follows:
The team will be fined the players full annual salary on the first day of violation. On day two, the team will be fined double that amount. On day three, the team will be fined triple that amount after which the player will be automatically moved back to the pro roster.
Example: Joe Blow earns $4,000,000 per season and has been placed on the farm roster. Day one fine is $4,000,000, day two fine is $8,000,000 (double), day three fine is $12,000,000 (triple) and the player is sent back up. Total fine equals $24,000,000
Fines will occur every time a team is in violation. Teams will have until 8:00pm EST each day to rectify the situation or face the next appointed fine.
All players are affected by two-way contracts. Any player who plays more than 20 games on the pro roster in one season is entitled to full pro salary for the remainder of that season, even if he is returned to the AFHL roster.
All Farm rosters must have a minimum of twelve players, with two of those players being goaltenders.
3.6 Trades
All trades must be emailed to the Commissioner by both sides of the deal. The Commissioner can refuse trades at his own discretion due to reasons that must be presented to both sides of the deal together with the decision. The sides then have one week to either come up with a new deal, or protest against the Commissioners decision. However, if the Commissioner approves the deal, the trade will take place immediately, unless the teams has agreed specific dates at which the deal will take place
A trade will not go through
if one or both of the teams will end up with 50+ players on their roster, or if
a team with bad finances tries to make a deal that would significantly increase
the payroll of the team.
3.6.1 What is Tradeable?
Trades may involve contracted or uncontracted players, prospects, draft picks, cash and rights to sign or negotiate with Group I Restricted Free Agents, or Future Considerations.
Please note that special rules apply to teams without GM΄s as stated in the rules for such teams
3.6.2 Future
Consideration Trades
Future consideration trades in the FHL, must have the conditions of the trade in their proposal when e-mailed to the Commissioner. (example: I trade Joe Blow to Chicago for future considerations. If Joe Blow stays on Chicagos pro roster, I receive a 3rd round pick, if he stays on the pro roster and scores 10 goals, I would receive a 2nd round pick. And so on ) All this must be worked out by both GMs at the time of the trade. Also all future consideration trades, must be completed beforew the first game of the playoffs, or risk having the commissioner step in as an arbitrator and finalizes the deal for you.
3.6.3 Trade
Deadline
The Deadline for incoming
trades is set at 80% of the Regular Season. The actual date will be set by the
Sim and shown in the Schedule for each season. Prior to the Trade Deadline, the
Commissioner will remind all GMs so any trades can be completed before the
Deadline. What happens when the deadline has passed is that no further trades
will be carried through until trade reopen again next season. The GM:s however,
are free to negotiate trades with other GM:s and Unassigned Players. Each
negotiation is handled as usual, but the trades are not carried through, but
rather put on hold until Trade reopen
3.7 Signing
and Releasing Players
Signing and releasing players an ongoing event in the FHL There are simple rules to follow during these procedures.
The FHL will be operating with a Free Agent Priority List. If a player is added to the Free Agent List through a release by an existing team, all teams will be able to request adding that player to their team. The highest ranked (lower number) team on the priority list that submits a request will get the player.
All players must sit on the Free Agent List for a minimum of one day before being acquired. i.e.: John Doe is created or released and placed on the list as a Free Agent. All teams, including the top ranked team on the prority list put in a request to sign him. That team would get him because they have the highest priority. If that team does not put in a request, the next highest priority team would get him. The catch is this:
If multiple teams put in requests for the same player, the team that actually signs him drops to the bottom of the priority list for any future Free Agents until their turn comes around again. They may still put in requests for other free agents and hope that teams ahead of them do not. They would start as the #1 ranked team, than if they get a Free Agent while competing against another team for that player's services, or they request a player in the first 24 hours of his free agency, they become the 28th ranked team. ONCE a player has been on the Free Agent List for more than one day without a claim, any team may pick him up without losing their waiver spot as long as they are the only team requesting that player. This policy should add excitement and fairness to the signing procedures.
In summary:
-Players must remain on the list for a minimum of 24 hours
-Priority slots are lost if a player is requested in the first 24-hour period
OR when signing a player when multiple teams are requesting that player
-Priority slots are not lost if the player has been available more than 24
hours and you are the only team requesting his services
When a team releases a player, the player is placed on waivers for a 24 hour period. Any of the other 27 teams may claim that player off waivers. The Waiver Priority List will be used in every case. By claiming a player from waivers, the team must honor the current contract for that player and the releasing team is not held liable for buying out the player's contract. If no team claims the player from waivers, then the player is placed on the Free Agent List at the league's minimum salary and the releasing team must buyout the player's remaining contract. The team has previously committed itself to pay the player a specific amount of salary for a specific amount of time and cannot breach that contract without being penalized. The money paid is directly withdrawn from the team's bank account. Any players signed from the Free Agent List will be able to negotiate a new contract as long as the team adheres to the FHL Salary Scale.
Here is an example of how a contract buyout will work after a player clears
the 24 hour waiver period:
John Doe is signed for $3,000,000 for 3 years. He has currently played 40/80
games of his first year and is still owed for 2 years salary plus 40 games. The
team will pay $7,500,000.
2 years * $3,000,000=6,000,000
40/80*100=50% of games played in year 1
50%*$3,000,000 (yearly salary) =$1,500,000
$6,000,000+$1,500,000=$7,500,000 Total Buyout
As mentioned above, the player is listed on the Free Agent List at the league's minimum pay based on a one year contract dependent on his rating. In some cases, players will take pay cuts. A releasing team cannot reclaim or resign a player in which they have released for at least seven days from the release being processed. The Free Agent Priority List will be used to determine which team successfully signs players from the Free Agent List.
3.8 Prospect
Contracts
Every year, GM's are allowed to send any drafted rookies back down to the junior level for improvement. To do this, these players will have to sign a one year Prospect Contract with the team. This contract will not figure into the team's $60,000,000 Salary Cap.
The cost of signing a Prospect Contract is a $5,000,000 assignment fee per player, plus a $1500 prospect fee. The $5,000,000 assignment fee is deducted from the team's account at the time of the signing, while the $1500 prospect fee will be deducted over the entire 80 game season ($18.75/game).
The benefit of signing Prospect Contracts is that rookies should improve more rapidly in the juniors because they will likely be playing on a full time line, plus they will have two annual rerates. The first rerate is the annual FHL rerate based on performance. The second annual rerate is based on an incentive program where players receive additional attribute points for predetermined individual accomplishments. The parameters for this incentive program are as follows:
Forwards
+2 IT -> 70 + points
+2 ST -> 180+ shots on net
+2 EN -> 70-77 GP
+2 DU -> 78+ GP
+2 DI -> 125 + PIM
+2 PA -> 50+ assists
+2 PC -> +25 or better (+/-)
+2 DF -> +20 or better up to +25 (+/-)
+2 SC -> 35 goals or more
+2 EX -> if team player is on makes the playoffs
+2 LD -> finishes in top 10 of scoring
Defensemen
+2 IT -> 50 + points
+2 ST -> 150+ shots on net
+2 EN -> 70-77 GP
+2 DU -> 78+ GP
+2 DI -> 125 + PIM
+2 PA -> 40 assists
+2 PC -> +25 or better (+/-)
+2 DF -> +20 or better up to +25 (+/-)
+2 SC -> 15 goals or more
+2 EX -> if team player is on makes the playoffs
+2 LD -> finishes in top 5 of D scoring
Goalies
+2 IT -> GAA under 3.25 (min 20 GP)
+2 SP -> 20 + Wins
+2 ST -> 3500 + MIN PLAYED
+2/+2 DU/EN -> 40 + GP
+2 DI -> 10 + PIM
+2 SK -> 30 + Wins
+2 PA -> 5 + assists
+2 PC -> 4 + Shutouts
+2 EX -> if team player is on makes the playoffs
+2 LD -> finishes in top 5 of GAA
Attribute Bonuses
**If your player leads the JFHL in scoring for the upcoming season, they will
receive an additional +2 in SC on top of the above breakdown.
**If your player scores 100+ points, they will recieve an addition +2 to SP and a +2 to SK in addition to the above breakdown.
Please note that there is no guarantee your player will play on the pro roster of his JFHL team. Rosters/Lines are AUTO picked by the computer so you must assume the risk of your prospect not cracking the starting lineup when he is assigned back in the juniors.
Once the year is up and the prospect contract has expired, a GM can still sign the player to a 1-3 year contract based on the FHL Initial Contract Salary Scale. Prospects are tradable at any time during allowable trading periods.
3.9 Rookie /
Veteran Status
A player will be eligible for Rookie Status as long as he has played less than 25 (24 or less) games in any given season at the FHL level AND is 23 years of age or younger before the start of the season (after offseason activities). For goaltenders, it is less than 15 GP(14 or less). Rookie Status can therefore carry over throughout different seasons until the player has met the criteria to become a veteran.
Veteran Status is defined as just the opposite. A veteran is a player who is
either:
(1) 24 years of age or older or
(2) 23 years of age or younger with 25 games or more played at the FHL level in
any given season.
Regardless of whether or not a player meets the necessary criteria to become a veteran in a contract year, resigning him will require the use of the FHL Salary Scale as the FHL Initial Contract Salary Scale is intended for first time contracts only.
3.10 Monetary
Bonuses
Monetary bonuses will be paid on an annual basis for the following
acomplishments. The funds will be deducted at the end of each regular season.
Forwards
30 Goals - $1,000,000
40 Goals - $2,000,000
40Assists - $1,000,000
50 Assists - $2,000,000
70 Points - $1,000,000
Defensemen
10 Goals - $1,000,000
25 Assists - $1,000,000
30 Assists - $2,000,000
40 Points - $1,000,000
Goaltenders
20 Wins - $1,000,000
5 Shutouts- $1,000,000
There will be no monetary bonuses paid out for individual player awards or
playoff advancement.
3.11 Franchise
Players
Each team will have the option of selecting one Franchise Player on their team. This player can only be lost if he is traded or he retires. He will retain a C1-RFA Status while designated as the franchise player.
The fee for designating a franchise player is $5,000,000. If the player is traded, he loses the status and the team must pay the $5,000,000 fee to assign a new franchise player.
The only time a GM can switch franchise players is when the team's current franchise player's contract expires. There will a $5,000,000 fee to resign him again under the franchise player status or there will be a $10,000,000 fee if a new franchise player is assigned.
Franchise players follow the same contract rules as other players in that they can be signed for 1-5 years at the minimum pay. New contracts must pay these players a 35% raise OR the league minimum, whichever is higher, the same as contract extensions.
3.12 Waivers
The Waiver Rule is in effect in the FHL. Here is how it works. Any player aged 24 and up with 21 games or more played in the Pro's during the current season will be placed on waivers for a 24-hour period after being sent down to the Farm Roster. The 24-hour period is defined as 24 hours from the time listed on the waiver page. All requests must be recieved in that designated period or they are disqualified.
While a player is on waivers any team with no liability of compensation may sign him. If a player is claimed, he MUST play the duration of the season on the Pro Roster of his new team. Once a team has claimed a player from waivers, that team will be placed at the bottom of the Waiver Priority List. If he is not claimed, he will successfully be sent to the Farm Roster. This only happens when players are sent to the Farm Roster and not when they are being called up to the Pro Roster. Players 23 and under are not affected by the waiver rule and can play freely between both rosters. Also, players 24 and up with LESS than 21 games played can be successfully sent to the farm club. Injured players are not affected as they are placed on the Scratch List, which is considered part of the Pro Roster. What Waivers does is 2 things:
3.13 Injuries
and Suspensions
Over the course of a season, players will occasionally become injured or suspended. Injuries can range in length anywhere from day-to-day to indefinitely and are usually caused from a hit or cheap shot or even just fatigue. In the case of injuries, the General Manager will be required to make the necessary line changes to compensate for the loss of the player as the FHL Simulator Program will not automatically fill the empty slot. If ignored, the team will play with an incomplete roster, causing players to double shift and directly hinder the performance of the team and its success in the standings.
An indefinite injury is defined as an injury listed as indefinite, regardless of the player's condition. A player does not necessarily have to be below 50% to be considered out indefinitely
Suspensions are caused from either causing injury to another player or by accumulating too many game misconducts in a short time frame. Suspensions can range in length from one to an undetermined amount of games. The league, at its discretion can alter the length if it feels that the suspension should be increased or decreased. Also, the league will hear any arguments from teams who put forth a legitiment case on the possibility of increasing a player's suspension time but will not step in unless the player's condition is listed below 50%.
3.14
Retirement of Players
There will be a retirement check
done at the end of the season, and that may cause players to decide to retire
without having announced it in advance, or in some cases change their mind and
continue just one more season.
All players that are 30+ years of
age will be checked for retirement between the Regular Seasons. The older the
player, the more likely he is to announce his retirement, but factors such as
ice time, time spent on the farm, and the performance and stats of the player
is also taken into account.
3.15 Playoff Rosters
M's have the choice of exercising an OPTIONAL 25 man maximum playoff roster. The extra 5 players, if promoted, will be assigned to the scratch list to fill in for injured players. There will be no promotions from the farm club after the playoffs begin, but demotions to the minors are permitted. Any player sent down, must stay there until the offseason. The $60,000,000 Salary Cap is not in effect for the playoffs.
Remember, this is optional, but rosters will be frozen after the playoffs begin. Line changes are of course permitted, but only with the frozen pro roster.
3.16 Free
Agents (Defined)
Free agents will be allowed to talk to other teams on the end of the playoffs. The players will have updated ratings by this time. There are two types of free agents in the FHL, restricted and unrestricted. They are explained in depth below.
Restricted Free Agents
There are two types of Restricted Free Agents in the FHL. They are Class One
RFA's and Class Two RFA's.
C1-RFA's (18-24yrs)
Class One RFA's (C1-RFA's) are those players whose contract has expired and are
between the ages of 18 and 24 at the time of negotiations. Current teams
automatically resign players in this category of free agency risk free.
C1-RFA's do not enter the bidding process. Their current team's General Manager
decides how long the player will be resigned (up to 5 years) and for how much.
The C1-RFA's new salary is based on length of contract and player rating
outlined in the FHL Salary Scale.
A General Manager may choose not to resign a C1-RFA if he or she wishes but, the player will then be considered an Unrestricted Free Agent and must adhere to the rules and regulations to that class of player.
C2-RFA's (25-29yrs)
Class Two RFA's (C2-RFA's) are those players who are between the ages of 25 and
29 at the time of negotiations. The players in this category of free agency
must enter the regular bidding process during the designated negotiation
period. The teams they are on have the right to match any offer given to them,
but are required to match 90% of the salary and 90% of the signing bonus, or
they have the right to accept compensation if they decide to let the player
sign with the bidding team. (See compensation chart below) Players will go to
the team, which offers the highest valued contract or will remain with their
current team if the GM decides to match the highest bid. The team, which owns
the rights to the player, is told the highest bid for C2-RFA's so the GM can
option to match 90% of it. The team has 24 hours to respond to league offices
or the player will sign with the highest bidder leaving the former team to
receive no compensation.
In order to maintain the "restricted status" of a C2-RFA, the original team must place a qualifying offer before the end of the playoffs. This offer can be no less than the minimum salary according to FHL Salary Scale and represents what the team is legally bound to pay the player if no other team bids on their services. If a team does not place a qualifying offer before the end of the playoffs, then the player will be considered an unrestricted free agent.
GM's do not need to bid on their own C2-RFA's. They will be contacted after the bidding period is over and given 24 hours to make a decision regarding their player.
Unrestricted Free Agents (30+ yrs)
Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA's) are players over 30 whose contracts expire.
These players must enter the regular bidding process during the designated time
of negotiations. The team they are on has no right to compensation or no right
to match any bid but still has the right to bid on the player.
With Unrestricted Free Agents, the General Manager is NOT told the highest bid and the team that offers the highest total contract will sign the player. There is no 90% loyalty factor used when dealing with Unrestricted Free Agents.
It's not mandatory that all free agents be signed before the next season begins. These players will be considered holdouts and will remain on the list, which is active 365 days a year with the exception of during the playoffs.
3.17 C2-RFA
Compensation
Compensation for C2-RFA's will be negotiated by the team that is LOSING the player as described in the following table:
|
Player Rating |
Compensation |
|
95+ |
1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, $15,000,000 |
|
90-94 |
1st, 1st, 1st, $15,000,000 |
|
85-89 |
1st, 2nd, 2nd, $10,000,000 |
|
80-84 |
1st, 2nd, $10,000,000 |
|
70-79 |
2nd, $10,000,000 |
|
61-69 |
4th, $10,000,000 |
The compensated draft picks MUST be available within the next three (3) offseasons with at least one being in the current offseason.
3.18
Submitting a Bid (UFAs & RFAs)
3.18.1 - Bid Stipulations
When bidding on free agents, no team can bid more than it's allowable
percentage of it's current payroll on any one player (signing bonus not
included), where current payroll is defined as your payroll including the new
contract if you were to sign the player you bid on.
Allowable percentage is determined by the following categories:
Payroll - 34,999,999 or less - Max bid = 25% of payroll
Payroll - 35.0 - 49,999,999 - Max bid = 17% of payroll
Payroll - 50,000,000 or more - Max bid = 10% of payroll
Example #1- Team A has a payroll of $31,000,000. They bid on Player X - 5yrs @ $3mil + $15mil bonus=$30mil. If Team A were to sign the player, there current payroll would be calculated as $31mil + $3mil(bid)=$34mil. Since this team can bid no more than 25% of it's current payroll, this bid would be accepted because 25% of $34mil = $8.5mil.
Example #2- Team A has a payroll of $47,000,000. They bid on Player X - 4yrs @ $8.5mil + $25mil bonus=$59mil. If Team A were to sign the player, their current payroll would be calculated as $47mil + $8.5mil(bid)=$55.5mil. Since this team can only bid 10% of it's current payroll, this bid would be disqualified because 10% of $55.5mil is $5.5mil and Team A bid $8.5mil.
There are a couple of key notes about this rule.
(1)When bidding on free agents, teams should realize that they can go over their salary cap of $60,000,000, because during the offseason, the salary cap is not in effect. However, the team would be responsible for bringing their payroll back into check by opening day or face fines.
(2)Trading remains unchanged. A team can acquire a player that earns more than 10, 17, 25% of it's payroll. This rule only applies to free agent bidding.
(3) This rule applies to C2-RFA and UFA Bidding.
(4)If a team is bidding on more than one player at a time, "current payroll" is defined as payroll + bid #1 only. For example:
Team A has a payroll of $28,000,000. They place the following bids...
Player X- 2yrs @ $5.0mil + $8.0mil bonus= $18.0mil bid
Player Y- 2yrs @ $3.0mil + $3.0mil bonus = $9.0mil bid
Player Z- 5yrs @ $1.0mil + $2.5mil bonus = $7.5mil bid
All of the above bids are accepted because when bidding on
- Player X - Current Payroll is $28mil + $5.0mil = #33mil and 25% of $33mil
is $8.25mil
- Player Y - Current Payroll is $28mil + $3.0mil = $31mil and 25% of $31mil is
$7.75mil
- Player Z - Current Payroll is $28mil + $1.0mil = $29mil and 25% of @29mil is
$7.25mil
Each time you bid on a player, you only count that one player when calculating Current Payroll. If all players that are bid on are acquired and the team exceeds the $60,000,000 Salary Cap, then the team has until opening day to rectify the situation.
3.18.2 - The Anatomy of a Bid
The anatomy of a bid uses the following format:
For both C2-RFA and UFA players, teams will place a flat rate bid per season for a set number of years plus an optional signing bonus. This signing bonus could possibly be the deciding factor in the bidding war, as it should be by definition. The signing bonus cannot exceed the total dollar amount of the contract offered. The winner of the bidding war for that player will be determined by the highest total contract worth including the signing bonus. Here is an example:
Team #1 bids $3,000,000 for 3 years = $9,000,000 therefore the maximum amount of signing bonus is $9,000,000. They decide to offer a $5,000,000 signing bonus, which is a total contract worth of $14,000,000
Team #2 bids $2,000,000 for 4 years = $8,000,000 therefore the maximum amount of signing bonus is $8,000,000. They decide to offer a $7,000,000 signing bonus, which is a total contract worth of $15,000,000.
Team #2 is the high bidder as long as the initial stipulations listed above were met. Even though they are paying the player less money per year, the signing bonus helped raise the total worth of the contract enough that it was considered the best deal for the player to sign. All signing bonuses are deducted from team bank accounts immediately after the player is signed with the remaining money to be paid out over the duration of the contract. In the case of a tie contract worth, the deal with the lesser amount of years will be the winning bid.
In the event of a tie bid, the two teams will be asked to participate in a second round of bidding to determine a winning bid. All teams will have the right to match any offer and signing bonus on a C2-RFA or accept the required compensation if desired. Also, teams cannot place a bid on a player unless they have the necessary compensation in the case that they win the bid. For example, if you have three first round picks, one second round pick and $15,000,000, then you can bid on a player over 95 etc. All bids not adhering to the rules as outlined will be disqualified.
It is possible with this bidding process that players may take pay cuts.
3.19 Coaches
Contracts
There will be no available coaches in the FHL, however, the JFHL will be home to several. FHL teams can use the "Coaches" link on the JFHL Website to view all available and working coaches and are welcomed to hire any of them.
Coaches will sign contracts in the FHL at a length of 1-3 years which will be decided by the team's General Manager. Coaches will be have an overall rating which will determine their minimum salary requirements depending on the length of the contract, much the same as FHL players. A coaches overall rating is the average of his four listed abilities. The formula will be (OF+DF+LD+EX)/4. A coaches salary is currently not included in a team's $60,000,000 Salary Cap budget.
FHL Coaching Contract Salary Scale (Minimum Requirements)
|
Coach |
1-Year |
2-Year |
3-Year |
|
65-69 |
250,000 |
300,000 |
350,000 |
|
70-74 |
400,000 |
450,000 |
500,000 |
|
75-79 |
600,000 |
650,000 |
700,000 |
|
80-84 |
800,000 |
850,000 |
900,000 |
|
85-89 |
1,000,000 |
1,050,000 |
1,100,000 |
|
90-94 |
1,500,000 |
1,550,000 |
1,600,000 |
|
95+ |
2,000,000 |
2,050,000 |
2,100,000 |
When coaches are fired they must remain available for 48 hours minimum from the last cutoff time which passed. During those 48 hours, teams may submit bids on the coach. Bids on coaches are structured the same as bids on players (salary*yrs) + signing bonus where the signing bonus cannot exceed the total of salary multiplied by years. There is one difference though. Teams can offer an additon to the minimum salary based on their current team standings at the time of the bid submission. This is optional of course, but is designed to allow lower ranked teams a better chance of getting the coach they may desperately need.
Now, a bid could look like (salary + optional added $ based on standings * yrs) + signing bonus. The additional monies that may be offered on top of the minimum salary are as follows:
Optional Additonal Salary Based on Standings (Maximum Allowance)
|
Rank |
Add. Sal. |
Rank |
Add. Sal. |
|
1 |
730,000 |
15 |
870,000 |
|
2 |
740,000 |
16 |
880,000 |
|
3 |
750,000 |
17 |
890,000 |
|
4 |
760,000 |
18 |
900,000 |
|
5 |
770,000 |
19 |
910,000 |
|
6 |
780,000 |
20 |
920,000 |
|
7 |
790,000 |
21 |
930,000 |
|
8 |
800,000 |
22 |
940,000 |
|
9 |
810,000 |
23 |
950,000 |
|
10 |
820,000 |
24 |
960,000 |
|
11 |
830,000 |
25 |
970,000 |
|
12 |
840,000 |
26 |
980,000 |
|
13 |
850,000 |
27 |
990,000 |
|
14 |
860,000 |
28 |
1,000,000 |
The coach will always sign with the highest bidder. Bids submitted that do not meet the requirements above will be disqualified. Teams can only place one bid on a coach if more than one team is involved in the bidding.
All coaches will have to be bought out when they are fired under the same format as a player release. Trading a coach is not permitted.
When a coaches contract expires, he will become available. A loyalty factor which may se a coach remain with his current team will be developed and implemented in this upcoming offseason before expired coaching contracts are dealt with. Expired coaching contracts will be resigned in the offseason.
Section 4
Annual Events
4.1 - FHL
Pre-Season
Each year, the FHL will engage in a pre-season schedule in preparation for the 46 game regular season. The pre-season schedule will consist of every team playing 6 games. The pre-season is a great opportunity to experiment with lineups and new player combinations. The schedule usually takes 15 - 20 days to complete.
4.2 FHL
Regular Season Schedule
The FHL regular season is 46 games in length. On average, each team plays it's divisional and conference opponents ten times per season and plays it's opposite conference four times. Teams will play for the top eight seeds in each conference for a chance to compete in the FHL Playoffs and a chance to win the Sloppy Joes FHL Champions Cup. The $60,000,000 Salary Cap is in full effect during the FHL Regular Season.
4.3 FHL
All-Star Weekend
The All-Star Break is an annual event that showcases the talent of the FHL. It is held near the half way point of each season and consists of the FHL All-Star Skills Competition Contest and the FHL All-Star Game. Each year will feature the Eastern All-Stars versus the Western All-Stars.
The Skills Competition consists of eight events, each of which, the winning
team is rewarded points. The team which tallies the most points in the
competition, wins. The events include:
1. Fastest Skater
2. Puck Control
3. Puck Control Relay
4. Breakaway Contest
5. Rapid Fire
6. Shot Accuracy
7. Hardest Shot
8. Empty Net Goals (Goaltenders)
The All-Star Game is a regular FHL hockey game which is played using regular
FHL rules. The winner of the game will receive bragging rights for the entire
league for the whole year. The host team will receive $6,000,000 in revenues.
The host alternates between leagues each year.
4.4 Contract
Extensions
Each team will get two extensions per season. Contract Extensions are due before the playoffs begin. Players can be signed up to an additional 3 years maximum on top of what is left on their current contract without exceeding 5 years total. The player will receive a minimum 35% raise in pay or will receive the league's minimum pay according to his rating; which ever is the greater amount. No extended player will take a pay cut. THIS RULE DOES NOT APPLY TO UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS.
These extensions cannot be "stockpiled" each year. Either the
option is used or lost each season. If a new GM takes over a team that has
already exercised its option to extend a contract, that GM WILL NOT receive
another extension in that season. Also, trades will be heavily monitored. You
cannot trade a player to a team, have that team extend his contract for a
"price", and then retain that player via trade again. The Trade
Officer will step in every case like this. However, you can offer to extend a
player with one of your extensions before trading him.
Contract Extension Rules:
-2 extensions per season per GM
-Extensions are due before teh beginning of teh playoffs
-Players aged 29 or less can be extended regardless of their current contract
status
-Players aged 30 and above can only be extended if they have multiple years
remaining on their current contract.
-No UFA's permitted
-Maximum of 3 year extension without exceeding 5 total
-Minimum 35% raise or league minimum salary based on rating.
-Cannot be traded outright, but can be used on a player before the deal is
completed.
4.5 Class 2
Restricted Free Agent Status Offers
Before the end of the playoffs, All Class Two Restricted Free Agents (C2-RFA) must receive an offer from their team if the team is interested in resigning them. If an offer is not made, then, the C2-RFA will become an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) in which the player will be affected by different rules during the signing procedure. A team cannot offer a player a contract if they do not have the funds in their bank account. All offers must adhere to the FHL Pay Scale, which is dependant on the player's rating and length of contract. The funds that are offered to the C2-RFA's WILL NOT be deducted from your team's account. It is simply an offer sheet to show interest in the player and to maintain his status as a C2-RFA. However, you still must have the funds before you can offer them.
The offers can commence as soon as the regular season has ended but no
sooner. Send all C2-RFA offers to: federalleague@sympatico.ca
The only information required in the email is player name and offer amount in
dollars ($) and the number of years. All players aged 25-29 with zero years
remaining in their contracts at the end of the season will be classified as
C2-RFA's. Remember to add one year to the age and subtract one year from the
contract on the Player Vitals page when determining who will be a C2-RFA at the
season's end and who will need a Status Offer before the playoffs end.
4.6 FHL
Playoffs
At the end of the Regular Season, the top eight teams in each conference advance to the playoffs. In round one, the series are determined by regular season rank.
1 vs 8 | 2 vs 7 | 3 vs 6 | 4 vs 5
In round two, the advancing teams are re-ranked again to determine the series. Again, the highest seeded team will play the lowest seeded team and the two middle seeded teams will play each other. The winners of each series will play in a League Semifinal Series. Round four will see the two Conference Champions play. Round five will see the two League Champions play for the Fantasy Cup.
4.7 Annual
Awards Ceremony
Each year, the FHL holds it annual awards ceremony, recognizing the very
best core of athletes in the league for their regular season achievements. The
awards are based solely on regular season performance and are in no way
affected by playoff statistics. Awards are given out in the following
categories and player from each pool will receive each respective award. For
example, there will be an M.V.P. recipient from the Eastern League and an
M.V.P. recipient from Western League.
Team Awards
Fantasy Cup - FHL Champions
Eastern Cup - Eastern Conference Champions
Western Cup - Western Conference Champions
Governor's Bowl - Best Regular Season Record
Lakeshore Stars Cup Atlantic Division Champions
Timothys Cup Mid-East Division Champions
Lakeshore Cycle Cup Mid-West Division Champions
Blue Goose Cup Pacific Division Champions
Individual Awards
Commissioner's Choice - Most Valuable Player (Regular Season)
Red Light Delight Award - Most Goals
Sniper's Gold Award - Most Offensive Points
Blue Line Special Award - Best Defenceman
New Blood Award - Rookie of the Year
Backstopper Award - Best Goaltender
Gentleman's Trophy - Most Sportsmanlike Player
Two-Way Thunder Award - Most Defensive Forward
(Board of) Director's Choice - Most Valuable Player (Playoffs)
Crease Kings Award - Best Combined Team G.A.A.
GM of the Year - Best Overall GM in Each League
All awards that are not statistically or mathematically decided, will be determined by the Head Office Staff who will participate in a vote at the end of each season. The recipients will be announced after the championship is decided.
4.8 Position
Changes
General Managers can change player positions only during the off-season and only forwards can be changed between left wing, right wing and center. These changes can only take place during a 24-hour period after the awards are announced each season. Each team will only have one position change at their disposal and there will be a $5,000,000 fee for exercising this option.
4.9 Class 1
Restricted FreeAgent Signing
Signing Class One Restricted Free Agents is the first "true" part of the offseason when GM's begin making contractual decisions about their roster. When notified by the league that C1-RFA information has begun being accepted, GM's must submit the new contract specifications for all their players whom are eligible for Class One Restricted Free Agency. The information which is needed will be the player's name, the amount of years you wish to resign him for, and the new salary he will be paid. All new contracts must adhere to the FHL Minimum Salary Scale. Signing bonuses are optional, but must follow the same guidelines as all other signing bonuses.
If no information is submitted for these players, or if the GM specifies "No Offer", then the players will become Unrestricted Free Agents.
Send all C1-RFA contract information to federalleague@sympatico.ca
4.10 Class 2
Free Agent Bidding
Bidding will commence shortly after all C1-RFA's have been signed and will last for 72 hours (3 days). Send all bids to: federalleague@sympatico.ca
Because the player is restricted, there is NO reason for the current team's General Manager to submit a bid. When the bidding ends at 8:00pm (EST) on the third day, the General Manager will be contacted and told the highest bid for his players. He then has 24 hours to decide whether he wishes to match 90% of that bid AND 90% of the signing bonus or let the player go and receive the necessary compensation for him.
No team can place a bid for a Class Two Restricted Free Agent if they do not have the appropriate compensation to possibly exchange for that player. Any bids received from teams in this situation will be automatically disqualified. Teams cannot retract bids after they have been made.
A team cannot place a bid if they do not have the current funds to do so. Also, a team cannot throw bids around the league totaling more than their current funds
4.11
Unrestricted Free Agent Bidding
Bidding will commence shortly after all C2-RFA have been signed and will
last 72 hours (3 days). Send all bids to: federalleague@sympatico.ca
Because the player is unrestricted, the current team's General Manager will
also need to submit a bid. When the bidding ends at 8:00pm (EST) on the third
day, the Free Agent will be signed by the team that bids the highest dollar
amount. No team will receive any compensation for lost Unrestricted Free
Agents.
Teams cannot retract bids after they have been made. A team cannot place a bid if they do not have the current funds to do so. Also, a team cannot throw bids around the league totaling more than their current funds.
4.12 Annual
Rookie Draft
Each year, during the off-season, the FHL will hold its annual Rookie Entry Draft. The order for round one of the draft will be determined by two separate lottery systems. The first will be for picks 1-6 and the second will be for picks 7-12. The remaining 16 picks of the first round as well as the three remaining rounds will be determined by simply inverting the previous season's standings. The draft order takes into consideration the ranking of the original owners of the 28 picks, not the current owners.
Each team will be selecting four (4) players, one in each round, that is if
they did not trade any draft picks in the previous season. Each General Manager
will be required to submit a list of preferred players for each round.
e.g. If you have the 7th overall pick, you must send in your top 7 players, in
order of preference, but if you pick 20th, you must send in 20 players on your
list.
By doing this, you are guaranteed to get at least one of the players on your
list. Which player, decides on who is chosen before your turn. If no list is
submitted, the league will be forced to forfeit the team's draft pick. The
league also reserves the right to dismiss a General Manager for not submitting
a draft list.
The rookies will consist of players rated 61 and up with first round picks having a rate value of approximately 77 and up. However, some teams may not receive any of these players if they have traded their 1st round pick. All Rookies will be chosen from the JFHL, the junior league for the FHL.
Each round of the draft will take place over two days, meaning that picks
1-14 will be selected on the first day and picks 15-28 will be chosen on the
second day. The timetable will be:
Day Before Draft: Round 1 Picks Non-Tradable
Day 1: Round 1 (1-4) Draft Lists due
Day 2: Round 1 (5-8) Draft Lists due and Round 2 Picks Non-Tradable
Day 3: Round 2 (1-4) Draft Lists due
Day 4: Round 2 (5-8) Draft Lists due and Round 3 Picks Non-Tradable
Day 5: Round 3 (1-4) Draft Lists due
Day 6: Round 3 (5-8) Draft Lists due and Round 4 Picks Non-Tradable
Day 7: Round 4 (1-4) Draft Lists due
Day 8: Round 4 (5-8) Draft Lists due
Send all entry draft selection lists to: federalleague@sympatico.ca
There are NO extensions permitted on the above deadlines.
GM's will have the option of signing rookies to a one year prospect contract to
play in the JFHL or a 1-3 year FHL contract with salaries depending on the
Initial Contract Pay Scale. There is no guarantee your player will play on the
main team. Rosters/Lines are AUTO picked by the computer so please do not
complain if you send a player back and he is not good enough to crack the
lineup.
4.13 Annual Waiver Draft
The final offseason activity is the FHL Waiver Draft. This will take place each year. Teams can protect 18 skaters and 2 goaltenders and their franchise player. Teams will not have to protect players who are 24 years old or less at the time of the draft or players who have played 92 games or less or who are considered a UFA. These players are exempt from protection and cannot be lost in the waiver draft. The maximum amount of players that a team can lose in the waiver draft is 2; however, a team must also make a minimum of 2 players available for the draft.
Send all protection lists to: federalleague@sympatico.ca
Again, inverting the previous regular season's standings for the 8 teams will rank these picks. Teams may pass on their pick but it will not be made up at the end of the draft. It will be considered forfeited. No compensation is offered to teams who lose players in the waiver draft.
Send all waiver draft selection lists to: federalleague@sympatico.ca