1.0 - League Structure

The OHL (Outlaw Hockey League) is made up of 30 teams and is structured along the same lines as the National Hockey League. The league plays an 82-game schedule followed by playoffs where the champion is awarded the Outlaw Cup.

There are two minor leagues, the Zigmund Palffy Hockey League (ZPHL) and the Don Cherry Hockey League (DCHL). The ZPHL plays a full 82-game schedule followed by playoffs where a ZPHL champion is awarded the Lord Sven Cup.

1.1 - The Suits

The OHL is run by a group of General Managers who form the league's Head Office. HO is responsible for the running of the Outlaw Hockey League as well as constantly reviewing the league's rule-book. Head Office holds the right to adjust an existing rule at any time should such a need arise through what ever circumstances. Head Office may also create brand new rules at any point in time if they see a need to regulate a situation not covered by existing legal texts.

The OHL also has a Commissioner. The title of Commissioner will, just like appointments to Head Office, rotate annually among General Managers  trusted by their peers to fulfill the duties involved.

The Commissioner is responsible for overseeing the work performed by Head Office and to make any recommendations to Head Office on matters they should look into. The Commissioner also acts as a representative of the other General Managers who may bring matters before the Commissioner who in turn presents them to Head Office. The Commissioner also has the right to weigh in and take part in any Head Office discussions regarding league business and legal matters.

Head Office and the Commissioner may not create rules without the other party signing off on the proposal.

1.2 - The OHLPA

A new feature for the 2010/11 season is our very own Players Association. The purpose of this organization is to protect the best interest of the players in all situations, be it the CBA, on-ice concerns or contract disputes. The OHLPA is run by Glen Healy.

The biggest impact of the OHLPA will be a no-movement clause to any new contract signed by a player. This no-movement clause will apply for the next 3 months of the hockey season, which in the OHL spans from Oct 1 to May 31.

During the 3 month period of the no-movement clause the player may not be traded or released from his contract.

1.3 - Simulation

Games are simulated using the STHS simulation software. GMs use a program called the STHS Client to manage their club and set up lines which are then saved to a file that is uploaded on the website before each game.

1.4 - Ratings

Players in the simulator are given ratings for various skills based on their level of play in real life. While most leagues only give ratings to NHL players, the OHL goes far beyond that, covering 16 leagues. If a GM finds a player not covered in any of these leagues, they may request a set of ratings for the player in question by petitioning to Head Office.

Leagues currently covered by the ratings program:

NHL
AHL
ECHL
OHL
WHL
QMJHL
NCAA
KHL
SEL
SEL-II
Finland
Slovakia
Czech Republic
DEL
Austria
Switzerland

2.0 - Salary Cap

In sports, a salary cap is a limit on the amount of money a team can spend on player salaries, either as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster (or both). Several sports leagues have made salary caps mandatory, both as a method of keeping overall costs down, and in order to balance the league so a wealthy team cannot become dominant simply by buying all the top players.

The cap is a HARD cap with a max and min. This cap CANNOT be traded, moved or changed; it’s a hard cap that must be followed by each and every team. 

2.1 - OHL Cap

The maximum cap in the OHL is set at $65.000.000 with a cap floor of $45.000.000. This means that teams may not have a payroll of more than $65.000.000 or less than $45.000.000.

Only the salaries of players on the OHL roster, including cap-hits from buyouts and retired players, will count towards the OHL salary cap.

The salary cap will be relaxed for a 30 day period only following the opening day of Free Agency (see Section 2.3).

2.2 - ZPHL Cap

Players assigned to the minors make 10% of their OHL contract value. This means the salary cap in the ZPHL is substantially lower than in the OHL. The maximum cap in the ZPHL is set at $3.500.000 with a cap floor of $2.000.000. This means that teams may not have a payroll of more than $3.500.000 or less than $2.000.000.

Players on the ZPHL and DCHL rosters, including cap-hits from buyouts and retired players, have their salaries count towards the ZPHL cap, which for all accounts and purposes is really a minor league salary cap.

The salary cap will be relaxed for a 30 day period only following the opening day of Free Agency (see Section 2.3).

2.3 - Salary Cap during Free Agency

Starting July 1st and ending July 30th, the salary cap will be relaxed for every team in the league. During these crucial 30 days of team building, the salary cap (both OHL and ZPHL) are increased by 15% for each club. This applies only to the upper levels of the salary caps. The cap floors are not affected by this rule in any way.

At 23:59:59 Calgary time on July 30th all teams must be back in compliance with the normal salary cap limitations or the GM will receive one strike for every 2 days that passes without compliance (see Section 13.1).

3.0 - Roster Limits

The OHL has set a minimum and maximum number for how many players each team can have on their roster.

3.1 - Roster Limits in the OHL

Teams must have no more than 25 and no less than 20 active players on their OHL rosters at all times. Teams must also at all times have at least 2 active goalies, 6 active defensemen and 12 active forwards on their OHL rosters.

During the off-season, between June 15 and the final day of pre-season, the roster limits are not enforced. The only restrictions in that time is that teams may not go over the maximum list of 75 players under contract (doesn't include prospects) or below the minimum limit of 40 players under contract (including a minimum of 4 goalies). 

The OHL will also introduce a minimum-rating rule which will set the minimum Overall limit allowed in a player playing in an OHL game. This level will differ between positions and be announced once ratings are released and analyzed.

3.1.1 - Waivers

Players getting sent from the OHL to the ZPHL or DCHL will have to pass through waivers unless they are exempt from waivers based on the criteria detailed below:

Goaltenders:
18-20 years old - 80 OHL games (regular season and playoffs combined)
21-23 years old - 60 OHL games (regular season and playoffs combined)

Skaters:
18-20 years old - 160 OHL games (regular season and playoffs combined)
21 years old - 80 OHL games (regular season and playoffs combined)
22 years old - 70 OHL games (regular season and playoffs combined)
23 years old - 60 OHL games (regular season and playoffs combined)

Players who have played the minimum number of games listed based on their age must pass through waivers before reporting to the ZPHL or DCHL.

A player placed on waivers is not eligible to play in a minor league game until his 48 hour waiver period has passed and he has cleared waivers without getting claimed. Once that happens, he may be placed in the minors and begin playing games for the minor league affiliate.

Players that go on waivers will be able to get claimed by any other club in the league that chooses to submit a waiver claim via the Submit Transaction service. If several clubs submits claims for the player, the player will be awarded to the worst team based on the standings. Up until November 1st, the standings for the previous season will be used. After November 1st the standings for the current season are used to determine which team claims the player's rights.

Players claimed off waivers may be placed back on waivers at any time.

Players choosing to sign in Europe in real life, will be exempt from waivers and are automatically assigned to the ZPHL with no delay.

3.2 - Roster Limits in the ZPHL

The ZPHL has the same rules for roster limits as the OHL (see rule 3.1 above).

There is no minimum-rating rule in the ZPHL.

3.2.1 - The "Euro/Unsigned-rule"

Since the ZPHL is primarily designed to be a development-league for younger players, the OHL has created the "Euro-rule". Effective July 15, 2010, a ZPHL roster cannot exceed 5 players, aged 25 or older, who are labelled either "Euro" or an "Unsigned" on the roster pages.

Players who play their real-life hockey in Europe, or in another location outside North America, will be labelled "Euro" on the roster pages. Likewise, players who aren't under contract with a club in real life will be labelled "Unsigned" on the roster pages.

Players with "Euro" or "Unsigned" tags to their names who have yet to celebrate their 25th birthday do not count against the limit of 5.

Also players on the DCHL roster do not count against this rule.

3.3 - Roster Limits in the DCHL

The DCHL has no minimum roster limits but at no time can a team have more than 25 players assigned to their DCHL roster.

3.3.1 - NHL-veterans in the DCHL

Players with NHL-experience are normally not allowed to be assigned to the DCHL. However if the player in question hasn't played in an NHL-game for at least 5 full seasons, he will no longer qualify as an NHL-veteran until he plays another NHL-game and can therefore be assigned to the DCHL.

3.4 - Roster Limits on the Prospects List

There are no minimum or maximum limitations on the number of prospects a team may have on their prospects list.

3.5 - Positions

All players have positions listed by their name on the roster pages. Players may only play games in positions listed for them this way. To make a player eligible to play another position an acceptable link showing the players ability to appear in the position must be submitted to the league via Submit Transaction - Roster Moves in the GM-section.

4.0 - Player Contracts

Standard player contracts (SPC) can range in length from 1 to 3 years. The OHL has developed a computerized associate known only as "The Agent", whose duty it is to negotiate the SPCs. The Agent combines the players OHL stats from the previous season with the players ratings to calculate how much money the player is worth. In other words a player is paid based on his ability.

Effective July 15, 2010, the sign and trade feature in the OHL is no longer permitted. A no-movement clause will now accompany all contracts signed by any Free Agent player. This no-movement clause will remain in effect for the initial 3 months that a signed Free Agent plays for a hockey organization. Once the 3 month period has passed, the player is again eligible to be traded or released from his contract. 

Example: if a Free Agent signs a contract on Aug 1, his no-movement clause will be effective for 3 months starting on Oct 1. If a Free Agent signs a contract on Dec 15, his no-movement clause will last until Mar 15. 

In the OHL the hockey season spans from Oct 1 to May 31. No-movement clauses will apply throughout the year, but only time between Oct 1 and May 31 will count towards the 3 month limit.

Effective for the 2010/11 season, there will be no free agent signings from the conclusion of the playoffs until after the free agency bidding during the summer. This is done in the best interest of the players who will want to maximize their contracts by hitting the open market.

Players with NHL experience within the last 5 years are not allowed to sign a DCHL contract, even if they were DCHL-players on their previous contract.

4.1 - Entry Level Contracts

Drafted prospects must be signed to an entry level contract within 3 years of the draft they were taken in. Such a prospects entry level contract has a fixed length of 2 years and its value is determined by where the player was selected in the OHL Entry Draft as outlined in the table below.

4.2 - Restricted Free Agents

There are two types of restricted free agents known as Class-1 and Class-2 free agents. A player qualifies as a restricted free agent when his current contract has expired and he does not yet qualify for Unrestricted Free Agency.

If an RFA being qualified by a team has gained NHL experience since his previous contract was negotiated, he will not be eligible for a DCHL contract and must be qualified in the ZPHL or OHL, otherwise the GM will be penalized and the player will become a UFA.

4.2.1 - Class-1 RFA

Players who have not celebrated their 25th birthday by June 30th of their free agent year, will qualify as a Class-1 restricted free agent. This means the team currently holding the rights to the player may choose to re-sign him at the minimum amount as offered to them by the Agent representing the player. Other teams may not interfere with Class-1 free agents by sending them offersheets as these players are exclusive property of their current teams.

A C1-RFA may be re-signed to contracts spanning 1-3 years in length. A C1-RFA who isn't offered a new contract, or is offered an illegal contract, by the July 1st deadline will become an Unrestricted Free Agent and enter the UFA-bidding process over the summer.

4.2.2 - Class-2 RFA

Players aged 25 or more who haven't celebrated their 30th birthday by June 30th of their free agent year, qualify as a Class-2 RFA. Players of this status must be given a qualifying offer by their current team by the July 1st deadline so as to maintain the rights to the player.

C2-RFA's who are not given a qualifying offer, or are offered an illegal contract, from their current teams by July 1st will become Unrestricted Free Agents and enter the UFA-bidding process over the summer.

C2-RFA's who do receive a qualifying offer from their current teams will then be made available for other teams willing to offer these players a so-called Offersheet for their services (see Section 4.2.2.1).

4.2.2.1 - Offer sheets

Teams may, during a designated window of opportunity following July 1st, submit Offersheets to C2-RFA players from other teams whom they wish to acquire. These offer sheets may contain a contract offer spanning between 1 and 3 years in length with the option of adding a signing bonus to increase the value of the offer sheet. The signing bonus may not be bigger than the total salary value in the offer (an offer of $2.000.000 per year for 2 years can only have a maximum signing bonus of $4.000.000 attached to it). To determine the overall value of the offersheet the following formula is used: salary x years + signing bonus. In the aforementioned example the total size of the offersheet would be $8.000.000 if the maximum signing bonus was attached to it. Signing bonuses come out of the teams bankroll. 

Teams may only offer a maximum of two offersheets per year.

Teams whose players receive an Offersheet have the option to either match 90% of the offersheet value (using the above example again the team would have to sign the player at 90% of $2.000.000 per year which comes to $1.800.000, as well as pay $3.600.000 to the player as a signing bonus).

Should the team instead decide that they do not wish to match the offersheet they will be compensated according to the following chart:

Draft picks may be taken from either the upcoming draft or the one immediately following it.

In order to submit an offersheet a team must have the picks and bankroll in place to afford to pay the necessary compensation should the team receiving the offersheet opt to let the player go.

Teams may submit two offersheets despite only having the resources to compensate for one of them. They must the rank their bids to decide which one should be processed first. If the first offersheet is successful and compensation paid out, the second offersheet will be nullified.

Teams receiving an offersheet will have a 48 hour period to decide their course of action. If the league doesn't hear back from the team before the end of this time frame, the player will be awarded to the team submitting the offersheet and compensation will be paid out.

4.3 - Unrestricted Free Agency

Players who have turned 30 years old by June 30th and need to sign a new contract on July 1st, will become Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA). Teams have the option of re-signing one such player, making him a C1-RFA. This player must be offered the minimum amount requested by the Agent. In order for a team to protect a player, the player must have been with the team since the trade deadline.

4.3.1 - UFA Bidding

UFAs who are not protected by their clubs on July 1st end up in the famous UFA-bidding process that is one of the highlights of the OHL summer. Every single player out of contract after July 1st are put on display in a massive supermarket where General Managers can go shopping for reinforcements.

Head Office will outline several windows of opportunities where General Managers are allowed to submit bids for unsigned players. Offers may vary in length from 1 to 3 years, in salary from the minimum of $500.000 per year up to $10.000.000 and also include a signing bonus that may be no bigger than the combined salary total of the offer.

Teams may make no more than 5 bids per transfer window. It is not allowed to exceed the player limits at any time. Teams also must be careful not to go over cap as all contracts include a 3 month no-trade clause. 

When a transfer window closes, Head Office will sort out the bids submitted and announce the signings that have taken place. Should two or more teams end up in a tie for the player in question, an auction among the clubs in question will take place. If it remains a tie after the auction, lottery will decide who gets the player.

An OHL contract will beat out a ZPHL contract every time, regardless of monetary value. The same applies to ZPHL contracts beating out DCHL contracts.

4.4 - Signing Bonus

The signing bonus is a way to increase the value of a contract offer without driving up the salary. Teams may add a signing bonus to an offer outside the salary offered. The signing bonus may not be bigger than the total salary value in the offer (an offer of $2.000.000 per year for 2 years can only have a maximum signing bonus of $4.000.000 attached to it).

4.5 - Holdouts

Players who haven't signed a contract by the beginning of the regular season will be considered holdouts. These players will gradually lower their asking price by 5% each week up until December 1st.

4.6 - Retiring Players

Some players, such as Wes Walz and Brendan Shanahan, have no problem retiring mid-season putting their OHL clubs knee-deep in trouble. When this happens, the OHL club will take a financial hit to their salary cap. The size of this hit is regulated by what is known as the "Over 35-rule".

The "Over 35-rule" states that if a player retires after his 35th birthday, 100% of his salary will count towards the salary cap for the duration of his contract. Players who at the time of retirement have yet to celebrate their 35th will have their salary count towards the salary cap at a rate of 50% for the duration of the contract.

Once a player has officially announced his retirement, or reports are posted online of his pending retirement, he can't be assigned to another roster.

Players who retire after the conclusion of their season in real life will be allowed to finish their season in the OHL/ZPHL and then retire.

The salary cap hit of a retired player will be deducted from the team's cap in question. If, for example, an OHL player retires with a cap hit of $2.000.000 dollars, that teams OHL cap will be reduced from $65.000.000 to $63.000.000.

4.7 - Eligible Players

Pretty much any active player is eligible to sign a contract in this league. The minimum requirement for a player to be eligible to sign a contract is proof that he has played at least 20 games of competitive hockey over the past two seasons. He also must not have retired or passed away.

Teams may request a conditional license for a player who fails to be eligible due to long term injuries. It will then be up to Head Office to decide whether the player will get a special license to resume active duty in the OHL.

4.8 - Buyouts

Teams are allowed to terminate contracts of players they no longer feel they need. Note however that the 6 month no-trade clause also applies to buyouts.

The size of the buyout depends on the age of the player getting released. Players who have turned 26 years of age before the buyout will count towards the salary cap at 66.67% of their salary. For players who have yet to celebrate their 26th birthday the number is 33.33%.

Any player bought out from a contract after the trade deadline has passed will not sign another contract but rather wait to sign until the free agency bidding starts after July 1st.

5.0 - UFA Claims

Teams may offer contracts to players over 20 years old whose rights in the OHL are vacant. These players will be represented by the agent most of the time and have an asking price listed next to their name on the website. When no such price is listed, the player may be signed based on where they were drafted in the NHL Entry Draft according to the following chart:

When making a UFA Claim for the DCHL roster, always include a link to the player from www.hockeydb.com proving his eligibility to be assigned to that league.

6.0 - OHL Entry Draft

Every year the Outlaw Hockey League holds the draft about a week after the NHL draft. The OHL draft spans 6 rounds (180 picks) and usually takes place on Windows Messenger. Players eligible for the draft are such players eligible for the NHL draft in the same year as well as any players who have gone unclaimed in previous drafts.

Players who have previously been under contract in the OHL are ineligible for the entry draft.

6.1 - Trading draftpicks

Teams may include draftpicks in trades as long as they belong to one of the three upcoming drafts. For example teams may not trade picks for the 2013 draft until after the 2010 draft has been completed.

7.0 - Coaches

The OHL and ZPHL clubs all have coaches to run things from behind the benches. Coaches have ratings that are based on the performance of their real life teams in the previous season.

Every year the OHL maintans a list of about 40 coaches who will only consider taking a job at the OHL level. This list is made up of the 40 most recent head coaches in the National Hockey League. When a new coach is hired in the NHL (who isn't on our OHL-only list) he is added to our list of 40 names and the coach who is the furthest removed from a head coaching job in the NHL is removed from the list and available to sign a ZPHL contract, or be assigned to the ZPHL by his current club. The list will in other words be constantly updated as coaching changes occur in the NHL. The purpose of the list is to make sure there's always a good group of coaches to choose from should an OHL club desire to make a coaching change.

Teams may not hire a new coach from the trade deadline until coaches are made available to be signed in the Free Agency bidding after July 1st.

Teams who want to re-sign their coaches may do so as all coaching contracts are comparable to C1-RFA status.

8.0 - Injuries

As rare as it is, injuries do happen in the simulation of games. Players who are injured and diagnosed as being longer than day-to-day must be placed on Injured Reserve. Players who are day-to-day may also be placed on IR but will then have to remain on the sidelines for at least 7 days.

To send a player to IR a GM must submit a transaction through the GM-Section. Same goes for activating a player from IR. Should a player appear in a game while still listed on IR, the team, GM and player will be punished.

8.0.1 - Emergency Recall

If the injury to an OHL player renders a team unable to field a full roster (less than 2 active goalies, 6 active defensemen and 12 active forwards on the OHL roster) the team will be allowed to make an emergency recall from the minors to fill the vacant spot. The player called up on emergency recall will not have to clear waivers when sent back down to the minors provided he is sent down the instant the injured player returns to action. Should the club play a game after the injured player returns to health and the recalled player is still on the roster, he loses his waiver immunity.

8.1 - Player Suspensions

Players every now and then will get suspended. When a player receives a suspension, the GM must immediately place the suspended player on the reserve list (same list and procedure as Injured Reserve).

Players may also be suspended by Head Office for disciplinary reasons. In such instances Head Office will automatically take the player off the active roster, where as the GM will be responsible for activating the player once he's served his suspension. Playing a player without activating him from suspension will lead to further punishment.

8.1.1 - GM Suspensions

A General Manager found to be breaking the OHL bylaws may face disciplinary punishment in the form of suspensions during which time the GM will be prohibited to submitting lines and making trades or managing his/her club in any way.

9.0 - Team Finances

When the OHL began in 2003 every franchise was given $50.000.000 of bankroll to spend wisely. Since then clubs have been able to earn and lose money through several different channels. The most important areas to spend bankroll is on signing bonuses, arena expansions and paying fines.

9.1 - Sponsorships

Every year teams are given a list of sponsorships they may sign up for as a means of generating income. Each sponsorship contains some form of challenge teams must live up to in order to generate income.

A few of these sponsorships are so called "forced" sponsorships which all clubs automatically sign up for.

To see more details on sponsorships please see the sponsorships tab in the main menu.

9.1.1 - Rivalries

The most popular form of sponsorship is the so called Rivalry Challenges. These are opportunities for GMs to challenge their colleagues to a head-to-head contest over the course of the season. The OHL will from now on allow for 5 rivalry sponsorships per team at both the OHL and ZPHL levels.

The OHL are also introducing a list of "natural" geographical rivalries where the two clubs are seen as natural rivals who will always be rivals regardless of GMs.

Natural Rivalries:
MTL vs. TOR
MTL vs. BOS
OTT vs. TOR
PIT vs. PHI
PIT vs. WAS
FLA vs. TB
NYR vs. NYI
NYR vs. PHI
NJ vs. PHI
NJ vs. NYR
CGY vs. EDM
CGY vs. VAN
COL vs. DET
LA vs. ANA
LA vs. SJ
SJ vs. ANA
CHI vs. STL

The OHL will also celebrate its proud history by introducing the Original 7. The following 7 GMs have been here since the start of the league and as such have formed long standing rivalries. Because of this they are locked in battle in Original 7rivalries.

The Original Seven:
Becky Schumacher - FLA
Mike Fairhead - NJ
Dave Normoyle - CAR
Fahd Zaidi - NYR
Ulrik Kromnow - PIT
Jeff Young - MTL
Janne Qvickstrom - MIN

9.2 - Arena Expansion

Teams may during the off-season choose to invest in expanding their arenas. The cost for buying more seats is outlined in the chart below.

9.3 - Fines

Teams who violate the OHL bylaws will be punished in several ways. One such way is a fine to be paid for through the bankroll account. The size of the fine will be determined by Head Office depending on the nature of the infraction and the history of the offender.

10.0 - Clear Day Rosters

Within 48 hours after the passing of the trade deadline, all teams must submit to the league their Clear Day Rosters. These rosters are a list of 22 players that will compete for the club during the remainder of the ZPHL regular season and hopefully playoffs.

The details on who may be named to the Clear Day Roster will change slightly starting in 2010/11. Any player with at least 20 ZPHL games at the time of the trade deadline may be included on the Clear Day Roster list. Should at the time of the playoffs players on the Clear Day Roster lists find themselves in the OHL, replacements may be picked from the ZPHL or DCHL rosters.

11.0 - Pre-season

The OHL pre-season consists of a maximum of 9 games to be scheduled by the General Managers themselves as they agree to games in conversations with their peers. A list of games agreed to are then posted on the forum for the simmers to create a schedule around.

Pre-season games are played at the OHL and ZPHL levels simultaneously.

12.0 - GM-duties

When someone agrees to become a GM in the Outlaw Hockey League they also sign off on certain requirements and duties a person in such a position must live up to. It is expected of a General Manager in the OHL to respect the integrity of the game, to submit legal and proper lines for everyone of his/her games. Further more it is expected of the person to be actively involved in the OHL community, be it on the forum, behind the scenes helping out in the daily running of the league or interacting with other GMs on IM.

12.1 - Lines

An OHL GM is bound by this rule to make sure their club has a legal set of lines in place for each and every game throughout the season. This means their OHL and ZPHL lines must consist of 2 goalies, 6 defensemen and 12 forwards each, all of which are eligible to take part in the game. No doubleshifting of any kind is allowed, nor is it possible to play a player out of position.

Failure to comply with this rule will lead to disciplinary action from the league.

12.2 - Report Loophole

In the past GMs have been quick to exploit any loopholes they've managed to find in the rules. That stops here. GMs who find a loophole in the OHL CBA are now obligated by law to inform Head Office of the loophole so that they can plug it shut. A GM caught exploiting a loophole will face very severe disciplinary actions.

12.3 - Collusion

The league has no tolerance for GMs who engage in actions which may be classified as collusion. This is strictly forbidden and will lead to disciplinary actions.

12.4 - Rape

The league also has no tolerance for veteran GMs taking, or trying to take, advantage of new (or old) GMs. If a GM is caught engaging in a deal deemed to be far too lopsided, stiff penalties will be handed out as well as any such deal getting nullified on the spot. If at least three invididual GMs report the trade as being questionable, an investigation will be undertaken by Head Office. Should the deal involve a member of Head Office, that person will be excluded from the investigation.

12.5 - Mentorship

When a new GM is hired into the OHL, he or she will be given a veteran GM to learn from. This veteran GM will act as a mentor to the young recruit, learning them everything there is to know about the rules and how the website works but also, perhaps more importantly, give good advice on trades and offer insights into the personalities and tendencies of other GMs attempting to trade with the rookie.

12.6 - Report Infractions

OHL GMs are obligated to act as informants on behalf of the league by looking at the opponent's lines and roster after every game to spot any infractions of the OHL rules. If any irregularities are found, the GM is to report these to the OHL's Strike Force on the OHL forum.

13.0 - Discipline

Head Office have a plethora of disciplinary tools at their disposal for punishing General Managers who violate the rules established in this document.

13.1 - The Strike System

The Strike System has evolved since first being introduced for the 2009/10 season. It now features a more flexible approach to disciplinary matters by categorizing violations as either severe, marginal or mittemellan.

Severe infractions are such that they clearly influence the outcome of a game or are blatant attempts at bending or breaking rules for the purpose of giving the team unfair advantages. Examples of severe infractions are doubleshifting, not sending in lines for a game, collusion, rape and missing deadlines.

Marginal infractions are petty things which aren't considered serious enough to warrant stiff penalties but still serious enough to punish the GM. Examples of marginal infractions are playing a forward on the wrong wing in a ZPHL game or forgetting to add a link in a transaction.

Mittemellan infractions are those that fall somewhere in between marginal and severe. 

13.1.1 - Vigilante Justice

OHL GMs are obligated to look at the opponent's lines and roster after every game to spot any infractions of the OHL rules. If any irregularities are found, the GM is to report these to the OHL's Strike Force on the OHL forum.

13.1.2 - Punishments

When Strike Force is notified of an infraction they will investigate the matter to confirm that a violation has indeed taken place. If foul play can be proven, Strike Force will present the case before Head Office who will then rule on the matter and hand the appropriate punishment.

There are three levels of punishments within the Strike System. Marginal infractions will result in a slap on the wrist and a verbal warning. Three slaps and the GM will be looking at a citation which also happens to be the punishment for a Mittemellan infraction. Two citations and the offending GM will be awarded a Strike which is the most severe punishment within the Strike System and what perpetrators of Severe Infractions receive. Commencing the 2010 season any GM earning three strikes at any time will receive a dishonorable discharge from the OHL and will be relieved of their duties.

Another change to the Strike System, apart from the different levels of punishment, is that you can get time off for good behavior. All of the penalties listed above (slap on the wrist and verbal warning, citation and strike) will expire after three months of good behavior. This probation system is designed to give GMs a second chance by improving their behavior.

13.2 - Fines

Every violation of OHL rules will lead to fine on top of any additional legal matters the league deem necessary. The size of the fine may vary depending on the nature of the violation but the money will always go to the team cheated by the infraction. Should no such team exist, the money will go to the last place team in the standings at the date of the incident.

13.3 - Suspensions

As outlined in section 8.1 and 8.1.1 the league may decide to suspend both players and general managers. This will be most commonly used in relation to on-ice violations such as illegal lines of some kind.

13.4 - Dismissal

As outlined above in section 13.1.2 a GM will be fired if he or she compiles 3 Strikes to their credit at any one time. GMs may also be fired should they be too far out of line on the forum, cause harm to the league or website in any malicious way, spread the OHL website and/or ratings without permission to other leagues or speak ill of Alexandre Daigle. All of these actions would lead to instant dismissal from the Outlaw Hockey League.

14.0 - Relocation

After the summer of 2010, teams are not allowed to relocate or switch cities with other franchises. If two GMs would rather coach in other cities, they will have to swap teams.

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