Official Rules & Procedures

This rulebook serves as the official guide for all GMs in the AFHL.

Part 1: General Info, Contacts & Responsibilities

What is the AFHL?
The Amazing Fantasy Hockey League (AFHL) is a lifetime keeper fantasy hockey league that consists of 20 franchised teams, of which 10 are located in Canada, and 10 are located in the United States. As a GM of an AFHL franchise, you get the experience of managing your own team of professional hockey players. Your goal is to get the best lineup on the ice every day, since the better your players perform in real-life games, the more value they bring to your AFHL team.

League Championship
At the end of each regular season, the top eight teams in the overall league standings qualify for the AFHL Stanley Cup playoffs, an elimination tournament consisting of three rounds which results in two teams facing off in the final round, dubbed the Stanley Cup Final.

The winner of the AFHL Stanley Cup Final is awarded a Stanley Cup trophy and a $100 cash prize.

Yearly Franchise Fee
Each GM is required to pay a $25 franchise fee in the summer prior to the upcoming season. Franchise fees cover league costs such as: the creation, shipping, and handling fees for the winner’s Stanley Cup trophy, the $100 cash prize for the winner, and website hosting + maintenance fees (sometimes including employee compensation).

Who’s running the AFHL?
The AFHL is owned and operated by Furino Productions Inc. Directed by Anthony Furino, the AFHL is managed from its headquarters in Bay Shore, New York. The AFHL wants GMs in this league that are committed to winning and participating at the highest level possible. Anyone interested in joining the AFHL should contact the Commissioner via the ‘Contact’ page with their qualifications and to request information on franchise availability. If there are no franchises available, then you will be placed on a waiting list.

League Responsibilities

Commissioner: Anthony Furino
Runs drafts, approves trades, updates website, interprets rules, oversees FA player signings, and runs the AFHL in general.

Deputy Commissioner(s): Keith Cancilla and Ray Irwin
Performs duties of the Commissioner when the Commissioner is absent, or is an involved party in a trade or rule dispute.

Rules Committee: Anthony Furino, Ray Irwin, and Keith Cancilla
The rules committee consists of the Commissioner and two GM representatives of the league. The two representatives serve a one-season term and is selected by the Commissioner at the beginning of each season. The rules committee meets prior to the start of each season to determine if rule changes or new rules should be made to improve the league. Upon the start of the season, there can be no rule changes or additions unless conditions warrant.

Part 2: General Rules & Operations

Participation Level
GM participation is the lifeblood of the AFHL and it’s something that is considered mandatory on a regular basis. Even though this is a fantasy hockey league, there are people who take this organization very seriously. The Commissioner spends countless hours designing and operating this league for you, the GM. Also, there are several GMs who participate faithfully on a daily basis and some would say they live and breathe the AFHL.

As a GM in the AFHL, you are expected to participate regularly. This includes posting messages on the Yahoo Message Board. Post a message or share your opinion about anything: one of your players, your team, an opposing team, trash talk for a new rivalry, talk up some trade bait, talk about something unrelated to hockey, a funny story, etc. Make the two-minute effort to post a message. It doesn’t have to be every day, but at least once a week or several times a month, every now and then.

*If you’re not showing at least the slightest bit of participation, then you will be replaced!

Other participation activities include:
-Posting team reports/press releases in your team forum on the Yuku Message Board
-Talking to other AFHL GMs on the YIM (Yahoo Instant Messenger)
-Posting comments on press releases on the ‘Home’ page of the AFHL website

Always feel free to share any ideas, suggestions and/or comments that you may have on the league. We sometimes use these to make changes to the league and better it for everyone.

Yahoo Instant Messenger (YIM)
ALL GMs in the AFHL must have a Yahoo Instant Messenger (YIM) account and actively use it. This is a chat software used by the AFHL for GM communications, trade talks, drafts, etc. ALL YIM usernames must be given to the Commissioner to maintain the master list. YIM is free for all cell phones, so it’s a good idea to be signed in on your cell phone, especially to receive trade offers and engage in live trade talk. If you’re busy, just put up a ‘busy’ status message.

Terms of Termination (Replacing a GM)
All GMs may be given notice of termination for any of the following reasons:
1. If it becomes apparent that a GM is not participating in any league activities, (roster changes, message forums, etc.), or otherwise disrupting the league by their actions or communications they may lose their franchise and another GM will be appointed. All teams are property of the AFHL.
2. Any GM using the message forums for advertising purposes or abusive behavior.
3. Any GM may propose that another GM be removed from the league. Contact the Commissioner in private and if there are sufficient reasons to support your case then that GM could be terminated.
4. The Commissioner will determine how much notice a GM will be given before dismissal and can perform actions without warning if the need is felt.

Team Names, Logos, and Uniforms
All teams are required to have logos and uniforms. All franchise identities must be approved by the Commissioner. Team name changes and/or relocation proposals must be sent to the Commissioner. Not all name changes and/or relocation proposals will be accepted. Relocations will have to adhere to the existing geographical alignment that is in place. These proposals cannot be made until the off-season and only one team per city is allowed.

League Schedule/Calendar
The AFHL regular season begins in October and ends in March (typically 23 weeks/games). The AFHL Playoffs begin in March and end in April. The Commissioner’s office closes on or around April 15th and re-opens on or around June 1st each year. The AFHL Entry Draft begins in June.

Part 3: Rosters, Scoring, & Transactions

Team Rosters
Each AFHL franchise has a pro team consisting of 23 players and a farm team consisting of 23 players.

Positions to be filled in starting lineup on the pro team:
3 Left Wingers
3 Centers
3 Right Wingers
4 Defensemen
1 Utility (any position)
1 Goalie
+ 8 Bench Players

Scoring
The AFHL uses Head-to-Head scoring based on Yahoo’s hockey statistics. Basically, your team squares off in a weekly matchup against an opposing team to see who can compile the best stats across a number of different categories. A new weekly matchup begins every Monday and consists of a set number of games based on our league’s statistical categories. Each stat category counts as one game, with the win going to the team that finishes the week with the highest total in that category (the cumulative total after each Sunday’s games). Each goal, assist, win, save etc. is added as one unit to your season or weekly totals. So, if in a given week, your team scores more goals than your opposing team, you would be credited with a victory. However, if your opponent’s team ended the week with more saves than your team, you would be charged with a loss. If the two teams end up tied in a given category, each receives credit for a tied game. This weekly win-loss total is added to a cumulative season record where each win counts for two points, each tie counts for one, and each loss counts for none. The total of these points is used to determine standings and playoff seedings.

Forward/Defenseman Scoring
Goals (G)
Assists (A)
Points (P)
Plus/Minus ()
Powerplay Points (PPP)
Shorthanded Points (SHP)
Game-Winnings Goals (GWG)

Goaltender Scoring
Wins (W)
Saves Made (SV)
Goals Against Average (GAA)
Save Percentage (SV%)
Shutouts (SO)

Injury Reserve (IR) List
GMs may assign players to their injury reserve (IR) list and call up a replacement player from the farm team. This does not open a free spot to sign a free agent (if you already have 23 players on pro team and 23 players on farm team). If a farm team replacement player gets injured while playing on the pro team, he can be sent back down to the farm, and another IR replacement player can be called up from the farm team.

Roster Transactions

All GMs are required to update their OFFICIAL TEAM ROSTERS on the Yuku Message Board immediately after making any transaction. Failure to do so will result in a roster penalty.

Each team is limited to making no more than 30 free agent signings during the regular season.

Before you sign a free agent:
-Make sure that the acquisition will not place your roster over the maximum limit of 23 players (pro) or 23 players (farm).
-Make sure the player that you wish to sign is available (not already owned by an AFHL team) by checking the ‘OFFICIAL TEAM ROSTERS’ page located on the Yuku Message Board. Once you’re on that page, to perform a quick search by name, press/hold ‘CNTRL’ and ‘F’ at the same time on your keyboard. A little Search Box will pop up. Type in the player’s name and hit enter. (Make sure you spelled name correctly).

How to sign a free agent (three steps)
1. Announce the transaction in the ‘Team Transactions’ forum on the Yuku Message Board. (Be specific about the transaction in the subject line of your post – state your team name and player name) EX: Manhattan signs Phil Deeznuts
2. Update/edit your official team roster in the ‘Official Team Rosters’ forum on the Yuku Message Board.
3. If the newly signed player is to play on your pro team, then go to the Yahoo League and add the player to your pro team.

How to release a player (three steps)
1. Announce the transaction in the ‘Team Transactions’ forum on the Yuku Message Board. (Be specific about the transaction in the subject line of your post – state your team name and player name) EX: Manhattan releases Heywood Jablomey
2. Update/edit your official team roster in the ‘Official Team Rosters’ forum on the Yuku Message Board.
3. If the released player was released from your pro team, then go to the Yahoo League and drop the player from your pro team.

How to call up a player from farm team to pro team (three steps)
1. Announce the transaction in the ‘Team Transactions’ forum on the Yuku Message Board. (Be specific about the transaction in the subject line of your post – state your team name and player name) EX: Manhattan calls up Stu Pidass
2. Update/edit your official team roster in the ‘Official Team Rosters’ forum on the Yuku Message Board.
3. Go to the Yahoo League and make the necessary add/drop accordingly.

How to send down a player from pro team to farm team (three steps)
1. Announce the transaction in the ‘Team Transactions’ forum on the Yuku Message Board. (Be specific about the transaction in the subject line of your post – state your team name and player name) EX: Manhattan sends down Willy Pullet
2. Update/edit your official team roster in the ‘Official Team Rosters’ forum on the Yuku Message Board.
3. Go to the Yahoo League and make the necessary add/drop accordingly.

When sending down players from pro to farm, be very cautious of… (details below)

Waivers
Any player aged 24 or older during the current season will be placed on waivers for a 48 hour period before being sent down to the farm team. While that player is on waivers ANY team may sign him. If a player is claimed, he MUST be placed on the pro roster of his new team and clear waivers again if he is assigned to the farm team. Once a team has claimed a player from waivers, that team will be placed in the last position on the waiver order 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 team - not when they are being called up to the pro team.) Players 23 and under on the farm team are not affected by the waiver rule and can play freely between both rosters. Player ages will be set for the year as of the first game of the season. Any waiver claims (results) will be posted/announced once a week (every Tuesday) on the Yuku Message Board.

The team that wishes to sign/claim a player off waivers must submit a ‘Waiver Claim Form’ located on the ‘Contact’ page on the website within 48 hours from the time the opposing team announced that the player was being sent down. The commissioner will award waiver claimed players based on the waiver order. The waiver order is set at the beginning of the season based on the reverse point totals in the standings from the previous season. Once a team receives a player they go to the end of the waiver order. All players picked up off waivers are eligible to play any time after the waiver results were announced.

Trading Players
Trading players is a very important event that is taken very seriously in the AFHL. This is likely the most exciting thing about the league that the GMs can participate in. Teams may trade players, draft picks, or rights to retired players. There are a few rules and procedures pertaining to trading players that should be followed. Trades involving future considerations are not accepted in the AFHL.

When two GMs have agreed to a trade and all of the players in the deal have been determined, the GMs must post the deal in the ‘Trade Announcements’ forum on the Yuku Message Board detailing everyone involved. Both GMs must state on the post that they agree to the deal for it to be approved.

If one of the GMs does not make a post agreeing to the deal, then it will not be processed. Trades will not be approved by the Commissioner until the Trade Review Committee has completed… (details below)

Trade Review
The Trade Review Committee has roughly 48 hrs to consult each other if the trade is questionable (look for collusion and/or one team getting no benefit whatsoever). If and when the trade is approved: Commish will reply to the posted deal â€Approved” and then teams can go ahead and make the necessary moves (add/drop players if on yahoo, etc.)

Also, GMs must update/edit their official team roster immediately after the trade is approved.

*If you have questions about any transactions, please contact the Commissioner via the ‘Contact’ page on the website.

Part 4: AFHL Annual Events

The AFHL All-Star Game
The All-Star Game is an annual event that showcases the talent of the AFHL. It is held approximately half way through each regular season and features the American Conference All-Star Team versus the Canadian Conference All-Star Team. The game is scored from the NHL All-Star Game using regular AFHL scoring rules. Coaching duties are awarded to the team GM leading the conference one week before the All-Star Game. Assistant coaches are awarded to the second GM leading the conference one week before the All-Star Game. The winner of the game receives bragging rights. The host city is randomly selected along with logo and jersey designs.

The AFHL Awards Ceremony
Each year in the offseason, the AFHL holds an annual awards ceremony, recognizing the very best core of athletes in the AFHL for their regular season achievements. Lots of awards are given out including the Jack Adams Trophy (Best GM) and the Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player).