This time we take a look at how the IHDL will handle the first season. Next week it will be another aspect and do keep in mind, this league will be spotlighted throughout the year. Just think some of the best stuff is yet to come and the draft has not even taken place yet. It is rare to get a look into a dynasty league quite like this and its a good way for all fantasy hockey players to take a peak at something going on that could be revolutionary in the fantasy hockey world. Enjoy.
THE INAUGURAL SEASON
The puck will drop for the Inaugural Season with a eight-player Prospect Draft that will be
followed by a 32-player Veteran Draft. Both drafts follow a serpentine format. Drafts will be
conducted via an online system on the CBS Sportsline website, our league host.
The draft order for the Inaugural Draft will be determined via random number generation
3 (www.random.org).
After random numbers have been generated for all teams, the team with
the lowest number will get to choose their draft position (any spot they like) in either the
Prospect or Veteran Draft (eight picks in the Prospect Draft and 32 picks in the Veteran Draft).
Whichever position that team chooses, they will automatically receive the reciprocal position
EXAMPLE 1: After random numbers are generated for all 10 Franchises, the team with the
lowest number decides to take the first overall pick in the Prospect Draft. That team will
receive the number one pick in the first round of the Prospect Draft as well as the last pick in
the first round of the Veteran Draft.
EXAMPLE 2: After random numbers are generated for all 10 Franchises, the team with the
lowest number decides to take the third overall pick in the Veteran Draft. That team will
receive the number three pick in the first round of the Veteran Draft as well as the number
eight pick in the first round of the Prospect Draft.
The Prospect Draft will occur before the Veteran Draft and only prospects as defined in
Chapter 5 can be drafted at that time. Prospects may be drafted during the 32-round Veteran
Draft, however, they cannot be placed on a Prospect Roster and they cannot receive a 5-year
contract. The Inaugural Season has no Transition or Free Agency Auction period (more on this
Inaugural drafts will be conducted via the CBS Sportsline website and will start as soon as all
teams have committed and paid for the season (see CHAPTER 13 – LEAGUE CALENDAR). An
owner will have up to six hours to select a player. The eight-round Prospect Draft will be held
first, followed by the 32-round Veteran Draft. The draft clock will run from 8 a.m. PST to
Midnight PST, however, a team can make their selection at any time. The draft should take
less than a week and ten days at most to complete since the first few rounds will go relatively
quickly. If an owner goes over their allotted time, the pick is lost and will be made up at the
conclusion of the draft in which the pick was lost.
All prospects drafted during the Inaugural Prospect Draft will receive a 5-year contract.
In the Inaugural Veteran Draft, which lasts 32 rounds, player contracts will be assigned in
blocks of four. For every four players drafted in consecutive rounds, there will be one 1-year
contract, one 2-year contract, one 3-year contract and one 4-year contract assigned (10
years for every four players drafted). The team owner will be able to decide how to assign
those contracts for each block of four and will have up until a week after the completion of
the draft to submit all of his player contract assignments to the League Office. Remember,
there can only be one 1-year, one 2-year, one 3-year and one 4-year contract assigned for
each four players in a four round drafted block.
There are eight blocks of four equaling the 32 rounds in total.
EXAMPLE: Team ABC with its first eight picks takes the following players in order: Ovechkin,
Gonchar, Rask, Kuba, Vanek, Toews, Tanguay and Vokoun. They must assign one 1-year, one
2-year, one 3-year and one 4-year contract to the group that includes Ovechkin, Gonchar,
Rask and Kuba (their first four picks) as well as one 1-year, one 2-year, one 3-year and one
4-year contract to the group that includes Vanek, Toews, Tanguay and Vokoun (their second
group of four picks). The owner may assign these contracts in any order to the players in each
four-player group. For instance, Ovechkin in the first four-round group can be assigned the
1-year, 2-year, 3-year or 4-year contract. Whatever contact the owner decides to place on
Ovechkin that leaves the other three contracts to be assigned to the other three players in the
4 block. This process of contract designations continues through the first 32 rounds.
You can’t officially make trades until the draft is completed and your contracts have been
submitted. It’s far too complicated for us to organize and manage otherwise. That said, teams
can agree to whatever “side” deals they like, however, trades cannot officially go through until
contracts have been submitted by both parties involved in the trade.
Prospects and the Prospect Roster
Prospects with 5-year contracts may be promoted to the Active Roster at any time, however,
once promoted that prospect loses his “prospect” status. The promotion is PERMANENT and
the prospect will use one year of contract service in the year that he is promoted.
