Rules

You can find an upto date version of the KCFHL rules below. The rules are up to date as of February 2019. Click one of the following links to jump to the section you'd like to view.

Section 1: Team Structure
  1. Each Teams roster will consist of 3 sections: an NHL roster, an Minor Pro roster, and a MAXIMUM of 24 rookies.
    1. NHL rosters will consist of 12 Forwards, 6 Defence, and 2 Goalies.
    2. Minor Pro rosters will consist of 5 players from any league, and must include a minimum of 1 Goalie.
    3. If your NHL Roster is OVER the required number of players, you will lose the equivalent number of Waiver Wire picks for the upcoming season. (Note: Exemption for expansion seasons)
  2. Roster Eligibilty Rules:
    1. Any player drafted or signed by an NHL team can be placed on a team's NHL roster.
      1. Any player drafted into the KCFHL, that is not already listed on an NHL roster and, EITHER has played in 100 NHL games, OR scored 50 points in the NHL must be moved to an NHL roster the following season they reach one of those totals or dropped at the Entry Draft Meeting.
      2. Rookie or Minor Pro goalies who play in 50 games OR earn 30 wins in the NHL, must be moved to the NHL roster the following season they reach one of those totals or dropped at the Entry Draft Meeting.
    2. Any player who does not meet these requirements must be dropped the following season at the Entry Draft GM Meeting.
  3. Rookies are defined as players who were selected in the KCFHL Entry Draft and have not 100 NHL games, OR have scored 50 points in the NHL.
    1. Once a Rookie is moved off of a Team's Rookie roster that player is no longer eligible to be placed on any Team's Rookie roster.
  4. For a full Team roster to be season eligible the GM must have his team in compliance with the above rules at the end of the Entry Draft Meeting.
    1. The above Roster Eligibility Rules do not apply during the Offseason, defined as starting: the moment the NHL's Regular Season has concluded, and ending once the Entry Draft Meeting has commenced.
    2. If any roster, be it NHL AHL or Rookie, on any given Team is not in compliance with the KCL Roster Eligibility Rules and with Section 1: (1) a penalty will be applied to each violation.
      1. The Penalty for each player that violates the above rules will be one of that GM's WW from the upcoming season and must drop a player to be back in compliance

Section 2: Scoring
  1. Scoring will be based solely on NHL points, assists or goals, scored by any given player on a KCL Team's roster - NHL, AHL, or Rookie - as of the official start time of the NHL game in consideration.
  2. Points for goalie stats will follow the same rules as players and will be awarded as follows: two points for a win in an NHL game, and five points for a shutout in an NHL game.
  3. The KCL Team with the greatest total points obtained at the conclusion of the NHL regular season will be declared the KCL Champion and awarded the Keeper Cup.
  4. Tie Breaker for anything will defer first to the most Points This Month, if still tied then Points This Week, if still tied then Points Last Night.

Section 3: Drafting
  1. The Entry Draft
    1. Each Team will receive four picks per year; one pick per round of the KCL Entry Draft. New picks are awarded at the end of the KCL Entry Draft.
    2. Teams will have access to two seasons worth of KCL Entry Draft picks.
    3. There is no limit to the number picks a Team can acquire.
    4. A KCL "round" is defined the number of teams selecting in each round of the draft. With the current 9 team league, each round goes as such:
      1. Round 1 of the KCL Entry Draft is defined as picks 1 - 10 in the NHL Entry Draft.
      2. Round 2 of the KCL Entry Draft is defined as picks 11 - 20 in the NHL Entry Draft.
      3. Round 3 of the KCL Entry Draft is defined as picks 21 - 30 in the NHL Entry Draft.
      4. Round 4 of the KCL Entry Draft is defined as picks 31 - 40 in the NHL Entry Draft.
    5. Team's may select any player, from any round who is eligible for the current KCL Entry Draft AND has not already been selected by another Team.
    6. Drafting order in round one of the KCL Entry Draft will be determined via a lottery draft; which determines the draft order for Teams finishing between 7th and 10th place. The Teams that finish between 6th and 1st are not involved in the lottery and will not move draft positions. The number of ballots each Team receives in the respective lotteries is determined by the place each Team finishes in the previous season. The format is as follows:
      1. Lottery Draft Odds:
      2. The Team that finishes 9th receives 8 ballots.
      3. The Team that finishes 8th receives 6 ballots.
      4. The Team that finishes 7th receives 4 ballots.
      5. The Team that finishes 6th receives 2 ballots.
      6. The Lottery will take place during the KCL Offseason and a majority of the GM's must be in attendance to as witness to the Lottery selections.
    7. The remaining three rounds of the Entry Draft will be ordered sequentially according to where a Team finishes at the end of the KCFHL season, with the last place Team choosing first in each round, the 9th place Team chooses second in each round… etc.
    8. During the Entry Draft Teams will have a MAXIMUM of 2 minutes to EITHER use the pick OR trade the pick away.
      1. Any player selected in the Entry Draft is immediately placed on the Team's Rookie roster.
      2. Any player who is eligible to be drafted in the Entry Draft and is not, will become a Free Agent in the upcoming.
  2. Free Agent Draft:
    1. The Free Agent Draft will be conducted in a last to first sequential format through all rounds. The Free Agent Draft order will be based on the reverse order of the final standings of the previous KCL season.
    2. To take part in the Free Agent Draft a Team must use all of the drops they own before the Free Agent Draft begins.
    3. A Free Agent is any player who EITHER was never drafted into the KCL through the Entry Draft OR was drafted and has since been dropped from any KCL roster.
  3. Minor Pro Draft:
    1. The Minor Pro Draft order will be based on reverse order of the final standings of the previous KCFHL season.
    2. See Minor Pro Player Eligibility Rules.

Section 4: GM Meetings
  1. Entry Draft GM Meeting
    1. The order of events at the Entry Draft GM Meeting will be as follows:
      1. Ensuring all roster's are in compliance with KCL Roster Eligibility Rules by moving up OR dropping all players who are no longer eligible for either the Rookie roster or Minor Pro roster.
      2. There is no limit to the number of Rookies a GM may drop at this meeting.
      3. A brief break will take place between each draft where Team's may discuss and make trades.
      4. Dispersal Draft if necessary.
      5. FA Draft if necessary.
      6. Minor Pro Draft.
      7. Entry Draft.

Section 5: Waiver Wire Picks
  1. Each Team receives 5 Waiver Wire Picks (WW) at the END of the Entry Draft Meeting.
  2. WW are used to exchange EITHER an NHL player on a Team's current NHL Roster for ANY Free Agent Player; OR a Minor Pro player on a Team's current Minor Pro Roster for a Free Agent Minor Pro Player that complies with the Roster Eligibility Rules.
  3. WW are valid to use at ANY time.
    1. WW last only 1 season and cannot be carried over season to season.
    2. WW expire and any leftover picks will be removed from Teams at the beginning of the season's KCL Entry Draft GM Meeting with no compensation for loss of the WW.
    3. Picks may be traded from Team to Team at any time before the KCL Trade Deadline and after the Keeper Cup is awarded.
  4. WWs can be used to DROP a Rookie from a Team's Rookie Roster. However a Free Agent Rookie MAY NOT be added in exchange for the dropped Rookie EVEN IF the Free Agent Rookie complies with the Roster Eligibility Rules.
  5. WW claims of a Free Agent are on a first come first serve basis.
    1. Should two GMs make a claim at the same time, the dual claim will first be verified by the Facebook time stamp on the respective Claim Messages. If a true tie is found the GM with the least amount of points AT THE TIME OF CLAIM is awarded the Free Agent and the losing GM is given back their WW.
  6. Any Team not in compliance with the Roster Eligibility Rules and does not have OR is not able to acquire a WW to remedy the noncompliance will be levied a punishment.
    1. The punishment of not being in compliance with the can be found in the Roster Eligibility Rules.

Section 6: Trading
  1. Any trades that are made during the KCL Season that involve an NHL roster player or players must have an equal number of NHL roster players as a return in the trade.
    1. This rule does not apply during the KCL Offseason.
  2. Any trades that are made during the KCL Season that involve an Minor Pro roster player or players must have an equal number of Minor Pro roster players as a return in the trade.
    1. This rule does not apply during the KCL Offseason.
  3. There is no limit to the number of KCL Rookies, KCL Draft Picks, or KCL WW that are allowable per trade.
  4. Trading is unlimited during the season until the KCL Trade Deadline, which will occur one day after the NHL Trade Deadline. Trades must be posted to the Trade Centre before midnight of the KCL Trade Deadline.
    1. If a trade is not posted BEFORE midnight the trade will NOT count.
    2. Trading is prohibited after the KCL Trade Deadline until the end of the NHL Regular Season.
  5. Trading is unlimited during the KCL Offseason.
    1. Team's must return to being compliant with the KCL Roster Eligibility Rules before the end of the Offseason.
  6. A player must be traded BEFORE the start of any NHL game they play in for any points scored to be counted towards the new Team's total score.
    1. If a trade occurs and the player(s) involved are currently participating in an NHL game, any points scored by said player(s) are awarded to the originating Team.
  7. All trades must be posted to the KCL Trade Centre to be considered legitimate.
  8. Trades may only include assets that are already owned by a Team at the time the trade is made.
    1. No conditions on trades and no future considerations.
    2. Rental players are allowed for the 21-22 season only as a test. This is to be voted on during the 2022 Entry Draft Meeting. The trade must announce the rental and ALL assests involved in that trade are frozen until the traded items are returned. There can be nothing given for free in the rental trade.

Section 7: Expansion
  1. Expansion will be limited to a MAXIMUM of 2 Teams per season and a MAXIMUM of 10 total teams in the league.
  2. Potential new GM's must notify the KCL of their intention to join by the START of the NHL's Stanley Cup Final.
  3. Current KCL GM's will be allowed to protect all but 5 players from their KCL NHL Roster.
    1. The new KCL GM(s) will be permitted to select a MAXIMUM of 3 of the 5 unprotected players from any one GM.
    2. Only NHL roster players will be made available to new GM's. Minor Pro roster players, and Rookie players are left protected on their current Team.
  4. The New GM must submit selected players a week after the NHL's Stanley Cup is awarded.
    1. New GM's may only select players left unprotected by current GM's.
    2. Once a new GM has selected players they will be considered a full fledged member of the KCL and will be awarded picks and drops in accordance with Sections 3 and 5 respectively.
  5. Any unprotected players not selected by the new GM will be returned to the original KCL Team.

Section 8: Amending KCL Rules
  1. Any and all KCL rule changes must be voted on by all KCL GM's and a majority must be reached.
    1. Any rule change will be instituted for the season after which it was voted and agreed upon UNLESS unanimously voted into the current season.
    2. The vote for a new rule for the following season must occur by the Christmas GM Meeting.
  2. Rule changes can only be made at KCL GM Meetings.
  3. Any new rules as voted in by KCL GM's will come into effect the following season.
  4. Ignorance to rule clarifications due to having left League chat rooms does not give any GM the right to claim to have not understood a rule or clarification.