On This Page
§1Tradable Commodities
The following can be included in a trade:
- Any full-time player on varsity or JV (IR replacements cannot be traded)
- Draft picks in any of the next three years' drafts
- Cap space for the current season + next two seasons (within the limits in Article III §3)
- Players from a team's "Dropped Players List" — for a $250,000 fee paid by the team trading the player away
Key Rule
If a player on IR is being traded, his IR replacement must be released and the injured player must be reactivated before the trade can be processed.
One side of a trade may include simply "Cap considerations" — useful when a team is taking on an expensive, low-value player to give the other team cap relief. Cap considerations don't imply any future assets transferring.
Key Rule
Partial cap hits cannot be retained through a trade.
§2Reporting Trades
- Trades must be submitted using the Capwise Trade Portal
- One team submits, the other team approves
- If the trade includes a player or a re-entry draft pick, it should also be processed on Fantrax
- The Fantrax submission can happen as soon as both parties agree, but it won't be approved by the Commissioner until the Executive Committee approves it
§3Trading JV-Eligible Players
- When you trade for a JV-eligible player, that player is automatically assigned to the level he came from
- If he was on his old team's varsity, he's automatically on your varsity
§4Trade Approval Process
- All trades are reviewed by the CHA Executive Committee
- Approval requires a majority vote
- The process can take up to 36 hours
Key Rule
Trades are not approved on Fantrax until the Executive Committee approves them. Approved trades are posted in the CHA TradeCenter by the league's designated trade reporter — that's the final indication of approval. If it hasn't been approved on Fantrax yet, contact the Commissioner.
§5Arbitration
The Executive Committee may, by majority vote, send a trade to arbitration.
Arbitration process
- The two teams have one week to renegotiate to a more balanced deal
- The Exec Committee may provide recommendations
- During arbitration, all assets in the original trade are locked — no other trade discussions involving those assets
- If the teams can't agree, they may mutually close the arbitration period and unlock the assets
- If they reach a revised deal, they resubmit it to the Exec Committee
- Arbitration can be extended as long as needed, but completing or walking away within a week is encouraged
When the Exec Committee considers arbitration
The Committee asks:
- Does the trade violate league rules?
- Is there evidence of collusion — two GMs working together to improve one team, possibly to split prize money?
- Is the trade extremely lopsided? If yes:
- Is the "losing" team run by a rookie GM?
- Does the losing team give away enough future assets that it would be unmarketable if it needed a new GM?
- Does the trade significantly impact league balance?
If any answer is yes, the Committee may send the trade to arbitration. If not, the Committee won't intervene — even on a truly bad trade.
Key Rule
Specific rules that may trigger arbitration or rejection:
- Player Loans — A player or pick cannot be traded with the expressed intention of being traded back at a later date. Cap space can be loaned this way if circumstances permit.
§6Trade Deadline
Each season, trades must cease by a pre-determined date a few weeks before the end of the regular season.
- The CHA trade deadline is always after the NHL trade deadline
- Scheduled for a Sunday night, allowing for last-minute weekend trades
- Trading resumes approximately two weeks after the league's championship matchup — exact date announced annually