Returning leagues use the Amateur Draft (§1) and Re-Entry Draft (§2). New leagues use the Inaugural Drafts process (§4).
§1Amateur Draft
Beginning in mid-August, an "offline" Amateur Draft takes place on the league's forum.
- Only JV-eligible players are available (see Article II §3)
- The Amateur Draft follows a serpentine pattern, 6 rounds long
- Continues until all teams have full JV rosters or choose to withdraw
- Each team has 12 hours per pick, plus a total time bank of 24 hours to use throughout the draft
- If time expires, the team is skipped — pick cannot be reclaimed
- If a team is skipped twice consecutively, they're removed from the draft
- It is each GM's responsibility to notify the next GM via PM or email after picking
- The draft is suspended each night from midnight to 3am Pacific
§2Re-Entry Draft
Soon after the Amateur Draft, the league holds a separate "offline" Re-Entry Draft for remaining players (held online at Fantrax).
- All players are eligible except those already on a varsity or JV roster, and players ineligible for the league (see Article II)
- Follows a straight pattern (not serpentine) — order remains the same each round
- Continues for 6 rounds or until all teams have full rosters
- Drafted players can be assigned to either varsity or JV — assignment should be announced immediately when the player is selected
- JV-eligible players can be drafted directly to varsity at no cost (no promotion fee)
- Each team has 10 hours per pick — if time expires, the team is skipped (pick cannot be reclaimed)
- GMs receive an automated email when on the clock
- Suspended each night from midnight to 3am Pacific
- Trading is not allowed during the Re-Entry Draft
§3Draft Order
The draft order is the same for both the Re-Entry and Amateur Drafts.
Lottery (Picks 1–3)
The bottom three teams in the regular season enter the draft lottery. No team can lose more than one spot — the last-place team will not pick later than 2nd overall.
Consolation Bracket (Picks 4–8)
Championship Bracket (Picks 9–14)
Picks 9–14 are determined by the order of finish in the regular season.
General notes
- The Amateur Draft uses a serpentine method (last in R1 picks first in R2)
- The Re-Entry Draft uses a straight order (same order each round)
- If a bottom-three team is suspected of intentionally tanking for better lottery odds, they're removed from the lottery and given the 3rd overall pick. The remaining two teams enter with adjusted odds (65/35).
- If a bottom-three team fails to set lineups for a significant number of lineup periods, they're removed from the lottery and given the 3rd overall pick — at the Commissioner's discretion
§4Inaugural Drafts (New Leagues)
For new leagues only. Returning leagues use the Amateur and Re-Entry Drafts above.
Initial Draft Lottery
- Prospect Draft — order determined randomly
- Amateur Draft — order determined randomly
- Inaugural Draft — draft positions in the first two drafts are added together and weighted. Highest total drafts 14th, lowest total drafts 1st.
Draft #1 — The Prospect Draft
Part 1 — Team Rankings.
- GMs are provided a spreadsheet listing JV-eligible players for each NHL team (top-tier elites removed)
- The GM ranks the top 28 teams
- Once all rankings are submitted, a two-round serpentine draft is executed offline by the Commissioner
- Results are posted immediately
Part 2 — Player Selection.
- Each GM owns the rights to two NHL teams' lists
- From these lists, the GM selects 15 total prospects to add to their JV team
- All unselected players go back into the pool
Trade Market Opens
After the Prospect Draft, the trade market officially opens.
- Teams can trade drafted players or upcoming draft picks
- Tradeable picks: any of the next two drafts, or any Amateur/Re-Entry draft for the next 3 years
- Cap space cannot yet be traded
Draft #2 — Amateur Draft Part 1
- All remaining JV-eligible players are available, including the top-tier elites omitted from the Prospect Draft
- 6-round serpentine draft conducted slow-style on the forum
- 12 hours per pick + 24 hour time bank
- Picks made by posting in the Official Amateur Draft Selection Thread
- After picking, GM PMs the next team
- GMs may voluntarily withdraw at any time
Draft #3 — Amateur Draft Part 2
- Extension of Part 1, but NHL draft picks from the current season are also included
- Additional 6 rounds, mirrors a returning league's Amateur Draft
Cap Space Given
- After the Amateur Drafts, teams receive their full salary cap
- Players can now be promoted to varsity
- Cap space for the next three seasons can be included in trades
Draft #4 — The Inaugural Draft
Part 1 — Slow Draft.
- Same procedure as the Amateur Draft
- All players not already on a roster are available — this is the primary draft, including elite NHL players
- Total of 21 rounds, serpentine
Part 2 — Live Finish.
- If the slow-style draft isn't done by September 30, a live draft at Fantrax finishes it
- Teams have 2 minutes per pick
Waiver Wire
After the Inaugural Draft, all remaining players go to waivers, where they're available for bidding.