THE 2025-26 NHL LIFETIME DRAFT RULES

Basic Rules:

· Pick 30 players with a minimum 9 forwards (3 LW, 3 C, 3 RW), 4 defense and 2 goalies.

· There are two drafts to select players. The Waiver Draft is a five round fleecing of the unprotected players on the other teams. The Entry Draft fills out the roster with previously undrafted players.

· The season is divided into four quarters. At each quarter mark, the score is tabulated and the four quarters will be added up for the final score.

· When a trade is made, it will be in effect for the next quarter.

Detailed Rules:

Rule 1. Entry Fee and Prizes (prizes are based on 16 teams in the draft): $75.00

First Place:        $500.00 and Free Entry to next year's draft.

2nd Place:         $225.00 and Free Entry

3rd Place:         $125.00 and Free Entry

4th Place:          $50.00 and Free Entry

Rule 2. Rosters: Only hockey players drafted in the NHL Entry Draft, or currently on an NHL roster will be eligible. The Hockey News (THN) Yearbook will be the Bible to determine players' positions as listed on the player roster. If the player’s position is not listed in the Yearbook, then proof of a position from some other reputable list will be allowed.

A maximum of 30 players can be listed on a roster when the draft closes. There must be a minimum of 15 players on a roster in order to fill the positions. Of the 30 players allowed, a minimum of 5 must be rookies: (played 99 or less games, 61 or less for a goalie). There is no maximum to the number of rookies a roster can contain but each team cannot exceed a maximum of 35 players during the season.

Rule 2.a. Positions: If THN changes a player's position from year to year, his position in our draft can be corrected on Draft Day by dropping him before the Entry Draft begins and allowing him to re-enter the pool at his new position, or by giving up one waiver pick (excluding the last three picks of the 5^th round).

If a player is dropped after the Entry Draft begins, the player can only be picked up in the same position as dropped. At the conclusion of the Entry Draft, each roster must contain at least 9 forwards (3 LW, 3C, 3 RW), 4 defense and 2 goalies. This minimum number of players must remain until the end of the regular season.

Rule 3. Grouping players: There are 17 categories to assemble the players for Roster Declaration to rank with the other franchises in the draft.

1. Forward Goals                                 8. Defense Goals                                   13. Goalie Wins

2. Forward Assists                               9. Defense Assists                                 14. Goals Against Average

3. Forward Points                              10. Defense Points                                  15.  Minutes Played

4. Forward Penalty Minutes              11. Defense Shots on Goal (1/2)           16. Saves (1/2)

5. Forward Shots on Goal                 12. Defense Blocked Shots (1/2)           17. Shutouts (1/2)

6. Forward Blocked Shots (1/2)  

7. Forward Hits (1/2)                  

Rule 4. Scoring will be determined by how your team ranks against other teams in each category. Teams are ranked from first to last in each of the statistical categories. Points are then awarded according to order of finish in each category, and are totaled to determine an overall score and place.

For example, if you had the most goals in the forward category, you would score a 16, if you had the least, you would score a 1, etc. In the case of a tie, each team involved receives an average of the total points due -- ie, if two teams were tied for first in assists, each would receive 15.5 points [(16 + 15) / 2 = 15.5.

The 17 categories as listed in Rule #3 will be added up for your scoring total. Two of the Forward Categories, Hits and Blocked Shots, are divided by 2 to only count for half value in the scoring. Two of the Defense Categories, Shots on Goal & Blocked Shots, are divided by 2 to count for half value in the scoring. Two of the Goalie Categories, Saves & Shut-outs, are divided by two to count for half value in the scoring. The four quarters will be added up for your final total.

In the event of a tie in team's final scoring total, prize money will be shared. To determine draft position between two tied teams, the team with the highest point total by the players on their final declared roster will finish higher in the standings.

Rule 5.    Roster Declaration of 15 counting players as described above will be done quarterly. Players cannot be declared on a roster if they have not played a game in the quarter when there is another eligible player who has played. Dates for roster declaration will be determined at the draft. If a roster is not declared to the Commissioner on these dates, the players with the most points will automatically be dressed. Most goals (or GAA), followed by Shots on Goal will decide between tied players. A dressed goalie who has not played a single game, will receive a tie with the dressed goalie with the highest GAA in the draft.

Rule 6. Trades of players and draft picks are acceptable and must be reported to the Commissioners. No cash deals or trading of protections allowed. Trading of future considerations, players to be named later, favours or under the table deals are not allowed. Draft picks may be traded, but only up to the 5^th Entry Pick and limited to one Draft beyond the next Draft. The next year’s draft picks can be traded after the entry draft is over.  Therefore, you cannot trade 2027 picks until after the 2025 entry draft is completed.

Once a player is traded, he cannot be traded back to the same team for one calendar year even if the player passes through another team in the interim.

Teams must have the minimum 15 counting players in each position during the season, or the trade cannot be made.

BUYERS REMORSE:  If there is a change of heart, a trade can be ruled void within 7 days of it being made if both/all teams involved agree to the voiding of it.

There is no veto rule in place to decide if a trade is fair or not or collusion is taking place. The integrity and ethics of our league members governs the trades we make. The league will rely upon a spirit of sportsmanship which places the responsibility for fair play on the team owners.

Rule 6.a.           Trade deadlines are set after the draft and roster declarations. After Waiver protections are made, rosters are frozen and there is no trading of players until after the Entry Draft Starts (exchanging draft picks is allowed).

Rule 7. Lottery: The teams that finish 5^th, 6th, 7^th, 8^th, 9^th and 10^th are entered into a lottery. The first draw will award one team the First Overall Waiver pick next year. The second draw will award another team the First Overall Entry pick next year. The other four teams will get one free protection. The teams that finish 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 14^th, 15^th & 16^th will have their names entered into two draws to determine their draft position for the first rounds of the waiver draft and the entry draft. The team earning the fewest points during the season could fall as low as seventh overall.

The positions for the second rounds and beyond of the two drafts will revert to the actual standings in inverse order of regular-season points.

Rule 8. Waiver Draft:     The Waiver Draft is 5 non-reversal rounds for the unprotected players from each team. Every team must expose at least five players. A goalie will count as two lost players. After the lost player count is reached (see 8.a), the team can protect a player before losing another. If a team chooses a player from their own team, that will count as a loss. Once a player is chosen he is no longer available to be picked in the waiver draft again.

Rule 8.a.       Claw Back Rule: The lost player count starts at 5 and is increased by the number the team exceeds 30 players. Goalies still count for 2. For example, if a roster is 35 players going into the waiver draft, then they must lose any combination of players and goalies that equals 10 players before they get to protect.

Rule 8.b.        Waiver Draft Protections: Each franchise has a choice of protecting 4 goalies and no skaters, 3 goalies & 3 skaters, 2 goalies & 6 skaters, 1 goalie & 9 skaters, or no goalies and 12 skaters. The first place team will lose three skaters (3 goalies & 0 skaters, 2 goalies & 3 skaters, 1 goalie & 6 skaters or 0 goalies & 9 skaters). A repeat winner will reduce protections by one each year they win. (1 goalie & 5 skaters, a third consecutive win, 1 goalie & 4 skaters, etc.). Second place will lose one skater protection (3 goalies & 2 skaters, 2 goalies & 5 skaters, 1 goalie & 8 skaters, 0 goalies & 11 skaters). These protections must be named at a date set approximately a week before the draft. After this date, protections will be posted to prepare for the waiver draft. If a protection list is received late, the franchise will be penalized by losing one skater protection.

A maximum 5 additional amateur protections will be allowed for players with 99 or less career NHL games, 61 games for goaltenders, at the end of the previous season. If a veteran player does not play one game in the previous season, he is eligible to be one of the freebees.

Rule 9.           Time Limit Both the Entry Draft and Waiver Draft will have a time limit of 2 minutes per pick, with only one Time Out of 3 minutes allowed per draft. If a selection is not made in this time period, the offending team will move down two spots in the draft.

Rule 10. Entry Draft: Following the waiver draft will be the Lifetime Entry Draft. It is also non-reversal format. Before the Entry Draft begins each team must be at or below the 30 player maximum. The trading of players is frozen after the last waiver pick is made until everyone has made their rosters legal. The selection of players can begin and once a team has reached their limit, if they decide to pick another player, they must drop a player so their roster doesn't exceed 30. (See Rule # 2.) Once all teams have passed in the same round, the draft is over. Teams must have the minimum counting players in each position. Of the 30 roster players, each team can have a maximum of 25 veteran players; at least 5 players must have played 99 or less games (61 for a goalie).

Rule 11. Expansion: The draft is closed at sixteen teams. In the event of expansion, the format is as follows: After the first pick of the Waiver Draft, an expansion team would choose one unprotected player from each of the teams. He would then make his protections from that group, (3 goalies &3 skaters, 2 goalies & 6 skaters, 1 goalie & 9 skaters or 0 goalies & 12 skaters, plus freebees.) The new team would have 1^st pick in every round of both drafts except the first round where he would pick second.

Rule 12. Dispersal Draft:  In the event the owner of a franchise chooses to leave the draft, he may sell or give away his team. If he doesn’t specify a new owner, any member of the draft may want to exchange franchises with the available team. If two or more teams want to exchange teams then they can bid for it.  Bid money can be added to future prize money, offered to the departing owner or any other voted options. If there is no interest, the franchise will then be offered to any other outside interest.

If there is no outside interest, there will be a one round (per team disbanded) Dispersal Draft prior to the Waiver Draft for the discarded team(s). The draft order will be ‘the NHL Crosby draft rule’ of weighting the picks. Everyone puts 3 names in the hat, but you lose a name for every first overall Entry pick or Top 3 finish in the last 3 years. With a minimum one name in the hat, and a maximum of three, dispersal begins. Players selected can be protected in lieu of a player to be unprotected. Any remaining players after the dispersal draft will be dumped into the Entry Draft.

*any changes to these rules must be approved by a majority vote of the team owners unless it is a change during the season at which time the vote must be unanimous.