* New * LGHL Expansion News - Scheduling Changes - Rule Adjustments to Support The Expansion

Discussion in 'Announcements & News' started by LG-McDonald, Aug 26, 2019.

  1. LG McDonald

    LG McDonald Director of Hockey Operations

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    Some of you may now be aware that the LGHL will be expanding in the NHL and AHL next season. It was determined that we would be adding the 32nd team moving into NHL 20. Right now, there is no official team name for either team but what we do know is that Seattle will be headed to the NHL, and Palm Springs will be heading to the AHL.

    For the ease of scheduling, we will be using the Seattle Thunderbirds in the NHL. The Thunderbirds will be put into the Central division thereby ensuring every division has eight teams. In the AHL, we have not yet come up with a team name, but for scheduling purposes, the Palm Springs team will be placed into the Western Pacific division.

    Several factors went into the reasoning as to why LG decided to make the jump and add the teams in sooner than what is happening in the real NHL. Making such an adjustment to the league structure requires some minor situational rule changes to better support these decisions as well heading into the coming season. Below I will go over the deciding factors and rule changes for NHL 20 that are going to better support this expansion.

    Determining Factors

    • With the coming announcements of the future of the Esports Hockey League, it was finally decided that it was in the best interest of the community to have as very few conflicting game times as possible between the LGHL and ESHL. Several players in the community have the required availability that allows them the ability to participate in both leagues and enjoy both experiences. A lot of the top tier players managing in the ESHL are also managing teams in the LGHL, therefore, a scheduling adjustment allows for fewer headaches for those community members who are showing the utmost dedication to the site.

    • Being exclusive is something I think also benefits both experiences. In the coming weeks, there will be information released that will go into these details more specifically.

    • Having a 31 team scheduled created its challenges for us over the last few seasons. the most obvious issue was schedule consistency. 31 teams required ten-time slots which had a floating schedule week to week for teams. Bringing the team numbers back to an even number allows for each week to be specific and the same for the duration of the season.

    • Early review and thoughts of NHL 20 seem to be extremely good. I feel the game is in the best place it has been for nearly five years. I'd like to use that motivation and excitement to make some minor changes to the league to add a bit of flavor back into our free to play, simulation-style leagues.

    • The writing is on the wall that for NHL 21 Seattle will be in the game, as will Palm Springs. Therefore we wanted to get ahead of the curve and weep the benefits of a 32 team league sooner rather than later.
    Rule Changes Implemented to Support Expansion
    • There was a lot of talk about "roster reset" coming into next season. Bidding offers a ton of excitement and new opportunities for players. The current NHL Owners were given a few weeks to discuss their thoughts and ideas on a complete reset and some partial reset ideas. As a result of reviewing the needs and desires of the Owners then trying to aline those thoughts with my own for the league here is what was determined:
      • In the NHL, the NHL Owner will be given the ability to PROTECT upwards to FOUR contract years heading into next season. That means the owner will be able to protect the following:
        • (1) player on a 3S 2R contract AND (2) players on a 2S 1R contract for a total of FOUR contract years.
          OR
        • (4) players on a 2S 1R contract for a total of FOUR contract years
          OR
        • (2) players on a 3S 2R contract for the total of FOUR contract years
      • In the AHL, the Owner will be given the ability to PROTECT upwards of THREE contract years heading into next season. That means the owner will be able to protect the following:
        • (3) players on a 2S 1R contract for a total of three contract years
        • (1) a player on a 3S 2R contract AND a player on a 2S 1R contract for a total of three contract years.
      • The ONLY exception to the protected player list requirements listed above will be PLAYERS WHO ENDED SEASON 33 OR SEASON 11 ON A ROSTER OR TRAINING CAMP WITH THE PLAYER STATUS DP, WILL REMAIN ON HIS OR HER TEAM FOR NEXT SEASON!
        *due to how the player status script works, to ensure drafted players are not reverted to prospects this compromise was made*

    • Heading into next season and beyond the resign limit will be added. This limit will mean a player can ONLY be on the same contract from bidding for a MAXIMUM of four seasons. That means if a player is given a three-season contract, they can ONLY resign ONCE. If a player is given a two-season contract, that player can ONLY resign twice. And if a player is put on a single season contract that player can ONLY resign three times. Once a player completes his or her's four seasons they will return to bidding.

    • Heading into next season SPECIFICALLY to increase the amount of talent heading to bidding, each NHL and AHL team will be given a SINGLE RESIGN. This rule is only going to apply for next season and is to ensure more talent heads into bidding for the first bidding session of NHL 20. As we move into Season 35 and Season 13, the resign limit will be changed back to allow teams the ability to resign two players.

    • To ensure that the NHL and AHL teams are better supported during the season with call up eligible players, ALL VETERAN STATUS players who ARE NOT signed up before AHL BIDDING going live, WILL NOT be entered into CHL BIDDING! Instead, those veteran players will be randomly assigned to the CHL Training Camp at the highest salary they have ever obtained. By having ALL the league Veteran players signed up by AT THE LASTEST AHL BIDDING, that will ensure that a majority of the Veteran players do NOT have RA status and allow those players the ability to be called up to the NHL and AHL if needed. It also better supports the CHL being a prospect players league utilized to devolve the future players that are going to make up the NHL and AHL.

    • With the removal of the tenth game time slot, I am open to discussing what game times will work best for our NHL and AHL teams. The only thing set in stone is that Wednesday's will have ONE GAME. Currently, I have a poll set-up that would set up the league to be a 3-3-2-1 format OR a 2-3-3-1 format. Please take the opportunity to vote! *links listed below*
    • There has also been a lot of talks in regards to being back RFA. For those of you unfamiliar with RFA, it was a form of restrictive free agency the league used for drafted players coming off their Entry Level contract. It was removed a few seasons back due to some compensation issues, and abuse within the system. There has been a lot of interest bringing back a system like RFA, but the league staff, owners and I still have to work out the fine details to ensure it is something the league can benefit from.

    • Coming into next season the draft picks that NHL teams CURRENTLY have will remain in place too. This will mean that EVERY PROSPECT PLAYER FROM SEASON 33 AND SEASON 11 WHO FINISHED THE SEASON ON AN ACTIVE ROSTER OR TRAINING CAMP WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO BE ENTERED INTO THE NHL ENTRY DRAFT FOR SEASON 34 AND SEASON 12! The system will be the same as the last draft whereby every player who finished the season will automatically be placed into the draft. The league has implemented some changes over the seasons to ensure players do not dodge the draft.

    • Coming into the offseason, Seattle and Palms Springs will be given two resigns each. Since their current rosters are empty, they will be allowed to resign any two players from their respective league that did not resign during the offseason. Seattle will also be given four draft picks, one per round, and be entered into the draft lottery the same as Vegas was.


    If you have any questions, or comments feel free to send @Tris10 and I a site PM. We will gladly get back to you as soon as possible.

    Good luck with NHL 20! See you all on the ice soon!
    -Brodie
     
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  2. LG McDonald

    LG McDonald Director of Hockey Operations

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    One thing that was not discussed yet in this announcement was the expansion of the ECHL in our CHL tier. Current in the game there are 26 ECHL teams. On the Xbox side of things, we currently have 16 ECHL teams and on the PS4 side we have 18 teams. The goal is to bring both sides to 26 ECHL teams as well depending completely on sign up the number and the quality of the Owner applications we receive. Having a complete ECHL would allow us to have an 86 team development league for the website that would be home to 1462 players PER CONSOLE on an active roster.

    The goal is to continue to expand and grow the CHL as well
     
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  3. Rise_Of_Knies

    Rise_Of_Knies Well-Known Member

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    Since Seattle & Palm Springs won't be official teams in NHL 20 would these be user created teams in club
     
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  4. LG McDonald

    LG McDonald Director of Hockey Operations

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    I will be able to get the Seattle team the thunderbird jerseys from EA

    Palm Springs we may do a site-wide contest
     
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  5. Rise_Of_Knies

    Rise_Of_Knies Well-Known Member

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    There is Maine Mariners in ECHL which isn't being used. Might be a good fit since it relates to Seattle
     
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  6. OG-ZeRo-92

    OG-ZeRo-92 Well-Known Member

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    So there will be a Seattle thunderbirds in the nhl and chl?
     
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  7. EG Soul Reaver

    EG Soul Reaver Well-Known Member

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    Instead of putting them in the central division, why not put them In the pacific and the Coyotes in the central like they're actually doing? That would also make it smoother of a transition when 21 comes out as well.
     
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  8. LG McDonald

    LG McDonald Director of Hockey Operations

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    I just read that article, I will like do that tbh
     
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  9. Girgss

    Girgss CHEL

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    Another shit owner and 17 more shit players added to the NHL.
     
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  10. Rise_Of_Knies

    Rise_Of_Knies Well-Known Member

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    Palm Springs Mariners PS_Messages_20190826_125510(1).jpg
     
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  11. xSloshy

    xSloshy Well-Known Member

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    To ensure that the NHL and AHL teams are better supported during the season with call up eligible players, ALL VETERAN STATUS players who ARE NOT signed up before AHL BIDDING going live, WILL NOT be entered into CHL BIDDING! Instead, those veteran players will be randomly assigned to the CHL Training Camp at the highest salary they have ever obtained. By having ALL the league Veteran players signed up by AT THE LASTEST AHL BIDDING, that will ensure that a majority of the Veteran players do NOT have RA status and allow those players the ability to be called up to the NHL and AHL if needed. It also better supports the CHL being a prospect players league utilized to devolve the future players that are going to make up the NHL and AHL.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    What sort of schedule changes will LG for NHL20? Will there be 8pm NHL games to balance out the 11pm games?

    Or are the game time slots sticking to 9/10/11pm.

    Understandable that the goal is to have more players available for NHL/AHL callups, but it's unfortunate that it's punishing towards those that the game times simply do not work for.
     
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  12. UptownKarma

    UptownKarma Well-Known Member

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  13. xJR74

    xJR74 Dead Inside

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    @LG McDonald if you are a player on a 2S contract from S33 do you stay on that contract or do you go back into bidding as well? I see DP players stay but nothing on V of A on 2S contracts from S33
     
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  14. LG McDonald

    LG McDonald Director of Hockey Operations

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    That will be up to the team owner who they want to protect

    here was a lot of talk about "roster reset" coming into next season. Bidding offers a ton of excitement and new opportunities for players. The current NHL Owners were given a few weeks to discuss their thoughts and ideas on a complete reset and some partial reset ideas. As a result of reviewing the needs and desires of the Owners then trying to aline those thoughts with my own for the league here is what was determined:
    • In the NHL, the NHL Owner will be given the ability to PROTECT upwards to FOUR contract years heading into next season. That means the owner will be able to protect the following:
      • (1) player on a 3S 2R contract AND (2) players on a 2S 1R contract for a total of FOUR contract years.
        OR
      • (4) players on a 2S 1R contract for a total of FOUR contract years
        OR
      • (2) players on a 3S 2R contract for the total of FOUR contract years
    • In the AHL, the Owner will be given the ability to PROTECT upwards of THREE contract years heading into next season. That means the owner will be able to protect the following:
      • (3) players on a 2S 1R contract for a total of three contract years
      • (1) a player on a 3S 2R contract AND a player on a 2S 1R contract for a total of three contract years.
    • The ONLY exception to the protected player list requirements listed above will be PLAYERS WHO ENDED SEASON 33 OR SEASON 11 ON A ROSTER OR TRAINING CAMP WITH THE PLAYER STATUS DP, WILL REMAIN ON HIS OR HER TEAM FOR NEXT SEASON!
      *due to how the player status script works, to ensure drafted players are not reverted to prospects this compromise was made*
     
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  15. Saquon

    Saquon Gag On It

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  16. xCOACH_19

    xCOACH_19 Well-Known Member

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    As a potential RFA waiting to hear the outcome, your PM doesn't necessarily give much clarity. When you say "still have to work out the fine details to ensure it is something the league can benefit from", is this still leaving the possibility of RFAs in the upcoming season or will it be at the earliest S13? @LG McDonald
     
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  17. Stewkos

    Stewkos Veteran Presence

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    Regarding RFA, what if we eliminated compensation and just made it count as a re-sign for whichever team the player ended up with. It removes a lot of the manual work that went into old RFA, it gives the team with the rights to the player the ability to match the highest contract offered, and removing the draft pick compensation ensures the salaries are market value.

    @LG McDonald
     
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  18. LG McDonald

    LG McDonald Director of Hockey Operations

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    It would be for S13
     
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  19. LG McDonald

    LG McDonald Director of Hockey Operations

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    So if you win an RFA claim you lose a resign?
     
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  20. Stewkos

    Stewkos Veteran Presence

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    Correct, though my personal opinion an RFA should count as a re-sign if the team matches and keeps the player as well, thus ensuring no more than 64 players would be able to re-sign during a given offseason.

    In my head it would go something like:

    1. Prior to the re-sign windows team's decide which RFAs they're interested in keeping Max is 2 since that's the # of re-signs allowed
    2. A list of RFAs are presented to owners and RFA bids are silently placed, teams cannot bid RFAs in situations that would violate the re-sign rules. (For example, if a team wants to keep two RFAs they can't bid on anyone. A team who didn't offer anyone on their team an RFA contract can bid on up to 2).
    3. The minimum bid on an RFA would be whatever his or her re-sign would normally amount to. If no bids are placed on an RFA he gets retained and treated as a normal re-sign.
    4. The team gets presented with the highest offer for their RFA and either Match or don't. If they keep him they re-sign him at the price of the highest bid, if they don't he goes to the highest bidder and counts as 1 of their 2 re-signs.
    A few things would likely need to be ironed out further, like for example do we want DPs to have a say in whether or not they're put into RFA.
     
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