GamePlanHockey

This should now be resolved with the v2.0.4 patch.

Updated: October 28, 2019 ## Player profiles All players have a psychological profile that almost is of equal importance to the player's skills. The profile is divided into the following traits; Ego, Dirty, Leadership, Big games, Ambition and Greed. Each trait has different ranks that are also displayed in a color scheme (red, orange, blue, green). Depending on trait there may actually be no all good or bad values so don't be mistaken that all ranks displayed in green are equal to good. ### Ego This can be looked at as the general disposition that a player has. It mainly impacts teamwork and how much the team likes to play with each other. You want to have a good mix of the best but don't get too concerned about having a few of the worse ones on your roster. Ranks: Arrogant, Cocky, Responsible, Friendly, Compassionate. ### Dirty This is how dirty a player plays the game. The dirtier a player is willing to play the more they push the boundaries of the rules to gain an advantage. That also mean they are more likely to take penalties, especially majors that aren't fighting majors. Ranks: Agitator, Tough, Respectful, Gentle. ### Leadership This is a take on how much of a leader presence the player can have in the locker room. This is mostly relevant for whom you want to make captains for your team. Players are ranked in two different leadership styles depending on their demeanour. The different leadership styles may be (or not be) appreciated by teammates. Ranks (style 1): Anonymous, Modest, Respected, Role model, True Leader Ranks (style 2): Egocentric, Childish, Impressive, Motivator, Commander ### Big Games This is a showing of how the player is likely to respond in big moments. The lower the ranking the more likely they are to make mistakes in big moments. Ranks: Nervous, Anxious, Stable, Determined, Heroic. ### Ambition This is a showing of how much interest the player has in the sport and how much they care about how good they are. This is mostly going to be used in conjunction with development to determine how good the player might get. This may also have an impact on how long of a career a player may have. Ranks: Lazy, Half-hearted, Enthusiastic, Purposeful, Ambitious. ### Greed Greed is a hidden value and influences how much the player will go for the highest bidder when negotiating contracts. It will also impact the player's career as a whole influencing when to retire and what leagues that may be of interest.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Player roles Player roles are very much like a job description where a player is instructed to focus their game to certain areas. This will let you control which players that are involved in different game situations. What roles that fit a player depends on the player's skills. Check the profile tab of the player page to see what roles that fits a player. Also note that by assigning a role to a player he will evaluate his game performance by that role which in the end will impact his confidence. Roles are also an important factor when setting your forward line focus or defensemen pairing focus on your lineup. See lineup for more info regarding line and pairing focus. To assign a role to a player access Player roles from the Action menu on your team page. ### Playmaker A playmaker's job is to create scoring chances for his team. If you assign this role to a player he will try to have a lot of puck possession and focus mostly on offense. Others on your team will also try to run as many offensive plays through him as possible. Characteristic skills for a playmaker are passing and puck handling. A player with this role may be unhappy if not given enough ice-time or not producing enough scoring chances and points. ### Sniper The sniper's job is to score goals. Plain and simple. Players assigned to this role will focus on offense and will try to find open space in the offensive zone to make themselves available for passes. Teammates setting up plays will also keep an extra eye open on where to find the snipers. Characteristic skills for a sniper are shooting and puck handling. Players in this role may lose confidence if not scoring enough goals or not being given enough ice-time to at least create a decent amount of shots on goal. ### Power forward A power forward's role is to provide both scoring capabilities and toughness to a team. Players in this role will try to take a lot of shots on goal, body check the opponent when possible and will not be afraid to defend his teammates in fights. Characteristic skills for a power forward are shooting and physical. When looking back to his game performance power forwards will especially evaluate the number of points and hits during the game. As all producing roles a power forward will also demand enough ice-time to fulfil his assignment. ### Two-way A two-way forward has responsibilities in both end of the ice. They are instructed to set up offense when possible but also be the one taking the lead on the defense. This will require that the player can handle all aspects of the game. Characteristic skills for a two-way are defence and passing. Players in this role will be looking for producing points and having a good +/- at the end of each game. They will also require ice-time to be able to do their job properly. ### Grinder A grinder is a player that focuses more on hard work and checking than scoring. That means that players in this role will help the team more defensively than offensively. Characteristic skills for a grinder is skating and spirit To feel happy about their game performance grinders needs to be credited with hits and takeaways. Since grinders are usually used in the third and fourth lines they won't demand a lot of ice-time. ### Enforcer An enforcer's job is to deter and respond to dirty or violent play by the opposition. When such play occurs, the enforcer is expected to respond aggressively, by fighting or checking. Enforcer know their role and won't require much ice-time to do their job. Characteristic skills for an enforcer is physical and spirit. ## Defensemen roles ### Offensive An offensive defenseman's job is to create scoring chances and produce points for his team. Offensive defensemen will focus on offense, sometimes to the extent that they may neglect their defensive duties. Characteristic skills for an offensive defensemen is passing and shooting. Players in this role will look to produce points and scoring chances every game. That means that they will demand ice-time to do their job. ### Two-way Just like the two-way forward this role will have responsibilities in both end of the ice. The two-way defensemen will try to support the offense when possible but will always have his focus defensively first. Characteristic skills for a defensive defensemen is passing and defence. Two-way defensemen will require ice-time to perform well since they're expected to produce both points and have good +/- stats. ### Stay at home The stay-at-home-defensemen's job is to focus defensively and prevent the opponent from scoring. They will also play tough when possible but won't take part offensively very often. Characteristic skills for a stay-at-home defensemen is defence and physical. Stay-at-home defensemen are not requiring much ice-time but will look for hits and not allowing any goals in their game performance.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Roster A team's roster is all the players on the team. To create a complete lineup for each game you'll need to dress 2 goalies, 6 defencemen, 4 centers and 8 forwards. But it can be wise to keep a greater roster in case of injuries. A suitable roster could be something like 3 goalies, 8 defencemen, 6 centers and 10 forwards. ### Team captains Each team have three player assigned as the team captains where one is the main captain and the other two are named assistant captains. These players will have a large impact on the team's culture and winning instinct. They will also help the rest of the players handling pressure during games and preventing the team from underestimate their opponents. ## Lineup A lineup consists of four forward lines, three defenceman pairings, two powerplay units and two penalty kill units. The forward lines and defensive pairings have settings where you can assign desired ice-time and focus area. See below. To edit your lineup choose Lineup from the Action menu on your Team page. ### Swap and replace a player To swap and insert players - click the jersey of the player. When replacing a player a window opens that allows you to browse your entire roster divided into each position. This view displays three ratings for each player but the player's name is clickable for full info just as normal. Also note that you can customise which three ratings to display by using the dropdown found at the top of this view. Click the player jersey in the roster view to insert the player. You can also click the cancel button at the bottom to return to the lineup view. ### Ice time You set ice time for each forward line and each defenceman pairing. The ice-time is set in percentage of a whole game requiring that all lines adds up to 100% and all pairings adds up to 100%. For example, a defensemen pairing given 50% ice-time will get approx 30 minutes of ice-time each game. Note that this is an approximate value. Depending on turn of events, such as penalties, in the game this may vary to some extent. Depending on the amount of ice-time given your players may be fatigued. Players with great endurance can handle more ice-time. Note that fatigued players have a higher injury risk than healthy ones. ### Line focuses By setting the line focus you can give the line a specific duty and role in the game. Each line focus has an upside but also a downside. You can combine them in any way you want, for example your first line is set to a scoring line and your fourth line is set to an energy line. It's important to assign the right type of players to a line focus. Not every role is a good fit. More below. To edit the line focus open the Line Settings menu found at the top of each line. #### Scoring A scoring line's duty is to score goals. The line will focus on creating scoring chances and trying to control the puck as much as possible. To be successful in this line focus you'll need players that is a good fit in your offensive tactic and include roles like Playmaker, Sniper or Powerforward. If successful at their line focus the line will create more scoring chances and hopefully create some offensive momentum for the whole team. On the downside the line may become vulnerable defensively. #### Two-way The two-way line will focus on both scoring and defensive duties. It will require players that will do great in both your offensive and defensive tactics. Roles like Two-way, Playmaker, Sniper, Powerforward or Grinder is a good fit. If successful your line will create momentum for your team both offensively and defensively depending on game situation. #### Checking A checking line is often matched against an opponent's first in an effort to reduce their scoring, and physically and mentally wear them down. Player's in this line requires great defensively skills in your chosen tactic but also great body checking skills and not being afraid to play dirty. Fitting roles are Grinder, Enforcer, Two-way and Powerforward. If successful in their line focus they will create defensive momentum for your team but at the same time weaken the opponents offensive momentum. The opponent's players may also get agitated by the checking line making them unfocused. On the downside this type of line will not be as productive offensively and may even weaken the whole teams offensive momentum during the game. #### Energy Usually the fourth line on a team where the energy line's duty is to play physical and give your team a boost. You'll need gritty players that can body check and skate fast. Fitting roles are Enforcer, Grinder and Powerforward. If successful at their line duties the line will create some good momentum for your team, especially if your team is in a downwards trend or in a slump. On the downside the line won't create that many scoring chances. ### Defensive pair focuses #### Support offense Defensemen pairings set to this focus will be highly involved in the team's offense both by moving the puck into the offensive zone and by participating in offensive rushes. The assigned defensemen n need to be able to handle the chosen offensive tactic well and preferable assigned to an Offensive or Two-way role. If successful the team will gain more offensive momentum but also be more vulnerable for odd man rushes. #### Stay at home A stay-at-home pairing will focus on the defense and to obstruct the opponent's offense. Defensemen on this focus assignment need to be good body checkers and have do well in the chosen defensive tactic. Preferred roles are stay-at-home or two-way defensemen. If successful this pairing focus will inspire its own team defensively and at the same time weaken their opponent's offensive momentum. #### Match line If your defensemen pairing is set to match line they will adjust their focus depending on the forward line they are currently playing with. That means that defensemen in this focus assignment need to be able to handle both your offensive and defensive tactics well. Two-way defensemen are preferred. If successful the defensemen pairing will reenforce the forward lines focus assignment. #### Dynamic The dynamic defensemen pairing will try to combine both offensive and defensive duties. This means that you'll need defensemen that have enough skills to handle both your offensive and defensive tactics. Two-way defensemen are preferred. If successful your pairing will create momentum for your team both offensively and defensively depending on game situation. ### Special teams Both powerplay and penalty kill has two units where the first unit automatically is the main choice and is given more ice-time. If those players are fatigued during the game the second unit is used. Normally the first unit is used approx two thirds of the time. Also note that you may very well use a forward on one of your defensemen positions in powerplay. ### Goalies The lineup also has two goalie positions where you can assign the starter and backup goalie. The backup goalie is used if your starter is injured or having a very bad performance and is replaced during the game.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Tactics Tactics are an important part of creating a successful team. There are a number of aspects to consider when choosing tactics. First you need to evaluate what your roster's strengths and weaknesses are. Depending on your roster some tactics may be a better fit than others. You may also want to consider your opponents' tactics and choose a tactic that may give you the upper hand when facing them. Some tactics work better against certain tactics and vice versa. See explanations of the different tactics below. There are different tactics used depending on game situation; Equal strength and Special teams (Powerplay and Penalty kill). On equal strength you actually use two different tactics; One that your team will use offensively when trying to score goals and One that your team will use to obstruct and prevent your opponent's scoring chances. In addition to these tactics there are also a few different styles of play that impact the game performance in different ways; Fair play and Team focus settings. More below. To change tactics choose Tactics from the Action menu on your team page. ### Equal strength - Offensive tactics #### Puck Possession An offensive strategy in which a team having the puck and keeping control of it until you can gain the flow by regrouping. Patient teams will cycle in offensive zone until something opens up on the weak side of the ice. To be successful at this tactic you should look for players with great passing, puck handling and skating skills. You also want to have a few snipers that really can shoot the puck. To defend against this tactic you should try to play an aggressive style of play with high pressure and combine with defensive-smart players that also can skate well. Your defensemen should also be able to box out opponents and keep clear in front of the net. Goalies with great reflexes are invaluable when facing a puck possession team but they will also need to be well positioned, be able to control all rebounds and quickly move from post to post. #### Transition rushes A strategy where a team tries to go on the rush creating for example 2-on-1s often starting with a quick long pass from the defensive zone. Not necessary a defensive style of play, instead the strategy is to outnumber the opponent by quickly setup an offensive play and enter the attacking zone with great speed. In order to succeed in this tactic you'll need fast skaters, especially fast forwards, and players with great passing skills in order to quickly set up a play. You'll also need players with great puck handling skills to get by opponents and players that can finish a 2-on-1 with a one-timer shot or to deke the goalie in a breakaway. When defending against this tactic a more defensive and passive approach may be appropriate to prevent the opponent from advancing too fast into the neutral and offensive zone. Your players should also have great skating skills in order to keep up with the opponent in the event of an attack. Also defensive smart players can read the opponent early and intercept the pass attempt. When facing 2-on-1s or even breakaways goalies need to be very agile and be able to move quickly sideways to make the save. #### Crash the net An aggressive strategy in which a forward charges towards the opponent's net in hopes of deflecting a shot, banging a loose puck in, obstructing the goaltender's view, or simply creating mayhem that could lead to a scoring chance for his team. If you're considering this style of play you'll need tough forwards that can overpower the defensemen and that isn't afraid to jump right into heavy traffic in front of the net. In addition to this your players need to make shots and dumps (passes) from decent angles and have enough stick handling skills to be able to deflect shots and make the most of rebounds. When facing an opponent that have this style of play the best way is to try to keep the opponent away from center ice and to outnumber the opponent in your own zone. Strong physical players are preferred and goalies need to be strong in their positioning, stay calm and control every rebound. #### Dump and chase An offensive strategy in which a team shoots (or "dumps") the puck into the attacking zone and aggressively pursues it in hopes of retrieving possession and setting up a scoring chance. Most effective for teams with enough speed and size to force opposing defensemen off the puck. On the downside the dump and chase is a quite non creative play and can be easily read by opponents. To be successful at this tactic you'll need gritty players with good skating skills that ain't afraid to both receive and deliver hits near the boards behind the net. They also need decent passing and shooting skills once they retrieved possession of the puck to setup a pass to a player in front of the net. To defend against this tactic it's important to not be too passive and stationary. By back checking and putting at least some pressure on the opponent you will in combination with strong and tough defensemen have a good chance of preventing them from regain puck possession. Goalies with good puck handling skills may also help to clear dumped pucks in the defensive zone. ### Equal strength - Defensive tactics #### Conservative trap The trap consists of one forechecker in deep and four skaters lined up along the blueline forming a four man wall to prevent the opposing offense from advancing into the neutral zone. This tactic is effective against counter attacks and tactics that try to find their way into center ice. On the down side your team may become quite stationary making them vulnerable for opponents with a more non creative direct style of play. If you're considering this tactic look for defensive minded players that also can play tough. #### Aggressive forecheck The aggressive forecheck causes the opposing team to fail in their defensive assignments since the four skaters down low aggressively attacking the puck in waves. The tactic forces teams with a passing style of play to make bad decisions but at the same time leaving the team more vulnerable to teams going for counter attacks and to outnumber their opponents. Players in this tactic need to be able to work hard, skate fast body check the opponent. #### Moderate forecheck The moderate forecheck consists of one forechecker down low, two forecheckers high and two defensemen back in the neutral zone. The basic idea is to funnel the offensive team to the outside, away from center ice and cut off passing lanes. This tactic is effective against teams that are trying to find their way into center ice or more non creative plays. The team may however be vulnerable for highly skilled passing plays. The team needs a combination of players where forwards need to be good skaters and be able to work hard and tough defensive players. #### Left wing lock The left wing lock always allows an offensive player to be used as a defensive safety valve. This allows the best skaters to be aggressive, but whenever there is a possibility of a transition from offense to defense, there is a third guy high to eliminate odd-man rushes in the goalie’s direction. This tactic will keep opponents away from center ice and preventing the opponent to outnumber the team in the defensive zone. Teams with a more patient passing play may however find weaknesses in the defence. Players should be able to play tough, work hard and to take good defensive decisions. Forwards, except the Left Wing, also need to have good skating skills. #### Spread In the spread, once the opponent takes the puck behind his net, a forechecking winger moves from the right to flush him out. The other winger then moves from the opposite side and forces the enemy skater to get rid of the puck. The tactic work well against puck controlling teams but may open up space in the neutral zone making the team vulnerable for counter attacks and allowing opponents into center ice. The forwards forechecking should have great skating skills and be able to play tough and work hard. The defensemen in this system should have great defensive skills but also be able to play tough. ### Powerplay tactics During powerplay it can be wise to study in which direction your players are handed/shoots. #### Umbrella Three players near the blue-line forming a high triangle and two players low in the slot parallel to the goal line. The idea is to get the puck to the middle of the ice for hard blasts from the point. To be successful at this tactics you will really need to have good shooters, especially on the blue line. Forwards in front of the net should also be able to deflect pucks and play tough to obstruct the goalie. To defend against this tactic you'll need a strategy that cover most shooting angles and at the same time boxes out opponents in front of the net. You'll need defensive players able to read the opponent and be able to play tough in front of the net. Goalies must rely on a combination of reflexes and good positioning in order to stop pucks. #### Overload Overload aims to outnumber the other team along the half boards, thus creating a lot of three on two scenarios. The idea is to constantly cycle the puck and create a lot of movement down low, which causes defensive breakdowns. To succeed in this tactic you'll need players with good passing, skating and puck handling. To defend against this style of tactic you'll need to keep the box together with players that are smart defensively and that both can skate and play tough. Goalies need good reflexes and be able to quickly move from post to post. #### The 1-3-1 This strategy creates four triangles to pass around and take one-timer shots. This system forces the defense to focus on the middle players causing the PK to shrink. In order for this tactic to work you'll need great passing och puck handling skills among all players while moving around the puck. You also need players being able to take one-timer shots. To defend against the 1-3-1 you need to cover angles and put pressure on the opponent causing them to make mistakes. Your players should be smart defensively and being able to skate and work hard. Goalies rely on great reflexes and swiftly switching position. #### Spread The aim of the Spread is to overrun the slot with forwards and outnumber penalty killers down low. Causes opponent to abandon the blue-line, which allows your d-men to come in for one-timers. This tactic requires forwards that can play tough, work hard but at the same time set up a play. Defensemen should have a great shot. In order to defend against this tactic you'll need to keep your box together and perhaps put some pressure on the player with the puck. In addition to this your players should not be afraid to play very tough. Goalies with good positioning and that can control rebounds are invaluable when facing this tactic. ### Penalty kill tactics #### Diamond A strategy to cover shooting angles. A high forward is set up to defend against the power play quarterback, another forward and a d-man take the guys atop the circles and a low d-man covers the slot. This tactic is effective against shooting strategies in power play. Your players should be able to read the opponent plays and skate well to cover most angles. The defensemen need to be able to play tough in front of the net. The tactic can make your team vulnerable for power play strategies where the opponent are trying to outnumber your team finding their way in to the center ice. #### Simple Box The tactic basically allowing the other team to have the puck so long as they are along the perimeter. Using this strategy is more about having good stick work and not chasing after the puck carrier. This tactic will defend center ice making it hard for opponents crashing the net. Your players need to be strong defensively and box out the opponent by playing tough in front of the net. On the downside shooting strategies may punish your team and block the sight for your own goalie. #### Wedge Three collapsing players in the slot in a triangle formation while the extra manis free to run around and create havoc along the perimeter. Since this formation is always rotating, every skater needs to be aware of the responsibilities of every position they rotate into. This tactic puts pressure on the opponent forcing them to make mistakes when trying to find a pass into the slot. Players need a combination of good skating and defensive skills but also being able to work hard. On the downside it won't work as well when facing teams with a more patient approach or a strategy where shots are mostly coming from the point. ### Tactics familiarity Although there are benefits to adjust your tactic for each opponent your team will suffer when it comes to tactics familiarity. By sticking to one or a few different tactics your team will learn and eventually be experts on the chosen tactics. This may give your team advantages in certain game situations where your more experienced players are more likely to benefit. ### Fair play Instruct your team on how much they should push the boundaries of the rules to gain an advantage. The dirtier your team style of play the more likely is your players to take penalties. You can set the fair play style into five different ranks. #### Safe The players will avoid penalties at all costs. However, this may cause the opponent to gain great advantages in the physical play. #### Fair The players will hold back to avoid penalties and only play as tough as absolutely necessary. This may cause the opponent to gain some advantages in the physical play, #### Normal The players will play tough when necessary but will try to avoid any unnecessary penalties. #### Hard The players will play tough as often as possible. They will try to get the opponent out of balance. This will give them an advantage but it may cause more penalties. #### Dirty The players will play very tough and cheap shot the opponent to get them out of balance. This may cause many penalties but also give them a great advantage. ### Team focus Your team focus will set your team to an offensively, defensively or balanced style of play. This may also be varied depending on game situation. There are possibility to adjust your team focus depending on your team is ahead or below. Also note that if your team are set to, for example, an all offensive style of play for too long they may eventually start feeling uncomfortable in their defensive duties. #### Very defensive Players only focus on defence. All players will participate in the defensively play. #### Defensive Players won't take any chances when going on attack. #### Normal Players will go on attack when possible but doesn't ignore their defensive responsibilities. #### Offensive Players will go on attack as often as they can. #### Very offensive Players only focuses on going on attack. All players will participate in the attack to create a scoring chance.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Player stats * GP - Games played. * G - Goals scored. * A - Assists made. * +/- - A tally of how many goals were scored for the player's team with them on the ice vs scored against the player's team with them on the ice. Note that PP goals are the only goals that will not effect this stat. * PIM - Penalties in minutes. A tally of the total penalty time a player gathers. * MP - Major penalties. A count of how many major penalties the player has received. A major penalty is worth 5 minutes. * FM - Fighting major. A count of how many fighting penalties the player has received. A fighting major is also worth 5 minutes. * PPG - Power play goals scored. * PPA - Power play assists. * SHG - Short handed goals scored. * SHA - Short handed assists made. * S - Shots on goal. * HT - Hits made. * BKS - Shots blocked. * GVA - The number of give aways the player has given. A give away is the player turning the puck over via a pass that gets intercepted, bad puck handling or something of the like. * TKA - The number of take aways that the player has forced. A take away is the player forcibly taking the puck off of the opposing player via a physical check, lifting the stick, et cetera. * FOW - Faceoffs won. The number of faceoff draws the player has won. * FOL - Faceoffs lost. The number of faceoff draws the player has lost. * PP TOI - Power play time on ice. How much time on the ice on the power play the player had. * SH TOI - Short handed time on ice. How much time on the ice on the penalty kill the player had. * TOI - Time on ice. How much total time during the game the player was on the ice for. * Per - Performance rating given to the player based upon how they played. ## Goalie stats * GP - Games played * GS - Games started * MIN - Minutes on the ice * W - Wins. This includes overtime wins as well as wins in regulation. Regulation wins and losses are games that end in the normally allotted 60 minutes of the game. * L - Losses. This is just counting losses in regulation. * OTL - Overtime losses. This also includes shootout losses. * GA - Goals scored against * GAA - goals against average. Calculated by multiplying the number of goals allowed by 60 and then dividing by minutes played. * SA - Shots against * SV - Saves made * SV% - Save percentage. Calculated by saves made divided by shots against. * SO - Shut outs. The number of games a goalie does not allow a goal in the game. * PER - performance rating given to the player based upon how they played. * CF - Corsi for when player on ice * CA - Corsi against when player on ice * CF% - Corsi for percentage when player on ice * OISH% - Team shooting percentage when player on ice. * OISV% - Team save percentage when player on ice. * PDO - The sum of a team's shooting percentage and its save percentage when player on ice. ## Team stats * GP - Games played * W - Wins * OTW - Overtime wins * OTL - Overtime losses * L - Losses * PTS - Points * GF - Goals for * GA - Goals against * SOW - Shootout wins * SOL - Shootout losses * PP% - Powerplay percentage * PK% - Penalty kill percentage * HW - Home wins * HOTW - Home overtime wins * HOTL - Home overtime losses * HL - Home losses * CF - Corsi for * CA - Corsi against * CF% - Corsi for percentage * OISH% - Team on ice shooting percentage * OISV% - Team on ice save percentage * PDO - The sum of a team's shooting percentage and its save percentage ## Team advanced stats Advanced statistics, or analytics, is a great way to get deeper understanding of a teams' and players' performance over a longer period of time. It's a great tool to predict trends and spot slumps. ### Corsi Corsi is the sum of shots on goal, missed shots and blocked shots at even strength. A value above 55% is considered an elite value. Corsi is measured both for teams and players. Teams measure the total values while players measure the corsi stats only while the player is on the ice. ### PDO PDO is the sum of a team's shooting percentage and its save percentage at even strength. PDO is used to predict slumps and streaks knowing that the most teams will ultimately regress toward a sum of 100. PDO is measured both for teams and players. Teams measure the total values while players measure the PDO only while the player is on the ice.

CLAIM

Updated October 28, 2019 Since the v2.1.0 release the help files have now been moved into the game. The texts have been reworked and there are quite a few new chapters included. Also a big thanks to all of you that have contributed. Thanks a lot! Since it's a lot to cover there may still be some gaps. If you find any information missing please let us know. You are also most welcome to contribute to these help files, if you're interested please read the following. Current status of a topic All help files topic titles have a status connected to them. It can be any of the following: [TODO] - A wanted topic for help files but not started or claimed by anyone. Feel free to assign yourself (see more below) [iN PROGRESS] - A topic currently being worked on by someone. [DONE] - A finished and verified topic Claim a topic If you see a topic that you feel comfortable contributing in, please feel free to claim that topic. Simply post CLAIM to the topic to let everyone know that you are working on that topic. An admin will later change the topic's title to [iN PROGRESS]. (If you're a moderator, please feel free to make this change yourself). Add new topic New topics (TODO) are added once a gap is found and please feel free to add new topics yourself if you find an area that is not covered yet. Simply add a new topic and add [TODO] to the title (or [iN PROGRESS] if you're claiming the topic right away. Formatting The current help files added by me is in Markdown format. This is a format that is used when integrating the help files to the game. But feel free to format in any way you like. I will make the necessary formatting changes when importing the help. --- Any questions or comments? Feel free to add to this topic. Also feel free to comment on any topic to suggest changes, feedback or ask questions. Even if the topic is set to [DONE]. Thanks for considering helping out!

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Player development How much a player will develop depends on the player's talent. But it is also influenced on player form and environment. Also a player need to perform well in order to optimise their development. Players given very little ice-time and/or performing badly in their role may not develop to their full potential. The player talent is a hidden value and is not visible in the game. But there are ways you can get a hint how likely the player is to develop further. By checking the player's development graph and current progress you can predict if the player is to develop further or not. The prospect ranking list before the yearly youth draft will include this hidden value when making the ranking list. The player talent is actually put together by six different potentials all affecting different skills/ratings. That means that player may develop further in certain areas all depending on the player's potential in that area. The player potentials are; Agility, Strength, Vision, Precision, Stamina and Courage. ### Age impact The player's age will also influence how far the player's skills will develop. Some skills will start to develop early in the player's career while others will develop more in a later stage. Here are some examples of skills that develop in young age: Players: Shooting, Skating and Puck handling Goalies: Reflexes, Athletic and Puck handling And here are some skills that normally develop later in the player's career: Players: Passing, Physical and Defence Goalies: Positioning and, Puck control ### Training All player's on a team will automatically train every day. As a manager you can make some adjustments to the type and intensity of the training. As default players will train both offensively and defensively at a normal intensity. How much a player will develop his skills from training depends on the intensity but also the player's own ambition and how much effort he'll put into the training. #### Type of training The type of training can be set to either one of General, Offensive and Defensive. If the training is set to Offensive the players will train the skills required by your offensive tactic. If the training is set to Defensive the players will focus their training to the skills required by your defensive tactic. If set to general the players will combine the two. #### Intensity The intensity can be set to either one of Easy, Medium and Hard. As default players are set to Medium intensity. If you are giving the player a lot of ice-time it can be wise to adjust his training to Easy in order to not risk injuring the player. And contrary if the player's is given very little ice-time you can adjust his training to Hard. The player's Endurance value will influence how much he can take before being affected negatively. ## Player decline and retirement Generally speaking a player will peak somewhere around 28 years old. After that age he will start to decline. How steep the decline is depends on the player's potentials. The different skills also declines in various speed depending on age. There is no specific age when all players will retire. It's most individual and depends on the player's psychological profile, stamina and general happiness. Players with low ambition and leadership tend to retire sooner.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## The game basics Game Plan Hockey Manager is an online manager game where you manage your own hockey team and compete against other users. ### Competition The game is played within the context of a game world which means that there are a limited amount av available teams in each game world. Each game world contains six playable league levels with 28 teams in each level. Together these leagues form the main competition where teams may be promoted or relegated throughout the league levels where the ultimate goal is to win the *Golden Cup* in the GHL. The available leagues are as followed (from highest to lowest league level): 1. Golden Hockey League (GHL) 2. Silver Hockey League (SHL) 3. Bronze Hockey League (BHL) 4. Copper Hockey League (CHL) 5. Iron Hockey League (IHL) 6. Lower Iron Hockey League (LIHL) ### Seasons Every season is 108 days long and is divided into the following season modes #### Silly season - days 1-3 No games are played during silly season so this is the time to focus on signing new players and building your team for the upcoming season. #### Pre season - days 4-6 During the pre season you have the possibility to invite other teams to friendly games. This might be a good way to get your players in shape and to spot any weaknesses on your team. #### Season - days 7-86 Games are played on each day of the season making a total of 80 games during the regular season. #### Season end - day 87 The very last day of the season is used to set up the playoff games. #### Playoffs - days 88-107 Games may be played on each day of the playoffs depending on the current playoff round status. See help files regarding leagues and playoffs for more information. #### Playoff end - day 108 On the very last day of the season contracts will end, players will age, new talents will be added and teams promoted or relegated will be assigned to their new league levels. ### Simulation speeds The game moves forward a day at the time at specific hours. How often the game simulates depends on the game speed. This is individual for each game world, so choose a game world that fits your schedule. Game worlds come in the following simulation speeds; Slow (24h), Normal (12h) and Fast (6h). *I.e a fast game world will move forward one day every 6 hours.* ### Navigating in game The main navigation is found to the left in desktop mode and at the top in mobile mode. Here you’ll find links to *World page*, *Your league*, *Your team*, *Your manager page/inbox* and the *Transfer page*. Through these pages you’ll have the possibility to navigate further to access other leagues, other teams and all players. All players in the game are linked in two steps. The first click will reveal a quick summary card as a popup. This card contains the most basic information about the player. This card also has a link button labeled *Go to player page* which will navigate to the player page containing all player details and information. ### World clock Right below the main menu you’ll find the world clock. Besides the current day and season mode this area shows a countdown. The most common countdowns is to display the next game or the next day. But the countdown may also display other events in the game. Click the countdown for more info. Also note that the countdown is displayed in real hours. When a countdown hits zero it may sometimes take up to 5-10 minutes for the clock to reset since it’s waiting for simulations to finish before restarting. ### Events and news feed Simulations occur continuously throughout the day. Certain events happening in these simulations will produce headlines that will be displayed in multiple news feeds. Depending on the origin of the event these headlines can be found on either the league, team or player pages but also in your own manager inbox. The headlines can be clicked to in some cases reveal more information but always to reveal a linked button. The game is highly detailed and will keep track of game results, player achievements, player transactions, league history and player- and team stats during the seasons.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Manager inbox The manager inbox displays important messages regarding your account, team, players, league and world. The inbox has three tabs; World messages, World PM and Announcements. ### World messages This tab displays messages regarding your team, players and league in your current world. If you're managing more than one team the world messages will change whenever you change your current team. ### World PM The world PM tab keeps track of your current PM with other managers in the current world. ### Announcements This tab displays any important messages sent to your account from admins. ### PM To send a PM to another managers open the action menu on your manager page and select "New PM...". Choose the recipient manager and write your message. In order to reply to a PM simply click the reply button below the message. The original message are then kept within the conversation.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Manager profiles ### Manager info When you sign up for this game you will be asked to create a login and a manager profile. Please see our privacy policy on how your information is used on our site/game. #### Display name All managers must have a display name. This name is entered once the manger registers for the game. The name does not need to be the user's real name but will represent the user for his or hers entire career. #### Alias A user can enter an alias to his or hers account. This alias should represent the user's username with GM Games and the official forum of Game Plan Hockey Manager. This way a manager account is linked with the community profile. #### Manager No. Each manager is automatically given a manager number. This number is unique and can be used to distinguish the manager from any other manager. When reporting any suspicions of cheating it is recommended that the manager number is used. #### Nationality When the user registers he or she must select a country of residence. This will never be verified and does not affect anything in the game. But it will help create a richer manager community. #### Game records The manager's record are stored for all seasons played in the game and the data will be displayed next to the manager's profile. ### Profile settings #### Culture settings The user can choose to display player heights and weights in either European or North American formats. Use the action menu on the manager page and choose Settings. #### Roster settings The roster view can be personalised to display or hide affiliate and lineup assignments. #### Help files There is an option to hide the quick help icons in the game. ### Account info Your account info is never displayed to any other users. Email or subscription status are private and only visible to the current user. #### Passwords We don't have any knowledge neither do we store your actual password. So please use the "forgot password" function if you ever lose track of your password. #### Credit card information All payments are handled and secured by Stripe. We neither store nor have access to your credit card information. Please see Terms of use for further information regarding subscriptions and legal information. ## Official forum The official forum of Game Plan Hockey Manager is hosted by www.gmgames.org. This means that you'll need a GM Games account to participate in the forum discussions. ### World forums Each game world have a dedicated forum. A shortcut and the recent topics are displayed on your manager page and the forum tab. ### World chats There is also a dedicated chat room at GM Games for every game world. A link to the chat can be found on your manager page and chat tab.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Youth draft At the end of each season a youth draft will be held where teams will select the rights to available junior players. All teams at all league levels will receive a 1st round and a 2nd round pick in the upcoming youth draft meaning that a total of 336 players will be drafted each season. The youth draft is divided so that each league has its own draft on different days beginning with the top leagues. * GHL - day 98 * SHL - day 100 * BHL - day 102 * CHL - day 104 * IHL - day 106 * LIHL - day 108 ### Prospect rankings The prospect rankings is a list where all the available juniors (17 years old) will be ranked to help managers finding the top prospects for their teams. The list will be released in three versions during each season; Initial rankings, Mid rankings and Final rankings. The ranks are based on player’s performance, potential and skill set. Once the rankings are released you will be notified in your inbox where your assistant will give you suggestions on players of interest. The complete list may be found at the Prospect rankings tab on the Transfer page. ### Draft order The basic draft order depends on the team's league level. * GHL 1st round -> 1st - 28th * GHL 2nd round -> 29th - 56th * SHL 1st round -> 57th - 84th * SHL 2nd round -> 85th - 112th * BHL 1st round -> 113th - 140th * BHL 2nd round -> 141th - 168th * CHL 1st round -> 169th - 196th * CHL 2nd round -> 197th - 224th * IHL 1st round -> 225th - 252th * IHL 2nd round -> 253th - 280th * LIHL 1st round -> 281th - 308th * LIHL 2nd round -> 309th - 336th The very exact draft pick number will then be decided with a lottery where the worst placed teams will have the greatest chance of winning a top pick number. The current draft order and draft history may be found at the Youth draft tab on the Transfer page. #### Teams promoting or relegating Relegated and promoted teams will switch draft picks with each other. That means that the promoted teams will get a top pick at their new league level and get a great boost to establish themselves in their new league. The relegated team on the other hand will get a bottom pick at their new, lower, league level. Note that these affected draft picks may actual be owned by another team if acquired through trading. *Example 1* The East Barre Dynamites has a lousy season and finishes last in the SHL. They are therefor relegated to the BHL. On the other end the Patterson Skyhawks finishes 1st in the BHL and wins promotion to the SHL. Both teams has all their draft picks intact. The Dynamites and the Skyhawks will switch draft picks with each other, meaning that the Dynamites will now draft at BHL level and the Skyhawks will draft at SHL level. *Example 2* Let’s take the Example 1 above but with the exception that the East Barre Dynamites has traded their SHL level 1st round pick to the Farmingdale Firestorm for a SHL level 2nd round pick and forward Anthon Lindmark. Like the above example the Dynamites and the Skyhawks will switch draftpicks with each other. But it’s not draft picks owned by the teams that are switched, only the one granted by the team. That will mean that the Dynamites will actually keep the 2nd round pick acquired from Farmingdale Firestorm who in their turn will switch their SHL level 1st round pick (acquired from the Dynamites) in exchange for the Skyhawks’s BHL level 1st round pick. ### Draft preferences - setting your draft targets You can access the Draft preference view at the Action menu of the Transfer page. Since the draft isn’t a live event it’s important that you set your draft preferences before the draft is held to have a good chance of getting the prospects you want. This is done by shortlisting the prospects you are interested in. The best way of finding players to draft is by browsing the prospect ranking list or the junior leagues. It might also be a good idea to check in what range your draft picks are so you won’t waste valuable time shortlisting players that most likely won’t be around when it’s your time to draft. Since the league drafts are separated with two days there's time to re-arrange your preferences and find available prospects even if you're picking from the bottom of the list. You can filter out all prospects that have already been drafted by clicking the "Only available prospects" tab option on the prospect ranking list. Your assistant will also give you suggestions on players of interest each time the prospect ranking list is released. #### Prioritise shortlisted prospects Once you’ve shortlisted some prospects you may want to prioritise which prospects to draft first. This is done by clicking the up/down arrow found at the Draft preference view. You can also set in which round the player may be of interest so you won’t waste a 1st round pick for a player you’d only be interested in for a 2nd round pick. #### Rank vs Shortlist For various reasons you might not always want your shortlisted prospects to be the only ones up for drafting. What if the number one ranked prospect is still available and you don’t have him in your shortlist? That’s why you can make additional settings called Rank vs Shortlist. This may be set to three different values: **Choose any prospect with a significant higher rank: ** This means that even if you have shortlisted players available when it’s your turn to draft your assistant will go for the top ranked player if his prospect rank is significant higher that the ones in your shortlist. **Choose any prospect with a significant higher rank if matching transfer needs: ** Like the above but with the exception that the player must also match a need set by you in the Transfer need view. **Always use shortlist over rank: ** By setting this you will only draft players in your shortlist. If no shortlisted players are available the player with the highest rank will be drafted. ### Player rights Once a player is drafted the team will own the rights to that player until the player turns 21 years old. This means that no other team in the competition (GHL, SHL, BHL, CHL, IHL, LIHL) can approach and sign the player. The player may however sign for teams in non playable leagues. In that case the player may still be signed by the owner team during silly season. This way you are not forced to sign every player that you draft if they’re not good enough to play at your league level just yet. They may actually benefit from playing games at a lower league level for a couple of years. ### Draft picks trading Draft picks may be included and targeted in trade offers with both human and computer teams. Draft picks may like any other target only be traded to teams in the same league or one league level up or down. Draft picks acquired by trade will still base its overall pick number on the original team’s league standing. Also note that you may only trade draft picks of the current season. ### Prospect (player rights) trading Drafted players that’s not signed may still be traded and therefore included/targeted in a trade offer. Just like for all other targets player rights may only be traded to teams in the same league or one league level up or down. A team acquiring player rights will not automatically get the player on their roster. They still need to approach the player with a contract offer. ### Entry level contracts All players under 21 years old may only be offered an entry level contract. The entry level contract will be set to a fixed salary depending on the league level and will last until the player turns 21 years old. The entry level contract will not include any contract clauses but will be re-calculated if the team is promoted or relegated. So you won’t lose a player with an entry level contract if relegated. League entry level salaries: * GHL -> $750.000 * SHL -> $200.000 * BHL -> $50.000 * CHL -> $17.500 * IHL -> $10.000 * LIHL -> $5.000

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Trades A trade is a transaction between two teams where players, player rights and/or draft picks are exchanged. A trade may take place between teams in the same league or one league level up or down. When a trade is complete the players will switch teams but will keep their current contracts. Note that player transactions are not available for restricted trials. ### Creating a trade offer 1. Visit the Transfer page 2. Choose New trade… in the action menu 3. Find your target team by using the league and team select boxes 4. Create the offer by adding players on both teams. 5. Check the trade balance and then submit the offer. 6. A message will now be sent to the counter party who will then evaluate the offer. If you already know your target you can also choose New trade… directly from the action menus on the team or player pages. ### View current offers All your current trade offers, both which you created and those created by others can be found by choosing Trade offers… from the action menu on the Transfer page. If you change your mind regarding a trade offer you may cancel the offer by accessing it by clicking the View button and then choose "Cancel offer". ### Responding to a trade offer If you received a trade offer it’s up to you evaluate if it’s benefiting your team. You may check your assistants notes to get advice (more info below). #### Rejecting the offer If the offer isn’t to your likings you better reject the offer. By clicking Reject… a new window will be displayed where you’ll get the opportunity to declare a reason why you’re rejecting the offer. This reason will be sent to the other party. #### Accepting the offer If you think the offer is worth accepting then click the Accept button. The trade will then take place immediately. #### Make a counter offer You also have the possibility to edit the offer and send back a counter offer. By adding or removing players to the offer received the two reject and accept buttons will be replaced with a new submit button. ### Transfer needs To make trading a little easier each team have the possibility to declare their transfer needs. A need may be declared in detail or just in general. A need is declared in three categories; Player position, Need type and Preferred role. You can declare as many needs as you like but be sure to remove them once you’ve filled that need. You will find the transfer needs among the assistant notes when creating or responding to a trade offer. Your assistant will even try to give you suggestions of players to target on the other team when creating a trade offer. ### Trade block and player transfer status{{transfer status}} Any unwanted players can be put on the trade block to let other managers now that they are available for trade. This is done by accessing the Player page and choosing Transfer status… from the action menu. You can set the transfer status to one of either; Trade block, Untouchable or Unknown. The transfer status will be displayed on the Transfer tab on the Player page. You will also find the transfer status on Transfer page in the Status column when browsing for players. Depending on the player’s psychological profile he might be unhappy to be put on the trade block. #### Trade block If you put a player on the trade block a headline will be created to announce that the player is available for trade. To find all players put on trade block you may do so by accessing the Transfer page and using the tab option for Trade block. #### Untouchable players Players that are set to transfer status Untouchable will not be eligible for trade. That means that it won’t even be possible to include that player in a trade offer. ### Unknown status This is the default status. These players will be possible to include in a trade offer but won’t be announced as available. ### Player trade value To help evaluate trade offers each player has been given a trade value. The trade value is displayed on the Transfer tab on the Player page and is divided into four categories; Poor, Average, Good and Excellent. The real trade value is actually more complex than this so it might not always be the case that one ‘Excellent’ player can be traded off for another. The trade value is calculated by looking on a great number of things including but not limited to Skill level, player potential, player traits, reputation, age and current contract situation. ### Trade balance To both help creating fair trades both team boards will announce what they think about the offer. If both team boards are ok with the offer the trade balance will show as green on both teams, otherwise an orange color will be displayed on the team's board that dislikes the trade offer. Regardless of what the team boards say the trade offer can still be made but please note that unbalanced trade offers may put you in the spotlight both from other managers but also from admins that may investigate your actions to see if any cheating is going on. ### Salary cap A trade may never exceed the salary cap limit on any team so it’s important to keep track of both teams current cap situation. You’ll find this displayed at the top when creating a trade offer. The salary cap situation info will update for every player added to the offer so you can keep track if the offer would send any team over the cap limit. Even if a trade offer would send any team over the cap limit the trade offer can still be submitted but it can never be accepted until space have been freed for any affected team. ### Assistant notes To help you out when creating and evaluating a trade offer your assistant will give you hints and suggestions both on your team but also on the situation of the other party. You’ll find the assistant notes at the very bottom of the trade offer window. #### The assistant will give you information about * When the trade offer was created and who’s turn it is to respond * Your current transfer needs and which players on the other party that might be of interest to fill these needs. * The other party's current transfer needs * The other party's manager trading reputation * An evaluation of the other party's trade offer to let you know if it’s good enough to accept or not. ### Trading between different league levels When trading between league levels it’s important to be aware of the current contract situation of certain players. Players contract situation will be handled in the same way as if the team itself was promoted or relegated. #### Player moving upwards A player traded to a team in a higher league level will keep his current contract but it will now be labeled as a Lower league contract. Any one-way clause will be removed. **Promotion contract clause: ** If a player has a promotion contract this will activate if traded upwards the league levels. His salary will therefor be affected when the trade is complete. The new salary will be displayed next to the player when creating the offer. #### Player moving downwards A player with a normal contract moving downwards the league levels will get his salary decreased in his new team. At the same time he will receive a Promotion contract clause so he may get his old salary back if the team is promoted. He will also receive a one-way clause to prevent the player from being traded downwards once more. **One-way clause: ** A player with a One way clause may not be included in a trade offer that would send him downwards the league levels. **Lower league contract: ** A player with a lower league contract won’t get his salary decreased since the contract terms was signed in a lower league. If the player’s contract was signed in his new level the contract won’t be labeled a Lower league contract any longer and is then back to a normal contract. ### Manager trade reputation Depending on how you’re acting when making trade negotiations you will receive a trading reputation. You will start out as Neutral but this might change after a couple of trades. You will find the trading reputation on your manager screen and at the Team info tab of the Team page. Your assistant will also notify you of the counter partys manager reputation if anything else than Neutral. The trading reputation may be any of the following; Neutral, Indecisive, Hard to please, Compliant, Enthusiastic, Negotiable, Greedy, Reasonable.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Team spirit The team spirit of the team is measured in three different values; Confidence, Teamwork and Winner instinct. ### Confidence The confidence value is affected by on game results, how well your team is playing, adapting to your chosen tactics and focuses but also on individual performances/mistakes. It might be a good idea to make sure that your style of play actual fits your player’s ratings. Otherwise they may underachieve and the overall confidence of the team will drop. ### Teamwork This value will give you a hint on how well the players agree, thrive and enjoy each other’s company. In order to adjust this value you’ll need to check your player’s psychological profile and especially the Ego value. Perhaps you need to make some changes in your roster? The teamwork value will also improve the longer the players play together. ### Winner instinct The winner instinct of a team is also based on your roster’s psychological profiles. Make sure you have just enough players who will do almost anything to win but be careful not to have too many since they most probably will create disputes within your own team and affect your teamwork.

Updated: October 28, 2019 ## Player reputation Player reputation is measured in the following ranks (from lowest to highest): Unknown, Unproven, Accepted (Decent prospect, Finished), Familiar (Hot prospect, Has-been), Recognised (Promising, Declining), Renowned (Up-and-coming, Late-bloomer), Famous (Rising star), Well known (Future star, Shooting star), Star, Superstar (Super diva), Legendary. The labels within the parentheses are situational equivalents and may be used from time to time depending on the player's career and profile status. Player reputation is categorised in World reputation and League reputation meaning that the player can have two different ranks depending on what's being measured. The player reputation will impact the player's experience and leadership values, team culture impact and contract demands. Some examples of what make players gain reputation include, but are not limited to, awards, played games, stats leaderboards, prospect rank and draft. The current league level will impact the reputation gained. Player reputation is also weighted, meaning that the last couple of season's reputation is impacting the current total reputation more than earlier seasons.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Team reputation Team reputation is measured in the following ranks (from lowest to highest): Unknown, Unproven, Accepted, Familiar, Recognised, Renowned, Respected, Popular, Praised, Honoured Team reputation is categorised in World reputation and League reputation meaning that the team can have two different ranks depending on what's being measured. Team reputation will help attract players to your team. Team reputation is gained mainly by league position and championship wins. The current league level will also impact reputation gained.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Manager reputation Manager reputation is measured in the following ranks (from lowest to highest): Rookie, Promising, Experienced, Successful and World Class. Other than competing for being the best manager in the game, your manager reputation will also impact your team's reputation making your team more or less attractive amongst players. Your manager reputation will also decide what league levels that are available for you when starting a new career. * GHL - Requires reputation World Class * SHL - Requires reputation Successful * BHL - Requires reputation Experienced * CHL, IHL and LIHL - No reputation restrictions apply All managers gain reputation throughout their careers. Reputation is gained by winning games, league position, promotions and championship wins. Reputation is also negative impacted by losses and relegations. In order to be able to compare manager reputation between different game worlds throughout the game the gain rate is impacted by world speed. The current league level will also impact manager reputation, the higher the league level the more reputation is gained every game. But in contrast to this, a team promotion will not be less valuable in the lower league levels. So even if a manager will gain less reputation from playing games in a lower league, he or she may actually gain more reputation in his or hers career by promoting a team from a lower league level. Having more than one active team on your account will have a greater impact to your manager reputation, for good and bad. ### Manager trade reputation Depending on how you’re acting when making trade negotiations you will receive a trading reputation. You will start out as Neutral but this might change after a couple of trades. You will find the trading reputation on your manager screen and at the Team info tab of the Team page. Your assistant will also notify you of the counter partys trade reputation if anything else than Neutral. The trading reputation may be any of the following; Neutral, Indecisive, Hard to please, Compliant, Enthusiastic, Negotiable, Greedy, Reasonable.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Player contracts In order for a player to play for a team he must have a valid contract. A contract is made up by a salary ($), contract length (years) and contract clauses. The contract details of a player can be found on the Transfer tab on the Player page. To offer a contract you’ll use the action menu on the Player page. ### Contract clauses A contract may contain any of the following clauses. ### One-way contract{{one way contract,one way contracts,one-way contract,one-way contracts}} A one way contract means that the player may never move downward league levels or be assigned to an affiliate. This means that if the team is relegated the player will automatically be released. The player won’t be possible to include in a trade with a team in lower level nor can he be assigned to an affiliate. ### Two-way contract{{two way contract,two way contracts,two-way contract,two-way contracts}} All contracts that doesn't have the one way contract clause is ruled as two way contracts. That means that the player can be assigned to an affiliate, traded to a lower league level and will not be automatically released if the team is relegated. If a player with a two-way is assigned to an affiliate only a tenth of his salary will be counted against the team's salary cap. ### Promotion contract A promotion contract clause will increase the player’s salary if his team is promoted to a higher league. How much the player's salary will increase is calculated with the following rules: 1. The player will keep the same percentage salary cap impact on the team. E.g. if the player’s salary was 10% of the cap limit in the previous league his new salary will be 10% of the new league’s salary cap. 2. The new salary from rule No. 1 may NOT exceed the base salary of the new league. 3. The player is however guaranteed a 25% salary raise of his current salary. This overrides rule No. 3. Once the promotion contract clause have been activated it will be removed from the player’s contract. #### Promotion contracts in trades If a player with a promotion contract clause is traded to a team in a higher league level the contract clause will activate just as if his current team has been promoted. ### Contract happiness At first the player will be happy with his contract but this might change depending on certain situations. The current contract happiness can be found on Transfer tab on the Player page. An unhappy player will have a worse game performance so it’s wise to keep your players happy. If the player develops faster than your team is promoting through the league levels he might begin to have higher salary demands or even want to move to a bigger club. This might make him unhappy so it might be a good idea to either offer a new contract or trade the player to another team. The player’s salary demands might also change if your team have been promoted to a higher league and he’s comparing his salary to other players in the same league. ### Offering an extension A player with one year remaining of his contract will become a free agent the very last day of the season if he has not signed a new contract before that. You will get a reminder when the season is closing to its end on which players that have contracts about to end. An accepted extension will be added to the player as a pending contract that will take effect the upcoming season. ### Contract negotiations When offering a contract to a player he will first let you know of his demands, both salary, contract length and contract clauses if any. You then have the possibility to either offer the exact demands or to edit the offer to your likings. Once you have decided what to offer use the Make offer button to send the offer. In some cases your assistant may offer you some advice if he thinks the player may accept a different type of contract than the initial demands. This may be the case if a young player demands a long term contract he may also be interested in a so called bridge contract for fewer years with a lower salary. ### Player response The player will let you know of his response immediately in the Player response panel. If the player think it's an acceptable offer he will then have to think about it for a day or two before he decide to sign or not. If he doesn’t find the offer good enough he’ll let you know and you’ll have the possibility to edit the offer. Note how the language and attitude in the player response will change from player to player depending on their psychological profile. The response will also give you a hint of how likely he is to accept the offer. ### Current offers Once you have made your offers you’ll find them at the action menu on the Transfer page and the option Contract offers…. If you like to withdraw an offer you may do so by either use the remove button next to the offer or by visiting the player page and once again use the action menu and Player contract…. ### Interested Not all players might be interested in signing with your team. This depends on a number of factors including but not limited to; player’s history and preferred league level, your team’s form and reputation, manager reputation and the player’s need of ice time for his own development. ### Demands The players will have different demands in both salary and contract length depending on a great number of things; Player skill level, age, potential, expected impact at your team, player reputation, psychological profile, previous stats and performance all will influence the demands. If the player have been a free agent for a long time his salary demands might drop. The base salaries for the different leagues are: * Golden Hockey League (GHL) - $2.000.000 * Silver Hockey League (SHL) - $500.000 * Bronze Hockey League (BHL) - $150.000 * Copper Hockey League (CHL) - $50.000 * Iron Hockey League (IHL) - $25.000 * Lower Iron Hockey League (LIHL) - $12.500 ### Releasing a player As a last resort for moving an unwanted player is to release him from his contract. But this won’t be without penalty. Half his salary will be locked against your salary cap for the remainder of his contract. Note that a lower league contract is excepted from this rule. You will find any cap penalties on the Team info tab on your Team page. ### Promoted or relegated If a team is promoted or relegated this will affect the players contracts. If a team is promoted and the player doesn’t have a Promotion contract he will keep his current contract but it will now be labeled as a lower league contract since the contract terms was signed for a lower league level. See more below. If a team is relegated and the player doesn’t have a One way contract he will follow the team downward the league levels and will keep his current contract. But his salary will now be recalculated so it keeps the same percentage against the new league’s salary cap. E.g. if the player’s salary was 10% of the former salary cap his new salary will be 10% of the new lower league’s salary cap level. The salary will consequently be decreased quite a bit. But he will automatically get a Promotion contract and a One way contract clause to get a chance to restore some of his old salary and prevent him from being relegated once more. All the above doesn’t apply for players with a lower league contract. ### Lower league contract A lower league contract is a contract that was signed in a lower league than the player is currently playing in. That means that the contract terms is probably poor for the current league standards and the player might be unhappy about this. If the player has a lower league contract this will be displayed on the Transfer tab on the Player page. There are also some special rules that applies for lower league contracts. These contracts is without penalty when releasing the player. Also the player won’t get his salary decreased if the team is relegated. This will apply until the player is back to the same league level as the one he signed the contract in.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Non playable leagues Outside the current competition each game world contains a total of 26 non playable leagues from 14 different countries in Europe and North America. To view all leagues just visit the World page and choose the Leagues tab. ### Teams in non playable leagues Each league will display the top teams playing in the league. As default non playable teams will contain a roster of players that is locked only to that specific team. But these teams will also sign and improve their roster with free agents which will lead to a greater competition on the free agent market. Players playing in these teams will both train and gain experience from playing games just as if they played on any other team. ### Sign players from non playable teams During Silly Season players on non playable teams may be approached and offered a contract for direct transfer. If they accept the offer the player is signed without cost, just like a free agent. But during the season players can’t be approached. Players with outgoing contracts may be approached once the regular season ended, if the accept then they will join the team next season. ### Junior leagues Almost all countries in the game also have a junior league for players below 18 years of age. Those players can not be signed or offered a contract. Junior players can only be accessed through the yearly youth draft.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Manager absence If a manager is absent from game play he or she will eventually lose control of the team(s). ### Manager put on holiday After seven day of absence the manager will be put on holiday status. That means that the assistant manager (computer) will take control of the team. The assistant manager will act in benefit of the team and replace injured or tired players in lineup. But he may also make trades, sign free agents and release players if he think it will benefit the team. Once the manager logs back in the holiday will end and the human manager is once again in control. ### Manager fired! If a manager won’t return from his holiday within another seven days (total 14 days of absence) the manager will get fired and released from the team. That means that the team is now available for sign up for any new managers joining the game. The manager is then unemployed and may choose a new team and game world the next time he or she logs in. The manager reputation and stats are of course kept. Please note that any subscription will not be canceled automatically when a user is fired from his/hers teams.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Leagues The main competition contains six playable leagues, all in a straight hierarchy where the top league is GHL and the bottom league is LIHL. Each league is divided in two conferences; East and West with 14 teams in each conference making a total of 28 teams in each league. Depending on the league a certain number of teams will qualify for promotions, playoffs and relegations when the season end. See details for each league below. ### Regular season A total of 80 games is played during the regular season. Teams will face opponents four times within the own conference and two times outside their own conference. The complete game schedule is found on the league page and the schedule tab. You can also find each teams own schedule on the team page. ### Playoffs All playoff series are played best of five games where the winner is decided after winning three games. That means that no more games will be played in a series once a team has won its three games. You can find and follow the playoffs through a bracket found on the league page and the playoffs tab. ### Promotions and relegations See the exact rules for each league further down. #### Direct promotions Teams may be promoted solely based on league position. Usually the top two teams get promoted this way. No playoffs needed. #### Promotion playoffs Teams that didn’t get direct promotion may still be promoted through the promotion playoffs. The promotion playoffs is played within each conference meaning that there will be no final between East and West conference. The winners in each conference will both be promoted. #### Relegation playoffs Some of the bottom teams may have to qualify to remain in the league. The relegation playoffs is, like the promotion playoffs, played within each conference. The loser in the relegation playoff series will be relegated and the winner will remain in the current league. #### Direct relegations The bottom teams are automatically relegated and will play in the league below next season. ### Golden Hockey League - GHL{{Golden Hockey League,GHL}} The GHL is the top league in the game. #### Info * League level: 1 * Status: Super Elite * Salary cap: $71.500.000 * Base salary: $2.000.000 * Typical overall: 80-90 * Tradable leagues: GHL, SHL * Promotion league: - * Relegation league: SHL #### Standings * 1st to 8th: Golden Cup Playoffs * 9th and 10th: Safe * 11th and 12th: Relegation playoffs * 13th and 14th: Direct relegation #### The Golden Cup This is what it's all about - to win the Golden Cup! Top eight teams in each conference qualify for the Golden Cup which is played in a total of four rounds; 1st round, 2nd round, conference final and lastly the Golden Cup final. The final is played versus the best teams in the eastern and western conference. ### Silver Hockey League - SHL{{Silver Hockey League,SHL}} The SHL is the second highest league in the game. #### Info * League level: 2 * Status: Elite * Salary cap: $21.500.000 * Base salary: $500.000 * Typical overall: 75-80 * Tradable leagues: GHL, SHL, BHL * Promotion league: GHL * Relegation league: BHL #### Standings * 1st and 2nd: Direct promotion * 3rd to 6th: Promotion playoffs * 7th to 10th: Safe * 11th and 12th: Relegation playoffs * 13th and 14th: Direct relegation ### Bronze Hockey League - BHL{{Bronze Hockey League,BHL}} The BHL is the third highest league in the game. #### Info * League level: 3 * Status: Professional * Salary cap: $6.450.000 * Base salary: $150.000 * Typical overall: 70-75 * Tradable leagues: SHL, BHL, CHL * Promotion league: SHL * Relegation league: CHL #### Standings * 1st and 2nd: Direct promotion * 3rd to 6th: Promotion playoffs * 7th to 10th: Safe * 11th and 12th: Relegation playoffs * 13th and 14th: Direct relegation ### Copper Hockey League - CHL{{Copper Hockey League}} The CHL is the fourth league in the game. #### Info * League level: 4 * Status: Professional * Salary cap: $2.150.000 * Base salary: $50.000 * Typical overall: 65-70 * Tradable leagues: BHL, CHL, IHL * Promotion league: BHL * Relegation league: IHL #### Standings * 1st and 2nd: Direct promotion * 3rd to 6th: Promotion playoffs * 7th to 10th: Safe * 11th and 12th: Relegation playoffs * 13th and 14th: Direct relegation ### Iron Hockey League - IHL{{Iron Hockey League,IHL}} The IHL is the fifth league in the game. #### Info * League level: 5 * Status: Semi Professional * Salary cap: $1.075.000 * Base salary: $25.000 * Typical overall: 60-65 * Tradable leagues: CHL, IHL, LIHL * Promotion league: CHL * Relegation league: LIHL #### Standings * 1st and 2nd: Direct promotion * 3rd to 6th: Promotion playoffs * 7th and 8th: Safe * 9th to 12th: Relegation playoffs * 13th and 14th: Direct relegation ### Lower Iron Hockey League - LIHL{{Lower Iron Hockey League,LIHL}} The LIHL is the sixth and lowest league in the game. #### Info * League level: 6 * Status: Semi Professional * Salary cap: $537.500 * Base salary: $12.500 * Typical overall: 55-60 * Tradable leagues: IHL, LIHL * Promotion league: IHL * Relegation league: - #### Standings * 1st and 2nd: Direct promotion * 3rd to 10th: Promotion playoffs * 11th and 14th: Safe ## Salary cap The total salaries of a team may never exceed the current league’s salary cap limit. The current salary cap situation is displayed on the Team info tab on the Team page. The current salary cap limits is as of today: * Golden Hockey League (GHL) - $71.500.000 * Silver Hockey League (SHL) - $21.500.000 * Bronze Hockey League (BHL) - $6.450.000 * Copper Hockey League (CHL) $2.150.000 * Iron Hockey League (IHL) - $1.075.000 * Lower Iron Hockey League (LIHL) - $537.500 Salary cap information is displayed for the current season and for the next for each team. This information contains the following: * Salaries - The sum of current efficient salaries on the team * Pending - The sum of salaries for players joining the team next season * Locked - Penalties for releasing players before the contract has ended * Current contract offers - The sum of all current contract offers * Current trade offers - The estimated salary cap impact of the current trade offers * Current waiver claims - The sum of all current waiver claims * Confirmed space - Confirmed space under the salary cap * Eligible space - Available space for new contract offers and trading * Estimated space - Estimated space under the salary cap including all current contract and trade offers.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## IR Teams have the possibility to place injured players on the injured reserve list. By doing so the player’s salary will not be counted against the team’s salary cap. This will allow the team to either recall a player from the affiliate or to sign a replacement from the free agent list. All players assigned to the injured reserve list must spend a minimum of 5 days on the list before being activated. Once the player is healthy he must be activated within another 5 days else he will be eligible for waivers (see below). ## Waivers In order to free cap space teams may place up to 3 players on waivers. Waived players will not count their salary against the team’s salary cap and they will not be able to play games for the team while being placed on the waivers. All waived players are available for free transfer to any other team who are willing to acquire the player’s contract. Any interested team have the possibility to put in a claim for the player. If more than one team puts in a claim then a lottery will decide which team gets the player. The worse the league position the better the chance in the lottery. The lottery is held (and transfer) at the end of the next day after the first claim. Waived players are only available for claim to a team that also would be eligible to trade for the player. All waived players may be found on the transfer page by selecting the Find players tab. Players with entry level contracts can not be waived.

Updated October 28, 2019 ## Affiliate teams Affiliate teams are teams to where you can assign players who is not good enough for your starting lineup. This way they will get the ice time they need to develop their ratings. Only players with two-way contracts can be assigned to an affiliate. ### Affiliate leagues Affiliate teams play in one of the American affiliate leagues; AAHL, AAHL 2 or AAHL 3. Not all teams in those leagues have to be an affiliate. It’s well reputated leagues and even the affiliate teams may sign their own players to boost their roster. You can browse the affiliate leagues by visiting the World page and choose the Leagues tab. You’ll find the American Affiliate Leagues below the regular leagues based in both the US and Canada. ### Eligible league levels Which affiliate league that is available for your affiliate team is depending on your team’s league level. * GHL & SHL -> AAHL * BHL & CHL -> AAHL 2 * IHL & LIHL -> AAHL 3 ### Edit your affiliate Affiliate teams are always placed in the same city as your current team. Team name and colors can not be changed at this point. ### Assign and recall players To assign or recall a player to an affiliate use the action menu on that player’s page. The player will be assigned or recalled immediately. Note that only player with two way contracts (not having the one way contract clause) may be assigned to an affiliate. ### Two way contracts - salary impact When a player is assigned to an affiliate only a 10th of the player’s salary is counted for against your team’s salary cap. That means that you will create more space for new signings when assigning players to affiliates. ### Affiliate team tactics, training and lineup Your affiliate teams will use the same tactics and training as your own team. That means that your assigned players will develop accordingly to your strategy. But you can’t influence the affiliate team’s lineup. The affiliate will use the best available lineup which means that it might pick its own players over your assigned ones. However, affiliate teams know their role so they won’t be as likely to sign as many players as other non playable teams. ### Promotion or relegation If your team promotes or relegates the eligible affiliate leagues for your team may change. In that case, you will lose the affiliate that you no longer are eligible for and a new one will be created for you in your new affiliate league level. ### Affiliate players and transactions You can trade players that currently is assigned to an affiliate just like any other player on your team. But when trading for such players note that the whole salary of that player will count against your salary cap and not just a 10th. Affiliate assigned players included in a trade will not automatically be assigned to the other team’s affiliate. They will have to be assigned manually by the manager. If you target a free agent to assign to your affiliate please note that they will arrive on your main roster before they can be assigned. That mean, that you have to afford the whole player’s salary on your team and not only the 10th when offering him a two-way contract. ### Displaying affiliate assignments on your roster As default all assignments will be hidden from your regular roster (centers, forwards, defence and goalies) and moved to an aggregated list just above your prospects. But if you’d like you can keep all assigned players in your regular roster by using the roster setting found on your manager page and action menu option settings.

Sure, endurance is always trained regardless of type. So it doesn't matter if you're choosing offensive or defensive training. When it comes to Spirit it's like the other ratings, it depends on what tactics you are using. But you could say that spirit is more commonly used in defensive tactics than in offensive tactics. So if you're not using Dump and chase I would go for defensive type of training if you want to improve the spirit rating. But the biggest impact on player development is for the player to play games, with a lot of ice time and performing well. The player will then develop the attributes required from your current tactic and the current assigned role.