The HFNHL's Unwritten "Spirit of Competition" Rule

[HFNHL Commish]

Gentlemen,

I'll make this short - on more than one occasion lately, it has come to my attention that there have been GMs that are benching or relegating to the 4th line some of their best players seemingly for no other reason than losing hockey games. This is patently unacceptable.

The HFNHL has always had an anti-tanking policy, even if it's an unwritten one. Everyone who's been around the league long enough knows this, and everyone with an ounce of common sense should be able to figure it out. In any sport, throwing games is unacceptable, no matter how bad you want draft position. You compete hard, and you lose fair and square.

I'm not in the business of telling people how to run their teams. If you bench a 70 OV player for a 65 OV player, you probably have your reasons. That's your prerogative. What I'm talking about are those blatant instances where healthy star players are benched in favor of scrubs.

Enough. No more. The anti-tanking policy has always been unwritten because, quite frankly, we should all know better. There are some things that just shouldn't have to be spelled out.

Don't push me on this - it won't work out in your favor.

Public service announcement over.

Matt Gledhill
HFNHL Commissioner

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[Fooladelfia]

My lines are always the best, It just really suck.

5 vs 5
Center Left Wing Right Wing Defense Defense
1 Tim Connolly Fredrik Modin Alexei Kovalev Anton Volchenkov Matt Greene
2 Rich Peverley Ryan Jones Robert Nilsson Cam Barker Mark Stuart
3 Rob Niedermayer T.J. Galiardi Aaron Johnson Boris Valabik Frederick Meyer
4 Brian Sutherby Erik Condra Teddy Purcell Anton Volchenkov Matt Greene

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Yeap, I am in next to last, but my best guys get the most ice time.

Tankers should give up their first round pick.

 

[Hossa]

Tankers should give up their first round pick.

I find it remarkable we still have to discuss this. There's no way any even-moderately experienced GM could pretend they thought it was acceptable to scratch their best players.

 

[Ohio Jones]

Tankers should give up their first round pick.

Tanking is unacceptable, period, and the penalty should be simple: you lose your team. Taking a pick just penalizes the incoming GM.

 

[Dryden]

wow! I just went through the team lines and yep I wonder how long he/ they? has been getting away with it.

As someone who has a terrible team but still tries to win every game I find this unfair. My top players play every game and log big minutes. You don't want your marquee players be it Ovechkin or Thomas then trade them to me I'll take them off your hands.

This is brutal. I could understand new GM's doing this but not guys in this long term.

 

[Wildman]

Tanking also affects team who are on playoff run. By sitting all the best players give the other team advantage over teams who are trying hard to make the playoffs. I know I would be pretty pissed off if I see the team I am chasing makes it to the playoffs because of someone was stupid enough to sit their best players.

 

[Hossa]

Tanking is unacceptable, period, and the penalty should be simple: you lose your team. Taking a pick just penalizes the incoming GM.

Agreed.

It's disrespectful to the league and its GMs.

 

[Fooladelfia]

Don't understand why gm's to that?? It's like acting like a kid. They should be penalized by points by ranks of draft or just trade me Ovechkin or Frolov they are to Philadelphia

 

[Fooladelfia]

Yeap, I am in next to last, but my best guys get the most ice time.

Tankers should give up their first round pick.

Yes and they should give them to the worst team LOL

 

[Hossa]

Scratches
Robert Lang (Healthy), Radek Martinek (Healthy), Tim Thomas (Healthy)?????

Wrong example.

Lang's 96 health rating suggests he is coming off an injury, Martinek is understandable as a scratch, and Thomas has played a ton for the Rags this year, who are fighting for a playoff spot and on a huge roll right now.

 

[Fooladelfia]

Wrong example.

Lang's 96 health rating suggests he is coming off an injury, Martinek is understandable as a scratch, and Thomas has played a ton for the Rags this year, who are fighting for a playoff spot and on a huge roll right now.

Didnt see the 96 in health sorry and it's true that Thomas play alot of games for the Rangers. My bad. And apologize to the Rangers gm.

 

[Dryden]

Hurricanes

Scratches
Alexander Frolov (Healthy), Joffrey Lupul (Healthy), Jed Ortmeyer (Healthy), Alex Ovechkin (Healthy), Dainius Zubrus (Healthy)
???????????????????????????

Might want to dig a little deeper and look at who he has started in 35 games in net. Are you freaking kidding me.

Seriously I think its time for him to go

 

[kasper11]

Goalie Name GP W L OTL PCT GAA MP PIM SO GA SA A EG PS % PSA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Mannino (CAR) 35 6 16 4 .844 4.82 1420 6 1 114 733 0 0 .500 18
Rick DiPietro (CAR) 22 3 8 2 .916 2.55 919 0 0 39 464 0 0 .600 5
Jason Bacashihua (CAR) 8 3 4 0 .869 3.33 451 0 0 25 191 0 0 .000 0



****??? Peter Mannino(R) he's the man in Carolina that's too much

Maybe he is gunning for realism? Do you think that DP can play more than 22 games?

 

[Dryden]

it's the same argument that was brought up when L.A was starting a goalie other than Ward.

What Dion is doing should either be punished or he should be removed from the league. This is not the first time he's tried to pull a fast one on the league.

Don't tell me he has the right to do what he wants with his team. Because if that's the case you will not want to see what I do.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Yes and they should give them to the worst team LOL

My brotha!

 

[Canuck09]

Stealing a word from one of Zachs previous trade block posts (I think) I vote we youthanize offending GMs!

 

[Default101]

well the last incident i remember was free agency when he signed about 40 RFA's to 990 contracts and handcuffed alot of teams, which personally i think each team should be limited to offering contracts to a max of 4 RFA's where no compensation is required.. ones where you gotta give picks, go nuts if you got 10 3rd rounders, but not in that situation..

As for this, i've noticed certain tanking instances at one point or another this season. I'm very frustrated and feel like the leafs i'm always 7th-10th in the draft, and i honestly believe every year there's a little bit of features here. I know those that know me, know i'm competitive and just don't have it in me to tank, as a matter of fact i made a fairly decent push for Jarome Iginla recently.

Personally i would say the 1st round pick should be moved to either 14th or 30th depending on a first offence, but it takes a quick look at goalie stats to see who's really putting forward an effort to tank.

Don't tell my players this, but i feel kinda relieved when i lose this season.. but at the same time i want to put forward the best team i can, and if i deal comes forward that i feel can make me better for the future i'll take it, even if it does make my team better now.. Tanking is unacceptable.

 

[HFNHLOilers]

Ya I'm always paying attention to my team whenever there are injuries I'm alway replaceing them and making sure I'm up on things. I'm trying to stay competative each game. I've played Delauriers anit more than I maybe should put he's played well for me so it's not like I'm playing him to Lose the game

 

[MatthewFlames]

Lang's 96 health rating suggests he is coming off an injury, Martinek is understandable as a scratch, and Thomas has played a ton for the Rags this year, who are fighting for a playoff spot and on a huge roll right now.

It's actually really easy to tell whats going on with a roster. The transactions file keeps tabs on every move. If you follow the 'Canes you can see that for their last four days they haven't changed their lines. You can also see that the last time their lines were changed

[2010-03-05 23:24] - Successfully loaded Hurricanes lines.
[2010-03-05 23:24] - Ashton Rome of Hurricanes was sent to pro.
[2010-03-05 23:24] - Brodie Dupont of Hurricanes was sent to pro.

The same can be said for the Rangers - which further exonerates Sean. His latest lines changes are an auto.

[2010-03-05 23:25] - Auto Lines Function has been run for Rangers.
[2010-03-05 23:25] - Auto Roster Function has been run for Rangers.
[2010-03-05 23:25] - Chad Johnson of Rangers was sent to pro.

You can also see why Thomas is out from the day before.

[2010-03-04 23:20] - Tim Thomas from Rangers injured (Exhaustion)

With Martinek too.

[2010-02-20 08:45] - Game 515 - Radek Martinek from Rangers is injured (Chest/Ribs) and is out for 3 weeks

 

[Dryden]

Sean is obviously not the problem. He's competing for a playoff spot and it would just not make any sense for him to tank.

Dion on the other hand....well I'll let you figure that one out

 

[Vagrant]

Should this be taken to anonymous league vote? I feel the implications of this intentional losing should be handled with precedent establishing manner. I am by no means a "run for the pitchforks", kind of guy.... but this type of thing really does violate the spirit of the league. I think for that reason alone, Carolina's first round pick should be automatically dropped from Top 3 status, or lottery eligibility, down to 4th overall. Something. Anything needs to be done to express the severity of this matter.

 

[Wildman]

I guess the minimum OV does not work afterall. I feel betrayed by seeing that a team with full of AHL is getting more fans on seat than league leading Eastern Division team There must be something wrong with the SIM and how it allocates attendance.

 

[Default101]

Should this be taken to anonymous league vote? I feel the implications of this intentional losing should be handled with precedent establishing manner. I am by no means a "run for the pitchforks", kind of guy.... but this type of thing really does violate the spirit of the league. I think for that reason alone, Carolina's first round pick should be automatically dropped from Top 3 status, or lottery eligibility, down to 4th overall. Something. Anything needs to be done to express the severity of this matter.

But what happens in a year like.. when you had doughty, pietrangelo, bogosian, schenn.. would you drop that pick to 6th overall? If we're going to set a precedent then it should probably be a set one, a drop from 3 to 4 then would have meant you didn't get your choice between Bogosian/Pietrangelo.. not a big loss..

I'd say drop it to 30 in the 1st round, or at least last among teams that miss the playoffs..

Gudbranson/Kabanov/Gormley/Connolly are all very good prospects to gain when taking even if you aren't in the Hall/Seguin/Fowler running.. and even then if someone at 3 isn't a big fan of fowler, carolina could just trade 4th and something to move up to 3 so it would be like it didn't happen anyways.. i think more than dropping one spot in the draft needs to be done here personally.

 

[Ohio Jones]

But what happens in a year like.. when you had doughty, pietrangelo, bogosian, schenn.. would you drop that pick to 6th overall? If we're going to set a precedent then it should probably be a set one, a drop from 3 to 4 then would have meant you didn't get your choice between Bogosian/Pietrangelo.. not a big loss..

I'd say drop it to 30 in the 1st round, or at least last among teams that miss the playoffs..

Gudbranson/Kabanov/Gormley/Connolly are all very good prospects to gain when taking even if you aren't in the Hall/Seguin/Fowler running.. and even then if someone at 3 isn't a big fan of fowler, carolina could just trade 4th and something to move up to 3 so it would be like it didn't happen anyways.. i think more than dropping one spot in the draft needs to be done here personally.

Again I think punishing the team is unnecessary -- simply remove the GM. The incoming GM won't be handcuffed by the consequences of the outgoing GM's action, and life goes on.