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ACapitalChicago · 09-21-2022, 11:13 AM

The Simulation Major Junior Hockey League has changed dramatically in its lifespan, and the most recent seasons are no exception. One notable change is how Free Agency has evolved for the SMJHL.

After some 64 long seasons of normalcy, SMJHL HO changed how Free Agency worked for the SMJHL. In the past, if a player created after the SMJHL Entry Draft but before the Trade Deadline they would be considered a Free Agent. This player would be able to sign with any team they wanted to at the deadline of typically the day after the day they were approved, at around noon. The system was just called “Free Agency” during its time but came to be informally known as the “Wild West” system as SMJHL HO looked at changing things. While this enabled the most possible player agency, this also often resulted in disproportionate amounts of players going to a select number of teams. After numerous requests by J GMs, SMJHL HO began two seasons worth of tests to new potential Free Agency processes.

In Season 65 the SMJHL tried a new process called “Player based waivers”. For this system players who created as free agents would enter a waiver wire comprised of teams in reverse regular season standings from the previous season, and teams could attempt to claim players 24H after their approval. All players would be signable to the same $1M cap hit with an additional $2M bonus to the players. Successful claims resulted in the team dropping to the bottom of the order for all future attempted claims. This system resulted in a far greater number of teams claiming FAs. This system was not without its own flaws, however. If multiple players created shortly after each other then this hampered the ability of teams to claim the specific player they wanted in the order they wanted. In a hypothetical scenario that occurred similarly in reality many times, imagine that two players create at 12:00pm and 12:30pm respectively. Now say a team is 3rd in the claims order and wants at least one of the two players, but specifically wants the player at 12:30pm. The team can put in a claim solely for the player at 12:30pm, but this runs the risk of them not receiving any player if the 12:00pm claim is processed without their claim on it, and then the 1st or 2nd team in the order claims the 12:30pm player. The team might attempt to claim the 12:00pm player then to attempt to guarantee getting at least one, assuming the 1st or 2nd teams don’t take the player. But, if they successfully claim the 12:00pm player, then they have a far lesser chance of claiming their originally desired 12:30pm player. Overall, this system was viewed as an improvement by some while still needing some improvements itself.

In Season 66, another new system was tried. This one was like Player Based Waivers and was called “Team Based Waivers”. This new process also resulted in players who created as free agents being sent through a waiver wire to be claimed, but specifically had a set deadline where all claims would be processed. Thus, for this system, a player approved could be claimed by teams immediately after their approval, and the claims would be processed at the set deadline of 4pm EST, still in the same order of waivers. Now, in the example, the hypothetical team could list their claims in the preferred order and have them processed in that order. If they said they wish to claim player 2 and then player 1, should player 2 be there at the deadline while they were top of the order of teams to claim the player, then the team would claim them. This system is the one still in use today and will be the standard for the foreseeable future.

Free Agency is a wild beast that creates many opportunities for many different players. The names that it has seen have been incredible players, and the systems through which they’ve gone have evolved over time. Hopefully we don't need to see any more systemic changes to it in the near future.

S66 Damian Littleton

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*CptSquall* · 09-22-2022, 10:45 PM

Approved, +5 TPE to @ACapitalChicago

gordieboom · 09-25-2022, 12:38 PM

Good read.

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