Wild Card Rule

This is a unique OHC post-season step designed to help GMs to get, or keep their local star players.

• Each OHC team gets 1 wild card per season, which can be used on one of the available actions.
• The actions are called by the GMs publicly, in a dedicated PM thread, during the Wild Card window.
• Not all actions are always available to each team – this brings extra strategy options to OHC.

THE PROCESS – WILD CARD WINDOW

1. Wild card window starts immediately after the draft lottery
   • Trade freeze – all trades are forbidden until the wild card window is over
   • No drafting until the wild card window is over
     
2. Wild card actions are called one-by-one by the GMs, according to the order determined by the draft lottery
   • The team winning the draft lottery calls first, etc…
   • Teams without 1st round draft pick call at the end (order as reversed rankings)
   • The teams with multiple 1st rounds pick still get only one Wild card (calling order according to the highest of them)
   • Each GM has up to 12 hours on the clock to make his call (unless asks for more time)
   • GMs can send their desired action in PM to the commissioner at any time before – so he can call the action for them
   • If GM calls no action in 12 hours, the commissioner makes the call according to the best interest of the team
     
3. After the actions are called, the commissioner makes the changes during or shortly after the wild card window
   • If draft protection is called, the commissioner moves that draft pick to the top and picks the protected player
   • If the team owns multiple 1st round picks, the protection is used with the highest of them
     
4. Once the wild card window is over, all the protected players are already assigned and the normal draft can begin
   • All teams are now free to trade and free to draft anyone without restrictions
     

WILD CARD ACTIONS

Not all Wild card actions are available to each team every season. The commissioner usually posts a hints article with the best options for each team. Also, GMs may improve their Wild card options via trade.

A. DRAFT PROTECTION

• If a team owns a current 1st round draft pick, GM can protect one local player in the upcoming draft.
• That means the team will use the draft pick & wild card to get a local star player before the other teams with a better draft position could pick him.
• The protected player can be a rookie with attributes or a prospect but has to be the same nationality as the team (double nationals are ok too).
  

B. ATTRIBUTE FIX

• Can update one young player’s attributes based on RealEvo.
• A list of eligible players will be provided each season by the commissioner. To become eligible:
  • The RealEvo version has to be minimum +7PO better
  • The OHC version has to be maximum 25 years old & PO<88 (goalies up to 30y).
• The new attributes are created using 80% / 20% formula + simulation of the virtualEvo (age difference).
  • The Player’s salary stays the same, T2 contract length is set to 1 year after fixing (no options).
    

C. NATURALIZATION

• Can add 2nd nationality to one foreign player – so he doesn’t count as a foreigner anymore. Eligible only if the player:
  • a) played minimum 4 seasons in his new country and has never represented his country of birth (consecutive seasons, min 41 games)
  • b) played minimum 6 seasons in his new country if he has represented his country of birth before (at World cup, Olympics, World Champ.)
• Small nations can have up to 3, big nations max 1 naturalized player per team (count stands until they retire in OHC).
  

D. LOCAL HERO

• Can re-sign one local T3 player to avoid FA market – no matter if his agent wants to negotiate or not (can also trade for such player).
• GM can choose the contract length during the Wild card window: 1, 2, or 3 years (no team or player options).
• The new salary is calculated with OV x 75000$ formula, the player receives NTC (for the first season).
  

E. FRANCHISE TAG

• Can receive a 25% contract discount for one local player under a valid contract (can be recently signed or older contract, but no FAs).
• The contract length is reduced to 1year (no options) and the player receives NTC.
  

TO ENSURE FAIR PLAY: ANY UNEXPECTED CASES & EXCEPTIONS ARE HANDLED BY THE COMMISSIONER & TC

Example: season 6 Wild card round