The SWHL is a simulation of real world junior hockey in the Western Hockey League. Participants become the GM's and owner of a franchise within the league and manage their franchise as the WHL GM's would. General Managers are responsible for all aspects of their franchise, including player administration. The SWHL is an STHS based 22 team league.

The Simulated Western Hockey League (SWHL) operates using the SIMON T Hockey Simulator (STHS). To participate, you will need a copy of the GM Client program (free). Please install the V3 of the Client software onto your computer.
At the conclusion of each day’s games, a new league file is produced.  The GM will download the league file which will be on the left hand side of our webpage. Right click, then save as.
 
Once the league file is downloaded, you will open the GM Client. Click on FileàOpenàSWHL1.stc (wherever you downloaded it to be saved).
 
From here, you will click on your team to make changes. The first screen will allow you to make changes to your e-mail address and messenger ID (if you have one). The roster tab will allow you to adjust your roster. The lines tab will allow you to set your lines for upcoming games. The save to file tab will save a .shl file where you instruct it to be saved (I prefer my desktop to keep it all together).
 
I prefer to download the Client and the league file to my desktop just so they are both in the same place.

Once you’re done making your roster promotions and demotions, and you’ve adjusted your lines where necessary, you will save your file. You should then see a box come up that says “would you like to save your team file via FTP as set up by your commissioner”. Click yes and your files will automatically be sent in for the next simulation.

 

*New to the league for the 2024-2025 season and beyond. You can now use the new SWHL website at:  https://swhl.sths.ca to update your rosters and or lines directly from the website, in lieu of using the client 


General Manager Summary

As a GM in the SWHL there are certain duties that you are expected to regularly perform. These duties include: sending in lines, making trades to improve your team, participating in drafts, etc. If a GM frequently does not live up to these duties, then they are subject to dismissal. Franchises can be taken away at anytime for failure to care for their teams, failure to answer emails and for not responding to trade offers within 72 hours regardless of the quality of the offer, financial incompetence, cheating, or any other factors that are deemed unacceptable. It is expected that all participants in the SWHL to be respectful to each other and be actively involved to make the SWHL an enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

Trading

- Trades may involve players, prospects and draft picks. The League offices will not rule on any external factors unless sufficient proof of wrong doing is provided. Once a trade is finalized, it is assumed that the GMs involved in the deal have full knowledge of the status of the traded players including current WHL status.
- Trades made will be made via the "trade online" dropdown feature on the leagues home page.

- The League Commissioner reserves the right to veto any trade if it is believed not to be in the best interest of the league such as a grossly unbalanced deal. In most cases, the commissioner will select a random 3 GM committee with no bias towards the teams involved to determine final outcome of the trade in question. GM's may contact the commissioner with a trade committee review with-in 24 hours of the posted trade. 
- Trading deadline is set at approximately the 75% mark of the season. No trades will be permitted after that mark.

- GM's are required to have a minimum of two draft picks per draft.
- Trades are processed AFTER games are played.

- Import draft picks and Free Agent draft picks are not tradable, only amateur draft picks can be traded.

Free Agency

- Free agency is done through the free agent draft three times per year, once in the offseason, then usually around 1/3 and 2/3 of the way throughout the season, but this can be subject to change.  The free agent draft will be held on Slack under the #fadraft tab. The draft order will be determined by reverse order of current standings. Picks in the free agent draft are not tradable, and teams may pass if they do not wish to select any players.

–GM’s will need to make sure they have open roster spots prior to the draft, as teams will not be able to draft if a selection would put them over the required roster size.

 

 

Overage Players

-Just like in the WHL, players cannot play past their 20 year old season. Each team will be allowed a maximum of 3 “overagers”. An overager is considered any player in their 20 year old season. If a team has more than 3 overage players past the specified deadline, the commissioner will be forced to release one of the team’s overage players without notice. After each year, all 20 year old players will retire from the SWHL.

* EXEMPTION: Teams will be allowed to carry a 4th overager until the October 1st deadline. You may only have 3 on your active roster at any given time, but the overagers may be rotated in and out of your line up until the deadline.

-The 4th overager MUST be scratched on your game day roster. If anyone is caught playing 4 overagers in a game, the team will automatically lose its top rated overager to free agency.

-In the event one of your overagers is suspended due to playing at the professional level, that player will count as one of your 4 overagers.

- October 1st every team carrying 4 overagers must make a decision and release one of them to become roster compliant.

                                                                                               

 

Import Players

-As in the WHL, each team is allowed a maximum of 3 Import players. If a GM has more than 3 European born players on its roster past the specified deadline, the commissioner will be forced to release one of the teams European players without notice. If a Import player is also a overager, that player will be taking up both a “Import spot” and a “Overage” spot .

*Starting in the 2025-2026 season, there will no longer be exemptions handed out to carry an additional import. All teams can now carry 3 imports at all times. 

- If the imported player leaves the WHL to go back over seas, he is still eligible to play in the SWHL. The player will only get suspended if he is playing at the professional level in North America.

 *NEW Import Alumni Rule: Starting in 2019, All imports that have left the WHL (or entered via import draft and did not play) for 1 full season, will be retired from the SWHL the following season. 

 

Import Draft

Each offseason there will be an import draft held on slack via the #importdraft tab. The import draft will be two rounds. Draft order will be determined by reverse order of the previous season’s final standings. You may pass if you do not need to add to the number of imports on your current roster.

-Import picks are not tradable.

 

Roster Restrictions

-A team’s active game night roster must consist of a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 26 players including scratched players. A minimum of 4 centers, 4 left wings and 4 right wings; a minimum of 6 defensemen; and a minimum of 2 goaltenders are required. A teams overall roster can reach 32 players (only a maximum of 26 active for each game). The overall roster must include a minimum of 5 Left Wings, 5 Right Wings, 5 Centers, 8 Defenseman and 3 goalies. Sending in lines regularly will ensure that you remain in compliance with this rule. Failure to comply with the minimum roster requirements will result in a loss of draft picks and could lead to termination if the problem becomes chronic.
-Goaltenders minutes will be capped at 3,500minutes.  Once a goaltender reaches 3,500 minutes he will be disqualified until the playoffs.  Naturally, if a goaltender is at 3,449 minutes he will still be qualified to start and finish the teams next game which will put him over the 3,500 minutes, but will be removed at the end of that contest

-Each GM will be responsible for managing their roster by WHL guidelines. -Maximum of 3 import players. - Maximum of 3 Overage players.

    *(Expansion teams will be able to carry 4 overagers their first season in the SWHL)

-Players that leave the WHL for the professional level and play in atleast 1 professional game in north america, including NHL, AHL  or ECHL, will be suspended from the SWHL for as long as they are not currently playing for their WHL team. SWHL teams will still hold the players rights but they will not be allowed to be active. They will count towards your roster cap of 32 players as well as a OA or import spot if that is the case. These players will need to play 1 game in the WHL in order to be re-activated. 

-Players should never be listed on your roster in the farm section. All players need to be listed on your pro roster, either in the “line-up” or “scratched” .

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-* If a Team loses an import or overage player to suspension after the trade deadline and final free agent draft of the season, the league will then allow that team to release the “suspended” player and sign a like player from free agency.

-* Rosters will be locked in after the final game of the regular season. If a player leaves for the professional level after this time, no suspension will be enforced though the length of the postseason.  

 

 

Releasing a player

You may release a player at any time during the season. You can do this by posting the player(s) that you would like removed from your team on the #PlayerRelease channel on Slack. They will be removed after simulation of the next night’s games. Please note that you must be under the Roster limit of 32 players at all times. You may need to release players before each draft is held.

-players released will go to the free agent list and be available in the leagues next free agent draft.

 

Position Changes

-Teams are allowed unlimited position changes. A position change must come with proof of the real-life players position that you would like to change him to, and cannot put your team out of roster compliance. When requesting a position change to the commissioner, you must also email a link to a major website showing proof of the position you wish to change your player to. An example would be www.whl.ca , www.eliteprospects.com or www.hockeydb.com. All can be used for players position guidelines.

 

 

Player Re-creates

-Every month, each GM is allowed to re-rate 2 players on its roster. This is the GM’s responsibility to post their candidates each month on the #Re-Create channel on Slack. Re-creates will be accepted the first week of each month. There will be no negotiating or arguing a players re-rate, once the player has been re-rated it is final, you can accept or decline the re-rate. Although, if the player a GM nominates gets worse on a recreate, that player reverts back to its pre-recreate ratings, and you do not get to nominate another player in its place.         

        * Both skaters and goalies must have a minimum of 20 games played (including playoffs) during the current season to qualify for a re-create.

       * There is no limit on how often a player can be re-created

       * The players re-create will be based off a formula using the players current seasonal stats. Career WHL stats will also be used to factor in final ratings.

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Amatuer Entry Draft

-The amatuer draft will take place each offseason and will be performed via the Slack webpage under the #amatuerdraft tab. All GM’s are strongly recommended to attend the amatuer draft as it is a critical aspect of managing your team. An alternative to attending if you absolutely cannot make it, would be to fill out a draft list for another GM or the commissioner to draft for you. The amatuer draft order will be determined by reverse order of the final standings of the recently completed season.

*These draft picks are tradable.
 

STHS Client

-One of the requirements of being a General Manager in the SWHL is using the STHS Client file (GM Editor) to make roster moves, adjust lines and assign captains.
With every update done by the league, STHS creates a 'league file' which is uploaded to the website and GMs can download to their computers and open with the STHS Client. That file (SWHL team files) can be found on the SWHL homepage. 
Once a GM has downloaded and extracted the league file, they may open it in the STHS Client.
Once the file is opened, a GM can double-click on their team name which brings them to the team information window.
First a GM should ensure their roster is complete by clicking 'Roster'.
In the 'Roster' screen you can scratch players and assign your captains.  Your changes will be saved when you click 'Exit'.
By clicking 'Lines' the 'Lines' window opens up and you can adjust your lines, adjust your coaching strategy and decide when you want your goalie to be pulled.
* Note - A team may adjust lines for multiple days by scrolling through the arrows at the top left of the 'Lines' dialogue.
Click 'Exit' to save your changes.  If you receive a lines error message, your lines may not be saved and you'll have to go in and redo them correctly.

*NEW in 2024- GMs may now use the website for adjusting their rosters and lines. The client is still needed for certain actions, but day to day line adjustments can now be done directly from the website.


Lines

A GM may adjust their lines as often as they see fit using the STHS Client (GM Editor). Lines must always consist of a minimum of 20 healthy players including 2 goalies dressed and active.
When an injury, suspension, trade or other roster move has occurred that changes a team's starting line-up the GM needs to submit a fresh set of lines.  When these moves are not made by a GM, STHS may do it automatically.

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*EXPANSION

- The SWHL will expand to 23 teams for the 2025-2026 season when the league adds the Penticton Vee's to the SWHL.

- The SWHL will expand to 24 teams for the 2027-2028 season when the league adds Chilliwack to the SWHL.

 -The expansion teams will be allowed to carry 4 overagers for their initial season in the SWHL.

 -The expansion teams will slot into the #4 slot for the Amateur draft, Import Draft and FA Draft #1.

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Expansion Draft

- The expansion team will be allowed to select 1 player from each team in the league.

    - Each team is allowed to protect 7 forwards, 4 defenseman and 2 goalies.

            - The GM for each SWHL team must submit their protection list the commissioner by 6/1/2025

    - All players with a 2008 birth year and younger will automatically be protected and are not eligible to be drafted in the

Penticton Expansion Draft.

    - All players with a 2009 birth year and younger will automatically be protected and are not eligible to be drafted in the

Chilliwack Expansion Draft.

    - Trading will be open during the draft and can be substituted for making a selection from a team, if agreed upon by the      expansion team and their trade partner before the selection is set to be announced. 

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Situations Not Otherwise Specified:

            Any situation which may arise that are not covered under these rules or occur against the intent of the rules will be addressed by the commissioner.  The commissioner’s decision on the matter is final. 

 

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