Gambler's Dynasty

Memorandum of Understanding

To: GDL General Managers
Date: October 7, 2021
Re: Gamblers’ Dynasty Fantasy Hockey League – 2022-2026

This Memorandum of Understanding (the “MOU”) will govern the terms of the Gamblers’ Dynasty Fantasy Hockey League from the 2021-2022 NHL Season through to the 2025-2026 NHL Season.

ARTICLE 1: GENERAL TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

References in the MOU to the singular shall be considered to include the plural as the context requires, and vice versa.

The following Definitions shall apply to the MOU:

1. “Active GDL Defenceman” means a defenceman that is on a Team, but is not currently on the IR+ of that Team.

2. “Active GDL Goaltender” means a goaltender that is on a Team, but is not currently on the IR+ of that Team.

3. “Active GDL Player” means a skater or goaltender that is on a Team, but is not currently on the IR+ of that Team.

4. “GDL” means the Gamblers’ Dynasty Fantasy Hockey League;

5. “GDL Champion” means the Team that wins the GDL Playoffs;

6. “GDL Executives” means the Executives elected to run the league;

7. “GDL Playoffs” means the three-week playoff schedule at the end of the GDL Regular Season;

8. “GDL President’s Trophy” means the award given to the Team that finishes in 1st place of the GDL Regular Season standings;

9. “GDL Regular Season” means the (up to) 20 week schedule in a given regular season in the GDL;

10. “GDL Runner-Up” means the Team that loses in the final of the GDL Playoffs;

11. “Initial Draft” means the GDL entry draft held at the commencement of the Term;

12. “NHL Game” means a game played in the NHL during the NHL Regular Season;

13. “NHL Regular Season” means the 82-game schedule in a given regular season in the NHL;

14. “Off-Season” means the period after completion of the GDL Playoffs in a given year and before commencement of the following GDL Regular Season;

15. “Player Acquisition” means a player added to a Team via free agency or waivers;

16. “Post-Keeper Draft” means any GDL entry draft held after completion of the first year

    of the Term;

17. “Team” means a team registered in the GDL;

18. “Term” means the current term for the GDL, which is five (5) years, running from the 2021-2022 NHL Regular Season through to the 2025-2026 NHL Regular Season; and

19. “Week” means the period from the commencement of a Head-to-Head matchup between two Teams to the end of that matchup.

GDL Executive: Michael Sidhu GDL Executive: Gaurav Aurora GDL Executive: Rajesh Patel

ARTICLE 2: GDL EXECUTIVES

ARTICLE 3: FORMAT AND TERM

The GDL utilizes a keeper league format. The length of the Term is five (5) years, running from the 2021-2022 NHL Regular Season through to the 2025-2026 NHL Regular Season.

The scoring format for the GDL is classic Head-to-Head, using the following scoring categories:

1. Skaters: goals, assists, points, plus/minus, penalty minutes, powerplay goals, powerplay assists, shorthanded points, game-winning goals;

2. Goalies: wins, goals against average, save percentage, and shutouts.

   ARTICLE 4: KEEPER PLAYERS

Each Team will select two (2) forwards, one (1) defensemen, one (1) goaltender, and one (1) wildcard player from any position at the end of each GDL Playoffs to retain for the following GDL Regular Season. All of the players not retained as Keeper Players by Teams will re-enter the following Post- Keeper Draft. The deadline to name Keeper Players is at 11:59 pm MT on August 31st of each calendar year.

ARTICLE 5: ENROLLMENT FEES

Cost of enrollment in the GDL is $150.00 per year (the “Annual Dues”) for each year of the Term for a total of $750.00 (the “Enrollment Fees”). The Annual Dues for the first year will include an additional $15 (total being $165.00) to reimburse the GDL Executives for trophy and engraving costs. The Annual Dues are to be paid to the GDL Executive, Gaurav Aurora, by email transfer (aurora.gaurav@gmail.com) before the commencement of each draft.

ARTICLE 6: WINNINGS

The winnings schedule for each GDL Regular Season shall be as follows:

GDL Champion:
GDL Runner-Up:
GDL President’s Trophy Winner: Weekly Prize Pool*:

$800
$300
$200
$800 ($40 per week)

*The weekly prize will be for the duration of the GDL Regular Season. The weekly winner will be decided by a rotisserie format based off of each Team’s weekly cumulative statistics for the 2021-2022 NHL Regular Season. GD Executives reserve the right to alter the criteria required to win at their discretion.

ARTICLE 7: THE DRAFT LOTTERY

The Initial Draft Lottery occurred on September 26, 2021. Each team had equal odds in the Initial Draft Lottery. In the Initial Draft Lottery, positions one (1) through fourteen (14) were selected for the first round of the Initial Draft, and those positions will apply to all remaining rounds of the Initial Draft using a “snake” format.

Draft orders for years 2-5 will be determined by a draft lottery, with the previous year’s regular season standings deciding the probabilities for which team has the highest probability of landing the first overall selection. An exception will be made for the GDL Champion. The GDL Champion will have the lowest probability of winning the first overall selection.

ARTICLE 8: THE DRAFT

The Initial Draft will consist of nineteen (19) rounds and will utilize a “snake” format. Each Team will have a maximum of one (1) minute to make their selection(s) in each round of the Initial Draft. Each Team is allotted one (1) timeout, which is three (3) minutes in length, for the entirety of the Initial Draft, to be exercised at the Team’s sole discretion.

The Post-Keeper Draft will consist of fourteen (14) rounds and will utilize a “snake” format. Teams will have a maximum of one (1) minute to make their selection(s) in each round of the Post-Keeper Draft. Each Team is allotted one (1) timeout, which is three (3) minutes in length, for the entirety of the Post- Keeper Draft, to be exercised at the Team’s sole discretion.

New rules regarding the strict enforcement of the one (1) minute drafting window will be announced by the GDL Executives just prior to the commencement of the Initial Draft and Post-Keeper Drafts.

At the end of each draft, every Team is required to name up to 19 players (irrespective of their IR+ status). All other players are deemed free agents and immediately enter the waiver pool.

ARTICLE 9: TEAM ROSTERS

The eligible roster positions are as follows:

1. Three (3) Centres;

2. Three (3) Left Wingers;

3. Three (3) Right Wingers;

4. Three (3) Forwards (any Forward position);

5. Five (5) Defencemen; and

6. Two (2) Goaltenders.

There are three (3) roster requirements of all Teams at all times (the “Roster Requirements”):

1. There must be nineteen (19) Active GDL Players on each Team at all times;

2. There must be a minimum of five (5) Active GDL Defencemen on each Team at all times; and

3. There must be exactly two (2) Active GDL Goaltenders (no more and no less) on each Team at all times.

In the event that a Team does not meet the Roster Requirements, the GDL Executives reserve the right to manually alter that Team’s roster. Prior to taking the aforesaid action, the GDL Executives will make best efforts to inform the Team of its non-compliance, and request that the Team immediately comply with the Roster Requirements. Further, a penalty may be assessed to a Team that has breached the Roster Requirements at the discretion of the GDL Executives,in accordance with Article 14 herein, which penalty shall have regard to the duration of the breach, the degree of impact of the breach, and whether or not the Team is a repeat offender.

The GDL Executives will not be actively monitoring each Team’s roster to ensure compliance with the Roster Requirements. It is the responsibility of an affected or interested Team to inform one or more of the GDL Executives that another Team is not in compliance with the Roster Requirements.

ARTICLE 10: PLAYER ACQUISITIONS

Each Team will be given a maximum of sixty (60) Player Acquisitions for the year (the “Player Acquisition Limit”). The Player Acquisition Limit is inclusive of Player Acquisitions made in the GDL Regular Season and GDL Playoffs. Additional Player Acquisitions for the GDL Playoffs will not be given to Teams that have reached the Player Acquisition Limit.

Each Team will be given a maximum of four (4) Player Acquisitions for each Week of the GDL Regular Season and a maximum of two (2) Player Acquisitions for each Week of the GDL Playoffs.

ARTICLE 11: INJURED RESERVE

Each Team will be allotted three (3) Injured Reserve Plus (“IR+”) spots that can be used on any player irrespective of his position.

ARTICLE 12: TRADES

There is no maximum limit on the number of trades that a Team may complete in the Term.
The following is a list of the type of asset which may be the subject of a trade in the GDL (“Tradeable

Asset”):

1. a skater or goaltender that is on a Team;

2. a draft pick owned by a Team, provided that such draft pick is not subject to any pre-existing condition which may affect the ownership of the draft pick;

3. a keeper spot;

4. Player Acquisitions in a GDL season, but not Player Acquisitions in a Week (i.e. the maximum number of Player Acquisitions in a GDL season, being 60, may be exceeded by virtue of a trade, but the maximum number of Player Acquisitions in a Week, being 4, may not be exceeded); and

5. Waiver wire position.

Conditions may be placed on the Tradeable Assets in any given trade, but a condition which purports to require a Team to perform an act or omission in the future is invalid. A condition which purports to require a Team to perform an act or omission in the future includes but is not limited to the following:

1. a condition which requires a Team to refrain from naming a certain player as a keeper;

2. a condition which requires a Team to name a certain player as a keeper;

3. a condition which requires a Team to trade to another Team a Tradeable Asset at a later date;

4. a condition which requires a Team to offer a Tradeable Asset to another Team in a trade before disposing of that Tradeable Asset by trade or otherwise; and

5. such further and other conditions as the GDL Executives may determine as purporting to require a Team to perform an act or omission in the future.

In order for a trade to be valid:

1. The trade needs to be accepted on Yahoo! by all involved parties; and

2. The details of the trade must be submitted by email to gamblersdynastyleague@gmail.com with the Subject Line, “TRADE ALERT”, and all Teams involved in the trade must be copied on the email.

Trades will not take effect, will not be approved, and may be reversed by the GDL Executives, if the details of the trade have not been submitted by email as identified above.

With respect to trades made during time-sensitive periods, such as prior to any applicable trade deadline or keeper deadline, every trade must be submitted and accepted in Yahoo! prior to the applicable deadline for it to be considered valid. Provided that a trade has been submitted and accepted in Yahoo! prior to the applicable deadline, the trade will be considered as valid and binding.

All trades will be reviewed by the GDL Executives. The GDL Executives reserve the right to veto any trade that brings the integrity or quality of the GDL into question.

A trade involving a GDL Executive will be reviewed by the two (2) GDL Executives not directly involved in the trade. If two (2) GDL Executives are involved in the same trade, the trade will be reviewed by the remaining GDL Executive not involved in the trade.

Collusion will not be tolerated. Any Team(s) involved in collusion will be removed from the GDL without refund of the Team’s Enrollment Fees. The Team will then be managed by the GDL Executives until it is sold to a new owner.

ARTICLE 13: PLAYOFFS

The GDL Playoffs will consist of eight (8) Teams. The GDL will utilize a format where playoff matchups will be decided by providing the highest seed Team with the option to select their opponent Team, followed by the next highest seed being offered to select their opponent and so forth until the first round’s four (4) playoff matchups are established. Of the remaining teams that qualify for the semi-finals, the highest seed will have the option to select their semi-finals opponent with the two remaining unselected teams being placed in the second semi-finals matchup.

The six (6) Teams failing to make the GDL Playoffs will have their rosters completely frozen upon completion of the GDL Regular Season.

ARTICLE 14: PENALTIES

If a Team contravenes any provision contained in the MOU, the GDL Executives reserve the right and discretion to determine the penalty to be assessed to the contravening Team. Any penalty assessed to a contravening Team shall have regard to the effect of the contravention, and shall be proportionate to the contravening act and to the corresponding effect or outcome of the contravention.

In the event that a penalty is to be assessed to one or more GDL Executive, the remaining GDL Executive(s) will be responsible for the assessment of such penalty.

ARTICLE 15: RULE CHANGES

The addition of provisions to the MOU or changes to provisions in the MOU (“MOU Revisions”) may be implemented during the GDL Regular Season or the GDL Playoffs during the Term, but only if the GDL Executives unanimously agree that the MOU Revision is required to maintain the integrity of the GDL. In determining whether or not a MOU Revision shall be implemented during the GDL Regular Season or the GDL Playoffs in a given year, the GDL Executives will consider the following factors:

1. The urgency of the implementation of the MOU Revision;

2. The importance of the implementation of the MOU Revision to maintain the integrity of the GDL;

3. Whether or not the MOU Revision will effectively punish a Team that has constructed its roster in a specific manner; and

4. Such further and other factors that the GDL Executives may deem relevant in the circumstances.

   ARTICLE 16: RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

If any matter arises which is not covered or directly addressed within the MOU, the GDL Executives reserve the right to address the matter as they deem appropriate per their discretion.

ARTICLE 17: ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS

Each Team is deemed to have accepted, and is bound by the terms of this MOU upon participation by that Team in the Initial Draft.