The league will provide a minimum of one full season's notice if expansion is planned.
Each existing SICHL team will be allowed to protect either:
(i) up to 5 defensemen, 9 forwards and 1 goaltender
or
(ii) up to 3 defensemen, 7 forwards and 2 goaltenders.
Each team is required to expose for claim at least the following players who meet the experience requirements indicated below:
ONE GOALTENDER - For teams protecting one goaltender, no experience requirement. For teams protecting two goaltenders, either 400 minutes in SICHL games played in the preceding season or 900 minutes in SICHL games played over the last two seasons. Minutes played include regular season and playoff games.
ONE DEFENSEMAN - Either 40 SICHL games played in the preceding season or 70 SICHL games played over the last two seasons. Games played include regular season and playoff games.
TWO FORWARDS - Either 40 SICHL games played in the preceding season or 70 SICHL games played over the last two seasons. Games played include regular season and playoff games.
Exempt from the Expansion Draft (i.e. no protection needed) are:
(i) players just finishing their rookie SICHL year
and
(ii) prospects
New teams will pick up at least three goaltenders, eight defensemen and 13 forwards. No existing team may lose more than one goaltender or one defenseman. A team that loses a goaltender may not lose a defenseman.
The Expansion Draft will follow a "snaking" format, meaning that the team that drafts last in odd-numbered rounds will draft first in even-numbered rounds.