The league will provide a minimum of one full season's notice if expansion is planned.
Expansion teams will select in the first and second spots in their first Entry Draft, alternating each round. The team that selects first in the Expansion Draft will select second overall in the subsequent Entry Draft.
The expansion franchise(s) will build their team(s) by selecting players from existing SICHL franchises. Existing franchises will be able to protect a limited number of players from their current rosters, and must expose a minimum number of players for claim by the expansion franchise(s).
Exempt (ineligible) from the Expansion Draft are:
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, the unprotected goalie must simply be rated and not have just completed his rookie season. For teams protecting two goaltenders, the unprotected goaltender must be rated and have played either 400 SICHL minutes in the preceding season or 900 SICHL minutes over the last two seasons. Minutes played include regular season and playoff games.
ONE DEFENSEMAN - Unprotected defensemen must be rated and have played in either 40 SICHL games in the preceding season or 70 SICHL games over the last two seasons. Games played include regular season and playoff games.
TWO FORWARDS - Unprotected forwards must be rated and have played in either 40 SICHL games in the preceding season or 70 SICHL games over the last two seasons. Games played include regular season and playoff games.
Pending restricted free agents (RFAs) are eligible for the unprotected lists.
In the event that an existing team does not have enough eligible players to meet the minimum unprotected requirements, the team will be fined $1,000,000 for each missing player. The fine money will then be selectable as a "cash bonus" in lieu of a player for the teams participating in the expansion draft.
Provided that the minimum requirements for the unprotected list has been met, each existing SICHL team will be allowed to protect either:
Franchise Players MUST be placed on an existing teams protected list.
Eligible players beyond the protected player limits will be added to the unprotected list.
New franchises will select AT LEAST three (3) goaltenders, eight (8) defensemen and 13 forwards. These minimums must be met before selecting additional players.
No existing team may lose more than one goaltender or one defenseman. A teammay not lose a goaltender AND 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.