The Offseason
The offseason runs through a set of screens, one after another, from the moment your season ends to the moment next season's roster is locked in. It's long, and a few steps only matter if you choose to engage with them. Here's what's actually happening at each stop, in order — tap through to a step's own page for the full picture.
1. Departures
Before anything else, you'll see who's leaving the program — graduated seniors, anyone who's turned pro, and anyone released. Being drafted doesn't put a player here; a drafted player who hasn't yet signed with the NHL stays right where they are. See Eligibility & Roster Rules and The NHL Draft & Turning Pro.
2. NHL Draft
Watch every draft-eligible player across the country get selected across all 7 rounds. This assigns NHL rights — it does not remove anyone from your roster. If one of your own players gets drafted, you'll get a say in whether to encourage them to return. See The NHL Draft & Turning Pro.
3. Transfer Portal
Any player who's become unhappy enough can enter the portal. You get a limited window to make retention offers to keep the ones you want; whoever isn't retained becomes available for every program, including yours, to sign as an incoming transfer. See The Transfer Portal and Team Chemistry & Player Happiness.
4. Coaching Carousel
See who around the league got fired or moved jobs this offseason — and if a job offer comes your way, this is where you handle it. See Program Prestige & Your Job Security.
5. Coach Development
Spend the experience your coach banked over the season on attribute upgrades — recruiting, development, offensive scheme, defensive scheme.
6. Support Staff (optional)
Hire or replace your four staff roles. Nothing forces your hand here, but a weak or vacant role is an ongoing cost. See Support Staff.
7. Collective Spending (optional)
Spend NIL Collective money on one-time perks before recruiting opens. Both are optional and neither is required to compete. See Finances.
8. Facilities & Arena (optional)
Consider a facility upgrade or a rink renovation, paid from Revenue Share rather than your NIL Collective. Skip it freely if the budget's tight this year — facilities decay slowly and there's no rush. See Facilities & Arena.
9. Roster Cuts (optional)
A penalty-free chance to release dead-weight roster spots before recruiting starts, so you're not carrying players you don't need into the new season. See Finances for when a cut isn't actually free.
10. Development Camps (optional)
Run focused summer camps that boost specific attributes for a subset of your roster. See Player Development.
11. Recruiting
The main event. Bid on incoming prospects and transfers across five rounds. See Recruiting and Scouting Prospects.
12. Redshirt Decisions
Decide which eligible players sit out the entire coming season to preserve a year of eligibility while still developing. See Eligibility & Roster Rules.
13. Season Preview
One last look at your finished roster and next season's outlook before it locks in and the new season begins. See Scheduling & the Calendar for what kicks off right after.