League, playoffs and cup

The league system is a pyramid. Division 1 is a single series at the top; each division below has twice as many series as the one above it. Every series has 12 teams.

Every team plays every other team in its series twice, at home and away: 22 rounds. Points:

• 3 for a win in regulation time
• 2 for a win in overtime or a shootout
• 1 for a loss in overtime or a shootout
• 0 for a loss in regulation time

Teams level on points are split by goal difference, then goals scored, then the points in their games against each other, and last by drawing lots. A shootout win counts as one goal.

Places 1–8 meet in the playoffs: 1 against 8, 4 against 5, 2 against 7 and 3 against 6, in a fixed bracket. Quarterfinals and semifinals are best of three, the final best of five. The better-placed team has home ice.

The playoff winner is promoted to the division above. In division 1 the playoff winner is champion.

Places 9–12 play the relegation playoffs, alongside the playoffs: 9 against 12 and 10 against 11, best of seven. Both losers go down to a division below.

The cup is a knockout tournament of 9 rounds, single games from the first round to the final, for teams from every division. When the field doesn't fill a round evenly, the best-rated teams get a bye. Each round is drawn, and the lower-ranked team plays at home; the ticket income is shared between the two clubs.

Every team has a rating that moves after each game once its broadcast has ended: more for a win against a stronger team, less against a weaker one. It decides the cup's seeding and the order of next season's schedule, and a well-rated team is also more attractive to corporate guests and shoppers.

In the season's last week teams move up and down, players whose contracts have ended leave, retiring players stop, and the next season's league and cup are drawn. Your squad, plans and money carry over.