I'm pleased to announce our next challenge! This time around we'll be using the Chicago Blackhawks. We haven't used them in a TBL challenge since way back in Challenge #9! We're going to be using the Retro98 DB again. Nino33 did some additional work to the DB and released an UPDATE . In this challenge we'll be using a saved game from Nino33 where he simmed up to April 1st 2003.
Thanks again to CJ, Nino33, and everyone else that contributed to the Retro98 DB!
The rules and setup laid out in this post supersede anything found in any other posts or old challenge rules!
So here is how this challenge is going to work...
First, download the SAVED GAME and put it in your Games folder. It's usually something like C:\Users\<Name>\Documents\Sports Interactive\EHM.
Next, launch EHM and load "Challenge 43 - Retro Chi". Once the save has loaded you'll be brought to a placeholder GM. Go up to where it says "F.LastName" and click the dropdown arrow. Select "Retire". You'll be brought to the screen where you can add a new GM. Add yourself (past experience set to "Automatic") and select the Chicago Blackhawks as the team you'll control. At this point you may also add a GM for your AHL affiliate, the Indianapolis Ice, if you'd like to control them as well.
So at this point, you'll see that it's April 1st 2003 and the NHL season is almost over and the Blackhawks are currently in last place. The first thing you'll want to do is send out scouts to scout the upcoming NHL draft. You're going to have a high pick so you'll want a good report on these players. You'll also have Ottawa's first round pick from a deal that the previous GM made. That pick shouldn't be as high since Ottawa is a playoff team. I would also suggest scouting the AHL and NHL so you'll have some scouting reports once it's time to start trading. There's only 3 games left in the season. Let the head coach pick the roster and lines. Also, choose to not coach the games yourself (just for these 3 games) in the General Manager Options.
At this point, you can re-sign your players and staff with expiring contracts and if there's any unsigned prospects whose rights are expiring you can sign them too. Other than that, you should just sit back and keep hitting continue until the draft comes. For this first draft, you will not be allowed to make any trades. Just take your picks. Once July 1st 2003 rolls around, that's when you can really get to work.
Once you hit July 1st 2003 you can start making some moves. At this point you'll be able to hire and fire staff, make trades, and sign UFAs. The following rules with be enforced from this point...
Trades:
1 for 1, 1 for 2, 2 for 1, and 2 for 2 deals allowed.
Any players involved in trades must be under contract. No "player rights" trading allowed!
There will be no age restrictions on players traded this time. In the past we limited it to younger players.
Draft picks are allowed as components of the deal, except 1st rounders. Only picks for the next draft are allowed.
Example : Player for a 2nd round pick, 2 players for a 2nd and a 3rd round Pick, or Player for Player, and so on.
Budget:
The league has a salary cap of $48M. The team we'll be taking over has $36.4M in contracts but the Averaged Club Salary (which is what the cap looks at) is only $22.8M. We'll be enforcing a challenge budget of $34M (that's the Averaged Club Salary).
Others Points:
No waiver claims allowed!
UFA signing is allowed. Either 2 players for $525k or less OR 1 player for $1M or less allowed each season.
No restrictions on staff hiring and firing other than you have to wait until July 1st of that first season to do any of it. After that, it's open season!
You may run your AHL affiliate. You don't have to coach the games for your affiliate. You can even "Go On Vacation" with your AHL GM and check in occasionally. What you do there is totally up to you.
You must coach your NHL games and you may NOT go on vacation with your NHL GM.
It's recommended that you keep backup saves in case you have to go back. I usually have a save for every quarter.
Standard stats logging and screenshots will be required!
Go HERE to upload your stats each quarter.
Go HERE to post your screenshots at the end of each season. Look at some of the other users screenshots from previous challenges if you're not sure what you should be taking screenshots of.
All challenge #43 talk goes HERE.
That should cover it. If you have any questions please ask in the forums. We've got many challenge veterans that can help answer many of your questions. Other than that, good luck!
