OVERVIEW

    Hockey-Online Manager (HOL) is a classic browser-based online hockey manager simulator that puts you in control of your own hockey team. HOL provides players with a deep and varied strategic landscape that combines game-level decision making with long term season-to-season planning. You determine how your line-up is built and what style to play game-to-game. You decide how to develop and manage your economy by building your stadium and facilities, and negotiating player salaries. You choose how to develop your team: do you build your roster through the draft, through savvy trades, through buying and selling players and draft picks on the open market, or through training and the farm team?


    THE SEASON AND LEAGUE SYSTEM

    The season is fifty-five days long. The regular season runs from Day One through to Day Thirty-four with teams playing one league game per day. (Official games are held between 2400-0100 hours UTC + 3.) Playoffs follow the regular season. Qualifying teams play best-of five series starting with the Conference Quarter-Finals. Winners advance to the Conference Semi-Finals, then the Conference Finals, and last the HOL Cup Final. The playoffs use a single elimination tournament format: once a team loses a series they are out of the tournament - there are no further series played to determine overall place.

    Each HOL team is assigned to a league. Each league is comprised of thirty-two teams divided into two sixteen team conferences. The conferences are further divided into four-team divisions. Leagues are arranged in a tiered system. Unlike other manager games that build league tiers according to the managers nationality (either real or chosen), HOL maintains a single international league tier. Each league is made up of teams from a variety of nations. At the end  of each season, team promotions and relegations take place as follows: The four playoff Conference Finalists are promoted up to the next league tier, and the bottom four teams in the regular season league standings from both the Eastern and Western Conferences are relegated down to the league tier below. (Note: Conference Finalists in the top league - the PHL, or Primary Hockey League - do not promote. Relegation of teams in the lowest active league tier do not relegate to a lower league tier, instead they are shuffled randomly to available slots in other leagues at their current level - this occurs until all leagues at that level are filled with active teams.) 

    FEDERATIONS AND NATIONAL TEAMS

    Currently, there are sixteen nations represented in HOL. Every nations hockey program is overseen by their Federation. Each Federation is led by a President who administers the federations policy and goals, appoints the national team coaches, and manages federation membership and recruitment. Federations oversee their nations hockey development program by monitoring Juniors and guiding their development, and selecting the in-game players for their national teams.

    At the conclusion of each regular season (Day 34), World Championship tournaments commence. There are three competitions: The Under-18 World Championships run from Day 35-40, the Under-20 World Championships run from Day 42-47, and the World Championships run from Day 49-54. The format for these tournaments is as follows: all nations are divided into four groups of four teams. Teams play a single round robin against their group to determine which teams advance to the playoff rounds. The top two teams from each group advance to the playoffs. All playoff rounds are single game winner-take-all format. Losing teams from the group phase and Quarter-Final round are out, however, the losing teams from the Semi-Finals face each other in a Bronze Medal game. World Championship matches are played at 1200 hours UTC+3. Because these tournaments run concurrently with club league playoffs, in-game players can participate in both simultaneously.

    Every fourth season there is an Olympic Games tournament. In an Olympic season, play is suspended for the games after Day 25 for one week (no regular season games or friendlies are played during the Olympics). The Olympic format is as follows: all nations are divided into four groups of four teams. Teams play a single round robin against their group to determine which teams advance to the playoff rounds. All playoff rounds are single game winner-take-all format. Group winners are given a bye into the Quarter-Finals. Second and third place teams playoff against each other to advance to the Quarter-Finals. Losing teams from the group phase, Playoffs, and Quarter-Finals are out, however, the losing teams from the Semi-Finals face each other in a Bronze Medal game. 


    Match LINE-UP

    As the manager, it is your job to set your match day line-up. To do this select the Roster menu from the buttons in the left margin, and then select Main Lines. This will take you to to the line-up interface where you can select players from your team roster and assign them to positions in your line-up. You will also be able to set your power play and penalty killing squads (by selecting the Special Lines tab at the top of the page, or the PP/PK button in the Roster menu in the left margin), set shift lengths for each line, assign a line a specific  tactic (determines style of play), and set the line balance (determines offensive or defensive mindedness). Finally, you can swap lines to change their order of play.

    HOL differs from other manager simulators because it does not allow walk-over wins. Instead, HOL will utilize the current line-up to play matches until you change it (there is no requirement to set a line-up for each game). Further, managers can save different line-ups for specific game types (regular season, friendly, and playoff), which the game engine will use when those types of games are played.

    Players

    Players are prototypes of real hockey players. They have age, Potential, Talent, Efficiency , Aging and Development speed.  Players develop their abilities through daily training and matches in all formats. 

    BYING AND SELLING PLAYERS

    The game offers several ways to get player to your team. The first option is exchange (transfer, transaction). It is implemented on the principle of NHL, according to which you can use it. The second method is an auction. You  might like it if you have enough money. You can outbid your oppposition. This must be monitored. The third way is free agents. You are can offer them a contract. After a few days, they will announce their decition.


    YOUNG PLAYER

    Many managers prefer to grow young talents into stars. In HOL, each club has a youthschool. For your scouting bureau to scout and find out if the players are good enough. During the regular season, you can assign your scouts to your leaugue or to any other league in HOL. Once the time has come , the draft lottery  is held. You can see the statistics of your juniors and their training in the youthschool. This is where the team is.


    Draft

    The best juniors who where not accepted  in the draft, which is held in each league. Such juniors are called prospects. Each team holds a draft of 3 players for each season. Nothing prevents you from bartering for these prospects. During the season, you can list your choices (draft list). During the playoffs of the draft list. It depends on the teams current standing. Make your choice wisely.

    STADIUM

    For each of the functional buildings in your arena you can invest money and make them better ,improving the level of all different buildings. Each additional level gives its own bonuses. For example, the training center.