GWEC.

This league uses weekly scoring periods. Choose the players you want earning stats for that period. A full roster is not the same as a full active lineup.

Players lock individually at their scheduled game time for their first game of the scoring period. Make your choices beforehand; do not assume you can swap a locked player out after a bad game. Adds, drops and other roster changes have a separate cutoff at the first game of the scoring period. A newly added player may only become available next period—check ESPN’s effective date before confirming.

• In the app: open Roster, tap the player’s position, then choose an eligible destination or swap. Verify the saved lineup.
• On the web: open My Team, use Move beside the player, then select the destination. ESPN shows which positions are allowed.

Moving someone from bench to an active slot keeps the same players on your team. Adding/dropping changes who you own. Do not drop someone just to bench them.

Your roster slots

• 10 F (forward)
• 6 D (defense)
• 2 G (goalie)
• 1 UTIL (utility skater)
• 6 BE (bench)
• 2 IR (injured reserve)

F accepts eligible forwards; D accepts defensemen; G accepts goalies. UTIL accepts eligible skaters, not goalies. Multi-position players give you flexibility, but ESPN’s available destination slots are the final check. Bench players stay on your team without adding active-lineup stats.

This is Head-to-Head: Most Categories. You face one fantasy team each matchup. Each of the 16 categories is a separate contest; win more categories than your opponent to win the matchup.

Example: winning 9 categories, losing 6 and tying 1 gives you one matchup win in the standings. Winning goals by 20 counts as one category win, just like winning blocks by 1. An equal number of category wins is a tied matchup unless a league tiebreaker applies.

There is no single “goals are worth X fantasy points” calculation in a categories matchup. GAA is better when lower; your other current categories are better when higher. The draft desk’s /100 index is a scouting comparison, not your weekly score.

Look for balance and close categories. Loading up on goals will not automatically win hits, blocks or goalie ratios. More games can help totals but can also hurt averages and percentages.

These are the categories enabled in the selected season. Only eligible active-lineup stats count; ESPN’s official scoring and later stat corrections determine results.

GGoalsHigher wins

Goals scored by your active skaters. A goal can also count in special categories below.

AAssistsHigher wins

Official assists on a goal. Up to two skaters can earn an assist on the same goal.

+/−Plus/minusHigher wins

Usually +1 when a skater is on the ice for an even-strength or short-handed goal for, and −1 for one against. Power-play goals generally do not count. Negative totals are possible.

PIMPenalty minutesHigher wins

Penalty minutes credited to your skaters. Yes, this league rewards more of them. An NHL penalty can help this category while hurting real hockey.

PPGPower-play goalsHigher wins

Goals scored with the NHL team on a power play (a manpower advantage from an opponent’s penalty). Also count toward goals and power-play points.

PPPPower-play pointsHigher wins

Goals plus assists earned on the power play. A power-play assist counts in both A and PPP; these are separate category contests.

SHGShort-handed goalsHigher wins

Goals scored while the NHL team is killing a penalty. These are rare, so one can swing the category.

GWGGame-winning goalsHigher wins

The goal that puts the eventual winner one beyond the loser’s final total. In a 4–2 finish, the winner’s third goal is the game-winner—not necessarily its last goal.

ATOIAverage time on iceHigher wins

Average playing time per skater appearance. It is an average, not total minutes: adding a low-minute player can pull it down.

SOGShots on goalHigher wins

Attempts that score or would enter the net without a save. Wide shots and attempts blocked by skaters do not count.

HITHitsHigher wins

Body checks credited by NHL scorekeepers. A physical depth player can help here even without scoring goals.

BLKBlocked shotsHigher wins

Opponent shot attempts stopped by your skaters. These are not goalie saves.

WGoalie winsHigher wins

Official wins credited to your active goalies. A goalie must actually receive the win; owning a goalie on the winning NHL team is not enough.

SOShutoutsHigher wins

Official individual goalie shutouts: completing the game without allowing a goal. A shared team shutout does not automatically give each goalie one.

GAAGoals-against averageLower wins

Goals allowed per 60 goalie minutes. Lower wins. Allowing 2 in 60 minutes gives 2.00; 3 in 60 gives 3.00. Team GAA is weighted by minutes played.

SV%Save percentageHigher wins

Saves divided by shots faced. Higher wins: 27 saves on 30 shots is .900 (90%). Team SV% uses combined saves and shots, not a simple average of goalie percentages.

IR means injured reserve. It is a holding slot for eligible injured players you want to keep. This season has 2 IR slots. IR players do not score while parked there.

1. Check whether ESPN lets the player move to IR. Eligibility comes from ESPN’s injury designation; being hurt or missing one game is not enough by itself.
2. Use the player’s move options or Manage IR to place an eligible player in an open IR slot. Keeping them there can free a normal roster spot.
3. If you want a replacement, add one separately. That pickup still follows your acquisition limit, waivers and roster cutoff.
4. When the injured player is healthy, make room on your normal roster and activate them. You may need to drop a replacement. Then put them into an active slot for the intended scoring period.

A healthy player left in IR can prevent new transactions. Read ESPN’s roster warning and fix the ineligible slot. The IR label does not automatically put a returning player into your starting lineup.

A goalie listed on your roster is not guaranteed to play. Check likely starting assignments and injury news before lineup lock. Backups can go a whole period without a useful appearance.

Current goalie minimum: 1 game per scoring period. Track the qualifying goalie games indicator in ESPN. Falling short can cost you the goalie categories; bench appearances do not rescue an inactive lineup.

The roster settings also cap you at 3 goalies. That is a roster limit, not a required number of starts.

Extra goalie games can help wins and shutouts, but a rough outing can damage GAA and SV%. Choose for the whole scoring period; you cannot undo a locked goalie’s bad night. Never assume benching everybody will win the ratio categories.

A free agent is an unowned player available to add when ESPN permits. A waiver claim is a request that waits to process; another manager can win the same player. A drop releases someone from your team—you may not get them back.

Acquisition limit: 1 per scoring period. Use it deliberately and check ESPN’s remaining counter before confirming. Moving owned players between bench and active slots is different from picking up a new player.

This league uses traditional waiver priority, not a bidding budget. The configured waiver holding period is 24 hours. Use the processing date shown on the claim; the holding period alone is not a promise that a player will arrive in time for this week. Review the player you are dropping before submitting.

For trades, compare the categories and positions each team needs. Review every player included and leave room for an uneven trade. Acceptance is not always immediate availability: check the review window, deadline and effective date in ESPN. Agree to deals honestly; do not dump good players to help a friend.

• Before the period begins: check NHL game counts, injuries and goalie roles; plan any pickup before its cutoff; set every active position.
• Before your players lock: check late news and confirm your selected period. Use ESPN’s visible lock times rather than assuming Monday night is always the deadline.
• During the matchup: follow close categories, watch injury updates and plan the next period. Locked lineups cannot be rewritten after seeing results.
• At the end: review why you won or lost and prepare the next lineup. A one-week slump is not an automatic reason to drop a good player.

The current schedule has 23 regular-season matchup periods. 7 teams make the configured playoff field. Use ESPN’s standings and bracket for qualification, seeding and tie rules. Keep setting your team even if the season is going badly; your opponent’s result affects everyone else.

If something looks wrong: check the selected dates, locked slots, IR warnings and acquisition counter first. For a rule dispute or a scoring issue, ask the commissioner. Never share your ESPN password in league chat.