CODE OF CONDUCT

The franchise is accountable to GSHL and Microsoft for its conduct, both on and off the ice. As a member of this franchise, you share in that accountability and should act accordingly. Microsoft as a corporation has had a reputation in the industry for being arrogant (and for being whiny when things don’t go their way). Whether this reptuation is accurate or not is irrelevant, I do not want to see this reputation manifest itself within our teams on the ice.

 

SHOW UP

All franchise members must commit to making at least 75% of the games. We’ve had numerous games in the past where teams had to play short, scramble for subs, and shuffle lines to fill holes. We prefer having stable, consistent lineups which give players the opportunity to “get into a groove” with their linemates — something that is impossible to do if there are different players on the bench every game. That being said, health, family, and work do come first and we know that stuff does come up unexpectedly. If you have to sit out for any amount of time we’ll work with you to find a suitable sub for the duration of your absence.

SELF-MONITOR

Injuries are understandable — and on a long enough timeline, inevitable. If you sustain an injury, you must let us know about it; if you go see a doctor about this injury, we will need your doctor to clear you for play before you are allowed to return; if you do not notify us and a team officer finds out later that you played while injured, you will be scratched from the lineup until you provide doctor’s proof that the injury is healed and you are cleared to play (possibly longer).

DRESS TO IMPRESS

Jerseys are a GSHL requirement, and are also part of your commitment to the franchise; not buying a set of jerseys is not an option, but players can rent loaner jerseys for their first season with the franchise.

WATCH YOUR CONTACT

You are accountable for any contact you initiate on the ice; any contact. Be aware of your location and proximity to opponents who have fallen down; think about how it looks to a referee.

HOLD YOUR TONGUE

Let the referees do their job, no matter how bad you think they’re doing it; being a ref is a tough, and (mostly) thankless job, and if we antagonize the refs it will affect which way close calls go. Know when you shut your mouth and go to the box.

In the event of a serious or questionable call by a referee, it is the on-ice officer’s responsibility to camly interact with the referee to settle the matter. Under no circumstances should the penalized player attempt to convince, cajole, or coerce the ref into thinking his call was less than accurate. The on-ice officer should be the only person talking to the ref. The only exception to this rule is if there happens to be no officer actually on the ice at the time of the penalty. If this happens, the referee has the option to either elect an on-ice representative to relay information to the C’s and A’s on the bench, or to invite on officer onto the ice to discuss the situation. At no time should any player leave the bench to talk to a referee about a penalty. And as far as the referees are concerned, complaining about a call is not discussing the situation.

KEEP A COOL HEAD

First penalties get called sometimes, second penalties almost always get called; we are committed to playing smart, clean hockey no matter how much the other team scraps or whines or goons it up; let them draw the penalty.

If you draw a 10-minute misconduct, the front office reserves the right to bench you for your next game. If the league hands you a suspension for that penalty, their decision overrides ours and you will only need to serve the league suspension.