When did the GWMHL start?
The GWMHL’s first season was way back in ’93-’94. The league has changed a lot since then, but we’re proud of our longevity. We’re one of the longest-running sim leagues in the world.

Who’s Gump Worsley?
The late Hall of Fame goaltender Lorne “Gump” Worsley played over twenty seasons in the NHL between 1952 and 1974, for the Rangers, Canadiens, and North Stars. He won four Stanley Cups and two Vezinas. Gump Worsley was awesome and the GWMHL honors his memory. (Our conferences are also named after two of the all-time great netminders, Jacques Plante and Terry Sawchuk.)

What’s APBA Hockey?
APBA Hockey was a computer hockey sim for DOS. APBA – which also makes tabletop games – eventually dropped the title, but it lives on in the hands of a dedicated community of programmers, gamers, and hockey nerds.

How do I join your league?
Email current Commissioner Andrew Martin. We love to meet knew people and potential owners! Even when our league is full, we keep a waiting list to seamlessly fill any vacancies.

What are you looking for in new GMs?
We’re looking for anyone who loves hockey and camaraderie. Familiarity with APBA Hockey is a major plus – and online sim league experience is always a good thing. Most of all, we want to know that the GWMHL rules and style of play appeal to you, and that you’re ready to take on the (relatively relaxed) demands of our league. We’re looking for solid owners who’ll stick with us for a few seasons.

If I join the GWMHL, can I change my team name/colors/arena?
Yes!

What teams can I choose from?
If there are any outstanding vacancies, you’ll be able to see the list of available teams here.

Can I change the team’s roster when I take over?
Of course, within the rules. It also depends on when you join: a new GM taking on a team after the trade deadline will have to wait until the playoffs conclude to start making moves.

I don’t have a copy of APBA Hockey. Where can I get it?
Contact us.

Do I need any other software to join your league?
Alongside APBA Hockey itself, we use the extremely handy APBA Hockey Commissioner to create lineups for league play. We also use Slack for some league events. If you join, we can help set you up. Just let us know.

Why haven’t you switched to a more recent game?
Every time a new hockey sim hits the market, we check it out, but we haven’t found anything that meets our high standards and league-specific needs. APBA Hockey is good enough to make the mild hassle of DOSBox worthwhile.

How does player usage work in the GWMHL regular season?
GWMHL player usage is based on NHL games played (GP) on the current disk. Skaters and goaltenders can only play as many games as they had in the NHL (up to 82). Our minimum use guidelines also state that to retain a player’s rights, you must play them for 50% or more of their NHL GP for skaters, 50% or more of their NHL minutes for goaltenders.

How is the regular season structured?
The GWMHL regular season is divided into four quarters of 20, 20, 24, and 18 games. Before every quarter begins, GMs create and submit a lineup for use in all their road games. GMs play their home games and submit all of a quarter’s games on a single gamefile.dat file by that quarter’s deadline.

What kind of time demands will GWMHL place on me?
GWMHL is a mature league. Many of the GMs have families, demanding jobs, travel, and so on. Of course, we have deadlines – usually, GMs have 3-4 weeks (or more) to play a quarter’s road games and at least a week for other obligations, like lineup submission and free agent drafting. Members who reliably meet deadlines are crucial for a healthy league, but we also try to be as flexible as possible. Once a year, we ask all GMs to gather in a live online chat for the rookie draft – truly a highlight of the Gump year!

Do I have to “zip” the games or can I play them manually?
Many of our GMs choose to play their games by hand (with full play-by-play) to feel a bit more involved in their team’s performance, but several routinely “zip” or sim them. It’s completely up to you.