Japan Fed Head @ValorX77, contacted and posted a transfer of a S68 player in the S66 transfer thread. As per IIHF Rule 5.k, a draftable free agent cannot be contacted for a transfer, and the transfer is thereby illegal and tampering has occurred. We appreciate that the Fed Head reported the infraction themselves.

As per the guidelines of Rule 7, the IIHF HO issues the following punishment for a first infraction:

- The Federation Head ValorX77 will be fined half the S66 Fed head pay.
- Japan forfeits one transfer-in slot for S66.
- The player in question, Hải Nam Hoàng (@eddiesnothere), will be unable to transfer to Japan until S70 should they so choose.

As the player in question is a draftable free agent, the embargo for Japan to transfer the player stretches until the player's last possible season in the SMJHL.

Moving forward, the player embargo of a player as part of a tampering punishment will be standardized to "the player being unable to join the punished Federation until either; their 4th season after creating, or two seasons from the time of the infraction, whichever is longest".

/Canadice and the IHF HO