I answered in the shoutbox in the Lounge.
Assuming you're talking about seasons needed to be a Group 3 free agent (UFA), players must have a given number of "accrued" seasons. An accrued season is one in which the player has been on an NHL roster for at least 40 regular season games. If the player plays 10 or fewer games and is then sent down, it's clearly not an accrued season and, if the player is 18 or 19, results in the contract "sliding" one year.
kdb209 will be along to clean up the fine details where I've overlooked them.
You're pretty much spot on.
If a player plays less than 10 games as an 18yo or 19 yo, his 3 year ELS contract is automatically extended for a year. If he plays 10+ games, his ELS contract ages and he is one year closer to becoming an RFA.
The <10 games will have no impact on Group III UFA - an accrued season is 40+ games on an NHL roster (30+ games for goalies) or on IR due to a hockey related injury. Accrued seasons are now only relevent for UFA status after 8 (or 7 starting in '07) Accrued Seasons. The age-based UFA criteria (29yo this year, 28yo next year, and 27yo) after that no longer have any Accrued Season requirements - the CBA FAQ is incorrect on this point.
kdb209 said:
Actually, the NHL's CBA FAQ is not quite accurate. There is no longer a requirement of 4 accrued seasons along with the age criteria - there was for '05-'06, but not for future years.
2005-06: 31 yo AND 4 Accrued Seasons
2006-07: 29 yo OR 8 Accrued Seasons
2007-08: 28 yo OR 7 Accrued Seasons
2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11: 27 yo OR 7 Accrued Seasons
ARTICLE 10
FREE AGENCY
10.1Unrestricted Free Agents.
(a) Group 3 Players and Free Agents.
(i) For (A) the 2005-06 League Year, any Player who is 31 years of age or older and has four (4) Accrued Seasons as of June 30 of the end of the 2004-05 League Year, (B) the 2006-07 League Year, any Player who either has eight (8) Accrued Seasons or is 29 years of age or older as of June 30 of the end of the 2005-06 League Year, (C) the 2007-08 League Year, any Player who either has seven (7) Accrued Seasons or is 28 Years of age or older as of June 30 of the end ofthe 2006-07 League Year, and (D) the 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 League Years, any Player who either has seven (7) Accrued Seasons or is 27 years of age or older as of June 30 of the end ofthe 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 League Year, shall, if his most recent SPC has expired, with such expiry occuring either as of June 30 of the applicable League Year or June 30 of any prior League Year, become an Unrestricted Free Agent. Such Player shall be completely free to negotiate and sign an SPC with any Club, and any Club shall be completely free to negotiate and sign an SPC with such Player, without penalty or restriction, or being subject to any Right of First Refusal, Draft Choice Compensation or any other compensation or equalization obligation of any kind.
There are a couple of other minor thresholds at or near 10 games.
To qualify for Group II RFA status a player who signs his first SPC at ages 18-21 needs 3 professional seasons - an 18 or 19 yo earns a professional season by playing 10 or more NHL games in a season, a 20+ yo earns one by playing 10 or more professional (NHL, AHL, or Euro loaned under NHL contract) games under NHL contract. Normally this is never an issue, since this matches the length of his ELS contract, but there are cases (season lost to injury) where a players ELS deal can finish without him earning 3 professional seasons - in that case he would be an RFA, but not subject to Group II offer sheets and draft pick compensation.
For Group V UFA (10 professional seasons and < league average salary) and Group VI UFA (Age 25+ with 3 professional seasons and < 80 NHL games for a skater and < 28 NHL games for a goalie) status, an 18 or 19 yo earns a "professional" season by playing 11 or more NHL games, a 20+ yo earns one by playing in 1 or more professional (NHL, AHL, or Euro loaned under NHL contract) games.
For Arbitration Eligibility, an 18 or 19 yo earns a professional season by playing 10 or more NHL games in a season, a 20+ yo earns one by playing 10 or more professional (NHL, AHL, or Euro loaned under NHL contract) games.
For Waiver exemptions, the 5 or 4 year exemption for a player who signs as an 18 or 19 yo drops to 3 years starting the first season he plays 11 or more NHL games. Similarly, the 6 or 5 year exemption for goalies drops to 4 years after he plays 11 or more games.
None of these thresholds will be hit if the player is returned to Juniors before 10 games.
IB - is that enough fine details for you?
