How do players even enter the NHL Draft?
To be eligible, players must be 18 years old by Sept. 15 and under 20 years old by Dec. 31 in the draft year. However, non-North American players over 20 years old are eligible. North American players who go undrafted by age 20 are considered to be unrestricted free agents (UFAs). All non-North Americans MUST be drafted before they can sign an NHL contract, despite their age.
Can players re-enter the draft years after they have been drafted before?
Yes. If an NHL team does not sign a player within the two years in which he was drafted, he can re-enter the draft as long as he is 20 years old or younger for his second draft. Players over 20 years old automatically become UFAs. Players can only enter the NHL Draft twice.
For college NCAA players that have been drafted, NHL teams retain their rights until 30 days after the player has left college. ...
