Free Agency Rules: Post Questions Here

Dr.Sens(e)

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The following are the rules and players eligible for free agency this off-season. This list of free agents can be found on the message board and on the home page. For the most recent updates to this notice, please refer to the message board.

Please read these rules very carefully. We will simply not listen to any complaints from General Managers who fail to follow these simple, but fundamental rules, and keep in mind that submitting in the wrong format will result in your offer being ignored without exception. It’s a lot of work to go through these offers and following the requested format reduces the workload considerably.

The Rules:

I. Submission: All offers must be sent to [email protected] with a subject of "HFNHL Contract Offers: Team Name". If you send an email with a different subject it will not be sorted properly and may be lost.

II. All offers should be in the following prioritized bid format:


Rank Player Name Prev Team: Base Salary x No. Years
For Example:
1. Wayne Gretzky EDM: $7,500,000 x 4 years
1. Gordie Howe DET: $7,000,000 x 4 years
2. Guy Lafleur MON: $6,000,000 x 4 years

1. Bobby Orr BOS: $7,000,000 x 4 years
2. Denis Potvin DET: $5,000,000 x 4 years

1. Brian Trottier SJ: $1,500,000 x 2 years
2. Bob Gainey TOR: $1,250,000 x 4 years


In the above instance, you would sign Gretzky, Howe, Orr and Trottier if your bids were the best on all four. Lafleur would only be signed if you failed to land Gretzky or Howe, while Potvin would only be signed if you failed to land Orr and Gainey only if you failed to sign Trottier.

Basically, since all negotiation happens at once, this allows you to avoid getting stuck with more players than you wanted. You can have as many groupings as you want, and list further choices as well (3rd, 4th etc.)

There may be instances where your second choice is ready to sign with you right away, but you are still in another round of bidding for your higher selection. For instance, Gainey may be willing to sign that deal, but you are still in the final bidding for Trottier. In this case, the General Manager would be contacted and given the option to pull the trigger on Gainey right away, and/or remain in the bidding for Trottier (which would result in re-opening the bidding for Gainey if the General Manager held off signing the deal with Gainey immediately).

And finally, there are no signing bonuses and no performance bonuses.

III. Restricted Free Agents compensation is as follows:

OFFER -- COMPENSATION
• Up to $660,000 - No compensation
• $660,000 to $1 million - One 3rd round draft pick
• $1 to $2 million - One second round pick
• $2 to $3 million - One 1st and one 3rd round pick
• $3 to $4 million - One 1st, one 2nd and one 3rd round pick
• $4 to $5 million - Two 1sts, one 2nd and one 3rd round pick
• Over $5 million - Four 1st round picks

Compensation must be paid in consecutive years beginning with the 2007 draft. DO NOT BID ON AN RFA IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE APPROPRIATE COMPENSATION. If you do, you risk being fined. Also, you can only bid on as many RFAs as you have compensation to pay. You cannot bid on 5 players, and then decide which ones you want to keep later, although you can prioritize offer sheets as per the description above).

IV. Bidding Deadline:
Bids are due by Midnight on the 20th of July and are to be sent no earlier than Midnight on the 13th of July. Bids should be sent to [email protected].

V. Evaluation of Bids:
Bids will be reviewed based on total salary (base * years), ice time, line-mates, contender status, player loyalty, etc. However, annual compensation will be the main factor. When necessary, several Admin team members will be used to evaluate close bidding. A few other notes:
- If one bid is clearly superior (rating at least 20% higher than the next highest bid), the player will sign immediately with that team**
- If one bid is received, the player will sign with that team**
- If three or more bids are received and none sign the player in the first round, there will be a second round (and ONLY one more round) of bidding, with the top three bidding teams participating, and going through the same review process. The top bid submitted thus far will also be revealed. At the end of this second round, the top bid will sign the player**

**IMPORTANT NOTE - if the best offers received for a player are obviously well below legitimate market value (for example, signing Jagr to a $2 million contract), the league office retains the right to have the player hold out and wait to receive a better offer at another point in the season. This holds true for RFAs as well - a team presenting an offer sheet to another team's RFA does not automatically sign the player in question - they have to feel the offer is a good one first, then the team holding the rights has the choice to match or not. So please keep in mind the qualifying offer a player must have already turned down when considering making an offer (i.e. it should be significantly better than a 10% raise).

Teams with Restricted Free Agents: those teams whose players sign offer sheets will have the option to match the offer in question or receive compensation (either negotiated or draft picks as per above). Regardless, any player signing an offer sheet will automatically have a no-trade clause for the next year.

VI. All offers are final.
SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW BEFORE YOU MAKE AN OFFER IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

VII. Eligibility:
Teams can bid on any of the players listed, plus eligible players not represented in the HFNHL.

A. North American Free Agency Eligibility (i) The players birth year is 1986 or earlier (20+ years of age)
(ii) Player is not playing in the NCAA (graduated or left early to sign a pro contract - link required)

B. European Free Agency Eligibility (i) The players birth year is 1984 or earlier (the player must be a minimum 22 years of age at signing)
(ii) The player is currently in a North American league or has previous NHL experience and has signed a contract to return to the NHL for the 2006/07 season (GM must provide a link supporting the latter)
Note: Players who have signed their first NA contract for the 2006/07 season will not be eligible to be signed in the HFHNL until they have played their first pro game (AHL/NHL).

European born players fall under North American rules if thy meet one of the following conditions:
(i) NHL drafted players - They played in a North American league in the season prior to being drafted into the NHL. Having played in NA after being drafted is irrelevant.
(ii) NHL un-drafted players - They played in a North American league in the year just prior to them turning 20. In all other cases the European FA rules apply.


Keep in mind the number of contract years for younger player is set in stone. For prospects and rookies under 25 years old - who are also subject to the current rookie salary cap of $850,000 –they are limited to following contract lengths:
• 3 years if they are between the ages of 18-21,
• 2 years if they sign at age 22 or 23,
• 1 year if they their first contract at age 24

Failure to adhere to the proper term for these rookies will result in the offer not being considered.

VIII. Free Agent Playing in Europe
If a free agent is signed this off-season that has already or ultimately commits to playing in Europe before November 15th, 2006, the player will be removed from your roster and placed on your prospect list at a price of $50,000 year.

IX. Salary Cap
Keep in mind the salary cap for 2006-2007 is $40 million and the salary cap for 2007-2008 ill be $44 million. Plan your offers accordingly. As a reminder, the salary cap will calculated as follows:
1. There will be three check points, start of season, game 30-35, and the trade deadline but there are no penalties attached to any single checkpoint.
2. Team payroll will be recorded at each check point on a spreadsheet and weighted average of the three will be used to determine any potential excess of the hard cap (plus applicable penalties) at season end.
3. To avoid timing issues related to injuries impacting pro payroll and to avoid teams hiding over-priced players on their farm team, we will calculate payroll at each checkpoint as follows – The Top 21 OV players at 100% of salary (excluding 'dummy' types) regardless of whether they are on the farm or pro team. If there is a tie of multiple players with an equal OV for the 21st position the highest salary player will be used.

Reggie Swingstein
HFNHL Player Agent
 
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Brock

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Just a clarifying question.

I've got a player I want to sign to a contract. He's a European who just recently signed his first NHL contract, where it says "Note: Players who have signed their first NA contract for the 2006/07 season will not be eligible to be signed in the HFHNL until they have played their first pro game (AHL/NHL)." However, he also was NHL drafted when he spent time in the CHL as an Import, then returned home to Europe after that. Under the rules, it says "European born players fall under North American rules if thy meet one of the following conditions:
(i) NHL drafted players - They played in a North American league in the season prior to being drafted into the NHL."

So would I have to wait till this player makes his pro debut to sign him, or could I sign him now. I'm guessing that I can sign him now because of the fact that he was NHL drafted from a CHL league, then returned home to Europe following that where he has remained until now, which seems to have him fall under NA signing rules.

I just wanted to make sure.
 

Hossa

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A quick question about trading.

Is there a trade freeze in effect at the moment, or can trades be made at any point during the FA period?
 

Ohio Jones

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A quick question about trading.

Is there a trade freeze in effect at the moment, or can trades be made at any point during the FA period?

I can answer this one - Free Agency has no effect on trades, with one exception: the period to try and re-sign players before they hit the FA market has passed, so you can't trade pending free agents - they have to do through free agency first.
 

Brock

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One other question because I can't quite remember how it works...

The RFA compensation, those salary numbers, that's per year correct? Not the total salary offered to the player (length x salary). So that the compensation you must award is only related to the salary amount per year. So if you offer a 3 year deal at 650,000 there is no compensation awarded because the yearly salary is below the quota, and not you having to give up a 2nd rounder because it would be just under 2 million in the TOTAL contract.

Just need a little confirmation on the RFA stuff as I've never bid on one before in my time in the HFNHL.
 

Hossa

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I can answer this one - Free Agency has no effect on trades, with one exception: the period to try and re-sign players before they hit the FA market has passed, so you can't trade pending free agents - they have to do through free agency first.

So...if the Columbus Blue Jackets (this is an example obviously) had a RFA I really wanted, could I approach you with an offer for this player as opposed to going the route of an offer sheet, and if a trade is completed, sign the RFA before the offer sheets come in?

I know that trades can be discusseed as opposed to the draft pick compensation system if an offer sheet is signed and won't be matched.
 

kasper11

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So...if the Columbus Blue Jackets (this is an example obviously) had a RFA I really wanted, could I approach you with an offer for this player as opposed to going the route of an offer sheet, and if a trade is completed, sign the RFA before the offer sheets come in?

I know that trades can be discusseed as opposed to the draft pick compensation system if an offer sheet is signed and won't be matched.

No, you can trade for the rights to the player, but you cannot sign him before offer sheets go through. There is no more signing of players other than through the offer sheet route.
 

Ohio Jones

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One other question because I can't quite remember how it works...

The RFA compensation, those salary numbers, that's per year correct? Not the total salary offered to the player (length x salary). So that the compensation you must award is only related to the salary amount per year. So if you offer a 3 year deal at 650,000 there is no compensation awarded because the yearly salary is below the quota, and not you having to give up a 2nd rounder because it would be just under 2 million in the TOTAL contract.

Just need a little confirmation on the RFA stuff as I've never bid on one before in my time in the HFNHL.


That's correct, Brock - it's the salary per year. Keep in mind, though, that a) the salary has to be reasonable for the player, or they won't sign the offer sheet, and b) the team has the right to match.
 

Dr.Sens(e)

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Just a clarifying question.

I've got a player I want to sign to a contract. He's a European who just recently signed his first NHL contract, where it says "Note: Players who have signed their first NA contract for the 2006/07 season will not be eligible to be signed in the HFHNL until they have played their first pro game (AHL/NHL)." However, he also was NHL drafted when he spent time in the CHL as an Import, then returned home to Europe after that. Under the rules, it says "European born players fall under North American rules if thy meet one of the following conditions:
(i) NHL drafted players - They played in a North American league in the season prior to being drafted into the NHL."

So would I have to wait till this player makes his pro debut to sign him, or could I sign him now. I'm guessing that I can sign him now because of the fact that he was NHL drafted from a CHL league, then returned home to Europe following that where he has remained until now, which seems to have him fall under NA signing rules.

I just wanted to make sure.

It would seem you could make the offer Brock, if the details are as simple as you have said.
 

Ohio Jones

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It would seem you could make the offer Brock, if the details are as simple as you have said.

... assuming that he played as an import in the CHL prior to being drafted. If he came over after being drafted, and then returned, all without signing a pro contract, then you have to wait for him to play his first pro gam ein NA before you can try to sign him.

Clear as mud?
 

HFNHL Red Wings

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Just a clarifying question.

I've got a player I want to sign to a contract. He's a European who just recently signed his first NHL contract, where it says "Note: Players who have signed their first NA contract for the 2006/07 season will not be eligible to be signed in the HFHNL until they have played their first pro game (AHL/NHL)." However, he also was NHL drafted when he spent time in the CHL as an Import, then returned home to Europe after that. Under the rules, it says "European born players fall under North American rules if thy meet one of the following conditions:
(i) NHL drafted players - They played in a North American league in the season prior to being drafted into the NHL."

So would I have to wait till this player makes his pro debut to sign him, or could I sign him now. I'm guessing that I can sign him now because of the fact that he was NHL drafted from a CHL league, then returned home to Europe following that where he has remained until now, which seems to have him fall under NA signing rules.

I just wanted to make sure.

Ah yes, always gaps in the wording or in this case spacing ;-)

I'm not certain if the player you are referring to played in the CHL prior to being drafted or after but it's actually irrelevant. The "Note" part is actually intended to apply to Europeans regardless of if they fall under the NA or Euro eligibility rules in that if they did not spend last season in NA or do not have previous NHL/AHL experience they cannot be signed until they play.

I know this was on the boards in another thread (can't remember which one) but the issue that this was trying to deal with was availability and accuracy of information. There have been several cases of 'rumour' boards announcing a player was coming to NA that wasn't true or in some cases was accurately reported but came weeks before the player officailly signed. To simplify things (we're simple folk) and avoid getting into which sources would be considered credible as proof of signings that we would just wait until they actually played a game.
The only reason former NHL'ers were given an exception is b/c they are higher profile and as such got sufficient press from reputable sources that everyone should be aware.

Keep the spirit and intent of the rule in mind vs. the words (there's no lawyers here yet until Rich finishes law school to make our statements air tight) and all will be good. ;)
 

Brock

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Ah yes, always gaps in the wording or in this case spacing ;-)

I'm not certain if the player you are referring to played in the CHL prior to being drafted or after but it's actually irrelevant. The "Note" part is actually intended to apply to Europeans regardless of if they fall under the NA or Euro eligibility rules in that if they did not spend last season in NA or do not have previous NHL/AHL experience they cannot be signed until they play.

I know this was on the boards in another thread (can't remember which one) but the issue that this was trying to deal with was availability and accuracy of information. There have been several cases of 'rumour' boards announcing a player was coming to NA that wasn't true or in some cases was accurately reported but came weeks before the player officailly signed. To simplify things (we're simple folk) and avoid getting into which sources would be considered credible as proof of signings that we would just wait until they actually played a game.
The only reason former NHL'ers were given an exception is b/c they are higher profile and as such got sufficient press from reputable sources that everyone should be aware.

Keep the spirit and intent of the rule in mind vs. the words (there's no lawyers here yet until Rich finishes law school to make our statements air tight) and all will be good. ;)

Fair enough Drew, that's why I asked cause the wording seemed to kind of contradict itself in regards to this situation in the rules.

I'll just wait until the affermentioned player plays in the NHL/AHL before I sign him, less of a headache for everyone that way ;)
 

Ohio Jones

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That's false. There is a lawyer among us since about 3 months ago..

Me!

Apologies, Ville, and congratulations! That was why you were out of country for a while - finishing your law degree? I must confess, I'd forgotten that. Which bar(s) have you passed, and are you now practicing/articling?

And should we send you our embezzled funds for placement in a numbered Swiss, Luxembourg or Channel Islands account? ;)
 

Ohio Jones

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Mr. Swingstein - I notice that the RFA compensation appears to max out at 4 first-rounders. I'm reasonably certain that's incorrect - it should be 5 first-rounders. I'll dig around and see if I can find the proper table.
 

Dr.Sens(e)

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That is the copy of compensation I have (can't remember the source). I believe it changed with the new collective bargaining agreement and now maxes out at 4 1sts.
 

Ohio Jones

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That is the copy of compensation I have (can't remember the source). I believe it changed with the new collective bargaining agreement and now maxes out at 4 1sts.

Quite right, my bad - the new CBA sets out compensation as follows (from the CBA .pdf at nhl.com):

GROUP 2 COMPENSATION CHART
OFFER SHEET COMPENSATION
$660,000 or below None
Over $660,000 to $1 million Third Round
Over $1 million to $2.0 million Second Round
Over $2.0 million to $3.0 million First Round and Third Round
Over $3.0 million to $4.0 million First Round, Second Round, and Third Round
Over $4.0 million to $5.0 million Two First Rounds, Second Round, and Third Round
Over $5 million Four First Rounds

Which, coincidentally, is how you've set it up in your rules. My bad!!! :blush:
 

Dr.Sens(e)

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Of note, Oleg Tverdovsky has been moved from the RFA list to the UFA list.

For those who have submitted, feel free to adjust any of your offers accordingly.
 

kasper11

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I know that there was a rule that if you match an offer to an RFA, you could not trade the player to any team except the one that made the offer for 1 year....do you know if this rule is stll in effect with the new CBA?
 

SPG

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I know that there was a rule that if you match an offer to an RFA, you could not trade the player to any team except the one that made the offer for 1 year....do you know if this rule is stll in effect with the new CBA?

I believe the rule is still in effect, but I'm not 100% sure...
 

Ohio Jones

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I know that there was a rule that if you match an offer to an RFA, you could not trade the player to any team except the one that made the offer for 1 year....do you know if this rule is stll in effect with the new CBA?

Apparently it's even more limiting now - you can't even trade him to the team that gave him an offer sheet.

10.3 Offer Sheet and First Refusal Procedures.
...
b) ...The Prior Club may not Trade that Restricted Free Agent for a period of one year from the date it exercises its Right of First Refusal.
 

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