How Do Midseason Retirements Apply to the Cap?

[member 51464]

If a player decides to hang it up for whatever reason (personal problems, injury, just loses their "compete", etc....), does all of their prorated cap space immediately become available starting after their announcement?

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[GKJ]

Usually they don't just retire. They get waived, sent to minors, and refuse to report, and then released due to insubordination.

 

[kdb209]

If a player decides to hang it up for whatever reason (personal problems, injury, just loses their "compete", etc....), does all of their prorated cap space immediately become available starting after their announcement?

Yes - assuming the player is not subject to the 35+ yo rule.

The player would be removed from the Active Roster and his Team would place him on the Voluntarily Retired List (under NHL By-Law 8). He would forfeit the remainder of his salary due under his SPC and would no longer count against the Cap.

Their are restrictions on players put on the Voluntarily Retired List:

- They cannot be reinstated as an active player for one calendar year without unanimous consent of the League.

- They cannot re-enter organized hockey (amateur or professional) as a player for 3 years without the consent of the Team.

- They cannot re-enter organized hockey (amateur or professional) in a non-playing role for 1 year without the consent of the Team.

- The Team retains the players rights indefinitely and may transfer him back from the Retired List to their Reserve List any time after one calendar year.

It is a bit of a gray area whether the UFA/RFA rules of the CBA would supersede By-Law 8 w.r.t. the teams continued rights to the player after their current contract would have expired.