How does a Hockey contract work ?

[torero]

When a contract is signed by a team and a player ... what happened if the player is hurt and doesn't go back to the game ... (Moor) or he goes back but isn't really what he was and has 1000's of other problems (Di Pietro).

Are their some covenants covering this ? are contracts standard ? or each contract is subject to negotiation on each point ?

tks

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[Blitz]

When a contract is signed by a team and a player ... what happened if the player is hurt and doesn't go back to the game ... (Moor) or he goes back but isn't really what he was and has 1000's of other problems (Di Pietro).

Are their some covenants covering this ? are contracts standard ? or each contract is subject to negotiation on each point ?

tks

I believe the NHL uses a "guaranteed" contract format unlike that used by the NFL (play for pay) where you can be released at almost any time, for any reason - and only the money stipulated as guaranteed is payed out.

In the NHL, if the player is injured, or unable to perform they still get payed. The only way a team can get out of a contract is to place a player on waivers and either have some other team pick him up, or if he refuses to report for assignment, the contract is nullified.

 

[Ola]

I believe the NHL uses a "guaranteed" contract format unlike that used by the NFL (play for pay) where you can be released at almost any time, for any reason - and only the money stipulated as guaranteed is payed out.

In the NHL, if the player is injured, or unable to perform they still get payed. The only way a team can get out of a contract is to place a player on waivers and either have some other team pick him up, or if he refuses to report for assignment, the contract is nullified.

I do not even think they can "release" anyone in a legal sense and I do not think the salary is a "guarantee" either, which would indicate that a player who were kicked out would get his salary in form of damages (the normal indemnity for a breach of a guarantee) basically. Salary is the main obligation for the NHL team. This result is that a player goes to court he demands something thats rightfully his, a sum of money, compared to if salary were a "guarantee" the player would go to court and ask to be compensated for a breach of contract.

Its more like, get paid and do what you are told.

If a player is injured he is injured (insurance/team pays his salary).

And I do not think its hard to find a player who is "done" to be injured in some sense really, but in that case the player is not injured but still "done", they could just tell that player not to show up or try to force him to retire by making him play in like the ECHL.

 

[jessebelanger]

are contracts standard ? or each contract is subject to negotiation on each point ?

tks

To answer this - outside of the $$ amount - contracts are standard, via what's called a SPC (standard player contract). The SPC is negotiated as part of the CBA. That being said, contracts can have additional clauses added to them (IE a no movement or no trade clause) - I am not sure if there is a standard set of allowed clauses or if not....I'm sure KDB will answer all of these questions in short time..

 

[gifted88]

I do not even think they can "release" anyone in a legal sense and I do not think the salary is a "guarantee" either, which would indicate that a player who were kicked out would get his salary in form of damages (the normal indemnity for a breach of a guarantee) basically. Salary is the main obligation for the NHL team. This result is that a player goes to court he demands something thats rightfully his, a sum of money, compared to if salary were a "guarantee" the player would go to court and ask to be compensated for a breach of contract.

Its more like, get paid and do what you are told.

If a player is injured he is injured (insurance/team pays his salary).

And I do not think its hard to find a player who is "done" to be injured in some sense really, but in that case the player is not injured but still "done", they could just tell that player not to show up or try to force him to retire by making him play in like the ECHL.

If he's injured from playing hockey, If not they don't get paid by the team.

 

[cheswick]

If he's injured from playing hockey, If not they don't get paid by the team.

what do you mean by that? If they are injured outside of hockey they don't get paid at all or they get paid by insurance but not by the team?

I remember a few years back Sakic injured himself usign a snow blower or something

 

[leoleo3535]

the following pages of the CBA will provide most of your answers:

go to page 50.....and read the next few pages

pages 106 thru 110

page 273
page 275
page 277
page 307
page 311
page 436

 

[tarheelhockey]

I believe this is what you are looking for:

23.4 A Player under an SPC who is disabled and unable to perform his duties as a
hockey Player by reason of an injury sustained during the course of his employment as a
hockey Player, including travel with his team or on business requested by his Club, shall
be entitled to receive his remaining salary due in accordance with the terms of his SPC
for the remaining stated term of his SPC as long as the said disability and inability to
perform continue but in no event beyond the expiration date of the fixed term of his SPC,
which fixed term shall in no event be deemed to include any option period related to a
playing season after the League Year in which the injury occurred, with the exception of
a Player option year that has already vested. In consideration of payment of such salary,
as well as payments made by the Club to fund the Hospital, Major Medical and Dental
Plan, payments made by the Club to provide Career Ending Disability Insurance and
other consideration, the Player does hereby covenant that in the event he files a claim
under such Career Ending Disability Insurance (unless such claim is not paid), he
personally releases and will release, and will cause his corporation if a corporate contract
is involved, to release the Club, the League, the NHLPA, all other Clubs, the
Underwriters, and the servants, employees, officers and agents of each of the above from
any and every additional obligation, liability, claim or demand whatsoever for such salary
or arising out of such injury or the treatment thereof, including without limitation liability
in tort, and extending to all damages, whenever arising. The Releases which a Player
shall sign in order to receive benefits under the Career Ending Disability Insurance are
attached hereto as Exhibits 11 and 12. The Releases which the NHL and the NHLPA
shall sign in order for a Player to receive benefits under the Career Ending Disability
Insurance are attached as Exhibits 9 and 10. The Player shall also be required to sign an
Undertaking form, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 13. Such a Player who
is thus permanently disabled from performing as a hockey Player and as a result is
compelled to retire prematurely from the League and who is entitled to benefits that had
vested under the pension plan or plans described in Article 21 hereof shall be entitled to
have additional contributions made on his behalf in accordance with the requirements of
such pension plan and Article 21 until such contributions, together with contributions
previously made on his behalf, would represent contributions for five (5) playing seasons
in the aggregate. The funds to provide such additional contributions shall be paid from
the National Hockey League Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. Any disagreement as
to disability or inability to perform shall be determined conclusively by doctors of the
Club and of the Player, and, in the event said doctors are unable to agree, by an
independent doctor selected by said doctors, pursuant to the provisions in Section 17.7.

It's actually much more complicated than that, with pension and insurance claims also figuring into the equation. But the short answer is yes, the contract is still in effect in a basic injury scenario.