I'd like to know where this author got this "season opening injury reserve" from, outside of thin air.
especially considering there's no mention whatsoever of it in the CBA.
not to mention it's really not that great of a loophole. teams can place players on the LTIR before the season starts regardless.
16.11 Injured Reserve List/Injured Non-Roster.
(a) The Injured Reserve List is a category of the Reserve List. A Club may place a
Player on the Injured Reserve List only if such Player is reasonably expected to be injured, ill or
disabled and unable to perform his duties as a hockey Player for a minimum of seven (7) days
from the onset of such injury, illness or disability. A Player who finishes an NHL Season on the
Injured Reserve List and continues to be disabled and unable to perform his duties as a hockey
Player by reason of the same injury at the time he reports to the Club's Training Camp in the next
League Year, will again be eligible to be placed on the Club's Injured Reserve List. For any
other Player who fails the Club's initial physical examination in any League Year, or is injured,
ill or disabled while not on the Club's Active Roster, he shall not be eligible for, and may not be
placed on, Injured Reserve, but instead shall be eligible to be, and may be designated as, Injured
Non-Roster.
(b) A Player on whose behalf a Club has exercised the Bona Fide Long Term
Injury/Illness Exception shall be placed on Injured Reserve for the period of such Exception,
including any period the Player is on a Bona Fide Long Term Injury/Illness Exception
Conditioning Loan.
(c) Players on the Injured Reserve List may attend team meetings, travel with the
Club (at the Club's option) and participate in practice sessions with other Players on the Club's
Active Roster. Players on Injured Reserve are prohibited from appearing in NHL Games,
participating in pre-game warm-ups with their Clubs, or dressing in game uniforms on NHL
Game days. Players on Injured Reserve and Injured Non-Roster shall have access to the Club's
primary training and medical facilities during regular business hours provided, however, that the
Club may restrict such Players' access during periods when Players on the Club's Active Roster
are expected to be present at such primary training and medical facilities (e.g., pre-game skates,
practices, games, medical and physical treatments for other Players) and within a reasonable
period of time before and after such time periods.
(d) Once a Player is placed on the Injured Reserve List, the Club may replace said
Player on its NHL Active Roster with another Player, and during such period of his designation
as an Injured Reserve Player he will not count against the Club's Active Roster limit, provided,
however, that the Injured Reserve Player's Player Salary and Bonuses and his replacement's
Player Salary and Bonuses are each included in calculating a Club's Actual Club Salary and
Averaged Club Salary, and the Players' Share, for purposes of Article 50.
(e) Any determination that a Player is eligible to be placed on the Injured Reserve
List, or designated as Injured Non-Roster, shall be made by the Club's physician in accordance
with the Club's medical standards and documented by a verification signed by the Club physician
and countersigned by a Club executive in the forms attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 28
(which shall also be signed by the Player) and 28-A, respectively. Such forms must be received
by Central Registry and sent to the NHLPA and the Player, all in accordance with Exhibit 3,
prior to the Player being added to the Injured Reserve List or designated as Injured Non-Roster,
as applicable.
(f) The Commissioner may take whatever steps he deems necessary to investigate the
circumstances under which a Player is: (i) placed, or remains, on the Injured Reserve List, or (ii)
designated Injured Non-Roster. If the Commissioner has reason to believe that the Injured
Reserve List or Injured Non-Roster status has not been utilized properly by the involved Club or
otherwise Circumvents any provision of this Agreement, or if he determines that the Club has
used the Injured Reserve and/or Injured Non-Roster designations to evade the Active Roster
limit, he may take such disciplinary action against the Club as he deems appropriate.
(g) A Player placed on the Injured Reserve List will be ineligible to compete in NHL
Games for a period of not less than seven (7) days from the date of the injury, illness or disability
for which the Player was placed on the Injured Reserve List. A Player will be eligible for
activation to play in NHL Games beginning on the 8th day following the date of injury, illness or
disability for which the Player was placed on the Injured Reserve List or any day thereafter that
the Player is medically cleared to play by the Club physician. The Club must notify Central
Registry, the NHLPA and the Player, in accordance with Exhibit 3, of its intent to activate a
Player who is on the Injured Reserve List, or to remove the designation of Injured Non-Roster,
prior to the Player playing in an NHL Game by way of a verification signed by the Club
physician, and countersigned by a Club executive, attached as Exhibit 28-B. This form must be
received by Central Registry, the NHLPA and the Player, all in accordance with Exhibit 3, on the
day the Club activates the Player to play and, upon Central Registry's receipt of such verification,
the Player will be officially removed from the Injured Reserve List or have the designation of
Injured Non-Roster removed.
