NCAA Players and Free Agency

ozzie

Registered User
Aug 3, 2005
1,698
493
Australia
Not sure if this is the best place for this, but I will ask anyways.

Before the new CBA any NHL team who drafted a player out of the NCAA, held onto their rights for 4 years and 1 more year until after their class graduation date, so in theory a total of 5 years. This is my understanding, but correct me if I am wrong.

When the 5 years are up the player would have become an unrestricted free agent, or after the 4 years if the team released him.

My first question is, if a player had finished his 4 years of college hockey, then signed a 1 year contract with a team in the AHL, IHL, European team or even joined at the time Team Canada or Team USA ( when they had the olympic programs running ) after that 1 season was done, would they be an unrestricted free agent?.

Second question.

Under then new CBA, NHL teams hold the players rights for 4 years, then the player if I understand it correctly becomes and unrestricted free agent. Does this ruling apply to players drafted before 2005? or just the ones after 2005?. If these players don't sign, when exactly do they become unrestriced free agents?, when can they sign with a team? July 1st or August?, I remember there was some special date, August 15th a few years ago, but don't seem to see it mentioned anywhere for 2007.

Third Question.

Do teams get compensated for losing an NCAA player to free agency? and if so is there some system used?.
 

montreal

Go Habs Go
Mar 21, 2002
57,329
39,839
www.youtube.com
Not sure if this is the best place for this, but I will ask anyways.

Before the new CBA any NHL team who drafted a player out of the NCAA, held onto their rights for 4 years and 1 more year until after their class graduation date, so in theory a total of 5 years. This is my understanding, but correct me if I am wrong.

When the 5 years are up the player would have become an unrestricted free agent, or after the 4 years if the team released him.

My first question is, if a player had finished his 4 years of college hockey, then signed a 1 year contract with a team in the AHL, IHL, European team or even joined at the time Team Canada or Team USA ( when they had the olympic programs running ) after that 1 season was done, would they be an unrestricted free agent?.

Second question.

Under then new CBA, NHL teams hold the players rights for 4 years, then the player if I understand it correctly becomes and unrestricted free agent. Does this ruling apply to players drafted before 2005? or just the ones after 2005?. If these players don't sign, when exactly do they become unrestriced free agents?, when can they sign with a team? July 1st or August?, I remember there was some special date, August 15th a few years ago, but don't seem to see it mentioned anywhere for 2007.

Third Question.

Do teams get compensated for losing an NCAA player to free agency? and if so is there some system used?.


1. Not under the old cba, if your talking about a NCAAer that was drafted by an NHL team. Since under the old cba, nhl teams had a full year to sign a player after they finished school, so by them signing with another club doesn't cause the nhl team to lose their rights under the old cba or not that I know of.

2. Under the new CBA, it applies to all drafted players in the NCAA. So after 4 years they have until August 15th to sign with their nhl club, if they don't sign then they become UFA's. The nhl clubs can release them before that though if they want to so that the player can sign with another club before that I believe.

3. No, teams no longer get comp for losing players to FA. The only way an nhl team gets compensation is for not signing a player they drafted in the first round. They will get a pick in the 2nd round (30+ the spot where the unsigned player was drafted)
 

ozzie

Registered User
Aug 3, 2005
1,698
493
Australia
Under the new CBA, if a player does play college for 4 years and becomes a free agent on August 15th, does that player sign an entry level contract for the rookie max?
 

montreal

Go Habs Go
Mar 21, 2002
57,329
39,839
www.youtube.com
Under the new CBA, if a player does play college for 4 years and becomes a free agent on August 15th, does that player sign an entry level contract for the rookie max?

You mean if he signs with another nhl club? If he signs with another nhl club, then it would be an entry level contract but the amount would depend on the team, said player could get the rookie max and not any higher but it doesn't mean that they would get the rookie max. Just to add something, the length of the contract will be set by the players age, so guys coming out of the NCAA after 4 years, are usually 22 and older, so that means they can only sign for 2 years, as players over the age of 21 can only sign for 2 years in the new cba, or if they are over 25 then they can sign for only 1 year.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->