Draft and eligibility...

[MCAngel]

:angel:

[hyena]

i'd like to know about this as well. i know in baseball the kids are allowed to have advisors, but not agents, :roll: to see if they want to stay in the draft. once they sign a contract though, that's the end of it.

[Shell]

Draft eligibility
Players between the ages of 18 and 20 are eligible for each year's NHL Entry Draft.

Please note the following for eligibility:

*18 years old (player turns 18 between Jan 1 and Sept 15 of the draft year)
*19 years old (player turns 19 between Jan 1 and Dec 31 of the draft year)
*20 years old (player turns 20 between Jan 1 and Dec 31 of the draft year)

Any player who turns 18 between Sept 16 and Dec 31 of a draft year is exempt from that year's draft. These players are termed late birth dates and become eligible for the following year's NHL Entry Draft.

So, unless a player has, the aforementioned late birth date, each player has 3 chances to be selected in the NHL Draft.

NHL Draft Re-Entry
NHL teams drafting players from Major Junior clubs (WHL, OHL, QMJHL), own exclusive rights to those players through June 1, two years following the player's draft selection. To continue reservation of the club's rights to the player, a Qualifying Offer must be made by the first June 1st, subsequent to the player's selection. If at the conclusion of the second June 1st, the player has not "agreed to contract terms" with his drafting club, and continues to maintain draft age eligibility, he re-enters the NHL Draft.

NHL Entry Draft Opt-In Procedure
Only players, who turn 18 between January 1 and September 15 of a draft year and players with the aforementioned late birth dates, have the option to OPT IN to the NHL Entry Draft.

Annually, the NHLPA forwards to each registered agency, the Official NHL Entry Draft Opt-in Form, which the player and his family must complete by May 1 of the draft year. Should a player and his team remain in play-off contention beyond May 1, the aforementioned May 1 deadline is extended an additional 7 days from the player's last play-off game. The player has the option to opt-in, only as above described.

If the player is not selected as an 18 year old in the draft, he becomes automatically eligible as a 19 year old and again as a 20 year old. A copy of the NHL Entry Draft Opt-in form is available upon request.

Reserve List-Exclusive Rights

(a) A player selected shall be registered on the Reserve List of the selecting Club as an "unsigned draft choice."

(i) Subject to the provisions of subsection (ii) of this Section and of subsections (b), (c) and (d) hereof, such registration by the selecting Club shall establish for such Club the exclusive right of negotiation for the services of each player selected and registered as against all other professional clubs up to and including June 1 of the calendar year next following the date of his selection.

(ii) If such player continues to play hockey as an overage player for a Major Junior Club, in the season following his selection, such registration by the selecting Club shall establish for such Club the exclusive right of negotiation for the services of each such player selected and registered as against all other professional clubs up to and including the next June 1 following the date of his selection.

(b) (i) A player selected who is a bona fide college student at the time of such selection or who becomes a bona fide college student prior to June 1 of the calendar year next following the date of his selection may be retained on the Reserve List of the claiming Club as an "unsigned draft choice" so long as he remains a bona fide college student and thereafter for 180 days plus the period between the end of said 180 days and the next June 1; provided always that such a player may at any time by notice in writing delivered to the claiming Club, with
copy to the Central Registry, declare his desire to be tendered a Player Contract with that Club.
(ii) Upon receipt of such notice, the claiming Club may tender to the player a Player Contract for a term corresponding to his age as required under Section 9.1(b) commencing at the start of the next regular playing season.
(iii) If the claiming Club fails to tender to the claimed player a contract within thirty days of filing of the notice by the claimed player in the Central Registry, the player shall be eligible for selection in the
next Entry Draft if he is otherwise eligible in accordance with Section 8.4(a).
(iv) For purposes of application of this section, a player playing for his Olympic or National Team shall be deemed to be at college.

(c) A player who, having been selected by a Club and having been placed on its Reserve List as an "unsigned draft choice," enters into an agreement with any person or organization, other than a Club of the League or a member club of an affiliated professional league, which agreement includes the obligation by the player to provide his services as a hockey player, may be retained on the Reserve List of the claiming club as a "defected" player for so long as said agreement to provide his services as a hockey player or any renewal or extension thereof remains in effect.Such player shall be subject to the provisions of Section
10.2(b).

(d) If, on or before June 1 of the calendar year next succeeding the draft, the claiming Club makes a Bona Fide Offer (as defined below) to its claimed player of a contract, the Club shall retain the exclusive right of negotiation for the services of such player up to and including the second June 1 following the date of his selection.
A "Bona Fide Offer" is one which is for a period corresponding to the player's age as required under Section 9.1(b) commencing at the start of the next League Year, offers at least the NHL Minimum Compensation for each yearcovered by such offer and remains open to the player for at least thirty days after receipt of the offer by the player. A Bona Fide Offer may be conditioned upon acceptance by the player within thirty days and carries no right to salary arbitration.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, a claimed player unsigned on June 2 next succeeding his draft shall be removed from the Reserve List of the Club that claimed him.

[Shell]

on a somewhat related note:

Panthers owner had eye on Ovechkin
TSN.ca Staff
6/22/2003

The Florida Panthers started the NHL Entry Draft with a splash and almost ended it the same way.

Witnesses told TSN that Panthers owner Alan Cohen wanted to select 17-year-old Russian phenom Alexander Ovechkin in the ninth round but, according to a south Florida newspaper, the NHL would not allow the pick.

The Sun Sentinal reports the league told the team that since Ovechkin was not listed in the Central Registry, he could not be selected. The Panthers called timeout and assistant GM Grant Sonier requested that Ovechkin be added but to no avail.

Working against the Panthers is the fact that Ovechkin, who turns 18 on September 17, did not opt in for the draft by the May 1 deadline.

The ownership group contends that the definition of "year" in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement is 365 days but a year is actually 365.25 days, resulting in an extra day every four years. Since four leap years have elapsed since Ovechkin was born, the team is arguing he should have been eligible for this year's draft.

Sources say the Panthers were given written proof from the league saying Ovechkin was ineligible, a document that may be used should the case land in court.

Eventually, the Panthers chose Tanner Glass, a left wing from Nanaimo of the British Columbia Hockey League.

While scouts have said Ovechkin is the best junior-aged player in the world, his birthday fell two days after the September 15 deadline for eligibility this year. He is projected to be the top pick in the 2004 Entry Draft.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

The ownership group contends that the definition of "year" in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement is 365 days but a year is actually 365.25 days, resulting in an extra day every four years. Since four leap years have elapsed since Ovechkin was born, the team is arguing he should have been eligible for this year's draft.


Oh...give me a break! :roll: Splitting hairs much?

[Jeff O Rocks]

The ownership group contends that the definition of "year" in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement is 365 days but a year is actually 365.25 days, resulting in an extra day every four years. Since four leap years have elapsed since Ovechkin was born, the team is arguing he should have been eligible for this year's draft.


Oh...give me a break! :roll: Splitting hairs much?

I totally agree...they better get it in gear and work out these problems that may cause a walk out instead of wasting time on BS like this! :mad:

[Turbulence]

:laugh: I think it's funny! Anything to get the player...supposedly this guy could be a star sniper...might as well try to get him, I suppose.
Those guys sure are inventive....I would have never thought of that! :spin: