2007-06-16 02:05:33 · 13 answers · asked by Mark B 1 in Sports ➔ Hockey
The NHL's Free Agen Market is always open. In other words a free agent (defined by the NHLPA as a player without a binding contract) can be signed on any day of the year.
The current standard NHL player's contract runs from July 1 to June 30th. So, for most players, July 1st of any given year is the day that players are available. While a player is under contract in the last year of his contract, ONLY the team currently holding his contractual rights can negotiate with him.
So, while July 1st is the date that most players are without contracts, the NHL's Free Agent market is open 365 days of the year (hence the free-agent signings that already happened this past week)
As a final example, we will choose Ryan Smyth.
Ryan Smyth has a contract that runs from July 1st 2006 to June 30th 2007
That contract is current controlled by the New York Islanders
During the length of that contract, only the New York Islanders are allowed to negotiate with him (and I realize this is a bad example before for the first 8 months the Edmonton Oilers had control). If at any time, Smyth tells the Islanders 'I will not sign with you' prior to midnight on June 30th, the Islanders can terminate the contract, and Smyth would become available as of that moment, even if it is prior to JUne 30th.
The common practice these days is that if you know a player isn;t going to sign with you, you trade him on the 30th of June and get something for him. In June 2002, Curtis Joseph and the Toronto Maple Leafs could not come to an agreement, so the Leafs contacted Dallas and received permission to talk to Belfour's agent (as did several teams). Once the Leafs received a verbal agreement from Belfour's agent, the Leafs traded Joseph to Calgary (after giving teams permission to talk to his agent) and got something for him rather than lose him for nothing. As a result, both goaltenders had new contracts with new teams just minutes after midnight on July 1st 2002.
2007-06-16 05:23:57 · answer #1 · answered by Like I'm Telling You Who I A 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
july 1
2007-06-16 03:10:57 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Officially July 1. Some deals will be agreed upon in principle as early as the draft. You'll hear rumors up until July 1.
2007-06-16 04:14:47 · answer #3 · answered by stevis78 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It starts July 1-July 31, 2007 every year.
2007-06-16 16:17:16 · answer #4 · answered by Joey Safford 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
July 1st
2007-06-16 07:52:16 · answer #5 · answered by john F 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
July 1st
2007-06-16 05:15:27 · answer #6 · answered by kerrinrobertson 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
July 1st
2007-06-16 04:43:59 · answer #7 · answered by paul m 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like everyone is saying... July 1st. And indeed its going to be a busy one just before and in the days after.
2007-06-16 08:33:40 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
july 1 and there are some names out there that will be moving to new teams.
2007-06-16 04:06:51 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
July 1st i hope Ryan Smyth comes back to Edmonton
2007-06-16 11:55:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋