ARTICLE 16: LEAGUE SCHEDULE; PLAYING ROSTERS; RESERVE LISTS; PRACTICE SESSIONS
16.1 League Schedule. During each Playing Season covered by this Agreement, each Club shall play not more than 82 Regular Season Games. No game provided for in Article 24 (International Hockey Games) hereof shall be deemed to be an additional Regular Season Game for the purposes of the preceding sentence or of any Player's SPC. Each SPC between a Player and a Club shall be deemed to contemplate a schedule of 82 Regular Season Games unless prior to entering into the SPC the Club and the Player confirm in writing that a lower number is scheduled with respect to any Playing Season covered by the SPC. If, in the absence of such written confirmation, the number of Regular Season Games should be decreased, other than by reason of the Player's participation in one or more games provided for in Article 24 hereof, the Player's Paragraph 1 Salary shall be decreased in proportion to the number of games scheduled.
16.2 Playoff Games. The NHLPA has consented to granting the League, either in the 2005-06 NHL Season, or, alternatively, in the 2006-07 NHL Season, the option to institute in any League Year a "Playoff Qualification Round" preliminary to the Playoffs, which will consist of one (1) round involving four (4) Clubs in each Conference, with each series in the round having a maximum of three (3) games, with the winner of each series advancing to the Playoffs. If the League institutes a Playoff Qualification Round in either 2005-06 or 2006-07, the parties agree to thereafter jointly evaluate and discuss such experience. If the League desires to implement a Playoff Qualification Round with respect to future NHL Season(s), it may only do so with the consent of the NHLPA, which shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Playoffs will consist of four (4) rounds, with each series in each round having a maximum of seven (7) games.
16.3 Length of Season. Without the NHLPA's advance written consent, the Regular Season will be scheduled over a period of not less than 184 days. Each Club will play at least one (1) NHL Game during the first three (3) days of the Regular Season and at least one (1) NHL Game during the last three (3) days of the Regular Season. Prior to finalizing the Regular Season schedule, the League shall provide the NHLPA with a draft schedule. The NHLPA shall be given an opportunity to comment on the schedule. This opportunity for the NHLPA to comment shall be provided at a point when the NHL has the ability to adjust the schedule based on the NHLPA's comments and shall include a meeting at the NHL's offices with the Vice President, Scheduling, Research & Operations (or his equivalent) responsible for assembling the schedule and a League attorney. The League will give good faith consideration to specific scheduling requests made by the NHLPA and will provide an explanation if any of the NHLPA's requests will not be accommodated; however, the final decision making authority shall remain with the League.
16.4 Active Roster Size; Playing Roster.
(a) For the 2005/06 League Year and thereafter, there shall be a maximum of twenty-three (23) Players on each Club's Active Roster at any one time, provided, however, that, on the date of each season's Trade Deadline, a Club's Active Roster may be increased to any number of Players the Club, in its discretion, so determines, subject to Article 50 hereof.
(b) Except in case of emergency, there shall be no reduction of the required minimum Playing Rosters of the Clubs, below eighteen (18) skaters and two (2) goaltenders.
16.5 Restricted Days.
(a) No NHL Game, practice or travel to a city other than the Club's home city shall be scheduled on the day prior to Christmas Day. Christmas Day shall be an off-day for all purposes, including travel, and no Club may request a Player's consent to practice on Christmas Day for any reason. No NHL Game shall be scheduled on the day after Christmas Day, except an NHL Game that is to be played against a Club where the average scheduled flight time between the cities involved would not exceed two and one-half hours.
(b) No NHL Game, practice or travel to a city other than the Club's home city shall be scheduled on the day prior to the All-Star Game. The day of the All-Star Game shall be an off-day for all purposes, including travel, and no Club may request a Player's consent to practice on the day of the All-Star Game for any reason. The day after the All-Star Game shall be for practice and/or travel only. Any such practice must begin after 2:00 p.m. local time. No NHL Game shall be scheduled on that day. No later than ten (10) days before the holiday roster freeze, the League shall provide the NHLPA with a holiday roster freeze and restricted day memorandum. No later than ten (10) days prior to the All-Star break, the League shall provide a memorandum regarding practice and travel restrictions for the All-Star weekend.
16.6 Practice Sessions. Practice sessions shall be scheduled at reasonable times in accordance with the general practice of Clubs in the League.
16.7 Game Times. The NHL agrees not to schedule the start time of any Regular Season or Playoff Game before 12 noon (local time). To the extent the League seeks an exception to this rule, it will require the consent of the NHLPA, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld.
16.8 Travel Requirements. No Club shall be required to travel on the day of an NHL Game if the average scheduled flight time for the airplane on which the Club would travel is greater than two and one-half (2 ½) hours; provided, however, the foregoing shall not be applicable if the Club has played an NHL Game on the day before.
16.9 Single Room Accommodations. Any Player who has played ten (10) professional seasons under an SPC and has played in 600 NHL Games (including NHL Games dressed for goaltenders) shall be entitled to elect to have single room accommodations for all Club road trips.
16.10 Holiday Roster Freeze. For all Players on an NHL Active Roster, Injured Reserve, or Players with Non-Roster and Injured Non-Roster status as of midnight local time December 19, a roster freeze shall apply through midnight local time December 27, with respect to Waivers, Trades and Loans; provided, however, that Players may be Recalled to NHL Clubs during this period and, provided further, that if a Player is placed on Regular Waivers or Re-Entry Waivers prior to the roster freeze period and is claimed during such roster freeze period, the roster freeze period shall not apply and the Player shall immediately report to the claiming Club. However, during the roster freeze period a Club can make any Player transactions necessary for the Club to come into compliance with Article 50 as a result of a Player being removed from the Bona-Fide Long-Term Injury/Illness Exception.
16.11 Injured Reserve List.
(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 injured 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 and by the Player in the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 28. Such form must be faxed to and received by Central Registry, and faxed to the NHLPA, all in accordance with Exhibit 3, prior to the Player being added to the Injured Reserve List.
(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 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, in accordance with Exhibit 3, of its intent to activate the Player 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 and the Player, attached as Exhibit 25. This form must be faxed to and received by the Central Registry, in accordance with Exhibit 3, and a copy faxed to the NHLPA, 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.
16.12 Non-Roster Player.
(a) Upon approval of the Commissioner, a Player who is unavailable to play due to reasons other than injury, illness or disability (e.g., birth of a child, attending a funeral) will be designated a Non-Roster Player, and during such period of his designation as such he will not count against the Club's Active Roster limit and his Club may replace such Player, provided, however, that the Non-Roster 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.
(b) If, as a result of: (i) a Player ("Player A") returning to a Club's Active Roster from Injured Reserve, or (ii) a Club acquiring a Player ("Player A") via a Trade or Waiver claim, the Club would exceed its twenty-three (23) man Active Roster limit then, at the time the Player ("Player A") returns to the Club's Active Roster (in the case of (i)) or is added to the Club's Active Roster (in the case of (ii)), the Club may request Waivers on a different Player ("Player B") and also the Club can simultaneously request Non-Roster status for such "Player B." Such request shall be made in writing by facsimile to Central Registry, with a copy to the NHLPA, all in accordance with Exhibit 3. Upon approval of the Commissioner, such "Player B" will be removed from the Club's Active Roster and the Club may replace such "Player B" with "Player A" on its Active Roster pending the expiration of the Waiver period set forth in Section 13.18. During the period of time "Player B" is granted Non-Roster status, both "Player A's" and "Player B's" Player Salary and Bonuses are included in the Club's Actual and Averaged Club Salary and the Players' Share for purposes of Article 50. At the conclusion of the Waiver period for such "Player B," if he has not been claimed, the Club must immediately (i.e. that day) Loan "Player B" to the Minors.
(c) The Commissioner may take whatever steps he deems necessary to investigate the circumstances under which a Player is placed, or remains, on the Non-Roster List. If the Commissioner has reason to believe that Non-Roster status has not been utilized properly by the involved Club, or that requests to designate a Player as Non-Roster are or were in any way improper, or if he determines that the Club has used the Non-Roster List to evade the Active Roster limit or otherwise Circumvent any provision of this Agreement, he may take such disciplinary action against the Club as he deems appropriate.
16.13 Goaltender Exemption.
(a) On up to two (2) occasions during the course of the Regular Season and Playoffs, each Club will be granted a Goaltender Exemption to its Active Roster limit. Each Goaltender Exemption may last a maximum of forty-eight (48) hours. A goaltender Recalled under this provision will not count against a Club's Active Roster limit. However, for purposes of clarity, the Recalled goaltender's Player Salary and Bonuses will be included in calculating a Club's Actual Club Salary and Averaged Club Salary, and the Players' Share, for purposes of Article 50.
(b) Once a Club Recalls a goaltender under the Goaltender Exemption, it must identify the Recalled goaltender and the injured goaltender who will be replaced on both a regular NHL Player Transfer To/From Minors form as well as the Goaltender Exemption Form, attached hereto as Exhibits 26 and 27, respectively.
(c) The injured goaltender does not have to be placed on the Injured Reserve List during the forty-eight (48) hour exemption period in order to exercise the Goaltender Exemption.
(d) All three (3) goaltenders will be permitted to participate in warm-up.
(e) If the injured goaltender skates during warm-up and is determined by the Club to be fit to play, and does in fact dress for the NHL Game, the Club will nonetheless be charged with having used one of its Goaltender Exemptions.
(f) The Goaltender Exemption Form, and a completed NHL Player Transfer To/From Minors Form, attached to this Agreement as Exhibits 27 and 26, respectively, must be filed with Central Registry by facsimile, in accordance with Exhibit 3 hereto, prior to the Club Recalling a goaltender pursuant to this Section 16.13. Failure to file both forms prior to any such Recall or filing more than two (2) Goaltender Exemption Forms will automatically constitute a violation of the Active Roster regulation.
(g) A Club may use both forty-eight (48) hour Goaltender Exemptions consecutively, provided that the required forms for the second forty-eight (48) hour Goaltender Exemption must be filed with Central Registry by facsimile, in accordance with Exhibit 3 hereto, prior to the commencement of the second forty-eight (48) hour period.
16.14 All-Star Game.
(a) The All-Star Game, including all All-Star weekend-related events and activities in which Players will be asked to participate, will employ a format agreed upon by the NHL and the NHLPA.
(b) The Club or NHL must provide first-class airline accommodations to any Player selected to play in the All-Star Game.
(c) There shall be no All-Star Game in any League Year in which the NHL and the NHLPA commit to participate in the Olympics.
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