NHL Free Agency: When Does it Start?

NHL free agency is just around the corner, and fans are wondering when it will all begin. Here’s everything you need to know about the start of NHL free agency.

NHL Free Agency

What is NHL Free Agency?

NHL free agency is when NHL teams can begin to sign unrestricted free agents (UFAs) to new contracts. Unrestricted free agents are players who have completed their entry-level or second contracts and are now free to sign with any team. Restricted free agents (RFAs) can also sign new contracts with their current team or with another team, but their former team has the right to match any offer sheet and keep the player. If the player’s former team does not match the offer sheet, they will be compensated with draft picks.

NHL free agency officially begins on July 1, but teams can begin to negotiate with UFAs and RFAs on June 25. On July 1, teams can sign UFAs to new contracts. The signing period usually lasts until training camp in September, but some players do not sign new deals until after the start of the season.

When does it start?

NHL free agency begins on July 1 of each year, with teams able to sign free agents to contracts starting at noon ET on that date.

Key Dates

NHL free agency will officially begin on July 1, 2020, at 12:00 noon ET. teams will be able to negotiate and sign contracts with pending free agents.

June 15

July 1 is fast approaching, and with it the start of NHL free agency. So when exactly does free agency start?

The NHL’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement stipulates that free agency begins on July 1, with the exception of players who are still unsigned as of June 30. Those players can become unrestricted free agents on June 15.

So, for example, if a player’s contract expires on June 30 and he has not signed a new contract by that date, he will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. However, if he remains unsigned as of June 15, he will become an unrestricted free agent on that date.

In either case, once a player becomes an unrestricted free agent, he is free to sign with any team in the league, with no restrictions.

July 1

NHL free agency begins on July 1, and while there hasn’t been much activity lately, that’s sure to change this summer. Several big-name players are set to hit the open market, and there are bound to be some surprise signings as well.

Here’s a look at some of the key dates for NHL free agency:

July 1: Free agency opens at 12:01 p.m. ET

July 2: The first day of the NHL’s “interview period,” during which teams can meet with pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) and their representatives. This year, the interview period runs from July 2-8.

July 10: The start of the NHL’s “moratorium period,” during which teams can negotiate with pending restricted free agents (RFAs), but cannot officially sign them. This year’s moratorium period runs from July 10-16.

July 16: The earliest date that free agents can officially sign with new teams.

August 1: The deadline for clubs to make qualifying offers to their pending RFAs in order to retain their draft rights.

October 7

The NHL free agency period typically opens on the first July after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. This year, NHL free agency will open on October 7, 2020, just over two months after the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2020.

NHL teams can begin signing free agents at 12:01 AM ET on October 7. If a team signs a player who was under contract with another team during the previous season, that team must wait until the player’s former team has had a chance to match the offer sheet.

Eligibility

The National Hockey League (NHL) free-agency period begins on July 1 of each year. Unrestricted free agents are players who are 27 years of age or older or have completed at least seven professional seasons. Restricted free agents are players who have completed their three-year entry-level contracts and are still RFA-eligible.

Group 2 Free Agents

Players who have completed two or more professional seasons, but less than three, are classified as Group 2 free agents. These players are restricted in the sense that their current club has the right tomatch any offer sheet tendered by another team. If the player’s club opts not to match an offer sheet, it may receive draft-pick compensation depending on the average annual value of the offer.

Group 3 UFAs

Group 3 UFAs are players who are 24 or older or have at least four years of professional experience. They are free to sign with any team, with their former team having the option to match the offer sheet and retain the player or receive draft-choice compensation.

Restricted Free Agents

Players who have completed three or four professional seasons are classified as restricted free agents when their contracts expire. These players can sign offer sheets with other teams, but their original team has the right to match the offer and keep the player. If theoriginal team does not match the offer, it may receive draft-pick compensation from the signing team, depending on the average annual value of the contract.

Unrestricted Free Agents

July 1st is an important day for NHL teams and fans alike as it is the start of the NHL free agency. Unrestricted free agents are players who are free to sign with any team, without restriction, starting on July 1st. This can be a very exciting time for teams as they look to improve their rosters for the upcoming season.

Age

In order to become an unrestricted free agent in the NHL, a player must be at least 27 years old or have completed seven professional seasons, whichever comes first. For instance, a player who signed his first professional contract at age 20 would become an unrestricted free agent at 27. A player who signed his first professional contract at 23 would become an unrestricted free agent after his 10th season.

Free Agent Compensation

In order to become a free agent, a player must have completed four professional seasons, or have been extension-eligible and received Qualifying Offers from their respective teams in both of the previous two seasons.

Players who have completed their entry-level contracts (ELC) without signing an extension become restricted free agents (RFA) at the expiration of their deals. These players may re-sign with their former team for any amount, but their former team also has the right to match any contract offer made by another team (“right to match”). If the player’s former team does not wish to match an offer sheet, it may receive draft-pick compensation from the signing team, depending on the amount of the offer.

Players who have played professional hockey for more than four years, or who have been extension-eligible and did not receive a Qualifying Offer in either of the previous two seasons, become unrestricted free agents (UFA) when their contracts expire. These players are free to sign with any NHL club, without restriction.

Qualifying Offers

In order to become an unrestricted free agent in the NHL, a player must have completed at least three professional seasons, or have turned 27 years old before July 1st of the year they become a free agent.

Players who have completed their entry-level contracts (ELC) must receive a qualifying offer (QO) from their team in order to retain their negotiating rights. A QO is a one-year contract offer at a salary equal to the lesser of the following two options:
-The average salary of the top 125 forwards/top 75 defensemen/top 85 goalies in the previous season, or
-110% of their previous salary.

A player can sign a QO with their team at any time before free agency begins on July 1st.

Free Agent Tender

NHL free agency officially opens on July 1, though the window for negotiation between teams and prospective free agents begins on June 25. This year’s free agent class is headlined by defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk, forwards Alexander Radulov and Joe Thornton, and goaltender Jaroslav Halak.

Teams have until June 30 to extend a qualifying offer to pending restricted free agents in order to retain negotiating rights.Players who have been tendered a qualifying offer can negotiate with any team beginning on July 1, but their former team has the right to match any contract offer or receive draft-pick compensation if they choose not to match.