News release
18 June 2007
PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL on Monday released the season-ending rosters submitted by each of its member teams.
Season-ending rosters may include up to 20 players. Season-ending rosters cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2006-07.
Of the eight qualified players, no more than four can be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the 2007-08 season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded.
The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until August 1 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.
A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player will retain the rights to that veteran until August 1. After August 1, if the veteran player is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams. Restricted free agents may not be traded. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the players rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the players rights and the Professional Hockey Players Association. The member with the players rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right to match the contract offer.
If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by August 31, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.