How Does The NHL Entry Draft work?
Nope, it’s like baseball. All being drafted does is determine who owns your rights. (I’ve given a detailed answer for this before…..I’ll find it and paste it here) 1) Players do not have to declare themselves eligible for the NHL draft, as long as they will be 18 by September 15th of the year in which they are to be drafted. 2) Being drafted gives that team the right to a junior aged player for a) 2 years from the draft date if the player is draft eligible for the first time and playing in the CHL b) 6 years from the draft date if the player is draft eligible for the first time and playing in the NCAA (two years after leaving school max) c) In perpetuity for a player from Europe who was drafted by a NHL team. In the case of a European player, after 4 years, he is free to get a release from his draft team and sign elsewhere as a free agent without compensation to the drafting team. Where Players Play 1A) Any player who has been drafted, and has not signed a professional contract, may
