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Originally Posted by Enoch Root
Weren't recent discussions on this suggesting that 1 game constituted a pro season? Several people suggested this with respect to Gillies. Or does that not apply for 18 and 19 year old juniors?
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The CBA actually has two definitions that could potentially be used. One is for a "professional season", which is used to determine a player's eligibility for Group 5 or 6 UFA status. The other is for a "year of professional experience", which is used to determine eligibility for Group 2 RFA status.
This is the definition used for Group 5 & 6 Free Agency:
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For the purposes of the foregoing, the term "professional season" shall: (A) for a Player aged 18 or 19, mean any season in which such Player plays in eleven (11) or more Professional Games (including NHL Regular Season and Playoff Games, minor league regular season and playoff games, and games played in any European professional league, while under an SPC), and (B) for a Player aged 20 or older, mean any season in which such Player plays in one or more Professional Games (including NHL Regular Season and Playoff Games, minor league regular season and playoff games, and games played in any European professional league, while under an SPC).
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This is a slightly different definition for Group 2 Free Agency:
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For the purposes of this Section 10.2(a), a Player aged 18 or 19 earns a year of professional experience by playing ten (10) or more NHL Games in a given NHL Season, and a Player aged 20 or older (or who turns 20 between September 16 and December 31 of the year in which he signs his first SPC) earns a year of professional experience by playing ten (10) or more Professional Games under an SPC in a given League Year.
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Either way, Nurse's 18 & 19 year-old seasons won't qualify. Of course, the league could use a completely different definition for the expansion draft, but I think that's unlikely since the CBA has the terms already defined.
For the Flames' sake, it would be better if they use the Group 2 definition of a "year of professional service" because Poirier and Shinkaruk's AHL seasons last year wouldn't count, so they'd be exempt. Also, under that definition, Gillies would still not have a year of experience because he only played in 7 games this season. If they use the Group 5 definition, Poirier and Shinkaruk won't be exempt (but Gillies still will).