Step two of rights protection includes a list of 17 players
BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners
PORTLAND, ME – June 16, 2020 – The Maine Mariners released their season-ending roster for 2019-20 on Tuesday, protecting the rights of 17 players between now and July 1st. The season-ending roster is the second phase in the three-step process of protecting players’ rights, the first being the initial protected list, and the final being qualifying offers.
Here is the Mariners 2019-20 season-ending roster:
FORWARDS (9): Conner Bleackley, Ryan Ferrill, Dillan Fox, Brian Hart, Ted Hart, Alex Kile, Nick Master, Michael McNicholas, Mikael Robidoux
DEFENSEMEN (7): Josh Couturier, Marc-Olivier Crevier-Morin, Nathaniel Kallen, Austin McEneny, Jonathan Racine, Dallas Rossiter, Gabriel Sylvestre
GOALTENDERS (1): Francois Brassard
Each team is entitled to reserve rights to a maximum of eight players from the list of 20 by extending a qualifying offer no later than June 30. 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 2020-21 Season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded. Teams are not required to extend a qualifying offer to players who sign a contract prior to June 30.
The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until July 16 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, or to a goaltender who has played more than 180 regular-season games, will retain the rights to that player until July 16. After July 16, if the veteran player or goaltender is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran or goaltender 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 player’s 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 player’s rights and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association. The member with the player’s 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 Aug. 1, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.
Starting on Tuesday, June 16th, teams can sign players on their season-ending rosters to standard player contracts for 2020-21. Up to eight players can receive qualifying offers by June 30th. Free agency begins on July 1st.
Full and half-season ticket packages as well as mini-plans and flex packs for the 2020-21 season, sponsored by Hannaford To Go, are available by calling 833-GO-MAINE. The Mariners are auctioning off five additional exclusive “HOME” jerseys through Handbid to benefit COVID-19 relief: one for Levey Day School and four others that will include a personalized nameplate for each winner. The Mariners have also partnered with Evergreen Credit Union, the Portland Sea Dogs, and the Maine Red Claws to support the Good Shepherd Food Bank through a virtual food drive at Fans4Food.com.
