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How NHL Injured Reserve, LTIR and Roster Replacements Work

NHL IR opens a roster spot after a minimum seven-day absence; LTIR is a separate long-term exception with salary-cap effects. Here’s how teams replace players.
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In the NHL, regular Injured Reserve (IR) is a roster designation for a player expected to miss at least seven days: the player cannot play in NHL games during that period and no longer counts toward the 23-player limit, so the club can replace him on its roster. Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) is different: it applies to longer absences and can provide a salary-cap exception. A replacement is not automatically an emergency recall; that exception has specific conditions.

What NHL teams mean by an “injury list”

“Injury list” is often used informally, but it does not identify one formal NHL status. The useful distinctions are Injured Reserve, Long-Term Injured Reserve, Injured Non-Roster, and any other designation stated in the relevant transaction. NHL opening rosters published September 29, 2026 grouped some players under “Injured and/or Non-Roster”; that combined heading does not prove that every player in it has the same formal designation. Check the individual transaction when the precise status matters. NHL opening rosters, September 29, 2026.

What the NHL roster limits are

Under the NHL Hockey Operations Guidelines, from the start of the regular season through the trade deadline, a club’s playing roster may contain no more than 23 players and must have at least 20: 18 skaters and two goaltenders. These limits describe the playing roster, not everyone under contract to the club. Players on IR do not count toward the 23-player maximum. NHL Hockey Operations Guidelines.

How regular Injured Reserve works

A club may place a player on IR if injury, disability or illness prevents him from performing his hockey duties after he has passed the club’s initial physical examination that season. The expected absence must be at least seven days, and the player is ineligible to play in NHL games for at least seven days. Injury determinations are made by club medical staff under club medical standards. NHL Hockey Operations Guidelines.

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Once the player is on IR, the club may replace him on its NHL roster, and he is excluded from the 23-player count. This is a roster-space effect, not automatic salary-cap relief: the team’s transaction primer describes ordinary IR as affecting the active roster but not the cap. NHL Hockey Operations Guidelines; Carolina Hurricanes transaction primer.

IR does not require complete separation from the club. An IR player may attend team meetings and meals, travel with the team, and participate in practice sessions. He may not play in NHL games, take part in pre-game warmups with the club, or dress in game uniform on game days. NHL Hockey Operations Guidelines; NHL-NHLPA Memorandum of Understanding.

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How LTIR differs from IR

LTIR is a separate long-term injury or illness exception, not another name for the roster opening created by ordinary IR. The commonly stated eligibility threshold is an expected absence of at least 10 NHL regular-season games and 24 calendar days; the club primer also says the player must be on IR. Application is governed by the active agreement and related provisions. Carolina Hurricanes transaction primer; NHL-NHLPA Memorandum of Understanding.

LTIR can allow a club to exceed its ordinary salary-cap spending limit for replacement players under the applicable calculation. The amount depends on the club’s payroll and when it enters the exception; it should not be treated as a simple dollar-for-dollar credit. A team may need to make roster moves after either IR or LTIR, but the designations have different cap consequences. Carolina Hurricanes transaction primer.

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Designation Expected absence Game eligibility Roster effect Cap effect
IR At least seven days under NHL guidelines Cannot play in NHL games for at least seven days Does not count toward 23; club may replace the player No automatic cap relief, according to the club transaction primer
LTIR Commonly stated threshold: 10 NHL regular-season games and 24 calendar days; agreement controls Player remains unavailable under the injury designation Used in conjunction with IR, according to the club primer May permit higher spending limit; calculation depends on payroll and timing

How a club replaces an injured player

When IR opens a roster spot, a club can make an ordinary roster transaction to add another eligible player, subject to roster limits and applicable salary-cap rules. One route may be a recall from a minor-league affiliate. Recall eligibility, waivers and cap treatment depend on the player and transaction; a roster opening alone does not settle those questions. Carolina Hurricanes transaction primer.

Emergency replacement is a narrower exception, not the default method for replacing any injured player. The NHL-NHLPA MOU lists conditions that include the club’s payroll room, its inability to sign or recall a player at the specified amount under the long-term exception, falling below 18 skaters and two goaltenders because of the absence, and having played its previous game below that roster composition. The emergency player’s averaged amount is capped, and he may remain only while the roster emergency continues. NHL-NHLPA Memorandum of Understanding.

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Which rules apply in 2026–27?

The NHL-NHLPA CBA that took effect September 16, 2026 runs through September 15, 2030. The NHL’s 2026–27 coverage confirms the effective date. Older explainers may still describe the basic distinction between IR and LTIR, but the current agreement and applicable amendments control technical questions. NHL and NHLPA reach agreement on four-year CBA; NHL 2026–27 season coverage.

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