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An NHL goalie can be sent to the AHL without regular waivers only while he remains waiver-exempt. Once he is waiver-eligible, his club generally must expose him to the NHL waiver-claim process before loaning him to its AHL affiliate. Whether he is exempt depends on his age, time since signing his NHL contract, and NHL games played—not simply how many seasons he has played.
What waivers mean for an NHL goalie
In this context, waivers are the NHL claim process associated with a club’s proposed loan of a player to a minor-league club. They are distinct from an outright release and from the rules governing an emergency backup goalie who appears in a game.
If a goalie is waiver-exempt, his NHL club can generally loan him to its AHL affiliate without first offering him to other NHL clubs. If he is waiver-eligible, the club generally must place him on regular waivers and allow the process to run before making the AHL loan. Another NHL club can claim him during that period. If no club claims him, he clears and his club may proceed with the loan, subject to other CBA restrictions.
How to tell whether a goalie is waiver-exempt
Article 13.4 of the NHL/NHLPA agreement determines a goalie’s regular-waiver exemption using his age, the time elapsed since he signed an NHL Standard Player Contract (SPC), and his NHL games played. NHL regular-season and playoff games count. AHL games do not count toward the NHL-games threshold.
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| Age category in the CBA table | Years from signing NHL SPC | NHL games threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | 6 | 80 |
| 19 | 5 | 80 |
| 20 | 4 | 80 |
| 21 | 4 | 60 |
| 22 | 4 | 60 |
| 23 | 3 | 60 |
| 24 | 2 | 60 |
| 25 or older | 1 | No games threshold shown |
The agreement states that the exemption ends immediately when a player reaches the applicable NHL-games threshold. The table is not a simple count of NHL seasons: the relevant age category, SPC signing date, and games total all matter. A player’s individual waiver status cannot be determined from one of those facts alone.
What happens after a goalie is placed on waivers
- The club requests regular waivers. It does so when seeking to loan a waiver-eligible goalie to a minor-league club during the playing-season waiver period.
- Other NHL clubs have an opportunity to claim him. If more than one club claims the player, waiver priority determines which claim is awarded. The Carolina Hurricanes’ transaction primer summarizes priority as based on the prior-season record at the start of a season and the current record from November 1; the CBA and applicable league rules govern the specific claim.
- If he clears, the club may make the loan, subject to limits. Article 13.2 provides that after clearance, a player may be loaned only while he has played fewer than 10 cumulative NHL games and spent no more than 30 cumulative days on an NHL roster since that clearance.
Other Article 13 provisions address waiver expiration and recalls. A club’s prior clearance does not necessarily settle a later transaction: recall and loan history can affect whether it may rely on that clearance.
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- DESIGNED FOR COMFORT: The adjustable backplate ensures a comfortable fit for any youth head size and makes this goalie helmet ideal for all street hockey players
- CHROME-WELDED STEEL: Specially designed with a chrome-welded steel cage for premium protection during street-hockey games
- QUICK-SNAP STRAPS: This hockey helmet goes on and off smoothly in seconds, thanks to its easy-to-use quick-snap elastic straps
- BALL & STREET HOCKEY APPROVED: These hockey goalie masks are not HECC/CSA-certified and are only made for street-hockey play with a 2 ⅝” ball. Not certified for ice hockey or any other type of puck play
How the rules apply under the current agreement
The NHL/NHLPA 2025 Memorandum of Understanding says the new CBA took effect on September 16, 2026, adopting the prior CBA except where modified. The NHL lists both the CBA and the MOU as governing documents. For a transaction on or after that effective date, read Article 13 together with the MOU; for a different transaction date, check the governing agreement and modifications in force on that date.
A recent waiver placement is not the same as a completed assignment
On September 30, 2026, the Carolina Hurricanes announced that goalie Cayden Primeau had been placed on waivers for reassignment to the Chicago Wolves, the club’s AHL affiliate. The announcement shows the intended assignment, but by itself it does not establish the final claim outcome or provide all the facts needed to calculate Primeau’s waiver status. To confirm what happened, check a separate transaction result after the waiver process.
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What to check for a specific goalie
A reliable answer for an individual transaction requires more than a player’s age or a waiver-placement headline. Check:
- the age category that applies under Article 13;
- the date he signed his NHL SPC and time elapsed since signing;
- his NHL regular-season and playoff games played;
- the date and result of his most recent waiver clearance, if any;
- his NHL games and roster days accumulated since that clearance;
- his recall and loan history; and
- the CBA and MOU applicable on the transaction date.
Without those details, the general rule can explain the process, but it cannot establish whether a particular goalie can be loaned without waivers or whether a previous clearance still applies.
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- DESIGNED FOR COMFORT: The adjustable backplate ensures a comfortable fit for any youth head size and makes this goalie helmet ideal for all street hockey players
- CHROME-WELDED STEEL: Specially designed with a chrome-welded steel cage for premium protection during street-hockey games
- QUICK-SNAP STRAPS: This hockey helmet goes on and off smoothly in seconds, thanks to its easy-to-use quick-snap elastic straps
- BALL & STREET HOCKEY APPROVED: These hockey goalie masks are not HECC/CSA-certified and are only made for street-hockey play with a 2 ⅝” ball. Not certified for ice hockey or any other type of puck play
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- DESIGNED FOR COMFORT: The adjustable backplate ensures a comfortable fit for any youth head size and makes this goalie helmet ideal for all street hockey players
- CHROME-WELDED STEEL: Specially designed with a chrome-welded steel cage for premium protection during street-hockey games
- QUICK-SNAP STRAPS: This hockey helmet goes on and off smoothly in seconds, thanks to its easy-to-use quick-snap elastic straps
- BALL & STREET HOCKEY APPROVED: These hockey goalie masks are not HECC/CSA-certified and are only made for street-hockey play with a 2 ⅝” ball. Not certified for ice hockey or any other type of puck play
Sources
- NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 13
- NHL/NHLPA 2025 Memorandum of Understanding
- NHL governing documents
- Carolina Hurricanes transaction primer
- Carolina Hurricanes’ September 30, 2026 waiver announcement
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