Time to Push Back the Start of NHL Free Agency

The time has come for the NHL to adopt what Major League Baseball does and have Winter Meetings, except this time they can be Summer Meetings so they can push Free Agency back after the major holidays in Canada (Canada Day, July 1) and the United States (4th of July) so the General Managers can get back together for a centralized NHL Draft.

As it appears, the NHL GMs have voted to keep the decentralized draft despite the backlash from fans and Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly putting the onus on the GMs, reiterating in numerous media gatherings that this is what the GMs wanted, which begs the question as to why the GMs have a say in League Business and Events in the first place. But that is another topic for another time.

However, we know two NHL General Managers who have favoured the decentralized draft: Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman and New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald said that one of the reasons he voted to decentralize the draft was that it is getting closer and closer to free agency, and there isn’t a lot of time to prepare because of the travel.

“I voted to have a decentralized draft. I’m defintiely open to going back. I guess the reason I voted that way was travel,” Fitzgerald said when he met the media on July 2nd. “You’ve got to remember, I don’t know when this started, but the Stanley Cup is being handed out later and later. Seems every year. The draft follows shortly thereafter, and then on July 1. So the draft used to be the third week of July and then you had a week to prepare, right? Close to week. The travel back from the West, whether it was Vegas or LA at the time it really hurt us back here. Like you’re you’re getting in late. You’re taking Red Eyes back, whatever. so I just looked out for like how our experience was with it and just said I’d rather just wake up in my own bed.”

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In addition to the shortened time between the Stanley Cup, Draft, and the start of Free Agency, Fitzgerald cited communication as an issue, noting the different time zones and the fact that everyone was in the same time zone. However, that wasn’t the case because time zones don’t change, regardless of whether it’s a centralized draft or not. But most GMs are up early regardless of which coast they are on.

However, the point about a condensed schedule is a valid one. The issue, though, is that NHL players want the best against the best in international hockey. The only time these games can be played is in February, which means the Stanley Cup will continue to be awarded in mid-to-late June.

Not to mention that the NHL Scouting Combine takes place during the Stanley Cup Final and other meetings throughout the year. As Fitzgerald noted, the week-long talking period before Free Agency that used to exist. That could happen if Free Agency were pushed back after Canada Day and the Fourth of July.

It is a topic that was discussed when Ryan Paton joined the Full Press NHL Podcast a couple of months ago.

Again, whether it is July 5th or another day, depending on how the holidays fall, the fact remains that the NHL has to consider pushing back the start of Free Agency. While it is tradition that the new League year starts with July 1, and that can still be the case with bonuses being paid, we are seeing traditions slowly begin to change.

Just look at the centralized draft moving to a decentralized draft. But having the start of NHL free agency pushed back several more days allows for a little extra time for teams to get things in order. Plus, it gets the NHL to have a centralized draft again, along with the Summer Meetings. And having everyone together helps the game grow as it keeps people talking about your sport and rumors leading into free agency.

Having everything crammed together makes life difficult for a lot of people. Suppose a decentralized NHL Draft is here to stay, which seems to be the case, as Full Press Hockey was given clues about when we asked Steve Mayer, NHL President, Content & Events, back in May, about the NHL going back to a centralized draft. There, he stated, there was no discussion of that.

So in that case, the next best thing is to push free agency and allow for a talking period again. It makes things a lot smoother in the future.