ECHL Utah Grizzlies

Grizzlies Extend Eight Qualifying Offers

Published on July 1, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Utah Grizzlies News Release


West Valley City, Utah - Utah Grizzlies Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Kevin Colley today announced that he has issued qualifying offers to eight players from the 2008-2009 season. Players who signed contracts prior to this past season with either the New York Islanders or their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport are not eligible to receive qualifying offers from Utah.

Forwards Tom May (All-Star in rookie season in 2008-2009. 10-game goal scoring streak from January 16-February 16 was the longest in team history. Led team with 31 goals.)

Dan McDonald (Signed out of University of Ottawa March 4. Registered seven goals and six assists for 13 points in 16 regular season games.)

Peder Skinner (Had two goals and five assists in 11 games after being acquired from Reading in three-team trade on March 12.)

Mike Walsh (Had 13 goals and 22 assists in 47 games with Utah during 08-09 while being called-up to Grand Rapids in the AHL twice.)

Defensemen Jordan Hart (Played in 116 games the last two seasons with Utah and all 20 playoff games.)

Slavormir Tomko (Rights acquired from Elmira to complete trade on June 16.)

Tyler Wooddisse (Recorded 1st pro hat trick on March 8 in Phoenix as Utah won 6-4. Acquired from Dayton January 13.)

James Sanford (Suspended by team in January.)

Qualifying Offer Information

Teams were not required to protect players who signed a Standard Players Contract prior to July 1. Players that were not signed by July 1 or extended a qualifying offer by July 1 became unrestricted free agents. Each team was entitled to reserve rights to a maximum of eight players from the season ending roster list of 20.

Of these eight (8) Qualified Players, no more than four (4) of the Qualified Players shall be Veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2009-10 season.) Players will have until August 1 to accept a qualifying offer. Players on open Qualifying Offers cannot be traded.

Teams are not allowed to sign more than 24 players to contracts during the summer.

A Member extending a valid Qualifying Offer to a Veteran retains the Rights to that Veteran until August 1. After August 1, if the Veteran is not signed to a Standard Player Contract by the Member, the Veteran shall be deemed a Restricted Free Agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other Members. Restricted Free Agents may not be traded.

When a Restricted Free Agent receives an offer to sign a Standard Player Contract from an Offering Member other than the Member with Rights and the Restricted Free Agent desires to accept the Offer, the Restricted Free Agent and the Offering Member must, within 24 hours, deliver a completed Offer Sheet to the Member with Rights, the League Office and the PHPA. The Member with Rights shall then have seven (7) days after the date it receives the Offer Sheet to exercise its Right to Match. The Right to Match shall expire seven (7) days from the date the Offer Sheet was received but not counting the day of receipt.

If a Restricted Free Agent is not signed to either an Offer Sheet or a Standard Player Contract by a Member by August 31, he shall be deemed an Unrestricted Free Agent.

The Grizzlies open the 2009-2010 season Friday, October 16 in Las Vegas with the home opening E-Center weekend being Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24 when they will host Idaho.

Utah enters their fifth year in the ECHL and their third-straight season as an affiliate of the New York Islanders. Head Coach Kevin Colley returns to the Utah bench this upcoming season after signing a multi-year contract extension on April 20, 2009. Colley, who at the age of 30 is the youngest coach in the ECHL, led the Grizzlies to the playoffs for the third time in four years during his rookie head coaching campaign.

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