Reprinted from USA Hockey website
C. Player Rights, Rules and Responsibilities
(1) Player Agreements
(a) Agreement Effective Date
That no agreement for the succeeding season with or regarding any player shall be valid until the date on which recruitment for the coming season is authorized by USA Hockey, Inc., per the terms of the current USA Hockey Annual Guide or the decision of the Junior Council of USA Hockey.
(b) Agreements with Minors
That no agreement with any player under the age of eighteen (18) is valid without parental endorsement and/or written consent.
(c) Excess Tuition Invalidates the Agreement
That no agreement with or regarding any player shall be valid if the tuition provided for therein is in excess of that set forth in the current USA Hockey Annual Guide or the amount approved by the USA Hockey Junior Council for that team’s league, and/or the tuition received by that team from the player, or from any source on the player’s behalf, is in excess of the approved amount.
(d) Invalidity of Restrictions During Free Agency Period
That during the period of “free agency,” any attempt by any team to prevent or restrict any player from trying out for any other team outside the team’s own league shall be invalid. In addition, such prevention or restriction, whether oral or in writing, shall subject the offending team to disciplinary action upon establishment of the violation.
(2) Team Individual Player Scholarships Prohibited
That no team scholarships/financial discounts shall be allowed to any individual player based upon his skill and ability or game performances, without that individual player performing meaningful, productive work in exchange therefore off the ice and away from team competition. (See NCAA Division I Manual, By Law Article XII – Amateurism, Section 12.1-General Regulations, Sub Section 12.1.1- Amateur Status (a).
(3) Academic Deferral of Player Movement
That a player, who is a student, may veto the timing of any trade or movement to another team until it is academically advisable, as determined by the player, his family, and his academic advisor from the school that he is currently attending.
(4) Complete Service of Existing, Reasonable Suspensions Required
That no player who is under a reasonable disciplinary suspension by his current league or team, unrelated to the player’s departure, may not move to another USA Hockey member team and compete for that team, until such time as the suspension has been fully served.
(5) Adjustment of Financial Obligations Upon Departure
(a) Written Notice
The party initiating the separation between the team and the player, whether that be the team by trade, drop, etc. or the player by quit, departure, etc., shall give notice to the other, in writing of their decision. The date of the notice shall be considered to be the date of the action, unless delivery has been unreasonably delayed, (beyond three days), by the conduct of the forwarding party. In that event, the date of receipt, minus three days, shall be considered the effective date of the notice.
(b) Refund of Equipment/Apparel Deposit
That upon prompt (within ten (10) days written notice of departure) delivery of all team-owned equipment, uniforms, provided apparel, etc., in serviceable condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, a previously protected player shall be entitled to a full refund of any deposit paid to the team for such purposes. Failure to promptly return the team-owned equipment, uniforms, provided apparel, etc., shall result in the forfeiture by the player of his deposit paid for that purpose.
(c) Adjustment of Billet Fees
That upon payment by the player to the billet family for any expenses, (e.g., phone bills, internet charges, repairs or maintenance necessitated by the player’s use, damage done by the player during occupancy, etc.), over and above room and board, incurred while the player is residing with the family, and a fair apportionment of the final month’s billet fee, the player shall be released from any further obligation to the billet family.
(d) Adjustment of Tuition
That any player who fails to satisfy his reasonable financial obligations to their billet family or the team on whose protected list he currently appears, may be suspended until such time as those financial obligations shall have been fully paid and mutual releases executed. Specifically, any player who is being transferred to another USA Hockey member team, dropped by a USA Hockey member team, or leaves a USA Hockey member team, without tampering involved, shall be entitled to a refund applying the following refund schedule of any tuition monies paid in advance for any portion of the season which remains after his departure. The general rule to be applied to determine the reasonable amount of the tuition refund due the player or, in the alternative, the amount of tuition yet due the team shall be as follows:
1. Player Action (without tampering)
a. From Date of Signing to October 31
From the tuition for the full season, an amount up to 50% thereof shall be refunded (deducting for recruitment and related expenses).
b. From November 1 to December 31
From the tuition for the full season, an amount up to 30% thereof shall be refunded.
c. From January 1 to End of Team’s League Season
From the tuition for the full season, there shall be no refund due.
A player cannot be traded or dropped if the calculation results in a tuition payment due from the player plus any additional obligations owed to the team and/or his billet family.
2. Player Action (with tampering)
If the departing player initiated, or participated in, tampering with another team, the player shall forfeit any refund that may be due or pay any amounts due in addition to a penalty in an additional amount equal to the calculated amount of tuition due.
3. Team Action
If the separation between the player and the team is initiated by the team’s action, (e.g. trades, drops, etc.) without tampering being involved, the player shall be entitled to the entire calculated refund or reduction in tuition due (the amount calculated above), less any obligations owed to the team and/or his billet family upon the execution of a mutual release with the team to memorialize the settlement.
4. Cutoff Deadline – January 1
Any player movement initiated by the player after January 1 of the playing season shall result in a forfeiture of any refund claim unless the team is able to secure a paying replacement for the player before the February 10 deadline. Correspondingly, any player dropped, cut, traded or moved to inactive status by a team after January 1 shall be entitled to a full refund of a pro-rata portion of the season’s tuition as a condition of the team’s action.
(e) Mutual Release
Upon the final adjustment of the pro-rated portions due the respective parties, each shall join in a mutual and reciprocal release in which the dispute, if any, is fully and finally resolved and the parties are released, respectively, from any and all claims, to date, possessed by the other.
(6) Disputes/Disciplinary Action
(a) Disputes Regarding Player Rights, Rules and Responsibilities
In the event of a dispute between a player and a team or team official related to the Player Rights, Rules and Responsibilities, the player or the team may request by written notice to the other that the dispute be resolved pursuant to a hearing under Bylaw 10.C. conducted by the league in which the team plays.
(b) Against the Player
Following a hearing held by the Junior Council or the league in which the team plays, which hearing shall be held in accordance with Bylaw 10.C., a player that fails or refuses to comply with the contents of this policy, in any respect, may be disciplined or suspended from further competition/participation in any and all programs under the jurisdiction of USA Hockey or other disciplinary sanctions deemed appropriate by the Junior Council, or its designee.
(c) Against the Team/League
Following a hearing held by the Junior Council or the league in which the team plays, which hearing shall be held in accordance with Bylaw 10.C., any team/league that fails or refuses to comply with the contents of this policy, in any respect, may be placed upon probation, suspended, and/or penalized financially, as may be determined appropriate by the Junior Council, or its designee.
