NHL Waivers Eligibility Tracker

What Is Waivers Eligibility?

Waivers eligibility determines when a player must pass through waivers before being sent to the minors. Eligibility depends on the player's age, position, games played, and years since signing their first NHL contract.

Waivers Eligibility Rules

Age When First Signed

A player's age at the time of signing their first NHL contract affects how long they are exempt from waivers. Younger players get more time before needing to clear waivers. For example, an 18-year-old is exempt for up to 5 years, while a player aged 25 or older is only exempt for 1 year.

NHL Games Played

Once a player reaches a certain number of NHL games, their waiver exemption ends. For skaters, this is typically 160 NHL games. For goalies, it's up to 80 NHL games. After reaching this limit, they must clear waivers before being sent to the minors.

Years of Exemption

Waiver exemptions last for a specific number of years, depending on the player's age at signing. For instance, a player who signed at 18 is exempt for up to 5 years. Players aged 25 or older only get 1 year of exemption.

Previously Cleared Waivers

If a player has already cleared waivers and hasn't played 10 or more NHL games or been on the NHL roster for 30 cumulative days since clearing, they remain exempt from waivers. Note: We are not tracking this specific exemption on this page.

To learn more about waivers calculation, check out our waivers Capology page.