Emergency Recall Exception

If I understand correctly, Kaliyev can be sent down and you can have enough players for game one, including Laferriere. Keeping Kaliyev up is a choice made and the Kings would be creating an emergency when there isn't. Toronto did something similar last season and were denied the REE. Going a step further, they could also waive Rittich (or any goalie) and recall a player, but again, they decide to keep him.

There's no way the NHLPA allows that interpretation. If the Kings are required to demote Kaliyev because he's suspended, that turns his 2 game suspension into an indefinite suspension.

It's clear in the CBA that the number of goaltenders on the roster has no bearing on whether or not there's an emergency situation when it comes to skaters. Pittsburgh had a similar situation back in 2019. They had seven defensemen on the roster and had several forward injuries that caused them to fall below 12 forwards. They were allowed to use the emergency recall exception to call up enough forwards to get to 12, even though they had seven defensemen.

The Kings have 12 forwards on the roster with Kaliyev and are cap compliant. Due to his suspension, they fall below 12 and can't recall another and remain cap compliant. If they play one skater short on opening night, they can recall a forward until the suspension is over under the emergency exception rule, regardless of how many goaltenders are on the roster.

I don't believe the goalies would be an issue either. We'll see for Kaliyev if they go on that route because this is really debatable to consider as an emergency.

It is the exact definition of an emergency as defined in the CBA. There are 5 criteria that must be met before a team can use the roster emergency exception.


Check. The Kings will have $113k in cap space, which is less than $875k.


Check. Kaliyev was suspended.


Check. The Kings don't have any players on LTIR.


Check. The Kings would have 18 skaters on their roster, and would fall to 17 with the Kaliyev suspension.


Check. The Kings would play the season opener with only 11 forwards and 6 defensemen on the active roster (less than 18), and wouldn't have any cap space to call up a forward replacement.


The Kings would then be able to recall a player without cap implication "during the period of the roster emergency," so long as their cap hit is $875k or less (Laferriere's cap hit is $875k).

Looks like Kaliyev wasn't on the submitted roster and Rittich got waived today so they'll be able to have enough players tomorrow.