Michael McCarron, Lucas Lessio, Mark Barberio, Jacob de la Rose, Victor Bartley, Morgan Ellis, and Sven Andrighetto were all part of the St. John’s IceCaps roster at one point or another this season. But on February 29th they were all up with the Montreal Canadiens which would impact their eligibility for assignment to the AHL, unless the Canadiens, like many other teams, performed what is known as a “paper transaction” to symbolically send some players down to the AHL prior to the trade deadline at 3pm, and call them back up immediately afterwards.
St. John’s IceCaps head coach Sylvain Lefebvre confirmed that McCarron, Ellis, and Jacob de la Rose did in fact undergo this process which qualifies them for further AHL action should the Habs want to send them back down to the AHL.
The others are now ineligible to return to the American Hockey League (AHL) until the NHL regular season is over, but won’t be able to participate in the AHL playoffs should the Canadiens’ affiliate qualify.
This is all as a result of being up with the Habs at the trade deadline on February 29. Article 13.12 (j) of the NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement states that:
A Player may be Loaned to a club of any league affiliated with the League at any time up to 3:00 p.m. New York time of the fortieth (40th) day immediately preceding the final day of the Regular Season (the “Trade Deadline”). Following this period, no Player may be Loaned, except that:
(i) a Player who has been Recalled during such restricted period under Article 13.12(l), 13.12(m), or 13.12(n) may be Loaned back to the member club of the affiliated league from which they were Recalled;
(13.12 (l), (m), and (n) cover the allowance for four regular call-ups from the AHL after the trade deadline, “emergency recalls,” and the NHL playoffs, and therefore do not pertain to players on an NHL roster at the trade deadline.)
(ii) a Player who is on the Bona-Fide Long-Term Injury/Illness Exception, or who has been unfit for 24 calendar days and ten (10) NHL Regular Season games, may be Loaned on a Bona-Fide Long-Term Injury/Illness Exception Conditioning Loan (with the Player’s consent) pursuant to Section 13.9 above for a period not to exceed the longer of six (6) days and three (3) games (which Loan is not subject to any extension), provided, however, if the Player is not on the Bona-Fide Long Term Injury/Illness Exception, he cannot be Loaned while he is on Injured Reserve; and
(iii) a Player may be Loaned (with the Player’s consent) provided such Player (a) was on Recall and was determined to be disabled as of the Trade Deadline, (b) is determined to be fit to play prior to such Loan, and (c) was on the Active Roster for less than twenty-five percent (25%) of the period from the beginning of the Regular Season up to and including the date on which he was determined to be disabled.
Daniel Carr, who is still recovering from surgery after an injury sustained on January 25 — the 111th day of the 2015-16 season — was on the active roster for 52 days (19 GP), and will also be ineligible to return to the IceCaps, pursuant to article 13.12 (j) (iii).
As for the Montreal Canadiens, they have used up three of their four allotted call-ups at this point, and are allowed only one more, non-emergency recall.
The Montreal Canadiens farm team has not made the playoffs for the past four seasons. St. John’s currently ranks fourth in the North Division, and 10th in the AHL’s Eastern Conference.
