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West Valley City, Utah -- Utah Grizzlies Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Jason Christie announced today that the team has issued qualifying offers to a league maximum of eight players for the 2006-2007 season.
Players receiving qualifying offers: Ryan Kinasewich, who finished tied for the league lead during the 2005-2006 season with 39 goals. Brad Herauf completed his first ECHL season with 344 penalty minutes to lead the ECHL, which was also an all-time Grizzlies season high. Defenseman Ed Hill scored 24 of his 36 points in 52 games on the power-play.
Also receiving qualifying offers: defensemen Eric Nelson, Lou DiMasi and Treavor Peterson along with forward Tanner Shultz and goaltender Justin Eddy.
Each ECHL team was entitled to reserve the rights to a maximum of eight qualified players. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four could be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2006-07 season). Players on open qualifying offers can not be traded.
The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until August 1 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.
A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player will retain the rights to that veteran until August 1. After August 1, if the veteran player is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams. Restricted free agents may not be traded. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the player*s rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the player*s rights and the Professional Hockey Players Association. The member with the player's rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right to match the contract offer.
If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by August 31, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.
Season ticket packages, mini-plans, group party packages and luxury suites for the upcoming Grizzlies season are on sale now by calling (801) 988-PUCK.
