Why Bo Groulx’s Season With The Maple Leafs Is Effectively Over
Benoit Groulx’s impressive late-season stint with the Leafs reaches an end, but here's how the Leafs were able to make the most of the CBA rules to not risk losing him before sending him to the Marlies.
Shortly after the Toronto Maple Leafs fell 4-0 to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, head coach Craig Berube revealed that prospect Luke Haymes would join the club to make his NHL debut. Consequently, Benoit Groulx was sent down for roster management purposes. I caught up with Groulx the morning of the game against the St.
Louis Blues on March 28. In our conversation, the Leafs forward revealed he had four games left on his emergency call-up. Understanding the Waiver Clock Once an NHL player like Groulx—who typically requires waivers—is called up, a clock starts on their eligibility to be sent back down (10 games or 30 days on the roster).
When Groulx originally debuted on March 10 , it was under emergency conditions. He was returned following his fifth game against the New York Islanders and briefly sent down before being recalled as a regular call-up. He played four games under those regular conditions before being returned and recalled once more under emergency conditions.
This effectively resumed a clock on emergency games, rather than regular games, allowing the player to exceed 10 games with the Leafs this season before requiring waivers. Because a player is permitted nine total games under emergency conditions, Groulx had four games remaining before he would require a new recall. He played that ninth game against Washington on April 8.