<Li> For players signing their entry - level contract at age 18 or 19 (but who will not turn 20 in the same calendar year that the entry - level contract was signed), a season of professional experience is at least 10 NHL games played, and at least four such seasons must be accrued for arbitration eligibility . </Li> <Li> For players signing their entry - level contract at age 20 (or who will turn 20 in the same year that the entry - level contract is signed), a season of professional experience is at least 10 professional (non-collegiate) games played, and at least four such seasons must be accrued for arbitration eligibility . </Li> <Li> For players signing their entry - level contract at age 21 or older, arbitration eligibility comes at the expiration of a player's first contract . </Li> <P> A player can only be subjected to a team - elected arbitration one time in his career, while a player may elect arbitration as many times as possible, provided that a qualifying offer has been made . After a qualifying offer is made, an eligible player can elect to go through the arbitration process, where the team and the player each make an argument for a certain contract size . An independent arbiter hears the arguments and decides on a fair contract amount . If the player has elected arbitration, and the award is more than a specified threshold (determined by the League and based on the previous years league - wide salaries) a team has 48 hours to "walk away" from the arbitration award, making the player an unrestricted free agent . For 2017, the threshold is set at $4,084,219 (from 2005--2012, the threshold was $1,042,173). If the team has elected arbitration, the arbitrator's award is binding regardless of the amount . </P>

When did the nhl implement a salary cap