Tomorrow, August 15th, marks a key date on the calendar for teams around the National Hockey League every year. NHL drafted collegiate players, who have completed their fourth year in the NCAA, are eligible to become unrestricted free agents on August 15th if they meet a few requirements.
Those requirements are - the team that has drafted them does not sign them to an entry-level contract (ELC) by August 15th, meaning that club loses exclusive signing rights & that player has informed NHL Central Registry that they're done with their post-secondary education in the NCAA, according to Brennan McClain of Pro Hockey Rumors.
On Saturday, a total of 21 prospects are set to hit the unrestricted free agent market and among them is a member of the Montreal Canadiens' draft class back in the fall of 2020.
Montreal Canadiens Forward Prospect to Become Unrestricted Free Agent on Saturday
According to the list from Pro Hockey Rumors, Montreal Canadiens fourth rounder in 2020, Jack Smith, is one of the 21 players that are eligible to become unrestricted free agents on Saturday. The Montreal Canadiens will lose Smith's exclusive signing rights, if he's not signed by tomorrow, which is very unlikely at this point.
After a solid year in high school with St. Cloud Cathedral in Minnesota during the 2019-20 campaign, registering 30 points in 11 regular season games, the Canadiens used their fourth round pick (102nd overall) to select forward Jack Smith.
Smith, who turned 24 in early July, went on to spend two years in the USHL with the Sioux Falls Stampede before taking the next step in his hockey career in the NCAA in his home state with the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
In three years with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the St. Cloud native had 26 points (seven goals, 19 assists), 45 penalty minutes and was a minus-seven in 91 games. At the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Smith felt like it was time for a change and instead of returning for a fourth year with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, he entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.
This past season, Smith remained close to home as he joined Minnesota State University (Mankato), a move that worked out quite well for the soon-to-be former Canadiens prospect. Smith set new highs in goals (11), assists (11), points (22) and games played (40), all while helping Minnesota State University (Mankato) to a Central Collegiate Hockey Association title.
Smith's collegiate career wrapped up in late March after a 3-1 loss to the reigning NCAA champions, Western Michigan University. As for what comes next for Jack Smith's hockey career, that remains unclear, but with the depth Montreal has at the forward position throughout their system, his time as a prospect in the Canadiens organization will come to a close tomorrow.
Other Notable College Players Who Become UFAs on August 15th
If you're familiar with the college hockey scene, there are some intriguing players that are set to become free agents tomorrow and the most notable is Cruz Lucius, a fourth round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Lucius began his collegiate career with the University of Wisconsin, registering back-to-back 34-point campaigns, before entering the NCAA Transfer Portal and ultimately joining Arizona State University. After an impressive 46-point campaign with ASU this past season, Lucius and his camp informed the Pittsburgh Penguins that he would not be signing an entry-level contract with them.
Along with Lucius, other notable pending free agents tomorrow include: Adam Ingram (Nashville Predators third round pick in 2022), Samu Salminen (New Jersey Devils third round pick in 2021) and Stiven Sardaryan (Buffalo Sabres third round pick in 2021).