Fuel announce 2017 ECHL Protected List

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indy Fuel, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks and the AHL's Rockford IceHogs, announced their 2017 Protected List Friday. The Fuel retained the rights to a total of 26 players, including 17 forwards and nine defensemen.

Indy's Protected List includes six players that will carry veteran status for the 2017-18 ECHL season (Michael Neal, Josh Shalla, Kevin Lynch, Kenny Ryan, Zach Miskovic, Drew Scheistel) and one rookie (Woody Hudson). All clubs must submit their 2016-17 end-of-season roster by June 15, and can begin signing players to 2017-18 contracts on June 16.

2017 INDY FUEL PROTECTED LIST

Forwards (17): Anthony Beauregard, Nick Bligh, Rhett Bly, Darian Dziurzynski, Cason Hohmann, Woody Hudson (R), Kevin Lynch (V), Michael Neal (V), Brady Ramsay, Matt Rupert, Kenny Ryan (V), Josh Shalla (V), Cody Sharib, Mikhail Stefanovich, Marek Tvrdon, Alex Wideman, Paul Zanette

Defensemen (9): Travis Armstrong, Anders Franzon, Brandon Martell, Zach Miskovic (V), Adam Phillips, Jacob Poe, Drew Scheistel, Troy Vance, Chris Williams

Per the ECHL, teams are allowed to protect as many players as they wish provided the players protected meet the guidelines as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players' Association which state that teams shall retain the rights to each player that:

Signed an SPC in 2016-17 with the Member, and has not been traded or released, OR

Signed an SPC in 2016-17, and was recalled to the NHL/AHL or IIHF team, and has not been traded or released, OR

Had received a Qualifying Offer last summer for the current Season, DID NOT sign an SPC, and has not been traded or released, OR

Has been suspended by the Member or League, and has not been traded or released, OR

Signed an SPC on or after the first day of the 2016-17 Regular Season, then subsequently signed an NHL/AHL contract, and has not been traded or released, OR

Has executed the ECHL Retirement Form, and has not been traded or released.

Protected lists may exceed 20 players.

The ECHL also announced that teams must complete all Future Consideration trades by 3 p.m. ET on June 13 and that teams must submit their Season-Ending Roster by 3 p.m. ET on June 15.

Season-ending rosters may include up to 20 players and cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2016-17.

— INDYFUELHOCKEY.COM —