[link_box id=”22277″ site_id=”17″ layout=”link-box-third” alignment=”alignright”]An interesting quirk in an obscure California law may be all it takes for NHL stars in the state to opt out of signed contracts.
FanGraphs found a provision in California Labor Code Section 2855, which allows people under contract for more than seven years, to have the right to opt out of their contract.
“A relatively obscure provision under California law — specifically, Section 2855 of the California Labor Code — limits all personal services contracts (i.e., employment contracts) in the state to a maximum length of seven years. In other words, this means that if an individual were to sign an employment contract in California lasting eight or more years, then at the conclusion of the seventh year the employee would be free to choose to either continue to honor the agreement, or else opt out and seek employment elsewhere.”
The kicker in the section is that the option is available to players based on total service time and not one specific contract. So, if a player is on a five-year contract extension and has assumed more than seven years with the team previously, they could hypothetically opt out of the contract. The provision only applies to the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and Los Angeles Kings. So, Ryan Getzlaf who’s amassed more than a decade with the Ducks, could opt out of his contract whenever he likes. Will that happen? Highly unlikely.
FanGraphs notes eliminating the provision has been considered, but nothing has passed yet. So, it’s a real option. Will a player use it? Again, I doubt it, but it’s an option and who knows? Until it’s gone, it’s fair game.
[SBNation]
