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An NHL team can make an emergency recall when injuries or illness leave it short of the players needed to field a lineup, but “emergency” does not automatically mean cap-free. The ordinary recall, the CBA’s narrower Roster Emergency Exception and an emergency backup goalie (EBUG) are three different mechanisms. For the 2026-27 season, the EBUG arrangement has also changed: each club carries an eligible goalie with the team.
What an NHL emergency call-up is
A recall is a roster move that brings a player from a club’s minor-league affiliate onto its NHL roster. An emergency recall is used to address an immediate lineup shortage; it is not a general shortcut around roster limits, contract terms or salary-cap rules.
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The Carolina Hurricanes’ transaction primer describes the practical injury-or-illness thresholds for an emergency recall as fewer than 12 available forwards, six available defensemen or two goalies. That is a team-published explanation of the threshold, not a standalone quotation from the CBA. For a particular transaction, the governing NHL-NHLPA documents and the player’s circumstances matter. See the [Hurricanes transaction primer] and the [NHL CBA and MOU index].
Roster limits still matter
The NHL’s Hockey Operations Guidelines say that during the regular season, through the trade deadline, a club may carry up to 23 players on its playing roster. The guidelines also describe a minimum roster of 20 players: 18 skaters and two goalies. These are distinct limits: an emergency need does not, by itself, mean a club can disregard the roster rules. See the [NHL Hockey Operations Guidelines].
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The 2025-26 NHL rulebook has a specific provision for emergency recall of minor-league goalkeepers after both goalies are suspended under Rule 11, and says that recall remains subject to the 23-player limitation. That goalkeeper-specific provision should not be read as a universal rule for every kind of emergency recall. See the [2025-26 NHL Rulebook].
When the cap-related Roster Emergency Exception applies
The Roster Emergency Exception in the NHL-NHLPA’s 2025 memorandum of understanding is narrower than an ordinary emergency recall. A club must meet cumulative conditions; injuries alone are not enough. The MOU requires a short roster caused by a player becoming unfit or unable to play, or a suspension; insufficient payroll room; inability to sign or recall a player under the specified Bona Fide Long-Term Injury/Illness Exception; and a resulting roster below 18 skaters and two goalies. The club must also have played its previous game in that short-roster state. The [NHL-NHLPA agreement documents] include the 2025 MOU.
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When those conditions are satisfied, the club may add the required emergency replacement player or players beginning with its second game and for subsequent games. The replacement is subject to a salary ceiling and may stay on the active roster only for the duration of the emergency. The MOU gives $1,225,000 as the maximum salary example for an emergency replacement player in 2026-27; it is a season-specific example under this exception, not a cap exemption available to every recalled player. See the [2025 NHL-NHLPA MOU].
Ordinary emergency recall, cap exception and EBUG compared
| Mechanism | What it addresses | Previous-game short roster required? | Pay and cap treatment | How long it applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary emergency recall | An immediate lineup shortage; the Hurricanes primer gives the practical injury-or-illness thresholds. | Not established as a general condition by the cited team primer. | Not automatically cap-free; treatment depends on the applicable rules and transaction. | Not stated in the cited primer. |
| Roster Emergency Exception | A qualifying roster emergency combined with insufficient payroll room and inability to use the specified LTIR exception. | Yes. The club must have played its previous game with fewer than 18 skaters and two goalies. | Emergency replacements are subject to the MOU salary ceiling; the 2026-27 example is $1,225,000. | Only while the emergency lasts. |
| Emergency backup goalie (2026-27) | An on-game contingency if a club needs another goalie. | No; this is not a minor-league player recall. | Not stated in the NHL’s EBUG announcement. | The eligible goalie dresses, practices and travels with the club under the 2026-27 arrangement. |
How the 2026-27 EBUG arrangement works
An EBUG is different from recalling a goalie from the minors. The NHL’s October 2, 2026 report says each club carries an eligible goalie who dresses with the team, wears No. 00, and practices and travels with it. To qualify, the goalie must not have played an NHL game under a standard player contract, must not have played more than 80 professional games, and must not have played professional hockey in the previous three seasons. Exactly 80 professional games does not exceed the stated games-played threshold. See the [NHL’s 2026-27 EBUG report].
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This is a change from the arrangement described in NHL reporting in 2020, when a preapproved local goalie could be made available to either team. That older description is historical context, not the current 2026-27 procedure. See the [NHL’s 2020 EBUG report].
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which rules govern a specific recall?
The NHL and NHLPA announced ratification of a four-year agreement running through the 2029-30 season. The NHL’s CBA index identifies the CBA and its memoranda of understanding as the governing document set. Since roster procedures and contract terms can change, use the documents applicable to the season and transaction rather than treating “emergency call-up” as a single blanket rule. See the [ratification announcement] and the [NHL CBA index].
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