It's that time of year again -- the ice is being painted, the players are flocking back to the arena, and training camp rosters are being finalized for each NHL club. That includes players on PTOs who are vying to earn a spot in the lineup.
But PTOs are often misunderstood, leading to some confusion about who is eligible to sign one and how long they last. Fear not, because we have all the basics you need to know about PTO agreements in the NHL.
What is a Professional Tryout (PTO) contract in the NHL?
A Professional Tryout agreement, or PTO, is a type of temporary contract that allows athletes to be a part of NHL training camps and preseason games on a tryout basis. This allows them to train and play with the team during that time, in the hopes that they impress enough to earn a full-time role on the roster.
A player on a PTO is not officially part of the team until they sign an actual contract with the club, which will usually end up being a one-year deal. One recent example is Toronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz, who joined the team on a PTO prior to the 2024-25 season. He wound up signing a one-year deal with Toronto after the PTO ended and, after his contract was up, the club liked him enough to sign him to a three-year extension in the 2025 offseason.
Who can sign a PTO with an NHL team?
Any unrestricted free agents or unsigned veteran players, including draft picks who were not signed to entry-level deals and later became UFAs, are all eligible to join a team on a PTO basis. Most commonly, it's established players who were not offered new contracts in free agency and still believe they can contribute in an NHL lineup.
This year's group of players on a PTO features mostly veteran NHLers looking to fight their way onto a new team. Milan Lucic, who has played over 1,100 NHL games, is attempting to make an NHL comeback with the St. Louis Blues after missing the entire 2024-25 season, while 38-year-old defenseman Jack Johnson will battle for a roster spot with the Minnesota Wild after failing to receive any offers as a free agent this summer.
When does a PTO end?
All NHL clubs must finalize their opening night roster prior to the season beginning. Because of that, PTOs are usually announced in the days and weeks leading up to the start of training camp in September, and they only run through the end of the preseason. Once that period is over, the organization must decide whether to offer them a contract or release them. At that point, the players are once again eligible to sign with any NHL team, not just the team they were on a PTO with.
Not all players on PTOs will end up signing with the team they tried out for, which leaves them at UFA status until they sign with another club or, in some cases, retire altogether. Every tryout is an opportunity for a player to prove he still belongs at the top level, so expect some big announcements following the conclusion of the preseason.