Major-junior draft rights

oldfatbaldguy · 11-01-2024, 05:09 PM

I've noticed this in several versions of the game now, and I think it's a bug: Players recently drafted, but not yet signed, by a team in one of the three major-junior leagues are available as free agents to teams in a different major-junior league. Specifically, when managing in the OHL I see a lot of 16-year-old free agents who are recent QMJHL draft picks.

I believe that IRL it's possible for free agents to sign with a junior team in a league other than the one they were draft-eligible for, but not until late in their junior career. Certainly not at 16. In the save I just started, managing the Peterborough Petes, a former Pete is playing for Charlottetown in the Q. But he's in his 19-year-old season, so I think that's legit.

Javs · 11-01-2024, 10:50 PM

Are you sure these players weren't just signed and released?

If so, still something wrong, just a different issue.

oldfatbaldguy · 11-01-2024, 11:28 PM

There's no indication on their bios that they've been released. The three that stand out in this save are all 2024 QMJHL draft picks, all goaltenders, all one-star current and five-star potential. I'm still in September 2024, so it doesn't seem crazy that they're unsigned, especially since their ratings say "maybe later." But Peterborough shouldn't be able to sign them.

Contract tab says their QMJHL rights are still owned by the teams that drafted them.

JeffR · 11-02-2024, 05:33 AM

Which players, exactly? I've tried signing several different 2024 and 2023 picks both at the beginning and end of 24-25, and get the correct message about not owning their rights. And while playing as an OHL team, when I filter the player search for signable players born in Quebec I just get a few borderline prospects who are currently playing in Ontario-based leagues, none of whom were drafted.

oldfatbaldguy · 11-02-2024, 10:42 AM

Antoine Proulx (second-round pick by Acadie-Bathurst), Patrick Deniger (second round, Quebec), Xavier Caron (third round, Val-d'Or).

I haven't signed any of them, but if I click on "offer contract," it says I can do that. There might be others, but those are the three that I looked at the rights because if they were really free agents, I wanted to sign them.

JeffR · 11-04-2024, 02:55 AM

Ah, I see the problem, those guys were missing their birth cities in the database and weren't assigned to a team at the start of the game, so the game randomly set their birthplace and wound up giving them cities in Ontario, making them OHL-signable. We'll get that cleaned up.

oldfatbaldguy · 11-05-2024, 07:07 AM

Cool, thanks. I'm just refraining from signing them. No one else has signed them either.

As I said, I've also seen this in previous versions. I should have reported it then.

oldfatbaldguy · 11-08-2024, 05:48 AM

I found a few more. I sorted the free agent center for age from youngest to oldest and scrolled down. These players were all born in 2008 and they're all available to sign for Peterborough.

LD Jacob Boucher, third-round pick, Drummondville
RD Antoine Cormier, eighth round, Shawinigan
LD Owen Dyke, sixth round, Acadie-Bathurst
LD Liam Eisnor, fourth-round pick by Saskatoon (2023 draft, because the WHL drafts them a year younger)
RD Ty Higgins, second round, Owen Sound, but his contract tab says Rouyn-Noranda holds his rights (different league)
C Trace Langan, sixth round, Lethbridge (2023 WHL draft)
LW Lynden Larsen, fourth round, Acadie-Bathurst
C Victor Morrissette-Richer, fourth round, Moncton
RW Samuel Roy, fifth round, Sherbrooke
RD Vincent Vachon, fifth round, Rouyn-Noranda

Perhaps you've found them already.

JeffR · 11-08-2024, 06:52 AM

Yup, same issue with all of those guys. This will be fixed in the next data update.

11-01-2024, 05:09 PM	#1
oldfatbaldguy Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 359	Major-junior draft rights I've noticed this in several versions of the game now, and I think it's a bug: Players recently drafted, but not yet signed, by a team in one of the three major-junior leagues are available as free agents to teams in a different major-junior league. Specifically, when managing in the OHL I see a lot of 16-year-old free agents who are recent QMJHL draft picks. I believe that IRL it's possible for free agents to sign with a junior team in a league other than the one they were draft-eligible for, but not until late in their junior career. Certainly not at 16. In the save I just started, managing the Peterborough Petes, a former Pete is playing for Charlottetown in the Q. But he's in his 19-year-old season, so I think that's legit. Last edited by oldfatbaldguy; 11-01-2024 at 05:10 PM.

11-01-2024, 11:28 PM	#3
oldfatbaldguy Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 359	There's no indication on their bios that they've been released. The three that stand out in this save are all 2024 QMJHL draft picks, all goaltenders, all one-star current and five-star potential. I'm still in September 2024, so it doesn't seem crazy that they're unsigned, especially since their ratings say "maybe later." But Peterborough shouldn't be able to sign them. Contract tab says their QMJHL rights are still owned by the teams that drafted them. Last edited by oldfatbaldguy; 11-01-2024 at 11:36 PM.

11-05-2024, 07:07 AM	#7
oldfatbaldguy Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 359	Cool, thanks. I'm just refraining from signing them. No one else has signed them either. As I said, I've also seen this in previous versions. I should have reported it then. Last edited by oldfatbaldguy; 11-05-2024 at 07:08 AM.

11-08-2024, 05:48 AM	#8
oldfatbaldguy Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 359	I found a few more. I sorted the free agent center for age from youngest to oldest and scrolled down. These players were all born in 2008 and they're all available to sign for Peterborough. LD Jacob Boucher, third-round pick, Drummondville RD Antoine Cormier, eighth round, Shawinigan LD Owen Dyke, sixth round, Acadie-Bathurst LD Liam Eisnor, fourth-round pick by Saskatoon (2023 draft, because the WHL drafts them a year younger) RD Ty Higgins, second round, Owen Sound, but his contract tab says Rouyn-Noranda holds his rights (different league) C Trace Langan, sixth round, Lethbridge (2023 WHL draft) LW Lynden Larsen, fourth round, Acadie-Bathurst C Victor Morrissette-Richer, fourth round, Moncton RW Samuel Roy, fifth round, Sherbrooke RD Vincent Vachon, fifth round, Rouyn-Noranda Perhaps you've found them already. Last edited by oldfatbaldguy; 11-08-2024 at 05:53 AM.

11-01-2024, 10:50 PM	#2
Javs Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 2,617	Are you sure these players weren't just signed and released? If so, still something wrong, just a different issue.

11-02-2024, 05:33 AM	#4
JeffR FHM Producer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Kelowna, BC Posts: 17,243	Which players, exactly? I've tried signing several different 2024 and 2023 picks both at the beginning and end of 24-25, and get the correct message about not owning their rights. And while playing as an OHL team, when I filter the player search for signable players born in Quebec I just get a few borderline prospects who are currently playing in Ontario-based leagues, none of whom were drafted.

11-02-2024, 10:42 AM	#5
oldfatbaldguy Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 359	Antoine Proulx (second-round pick by Acadie-Bathurst), Patrick Deniger (second round, Quebec), Xavier Caron (third round, Val-d'Or). I haven't signed any of them, but if I click on "offer contract," it says I can do that. There might be others, but those are the three that I looked at the rights because if they were really free agents, I wanted to sign them.

11-04-2024, 02:55 AM	#6
JeffR FHM Producer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Kelowna, BC Posts: 17,243	Ah, I see the problem, those guys were missing their birth cities in the database and weren't assigned to a team at the start of the game, so the game randomly set their birthplace and wound up giving them cities in Ontario, making them OHL-signable. We'll get that cleaned up.

11-08-2024, 06:52 AM	#9
JeffR FHM Producer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Kelowna, BC Posts: 17,243	Yup, same issue with all of those guys. This will be fixed in the next data update.