My summer with the CBA: “Living Companion”

I’d like to kick off the first of hopefully many blog entries on the NHL’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement. Enacted in 2005 to end a year-long lockout, it’s notoriously long (475 pages, to be exact). Brian Burke says even he doesn’t understand it completely. My goal this summer is to come as close to a level of “basic understanding” as possible. Along the way, I’m sure I’ll uncover some items of interest to the common man. Like this one …

The CBA defines “Living Companion” as someone who shares a primary residence with an unmarried player; isn’t related to the player by blood; isn’t married to the player, or anyone else for that matter; has been living with the player for at least six months; and is at least 18.


This “Living Companion” is granted the same perks as a player’s wife, which means …

– The team puts you up for a month in a 2-bedroom hotel/condo/house with the player if the player gets called up from the minors, and again after 28 days if the team “has not decided whether the player will remain with the club.”

– The team pays for your flight back to the minor-league city if the player gets sent back down.
– Round-trip flights with the player if you guys live in one city and he gets traded to another NHL team in a different city. And if you guys decide to move into the new city, it’s two compensated flights: One to scout the new town for housing, and a second to actually relocate.
– A free flight into and out of training camp.

The moral of the story: Find an NHL player who needs a roommate and start accruing those six months, fast.

This entry was posted in Anaheim Ducks/NHL by J.P. Hoornstra. Bookmark the permalink.

About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.

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