How to verify a hockey club offer: 15-point checklist

How to use this checklist

Request answers in writing and retain the documents. Clearance in one area does not replace another: club interest, the agreement, transfer, registration and work status are confirmed by different parties.

Club and sporting role

1. Club and contact. Verify the legal name, official website, domain email and role of the person making the offer.
2. League and team. Confirm the exact competition, first or reserve team, age group and season.
3. Role. Record the position, expected use, arrival date, whether this is a tryout and the guaranteed contract period. A tryout is not a contract.

Agreement and money

4. Employer. The contracting party should match the organisation responsible for payment and administration.
5. Compensation. State the amount, currency, gross or net basis, payment dates and permitted deductions.
6. Housing. Identify who pays rent, deposit and utilities and what happens after early termination.
7. Travel. Confirm tickets, equipment baggage, local transport and return travel.
8. Insurance. Confirm coverage for training, games, injury, treatment and the period before registration.
9. Duration. Check start and end dates, probation, renewal and exit conditions.
10. Termination. Review injury, ineligibility, visa delay, non-payment and club-termination clauses.
11. Bonuses and tax. Bonus conditions should be measurable; tax treatment must be checked for the individual country.

Transfer and registration

12. Current contract. Confirm that the player is free to move and is not breaching existing obligations.
13. IIHF transfer. Check the transfer type, associations, timing and fees. An international transfer does not replace a contract or immigration clearance.
14. Registration. The club should confirm federation and competition eligibility in writing before an official game.
15. Immigration and work. Identify the correct status before travel: who applies, which documents are needed and whether the intended activity is permitted.

For a minor player

Also check parental consent, travel without a guardian, education, accommodation, guardianship, insurance and age eligibility. Requirements vary by country.

Red flags

• a guaranteed contract in return for an advance fee;
• refusal to identify the club's legal entity;
• a request to sign blank pages or surrender the original passport;
• advice to start work as a tourist without an official check;
• oral promises missing from the agreement;
• pressure to sign immediately without review time.

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