Eligibility Questions: Part I

Sorry it's been so long aince the last post, but I've been researching this article that I'm putting up now. To me, the rules governing players after they are drafted are very confusing to me. After seeing some questions I've been asked, it seems almost no one really has a good grasp on what happens. This bothered me until I found, over many different sites, the answers to just about all of the eligibility questions.

Eligible Players
-Players who turn 18 by September 15 and are not older than 20 by December 31 are eligible for selection. In addition, non-North American players over the age of 20 are eligible.

-A North American player who is not drafted by the age of 20 is an unrestricted free agent. All non-North Americans must be drafted before being signed, regardless of age.
Re-entering the Draft

-A player not signed by his NHL team within two years of being drafted can re-enter the draft, as long as he is 20 years old or younger at the time of the subsequent draft. Players over 20 become unrestricted free agents.
-NCAA players are an exception: NHL teams retain the rights to a college player until 30 days after the player has left college.
-A team that does not sign a first-round draft pick is awarded a compensatory pick in a future draft upon losing the rights to that player.

-A player who has been drafted a second time cannot re-enter.

Recent Changes
European Players - Prior to 2005, NHL teams retained the rights to a European player until that player turned 31. Drafted Europeans must now be signed within two years, the same as North Americans, or the team loses the rights to the player.

NCAA Players - As of 2004, 18-year-old players from NCAA Division I schools can be drafted and retain their college eligibility as long as they don't play for a pro team or hire an agent. In previous years, an 18-year-old who opted into the draft lost his NCAA eligibility.

-A Post about Junior Eligibility to follow-