Clearing waivers in the NHL means a player was placed on waivers and no other team claimed him before the waiver period expired. That lets his original team send him to the AHL/minors, keep him on the NHL roster, or make another roster move with him.

Quick Scoop

A simple way to think about it: waivers are a league-wide “open offer” to other teams. If nobody claims the player, he has cleared waivers and the team keeps control of what happens next.

What happens after?

  • The player can usually be assigned to the minors or stayed in the NHL.
  • If he later meets the NHL’s waiver requirements again, he may need to go through waivers again.
  • If another team claims him, that team generally gets the player instead of his original club.

Why teams do it

Teams often use waivers when they want to move a player between the NHL and AHL, manage roster spots, or keep flexibility with contracts and salary cap decisions.

If you want, I can also explain who has to clear waivers , how waiver claims work , or the difference between waivers and trades.