<P> After a player has been designated for assignment , the other 30 NHL teams can put in a claim or waive their claim for that player . The claims process starts at noon Eastern Time and ends 24 hours later . If only one team makes a claim for the player , then he will be transferred to the claiming team . If more than one team makes a claim , then the player will be transferred to the team having the lowest percentage of possible points in league standings at the time of the request for waivers . When a waiver claim has been secured , the claiming team must pay a transfer fee to the original club , though this fee is not counted against the salary cap . If waivers are requested outside the playing season , or before November 1 , then the player shall be transferred to the team with the lowest points in the preceding season . If no team places a claim , the player can be sent to a minor league affiliate . </P>
how long do nhl players stay on waivers
24 hours