"Back in the summer of 2003, Alan Cohen, owner of the Panthers at the time, overheard some of the team's staff bemoaning the fact that Russian phenom Alex Ovechkin couldn't be drafted that year instead of in 2004. See, the cutoff for draft-eligible players was anyone who would be 18 by September 15, 1985; Ovechkin was born just two days later, meaning he'd have to wait until the following summer."
"The Panthers were the keepers of the 2003 first-overall pick, though, and Cohen was intrigued by the possibility of pulling off something big. As he reviewed the CBA, he felt there was a lack of clarity on what constituted a year - it didn't specify "tropical" years, which don't include leap years. And if you don't include leap years, well, Alex Ovechkin would have turned 18 four days earlier and been eligible for the draft."
Alan Cohen, then-owner of the Florida Panthers, overheard staff lamenting that Alex Ovechkin would not be draft-eligible in 2003 due to a two-day birthday difference. The draft cutoff required players to be 18 by September 15, 1985, while Ovechkin was born two days later. Cohen reviewed the CBA and identified ambiguity about what defined a year, noting the text did not specify exclusion of leap years and suggesting a "tropical" year interpretation would render Ovechkin eligible. Cohen asked GM Rick Dudley to present the idea to the league, but the NHL repeatedly rejected the proposal. Florida traded the 2003 first-overall pick to the Penguins, which became Marc-Andre Fleury.
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