We are in the process of reworking the entire rule-book, among them the transfer rules and what is considered a transfer. We will certainly discuss these proposed changes.

I just want to reiterate what Artermis mentions, the "lock" of a player only takes effect after the first IIHF game so the WJC doesn't matter. This will be specifically mentioned again in the updated rules.

One thing that I want to note however is that the IIHF and international play is different compared to league play where more movement occurs. In the "real setting" there are circumstances where a player can switch their national team identity but that is a rare occurrence. As an unassigned player you have the option of looking in on each IIHF Federation which gives you an advantage over the natural born players in a Federation. That being said I understand there is a difference between being sold a Federation and then staying on for 10+ seasons, so it is definitely something to discuss.