AHL Age and Eligibility Rules

[ratsgirl]

Since this question seems to come up over and over again:

There is a private agreement in place between the NHL and the CHL that governs when a player coming from the CHL can play in the AHL. A player from the CHL has to either turn 20 by December 31st of the season (ie a player born in 1987 can start playing in the 2007-08 season, a player born in 1988 can start playing in the 2008-09 season etc.) OR have completed 4 seasons of junior eligibility. This agreement also covers European players if they are drafted out of the CHL (Examples would be players like Petr Vrana and Ivan Vishnevskiy). Also - CHL players are eligible to play in the AHL once their junior season is over (either by virtue of their junior team not making the playoffs or being eliminated from the playoffs) even if they don't yet meet the age or eligibility criteria listed above.

College players and European players (provided they are drafted out of Europe--even if they later play in the CHL) are not covered by this agreement. They only have to abide by the AHL's age requirement, which is that a player has to turn 18 by September 15 of any given season to be eligible to play. While you won't see many 18-year olds in the AHL, some European players have played at that age (e.g. Niklas Bergfors)

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[sk84fun_dc]

I'm glad you wrote this and stickied it, I see the question asked a lot as it relates to specific prospects.

Nice job with the examples, too. You may want to add something about CHL players being able to join an AHL team after their junior season is over.

re. European players...The way you described it in relation to where they were playing when they were drafted was the way I understood the rule. If drafted out of the CHL, the rule applies; if started playing in the CHL after they were drafted, it does not.

I was told this year that it related to whether the player is classified as an import player in the CHL, but I always understood the rule the way you described it. It would be great to get 100% understanding of that portion of the rule, as well.

And I have seen a few people write that the AHL does not allow players until they are 19, but as you note, there have been a few European players in the AHL at 18.

Tlusty is another example from last season (as someone pointed out to me on another thread) although he went from the AHL back to the OHL, he did play in the AHL in 2006-07.

Chris Bourque and Jonathan Sigalet are recent examples of college players that left college and played in the AHL at 19 (both played in the AHL as 19 yos in the 05-06 season).

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Chris Bourque's situation was unique, but I think that had a lot to do w/ the situation he was in when he left Boston University.

but weren't there waivers granted to 19 year olds that because of our age restriction proviso of 20, back in 2004-05; most notably Patrice Bergeron that allowed him to play in Providence in the lockout season(there were a couple of others as well) that the AHL approved to play that year....

the other rule is the 10 game limit that the NHL teams have on players before it's deemed a decision if they're not old to meet the AHL LIMIT of 20, but are not allowed under other means to send the player to the minors rather than juniors. ie Jordan Staal w/ Pittsburgh comes to mind.

 

[Rumblick]

the other rule is the 10 game limit that the NHL teams have on players before it's deemed a decision if they're not old to meet the AHL LIMIT of 20, but are not allowed under other means to send the player to the minors rather than juniors. ie Jordan Staal w/ Pittsburgh comes to mind.

Just a note: After the 10-game limit is passed, the player is pretty much stuck with the NHL team for the duration. He can only play in the AHL on a conditioning assignment.

 

[ratsgirl]

And I have seen a few people write that the AHL does not allow players until they are 19, but as you note, there have been a few European players in the AHL at 18.

Tlusty is another example from last season (as someone pointed out to me on another thread) although he went from the AHL back to the OHL, he did play in the AHL in 2006-07.

Chris Bourque and Jonathan Sigalet are recent examples of college players that left college and played in the AHL at 19 (both played in the AHL as 19 yos in the 05-06 season).

I finally got an answer from the league about this part. The AHL rule is that a player has to be 18 by September 15 of any given season to be eligible to play.

 

[ratsgirl]

re. European players...The way you described it in relation to where they were playing when they were drafted was the way I understood the rule. If drafted out of the CHL, the rule applies; if started playing in the CHL after they were drafted, it does not.

I was told this year that it related to whether the player is classified as an import player in the CHL, but I always understood the rule the way you described it. It would be great to get 100% understanding of that portion of the rule, as well.

One of the CHL leagues finally confirmed for me that my (and your) understanding of the rule is correct - if drafted out of the CHL, the rule applies; if started playing in the CHL after they were drafted, it does not.

 

[sk84fun_dc]

One of the CHL leagues finally confirmed for me that my (and your) understanding of the rule is correct - if drafted out of the CHL, the rule applies; if started playing in the CHL after they were drafted, it does not.

thanks for the update

 

[MikeC44]

Jakub Voracek is bound to the NHL/CHL agreement because he played in Halifax before he was drafted by Columbus. So no AHL before 20 for him. I get that.

However, what if the following happened:

Halifax, assuming Voracek is going to make Columbus for the 08-09 season, releases him at the end of the 07-08 season so they can draft another import. All of the other CHL teams assume the same and NO TEAM re-drafts him in the CHL Import draft.
So, technically he is not eligible to play for any Major junior team.

Would Voracek then be eligible to play in the AHL at 19?

 

[Kaizen]

OR have completed 4 seasons of junior eligibility

How many games would be required, at minimum, to be considered a "completed season"?

 

[Rumblick]

Jakub Voracek is bound to the NHL/CHL agreement because he played in Halifax before he was drafted by Columbus. So no AHL before 20 for him. I get that.

However, what if the following happened:

Halifax, assuming Voracek is going to make Columbus for the 08-09 season, releases him at the end of the 07-08 season so they can draft another import. All of the other CHL teams assume the same and NO TEAM re-drafts him in the CHL Import draft.
So, technically he is not eligible to play for any Major junior team.

Would Voracek then be eligible to play in the AHL at 19?

Actually, he would be eligible, and he'd already BEEN drafted by Halifax, so his status is unchanged. He would be AHL-ineligible.

 

[Thrice]

OR have completed 4 seasons of junior eligibility

How many games would be required, at minimum, to be considered a "completed season"?

Does anyone have an answer for this question yet?

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Does anyone have an answer for this question yet?

what question, that's the rule brokered by the agreement.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

OR have completed 4 seasons of junior eligibility

How many games would be required, at minimum, to be considered a "completed season"?

An example of a season is 05-06, 06-07, etc. All they have to do in play ONE game at the major junior level in order to have considered to have played one season. Asking how I know? Simple, I met someone in Hamilton, ON on my project that has 4 sons that play junior hockey and he has coached the lower level. His oldest son played major junior and is now going to be attending college. He said that the minute his son suited up and stepped on the ice in a regular season game for major junior, he was no longer able to attend college in the US and it was considered a season of eligibility at the major junior level.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

So is it a known FACT that you only have to play 1 game in the CHL for it to count as a season??? If so, that would mean that Alex Plante would be eligeable if he isn't traded from Calgary. Of course it'd be in everyone's best interests for him to play in the CHL this year after a very tough year last year, but it'd be better for him to be playing in teh ECHL than not at all IMO.

Reg. Season/Post Season
2004-05 Calgary Hitmen WHL 8gp. 0-0-0 6pim./11gp. 0-0-0 17pim.
2005-06 Calgary Hitmen WHL 54gp. 1-3-4 72pim./13gp. 0-0-0 6pim.
2006-07 Calgary Hitmen WHL 58gp. 8-30-38 81pim./13gp. 5-6-11 14pim.
2007-08 Calgary Hitmen WHL 36gp. 1-1-2 28pim./15gp. 0-4-4 10pim.

 

[Kaizen]

An example of a season is 05-06, 06-07, etc. All they have to do in play ONE game at the major junior level in order to have considered to have played one season. Asking how I know? Simple, I met someone in Hamilton, ON on my project that has 4 sons that play junior hockey and he has coached the lower level. His oldest son played major junior and is now going to be attending college. He said that the minute his son suited up and stepped on the ice in a regular season game for major junior, he was no longer able to attend college in the US and it was considered a season of eligibility at the major junior level.

That's an entirely different issue. The example you're using applies to NCAA eligibility. I'm still waiting for a CHL-NHL guru to clarify this issue. Anybody?

 

[borinka99]

Hey guys, found this thread while searching for a similar question on google.

That's an entirely different issue. The example you're using applies to NCAA eligibility. I'm still waiting for a CHL-NHL guru to clarify this issue. Anybody?

According to Rich Hammond (LA Kings reporter), a player must play 25 games for a season to count as a "full" CHL season.
http://www.insidesocal.com/kings/2008/08/eligibility-question.html

 

[Otto]

What if the player has signed with a CHL team, but has not played a game with him before he is drafted by an NHL team?

Apparently the Kitchener Rangers are questioning the AHL eligability of Jeremy Morin because he had signed with the Rangers before being drafted into the NHL.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/juniorhockey/news?slug=ss-morin082610

John Carlson was also in this situation, but the Knights didn't complain about it.

 

[Landen]

Thanks for clearing this up. I was wondering about this myself.

 

[RedPuck]

There is a private agreement in place between the NHL and the CHL that governs when a player starts using the Best Penis Extenders[/url] he can play in the AHL. A player from the CHL has to either turn 20 by December 31st of the season (ie a player born in 1987 can start playing in the 2007-08 season, a player born in 1988 can start playing in the 2008-09 season etc.) OR have completed 4 seasons of junior eligibility.

Is this still the case? I'm 19 btw.

 

[210]

Is this still the case? I'm 19 btw.

Yes. The CHL/NHL agreement is unchanged from 2007.