AHL Age requirment

[LoveHateLeafs]

One interesting idea would be to let CHL and NHL teams negotiate a "transfer fee" that the NHL team could pay the CHL team. Basically, if the NHL team would like to see their prospect in the AHL before he's 20/has 4 CHL years, they'd have to work out a payment with the CHL team to compensate for the lost revenues that a star player would bring in. It'd be minimal money for an NHL team (and fully optional regardless, you could just let the prospect develop in the CHL instead of the AHL, i.e. the status quo), but insignificant money for an NHL team is still significant money for a CHL team, the extra money could keep them financially healthy (helps Maineiacs-type teams to avoid folding), could be put towards advertising to attract new fans, etc. So prospects who are ready to move on early could do so without screwing the CHL teams.

This is the best idea I've heard so far.

 

[Leetch3]

the ahl rule for age requirement is anyone over 18 can play in the ahl. no other restrictions.

the rule that prevents players from the chl from playing in the ahl until they are 20 or have played 4 season in the chl is a deal between the chl and nhl. it helps protect the chl teams and rewards them in return for developing players for the nhl teams.

and it only applies to players drafted out of the chl. players taken from europe, ncaa, or anywhere besides chl can play in the ahl at 18

 

[Erza Scarlet]

how did Kadri play in the AHL then? He played only one year of junior after being drafted?

 

[Rookie Chargers]

I would really like to see this rule re written. IMO a player should only be ineligible for the AHL for 1 year after he was drafted.

In a lot of cases I feel that while the player is still only 18, he has developed as far as he can in the CHL, but he isn't quite ready for the NHL. So clubs either throw him to the lions, or let him dominate a league he shouldn't be playing in.

I completely understand why the rule is in place, but there'd still be plenty of talent left in juniors & for the national teams.

Pick on the NCAA and leave the CHL alone.

Do you know much about the CHL?

 

[Leetch3]

how did Kadri play in the AHL then? He played only one year of junior after being drafted?

he played 4 seasons in the ahl and was 20 when he played in the ahl so he qualified for both rules. he was one of the older players in his draft and was almost 19 when drafted.

 

[Pick Six]

I really don't think the system is as broke as some make it out to be in this thread.

More often than not, if a player's development has gone wrong, it's because the NHL team has brought him up before he's ready. Rather than leave him in the CHL for 3 or 4 years. Brayden Schenn isn't thought of as a lesser prospect because he was sent back to the WHL and to play in the WJC (quite the opposite around here).

 

[The Scouting Report]

This is the best idea I've heard so far.

Only issue is you would run into issues with clubs having more money than others, and attempting to quantify how much one player is worth in relation to another.

Would it be a benefit for some players to play in the AHL at 18 or 19? Yes it would.

It's not going to happen though. The NHL and CHL have a great relationship and are not going to jeopardize it over something like this. The CHL is a business, and if they're constantly losing their top products in a shorter cycle, that business becomes harder to run and in the long-run, becomes less valuable and profitable. Essentially that's what it comes down to. I don't think very many kids are being ruined by an extra year or two in the CHL anyways, so it's not really a huge issue IMO.