"At the general manager level, there was discussion about changing that rule, but there probably wasn't enough attention paid to it because this discussion came leading into the new (collective bargaining agreement)," Maloney said. "In hindsight, we probably should have paid more attention to it, because I think everybody has players like Max that, at a certain point, their development could plateau at the junior level. They need to be challenged.
"The American League is a developmental league, so for good, bad or indifferent, let him play against men for 30 or 40 games where he can learn, because this (the NHL) isn't a developmental league. They have more time; they have more practice time. There are so many reasons to do it."
Maloney understands why the CHL-NHL agreement exists, aside from the fact that CHL teams get to keep premier players around longer.
"It makes sense in a lot of ways because you're growing the product, and I still think we force young people into this league before they are physically and emotionally ready," Maloney said. "But I do think there are exceptions."
