Question on CHL Players Going to Europe

iCanada

Registered User
Feb 6, 2010
18,850
18,275
Edmonton
The NHL/CHL agreement states a player that is junior eligible and signed to a NHL team, must be returned to the CHL if he's not playing in the NHL, similar to the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) transfer agreement. The rule states that a player must be 20 years old by December 31st, or played four years in the CHL before he can play in any minor league level in the pros.

So, I think it would depend on how a team of lawyers determined "minor league pro level." Technically, a league like the KHL/SEL isn't a "minor" league, but the spirit of the agreement is to keep Junior stars playing in Juniors in order for the CHL to be successful... So I feel like it could either way.

That being said, I don't think it would be beneficial for a player to go from Juniors to play pro in Europe because the game is just.. different.
 

Jason MacIsaac

Registered User
Jan 13, 2004
22,221
5,934
Halifax, NS
I'm surprised a player of the caliber of Tavares didn't look at that possibility when he was 15 years old. 3 years in SEL collecting a salary probably would have been better for his development then the CHL.
 

bruinsfan46

Registered User
Dec 2, 2006
11,457
2
London, ON
I'm surprised a player of the caliber of Tavares didn't look at that possibility when he was 15 years old. 3 years in SEL collecting a salary probably would have been better for his development then the CHL.

Tavares' long term goal was always the NHL, going and learning a new language and a completely different style of hockey doesn't really make much sense to me. That could be applied to all junior prospects, if the goal is the NHL, keeping a Canadian in the CHL makes more sense than risk losing a year because of culture shock and playing on a pro team they may not get premium ice time. It continually amazes me how many HF Boards posters think the CHL is ruining their prospects. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the rules, the CHL doesn't ruin 18 and 19 year olds or inhibit their development.
 

Latgale_fan

Registered User
Apr 13, 2007
1,029
2
Riga
It continually amazes me how many HF Boards posters think the CHL is ruining their prospects.
It also amazes me how people think that KHL would waste their foreigner's quota on 15 year old Tavareses.....
If KHL team bought a ''Tavares'', they'd actually do that after the draft age (if one wanted to come and play in KHL- but then again, if a guy can't crack his NHL team, would KHL bother to gamble with such 18 years old player)... don't think that they'd gamble with 17 years old foreigner.... who's only played a season or so in CHL.... as good as he might or might not be...

Let's not forget... Ovechkin before the draft in the Superleague 53g 24 pts... Malkin 34g 12pts... KHL teams would know that aftr the draft these Tavareses would be off to the NHL, they wouldn't waste money on foreign player who'd at best get 25 or so points in the league and then would leave...

KHL teams buy foreigners who have either already proved themselves in NHL or have been AHL/European top league stars... they have enough mediocre Russians to fill the holes. It would be a huge gamble to take 18 year old foreigner (even if 1st rounder) who has only played junior hockey and bring him to Russia instead of AHL... and even a bigger gamble to take undrafted 17 years old Tavares... Don't think anything good would happen... KHL teams want the result and would be very impatient with a foreigner who doesn't produce already starting with game nr.1

Take for instance Brock Trotter from Dinamo Riga last year.
His stats in AHL before last season 75g 77pts, 2 games in NHL...
In KHL last year 49g 26 pts... however, it took him 15 or so games to really adjust to big ice... everybody was calling at the start of the season to send him back to wherever he came from. Only after that he started to play ok... If he stayed in KHL, this year he could be really good, imho. Other team in our's place would just send him home, like it happened with Kyle Wellwood who was and still is an NHL player... and Marek Svatos
 
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joe89

#5
Apr 30, 2009
20,313
174
Swedish teams are only allowed to have two players with sole citizenship outside of the EU/EEA. Needless to say, that quota won't exactly be filled by CHL players first-hand.
 

Joe Hallenback

Moderator
Mar 4, 2005
15,357
21,337
I'm surprised a player of the caliber of Tavares didn't look at that possibility when he was 15 years old. 3 years in SEL collecting a salary probably would have been better for his development then the CHL.

Really? You would think things like the history of players developed in the CHL would suggest otherwise

The hyping of of the SEL is a bit much on these boards sometime
 

leafsfuture

Registered User
Mar 30, 2008
6,134
183
I remember the start of the 07-08 OHL season there was talk about JT going elswhere. For all the criticism JT got that year people often forget he was off to a blazing start. In his first 12 games he had something like 15 goals and 12 assists. I remember someone on Sportsnet (Kipper I think) saying that if JT didnt make the World Juniors he could maybe score 100 goals. And I also remember Pierre Lebrun saying "He is simply too good for this league"

Of course, JT went the world juniors, came back to the "Brett Maclean" show and he struggled relatively for the rest of his time in Oshawa
 

wjhl2009fan

Registered User
Nov 13, 2008
9,042
0
I'm surprised a player of the caliber of Tavares didn't look at that possibility when he was 15 years old. 3 years in SEL collecting a salary probably would have been better for his development then the CHL.

If a player has the goal of playing in the nhl then for most the chl makes the most sense aslo the chl really is more of a nhl type schedule.
 

wjhl2009fan

Registered User
Nov 13, 2008
9,042
0
Really? You would think things like the history of players developed in the CHL would suggest otherwise

The hyping of of the SEL is a bit much on these boards sometime

I have no issue with the hyping of the sel its the down playing of the chl that i have a issue with some act like its nothing more then a beer league.
 

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