What if happends if...

[SPORTSMANIAC]

A college draftee plays in the NHL and after a month the team thinks he needs more development but doesn't have a junior team that he has signed with. For example lets say Phil Kessel plays one year of college and 06-07 makes the his NHL team. He has a bad first month. He can't go back to U Minn and if he isn't 20 he can't go AHL. Will his OHL team that has his rights is forced to take him? I think they wouldn't mind.

Click to read more...

 

[NYIschremp44]

i'm pretty sure the age limit in the AHL doesn't apply in that circumstance ...i.e. ryan kesler playing with the manitoba moose?

 

[Funkymoses]

CHL players can't play in the A if they're under 20. There's no such restriction for (former) NCAA players.

 

[NYR469]

he could play in the AHL, the 20 year old rule only applies to guys coming out of the CHL and currently there is no deal between the CHL & NHL so until that is renewed they could send anyone to the ahl (at the risk of creating bad blood with chl clubs)...

in this situation, the team would have 3 options for kessel (or whoever) they could assign him to the junior team that owns his rights (pretty much any player that is good enough to turn pro early is most likely good enough that some junior team drafted his rights), 2nd option is the ahl and the 3rd option in extremely rare cases would be the echl.

 

[McDonald19]

if the player is drafted from NCAA or Europe they can play in the AHL at 18.

if the player is drafted from CHL they can't play in the AHL until they are 20.