Quote:
Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe
I think it is safe to say that the only group of players totally excluded from playing in the AHL are generational talents - Gretzky, Lemieux, etc.
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Not necessarily true. There are a great many very very good players who never play a minute in the AHL without ever being a "generational" talent. Guys such as Steen, Perry, Getzlaf, Seguin, Benn, the Sedins, Thornton, Marleau, Parise, not to mention Iginla all have never played a minute of AHL hockey and none of them are anywhere close to the Gretzky/Lemieux conversation.
Now, clearly, never playing in the AHL is a strong indicator of being a top-level NHL'er, but it's a stretch to say that it's only the generational guys who have careers like that.