18 year olds I believe can play in the AHL, as long as they were not drafted from the CHL. USHL, European and other non-CHL leagues are exempt from the '20 year old rule' (and I believe if a player has played 4 seasons, but is 19, he is AHL-eligible).
That rule is more to protect CHL teams' top players, so that they can field a good on-ice product. There is no agreement with other leagues (as far as I know) with the AHL.
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