[Rumour] AHL moving to 19 year old entry for major junior players

[PepsiFree]

One per team/season makes sense. Avoids the Parekh situation but doesn’t have a huge impact otherwise.

[bigrangy]

They really should have just allowed for recall/assignment between AHL and CHL teams.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by bigrangy

They really should have just allowed for recall/assignment between AHL and CHL teams.

I think you mean NHL and CHL.

Why not extend the number of games a rookie can play before burning a year of the ELC?

[MegaErtz]

We're watching the CHL crumble before our eyes. I'm happy about it, kids should be getting paid. I get that a lot of small market teams won't survive this, but too bad. If a business (and that's what the CHL is) can't afford to make it with paying their employees minimum wage, then they don't deserve to exist.

[Roof-Daddy]

Lol the CHL is not crumbling before our eyes.

It's just going to be a bit of a younger league and some of the bigger stars will leave early because they can get a payday from NCAA boosters.

A lot of 16-17 year old US born players are now signing with CHL teams despite being college committed, because they can now without losing their NCAA eligibility.

[FlamesAddiction]

I assume this means that putting the 19 year old in the AHL will burn a contract year. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's something they can use to entice a university player to go pro and not risk having the player wait it out.

It would be cool if there was a system to call up CHL players through the AHL and NHL. Don't the Russian pro and junior leagues do that sort of thing? Like junior teams are also farm teams to an extent.

[442scotty]

They should allow more than one 19 year old. Let’s say 3. Having 19 year old players in the AHL would benefit a team like the Flames where the AHL team is in the home city and the Flames are big on skills development. Win win!

[sureLoss]

This is the exact wording from the MOU:

[blankall]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

I would much rather have a prospect develop in the NCAA vs playing against men in the AHL. Shorter schedule, better facilities, way more support for the players.

This is a massive overreaction by the CHL. The USHL has been dealing with players leaving for years. They have succeeded despite those challenges.

The level of competition in the CHL and the NCAA is pretty poor at times. It's less of an issue in the NCAA, where the kids are typically at least 18, but having NHL drafted players play an extra year against 16 year olds is pretty ridiculous. The 19 year olds should be learning to play against full grown competition and putting on the strength to do so.

The NCAA is getting leaps and bounds better, but it still has a lot of guys who would have no hope of playing at even an AHL level. The value of NCAA depends on the prospect too. Some need more time. Having an 18 year old play in NCAA is probably pretty valuable. As the guys get older and more developed it loses its value and the AHL becomes a much better development league.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

We're watching the CHL crumble before our eyes. I'm happy about it, kids should be getting paid. I get that a lot of small market teams won't survive this, but too bad. If a business (and that's what the CHL is) can't afford to make it with paying their employees minimum wage, then they don't deserve to exist.

The CHL is a minor league for teenagers. That what is always should have been. The fact you could force over-agers to play against 16 (sometimes 15 year old) olds was ridiculous.

So many times you see a high level prospect hit 1.5 PPG in the CHL and essentially repeat the same stats next year post draft, as they have nothing left to learn from the CHL.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Hits keep coming for the CHL

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

We're watching the CHL crumble before our eyes. I'm happy about it, kids should be getting paid. I get that a lot of small market teams won't survive this, but too bad. If a business (and that's what the CHL is) can't afford to make it with paying their employees minimum wage, then they don't deserve to exist.

This was my initial thought as well.

But, hear me out... this rule essentially won't affect any CHL team at all.

Now if you're a 19 year old that might be good enough to play in the AHL, you'll be getting a scholarship offer from the NCAA.

This rule change leaves CHL teams in the same boat they were prior.

Star Americans come up, then star CHLers go down to the States once they hit university age.

It's like a 17 year old complaining that the bars close at 2am instead of 3:30. Does it suck the bars close at 2am and not 3:30? Yes. But a 17 year old isn't allowed in the bar at 2am anyway, so what difference does it make?

A CHL team having one of their 19 year olds play in the AHL rather than NCAA is a distinction without a difference.

[Geeoff]

I wonder if all this shifting will result in more draft steals, as some players may get more opportunities in the CHL than they would have before