On Monday, reports of a proposed American Hockey League (AHL) eligibility rule change as part of the next collective bargaining agreement (CBA) came to light.
And, if approved, it could have a major impact on NHL franchises.
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As reported by Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News, the next CBA could include a rule that permits AHL-eligibility for 19-year-old Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players:
Heard from a source that next CBA could feature AHL eligibility for 19-year-olds. Lots of change swirling around prospect world but this would be great for the Matt Savoie types of talents.
— Ryan Kennedy (@THNRyanKennedy) October 21, 2024
As it stands now, CHL-eligible players must be 20 years old by Dec. 31 of the select calendar year or have played four years of juniors in order to be eligible to play professional hockey at the AHL level. Unless 18- or 19-year-old players play more than nine games at the NHL level, they must be returned to their CHL team, which still retains their rights until they are 20 years old.
If a CHL-eligible player does play more than nine games at the NHL level, their entry-level contract (ELC) kicks in.
Why would this rule change be such a big deal?
Well, for one, it would have a significant impact on the CHL. The CHL relies on the current agreement between its league and the NHL in order to keep high-end talent playing in the league, drawing in crowds, and increasing revenue. If the “slide rule” – the ability of NHL organizations to option 18 and 19-year-old players back to their CHL team and “slide” their ELC back until they are 20 – is changed to exclude 19-year-olds, many players will either opt to play in the NCAA or play for their parent club’s NHL or AHL team, losing the CHL talent and revenue.
It also affects NHL clubs pretty significantly. This could spell good news for higher-end prospects who are, essentially. wasting a year of development in juniors that they don’t need, and it incentivizes NHL clubs to have these players on their NHL rosters.
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Take Pittsburgh Penguins’ defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke, for example. The 18-year-old (born May 8) was the Penguins’ 44th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, and he was very impressive in training camp, nearly earning a nine-game “trial.” Ultimately, he was sent back to his WHL team – the Kamloops Blazers – where he has registered two goals and five points in six games, and he is ineligible to be activated onto the NHL roster until his junior season is over.
Hypothetically, if the rule would go into effect next season – it wouldn’t, which we’ll explain later – Brunicke would be eligible to begin his professional hockey career with the Penguins’ organization a year earlier instead of spending another season in junior hockey, where there probably isn’t much left for him to gain as far as development.
But, things could get complicated for mid-level prospects and those who aren’t ready to make the jump to the NHL.
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If this is the case with a player, they would basically be burning a year of their ELC while still in a “developmental” year (barring that they’re not in the NCAA). So, unless some modifications are also made to ELCs, this could present some risk for NHL clubs.
Also, pulling a player into AHL-eligibility and their ELC too soon could potentially accelerate and, sometimes, stunt prospect development as a whole. This is something that teams would need to be wary of.
All in all, this proposed rule change is definitely an intriguing idea for some of the league’s best prospects. Chances are that other changes – including some NCAA eligibility requirement changes – would also come along with it.
But it could be exciting news for hockey fans, who may just have the opportunity to see some of the league’s best young talent even the slightest bit sooner.
The current CBA is set to expire on Sept. 15, 2026, so the new rules would not take effect until after that date. Negotiations for the new CBA are set to begin in early 2025.
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