THE AHL 'AGE' RULE
Back in 1979, when the National Hockey League merged with the World Hockey Association and absorbed four of its teams, one of the many issues that had to be sorted out were what to do with underaged players and how to handle the NHL Draft.
Under the previous NHL rules, players had to be 20 years old before they went into the NHL Draft. As a means of competing with NHL clubs -- and because nothing in the WHA bylaws forbade it -- WHA teams sometimes got the jump on the NHL by signing top teenaged players before they could go to the NHL. That is how, among others, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Mark Howe made their pro debuts at tender ages in the World Hockey Association.
After the NHL absorbed the WHA, the NHL relaxed its age rules somewhat so that players such as the still-underage Gretzky could immediately play in the league. The NHL Draft was also restructured. As of 1979, 19-year-old players could enter the draft and, as of the following year, the draft age was lowered to its present system of allowing 18-year-olds to be selected.
There was a problem, however. Many powerful voices in the NHL also had vested interests in ownership and operation of teams in the Canadian major junior hockey leagues, and did not want to harm the success of those teams by depleting its best talent.
As a compromise to lowering the NHL Draft age, the NHL and CHL forged an agreement that required any CHL-affiliated player under the age of 20 to be returned to his junior team if he was not on an NHL roster. The American Hockey League complied as well.
That was how the AHL age restriction came to pass that, even though AHL rules themselves state that the league minimum age is 18 and players acquired from other sources (European teams, NCAA collegiate players who leave early, etc) can play in the American League as teenagers while CHL players cannot.
Over on the Flyers' official website, I authored an article that provides an overview of where various prospects are permitted to play (if not in the NHL) and also how the signing windows to retain a drafted player's rights are dependent on which league from which a team drafts a player.
There was fan confusion, for example, over why the Flyers still hold Oskar Lindblom's rights even though next season will be the third since his draft year and he is not yet under NHL entry-level contract. The answer is that he was drafted out of Sweden at age 18, so the Flyers have a four-year window dating from 2014. If he had opted to play for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2015-16, the Flyers would have signed the 20-year-old (as of August 15) to an entry-level contract.
At age 20 a player is no longer slide-rule eligible. However, even at age 21, an NHL entry-level contract runs for three years. As such, it simply made more sense, after Lindblom decided to play in Sweden next season, to hold off on a contract. The player, who has participated annually in the Development Camp the Flyers hold each July and spent time (on a tryout contract) with the Phantoms at the end of last season, fully intends to sign with the Flyers when the time is right and the organization considers him part of its long-term plan assuming he continues to develop at his current rate.
In other cases, the collection of rules can work against an NHL team and a player.
Given their druthers, for example, the Flyers would most certainly prefer if Ivan Provorov could play in the AHL next season if they do not feel he is quite ready to absorb a significant NHL role in 2016-17. There is no choice in the matter, however. It MUST be either the Western Hockey League again or the NHL for the Brandon Wheat Kings defenseman.
Flyers GM Ron Hextall has often let it be known that he is not a proponent of the NHL "nine-game trial" and strongly prefers to err on the side of caution in player development. If there is any doubt in his mind at the end of training camp about a teenage player's readiness not just to start the season in the NHL but also to navigate the rigors of an 82-game-season while getting significant ice time, the player is going to be returned to his junior team.
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TODAY IN FLYERS HISTORY: JULY 17
* Alumni Birthdays: Goaltender Tommy Söderström turns 47 today. Two-way winger Valeri Zelepukin celebrates his 48th birthday.
* Today in Flyers History: On July 17, 1996, the Flyers signed free agent center Peter White to provide some forward depth. A prolific minor league scorer who was a stride too slow to translate his offensive success to the NHL level, White led the AHL in scoring with 44 goals and 105 points in 1996-97. He posted an identical point total the following season as the Philadelphia Phantoms went on to win the Calder Cup. White was a semi-regular for the Flyers in 1999-2000 and centered the fourth line throughout the 2000-01 season.
After getting dealt to Chicago, White returned to the Flyers organization for the 2003-04 season and the early part of the lockout-canceled 2004-05 season before he was traded to the Utah Grizzlies in a minor-league trade.
For his AHL career, White racked up 783 points in 747 games. In the NHL, he was a fourth-liner, scratching out 23 goals and 60 points in 220 games. White's ex-wife, Jody, is the daughter of Bob Clarke.
* Today in Flyers history: On this date in 2000, the Flyers signed recent sixth-round draft pick Roman Cechmanek to a one-year, $1 million contract.
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2016 FLYERS ALUMNI GOLF INVITATIONAL
The 2016 Flyers Alumni Golf Invitational will be held on July 18 at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Flourtown, PA. The event will raise money for the Flyers Alumni Association, Flyers Charities and BLOCS.
The Golf Invitational will offer a round of golf, lunch, cocktail reception and dinner program. The schedule is as follows:
11:30 a.m. – Alumni team photo/player availability
12 p.m. – Golf begins
6 p.m. – Dinner reception including remarks and auctions
Subject to changes and additions, the following Flyers Alumni -- widely representing every decade of team history -- will be attending: Ray Allison, Bill Barber, Frank Bathe, Craig Berube, Brian Boucher, Jesse Boulerice, Danny Briere, Terry Carkner, Lindsay Carson, Jeff Chychrun, Bob Clarke, Bill Clement, Steve Coates, Riley Cote, Doug Crossman, Barry Dean, Eric Desjardins, Andre "Moose" Dupont, Doug Favell, Todd Fedoruk, Ross Fitzpatrick, Mark Freer, Larry Goodenough, TJ Gorence, Paul Holmgren, Ed Hospodar, Mark Howe, Kerry Huffman, Bob "the Hound" Kelly, Tim Kerr, Orest Kindrachuk, Mike Knuble, Ian Laperriere, Mitch Lamoureaux, Neil Little, Brad Marsh, Phil Myre, Bernie Parent, Dave Poulin, Brian Propp, Chris Pronger, Luke Richardson, Don Saleski, Dave "the Hammer" Schultz (attending but not golfing), Ilkka Sinisalo, Derrick Smith, Chris Therien and Joe Watson. Also slated to be on hand are the likes of Lou Nolan, Steve Coates, Dave "Sudsy" Settlemyre and Al Morganti.
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