The NHL has announced new player transfer agreements today, including one-year extensions with the existing ones. Those include the IIHF Member Federations/Leagues in Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
They have also extended the existing CHL Agreement with the Canadian Hockey League (OHL, WHL, QMJHL). This means that nothing will change in regards to players drafted out of the CHL being eligible for AHL play before the age of 20. Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) recently polled scouts on whether the believed the agreement should be amended; 60% felt it should be, however, any changes will have to wait at least another year.
The biggest news however is the new one-year agreement with the Swiss Ice Hockey Association and Swiss League, something that previously did not exist. This will provide extra opportunities for players in Switzerland to come over to North America, and will slightly tweak the rules for draft picks out of the league.
With these agreements announced, we will likely see a flood of contracts for European players officially filed over the next few days.
it would be nice if it were easier for guys on AHL contracts to get back to the NHL. seems like for most vets signing an AHL contract is a point of no return in their careers, much moreso then simmilar agreements are in other sports.
That seems like a complete talent issue and not at a a contract issue.
The NHL/CHL agreement is terrible, and they should get rid of it.
So what does this agreement that was extended actually mean? Is it only related to NHL or any north American league? For example, a country that’s not listed can’t send their players overseas in any case?