While an AHL team’s roster is made up mostly of players on loan from their NHL parent club, they usually have a few players suiting up for them on minor-league contracts. While that player is playing with the prospects and depth names affiliated with an NHL team, they’re in no way contractually tied to the big club and are still technically a free agent in the NHL’s eyes, making them ineligible for a call-up unless they sign an NHL contract.
These can be young players emerging from the college or junior ranks who NHL teams are trying to get a look at in the pro environment before deciding whether to offer them an entry-level deal, or they can be veteran role players with previous NHL experience keeping their career going even though their game isn’t suited for the top level anymore. Teams with an excess of these players will usually assign the vast majority of them down one level to their ECHL affiliate – much like an NHL contract, an AHL deal permits a team to stuff a player in the ECHL but recall them at will.
Nearly one week into free agency, it’s a good time to look at what names teams have on these minor-league deals as they eye potential NHL contracts with the parent club later in the season. Players with an asterisk were previous draft picks by the club but will see their exclusive NHL signing rights expire on Aug. 15. A double asterisk indicates the player’s signing rights are held until June 1, 2026.
Abbotsford Canucks (VAN)
F Jackson Kunz*, F Chase Wouters
Bakersfield Condors (EDM)
F Matt Copponi*, F Seth Griffith, F Ethan Keppen, F Rem Pitlick, F Rhett Pitlick
Belleville Senators (OTT)
F Philippe Daoust, F Keean Washkurak
Bridgeport Islanders (NYI)
F Cameron Berg*, F Max Dorrington, F/D Hunter Drew, F Ross Mitton, F Chris Terry, D Luke Rowe
Calgary Wranglers (CGY)
F Martin Frk, F Alex Gallant
Charlotte Checkers (FLA)
F Liam Arnsby, F Brett Chorske, F Riese Gaber, F Liam McLinskey, F Brian Pinho, F Christophe Tellier, F Nicolas Zabaneh, D Trevor Carrick, D Dennis Cesana, D Colton Huard, D Eamon Powell, D Mitch Vande Sompel, G Michael Simpson
Chicago Wolves (CAR)
F Blake Biondi, F Yanick Turcotte, F Evan Vierling
Cleveland Monsters (CBJ)
F Roman Ahcan, F Riley Bezeau, F Ryland Mosley
Coachella Valley Firebirds (SEA)
F Justin Janicke*, F Ian McKinnon
Colorado Eagles (COL)
F Evan Friesen, F Maros Jedlicka, F Rilen Kovacevic, F Jayson Megna, F Jake Wise, D Connor Kelley, D Hank Kempf*, D Garrett Pyke, G Kyle Keyser
Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)
F Carson Bantle, F Gabriel Seger, D Jacob Truscott
Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)
F Gavin Hain, F Zakary Karpa*, F Sullivan Mack, D Blake Hillman, D Case McCarthy, D Cooper Moore, D Ryan Siedem
Iowa Wild (MIN)
F Mark Liwiski, F Ryan McGuire, F Ryan Sandelin, D Mike Koster, D Wyatt Newpower, D Will Zmolek, G William Rousseau
Laval Rocket (MTL)
F Vincent Arseneau, F Laurent Dauphin, F Will Dineen, F Joseph Dunlap, F Mark Estapa, F Yegor Goryunov, F Israel Mianscum, F Xavier Simoneau, D Josh Jacobs, D Darick Louis-Jean, D Ryan O’Rourke, D Tobie Paquette-Bisson, D Wyatte Wylie, G Hunter Jones
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI)
F Saywer Boulton, F Cooper Marody
Manitoba Moose (WPG)
F Chase Yoder, D Dawson Barteaux, D Ashton Sautner, D Ben Zloty, G Alex Worthington
Milwaukee Admirals (NSH)
F Daniel Carr, F Kyle Marino, F Oasiz Wiesblatt, D Zack Hayes, D Chad Nychuk, G Ethan Haider, G T.J. Semptimphelter
Ontario Reign (LAK)
F Jacob Doty, F Jack Hughes*, D Jack Millar, D Tim Rego
Providence Bruins (BOS)
F Joey Abate, F Brooklyn Kalmikov, F Jake Schmaltz*, D Colin Felix
Rochester Americans (BUF)
F Matteo Constantini*, F Jagger Joshua, F Graham Slaggert, F Brendan Warren, D Noah Laaouan
Rockford IceHogs (CHI)
F Dillon Boucher, F Jackson Cates, F Ryan Gagnier, F Kevin Lombardi, F Marcel Marcel, F Brett Seney, D Cavan Fitzgerald, G Mitchell Weeks
San Diego Gulls (ANA)
F Ryan Carpenter, F Travis Howe, F Matthew Phillips, D Nikolas Brouillard, D Will Francis*, D Roland McKeown
San Jose Barracuda (SJS)
F Donovan Houle, F Lucas Vanroboys, F Anthony Vincent, D John Gormley, D Braden Hache, G Matt Davis
Springfield Thunderbirds (STL)
F Sam Bitten, F Matthew Peca, F Chris Wagner, D Anthony Kehrer
Syracuse Crunch (TBL)
F Brendan Furry, D Chris Harpur, D Tommy Miller, D Matteo Pietroniro
Texas Stars (DAL)
Toronto Marlies (TOR)
F Matthew Barbolini, F Ryan Kirwan, F Logan Shaw, F Landon Sim, D Rhett Parsons, D Chas Sharpe
Tucson Roadrunners (UTA)
F Austin Poganski, G Dylan Wells
Utica Comets (NJD)
F Jack Malone, F Matyas Melovsky**
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (PIT)
F Raivis Ansons, F Jack Beck, F Atley Calvert, F Mathieu De St. Phalle, F Brayden Edwards, F Zach Gallant, F Aaron Huglen, F Gabe Klassen, F Aidan McDonough, F Nolan Renwick, F Zach Urdahl, D David Breazale, D Tommy Budnick, G Taylor Gauthier, G Maxim Pavlenko
The Hershey Bears have defenseman Aaron Ness, forwards Matt Strom, Lyndon Breen and Dalton Smith and goalies Antoine Keller and Mitchell Gibson signed to AHL Contracts for next season.
For the AHL teams that are owned by NHL teams, are these players indirectly signed to the parent NHL club? If Springfield is owned by Capital City, and Springfield signs Otto, isn’t Otto still effectively signed by Capital City?
maybe this wasn’t clear, but i was trying to distinguish between that and a situation where a non-NHL owned team signs a player, and that players doesn’t belong to the NHL team.
Players who are signed to AHL contracts cannot be recalled to the NHL. To do so, the NHL team would have to sign the player to an NHL deal.
@mike q. – Financially, sure, but not in the eyes of the league. Otto would still be an NHL free agent and can sign with any other team that’s not the parent club at any time.
Nice simpson’s references. I doubt Otto who loves to get bottom would do well On the ice!
*blotto
I know not a great skater but I hope Alex Gallant gets a game or 2 if Flames need a tough guy.