Harsh Reality Of AHL Free Agency & 'Development Rule'

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When the calendar hits July and the free agent frenzy begins in the hockey world, it makes for an exciting first few days of the month for hockey fans anxious to see where players will be signing new contracts and playing with new teammates in the fall.

While it may be an exciting time for fans, and perhaps even for the high end NHL free agents anticipating their next multi million dollar payday, the harsh reality for most American Hockey League (AHL) players makes late June and July a very nerve-wracking and stressful time as those guys are eager to sign their next one year deal and have a place to play the following season.

"I was talking to my wife about this being the first year I’m not stressed, and then couldn’t sleep last night because I’m stressed," one pending AHL level free agent told InsideAHLHockey.com leading into July 1.

Luckily for that pending free agent, who asked to remain anonymous, he was able to sign a one-year contract in the opening days of free agency and guarantee himself employment in North America for the 2024-25 season.

Others have not been so lucky.

One common theme presented itself this off-season, and that is the fact that jobs for guys deemed "veteran" players by AHL have become increasingly difficult to come by.

The AHL instituted a 'Development Rule' into their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) prior to the 2014-15 season:

Of the eighteen (18) skaters (not counting two goaltenders) that teams may dress for a game, at least thirteen (13) must be qualified as “development players.” Of those 13, twelve (12) must have played in 260 or fewer professional games (including AHL, NHL and European elite leagues), and one must have played in 320 or fewer professional games. All calculations for development status are based on regular-season totals as of the start of the season.

"Never in a million years did I think I would be in this position, given I'm not even 30 years old yet, but have [over 320 pro games experience] as well as being a captain and point-per-game player," one AHL-level free agent told InsideAHLHockey.com earlier this month. "My agent was unable to even get a call back from [team redacted] which is pretty unbelievable considering everything I've been through with them."

The AHL and PHPA , the Professional Hockey Players' Association union representing the players, included a modification to the AHL's development rule in the latest CBA prior to the 2019-20 season. The game maximum didn't change - skaters who have played in 260 games in the AHL, NHL or European elite league still will be classified a veteran. The new caveat was they must also have turned 25 by the July 1 that precedes the season opener.

That modification has helped the AHL keep some younger players from being forced to play overseas or retire from pro hockey altogether - especially those coming from the NCAA ranks where they turn pro a little older than those coming from Canadian junior hockey - but it still doesn't help players like former Washington Capitals 2016-1st round defenseman Lucas Johansen, 26, who still finds himself without a home for the 2024-25 season because he has accrued 266 pro games to date - six more than the lower limit of an AHL 'veteran' player.

The stated goal of the AHL is well-known, and that is to be a development league and a feeder league for the NHL.

The question becomes, however, whether or not limiting the number of experienced veteran players an AHL team can have in their lineup to help guide younger inexperienced players adapting to pro hockey is actually beneficial to the 'prospects' with NHL aspirations in the long run.

What Do The Players Think About the Development Rule?

Below is one veteran AHL player's perspective on how the veteran rule is ruining the competitiveness of the league.

"I'm not sure how they expect first year prospects to develop if it's all other prospects they're playing with and against. I felt like when I was 19/20 years old in [team redacted] I had a much bigger group of veteran players that helped me," a veteran AHL-level free agent explained to InsideAHLHockey.com.

"[There's] no doubt the veteran rule is an issue in my opinion. A lot of veterans are sick and tired of the main focus strictly being a development league and AHL teams not [being] concerned about winning or losing," the veteran AHL free agent continued. "Depending on the coach, I've had a couple coaches say we are playing to win to start the season. And my last coach said we are playing to develop first before anything."

"We lost almost every single game my first year pro in [team redacted] and let me tell you the difference being on a winning team development-wise, whether that means the prospects have to earn their opportunity and 'trust the process' or being on a losing team and getting every opportunity handed to you..."

"That's going to fall back on [prospects] when they aren't prepared for the next step playing against men [in the NHL]. That's what the AHL has turned into - there's no fear."

The Overseas 'Gamble'

It's also worth noting that players heading overseas is no sure thing, either.

There is quite an adjustment needed in transitioning to the larger ice surfaces in pro leagues overseas, and the pressure to produce quickly or be replaced by someone else is a real fear among players traveling overseas.

"That was me when I hit 30 years old," one former AHL player told InsideAHLHockey.com "It's crazy right? I was like, there are maybe a dozen guys with more career goals in the AHL than me right now, and I couldn't get a sniff anywhere."

That player tried to extend their career by playing hockey overseas, but unfortunately they had trouble adapting their game to the larger ice.

"Player like me, the European game didn't fit my play style," the former AHL player explained. "I remember getting pucks and being like, fuck, I'm far away from the net. Not something I had ever experienced before."

What happened to that former player at 30 a few years ago is now happening to pro hockey players at 26-28 years old, which should be cause for concern as the end result is more talented players from North America are leaving the AHL and heading overseas at a younger age and at a higher rate.

The competitive nature of the AHL is being diminished as the balance of the league is leaning more heavily toward strictly development than ever before.

And ultimately, prospects are rushed into either graduating into the NHL not fully prepared to play against the best players in the world, or being forced out of North America entirely in order to provide for their families.