Questions and Answers about Age Guidlines

[Beaner]

Since it always seem to come up I thought it would be a good idea to get all this information into one place.


CHL/WHL Guidelines

Age for the CHL is calculated from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. Thus for the 2006-2007 Season anyone born in 1986 will be considered a 20 yr. old. Anyone born in 1990 is a 16 yr. old.

15yr. old restrictions
15 yr. olds are allowed to play a maximum of 5 games in the WHL, until their parent team is eliminated from the playoffs.

16 yr. old restrictions
Starting in 06-07 each team in the CHL will be allowed to carry a maximum of 4 16 year old players. See Wingnuts post below for links.

20 yr. old restrictions

from www.whl.ca
16. How many 20 year olds can a team use?
WHL teams are allowed a maximum of three overage players. Teams having more than three overage players to start the season may continue to rotate them in and out of the lineup until October 16th at which time they must select determine the three that they will keep. Other 20-year-olds become free agents for the other teams in the League. From October 16th until February 10th, teams may bring in an overage player, but, if they have three already, then they have to release one. February 10 of each year is the roster deadline and all players who are with a team on that date are there for the duration of the season.

In the past, expansion teams have been allowed to carry 5 20 yr. olds, this should be the same for when the Bruins come into the league on '06-'07

WHL Draft
The WHL drafts 14-15 year olds from around Western Canada and the Western US.

NHL DRAFT

Anyone who is 18 by September 15th of the year of the draft is automatically entered into the Draft*. Any Non-North American born players over the age of 20 can also enter the draft.

Those who turn 19 by September 15 and are not older than 20 by December 31 are automatically eligible for selection.

A North American player who is not drafted by the age of 20 is an unrestricted free agent. All non-North Americans must be drafted before being signed, regardless of age.


-- Makes things a little confusing as a player in the CHL can be considered a 17 yr old, but for the draft he is eligible. Brule is a good Example - Born Jan. 1/87 he was a 17 yr. old in the CHL, for the 04-05 season; but Eligible for the NHL Draft in '05 since he was 18 at the time of the draft.

World Tournaments

Summer U-18 Team Junior World Cup
This is the one held in August each year.

Age is based from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. As the name of the tournament implies you have to be under 18.

Thus for this year any 1988 born player is eligible.

U-18 Junior World Championship
This is the one held in April each year.

Age is based on your Age at Dec. 31st the year prior to the actual Tournament.

For example - For the '06 Tournament any '88 born player is eligible. Thus you have a lot of players who are "technically" 18 playing in this tournament.


--Basically the players who play in the summer tournament are eligible to play in the Spring Tournament the following year.

World Junior Tournament - U20
Age once again is calculated by Jan.1-Dec.31. Anyone under 20 yrs. old is allowed to participate.

Thus for the '06 Tournament in Vancouver, it is 1986 born players and younger. 16 yr. olds can participate, but it is rare.


--- Hopefully this helps everyone out.

-- I can't seem to find any other changes to the NHL draft age limits or CHL stuff, so I believe this is all accurate. If I've made a mistake let me know and I will fix it up. :)

Cheers,
Beaner.

LIST OF CHANGES:
1) NHL Draft opt-in/out clause removed after 2005 CBA changes.
2) Updated 16 year old rules as per CHL changes posted by Wingnut below.

[peatfan]

This will help claify many arguments until the next rule change.

[Wingnut]

With the new CBA, the "opt-in" provision has been eliminated. Any player who is 18 on September 15th of the draft year is automatically eligible.

I also understand that the provisions for non-North American players (i.e. Europeans) has been changed to conform more to the rules for North American players but I do not know this for certain nor what the details of the changes are.

[Beaner]

Right you are Wingnut - thanks for the update to the CBA

I believe the change to the Euros was you had to sign them within 2 yrs, you dont get to hold their rights forever as soon as you draft them as with the old CBA.

[Sput]

Maybe make this a sticky thread so it doesn't disappear off the page. Great info Beaner! Thanks. :thumb:

[peatfan]

A change to the NCAA drafted players. It used to be you kept them forever (like the Euro's) but now you have to sign them by Sept. 1 if their graduating class. Makes for less Euro's and university draft picks and more junior picks ;)

[N.W. Bruin]

Also the 16 year old rule restriction never passed as the major junior leagues want no part of it. It was part of Hockey Canada's attempts to change where 15s could not even play in the junior leagues unless they were deemed extraordinary. So the league can have as many 16s in it as they want and play their 15s in some games.

[Tinner]

Also the 16 year old rule restriction never passed as the major junior leagues want no part of it. It was part of Hockey Canada's attempts to change where 15s could not even play in the junior leagues unless they were deemed extraordinary. So the league can have as many 16s in it as they want and play their 15s in some games.

From what I understand, the CHL (WHL, OHL & QMJHL) are bound by the ruling and will comply with this new rule. The WHL is allowed +or- 40 - 16 yr olds next year, which is 1.9 per team. The 15 yr old rule has not changed.

Here is the exact rule from the Canadian Hockey rule book.

Major Junior: Each team is allowed to register and play four (4)
players in 2005-06, three (3) players in 2006-07 and there
will be a league cap of forty (40) players in the Western Hockey
League, forty (40) players in the Ontario Hockey League, and
forty (40) players in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
in 2007-08.

[Tinner]

The maximum number of non-North American players that can register
and play Major Junior Hockey shall be one (1), starting in the 2007-08
season.

[Wingnut]

Hockey Canada made the following adjustments to the 16 year old rule for junior hockey and their annual general meeting last weekend.

MAJOR JUNIOR (WHL, OHL, QMJHL)

Each team will be allowed to register a miximum of four 16s in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.

JUNIOR A (TIER II) and JUNIOR B

Each team will be allowed to register a miximum of two 16s in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.

JUNIOR C and JUNIOR D

Each team will be allowed to register one "local" 16 in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.

AFFILIATE PLAYERS

A 16 can be named as an affiliate player in Major Junior and may play a maximum of ten games during the regular season and playoffs. Once his team is finished for the season, he can play in an unlimited number of games.

Any games that a 16 year old affiliate plays in because of being called up due to absences caused by the National Junior, U17, Canada Winter Games, or World Junior A Challenge events will not count against the ten game limit.

Link to AGM press release:

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/2/1/2/8/3/index1.shtml

Link to the mothion as passed.

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/21286/la_id/1/document/1/re_id/0

[Beaner]

Glad to see the league went with the 4 per team rule as opposed to the 80 per league mainly since the WHL has 21 teams next year and 22 once Edmonton gets in.

[Wingnut]

Glad to see the league went with the 4 per team rule as opposed to the 80 per league mainly since the WHL has 21 teams next year and 22 once Edmonton gets in.

This was a decision by Hockey Canada, not the WHL. Although I'm sure the CHL had some input into it.

[Wingnut]

As stated earlier in the thread, WHL teams are allowed a maximum of 80 16 year-old players this season total. Each 16 year old must play in a minimum of 40 regular season games.

It will be interesting which team gets more than other teams as 21 does not divide into 80 evenly.

[N.W. Bruin]

As stated earlier in the thread, WHL teams are allowed a maximum of 80 16 year-old players this season total. Each 16 year old must play in a minimum of 40 regular season games.

It will be interesting which team gets more than other teams as 21 does not divide into 80 evenly.


Even with 22 teams next season. There was only 60 or so 16s last season that played any significant time. The minimum 40 games means that the kids can't be inserted into the lineup here and there as they have to play better than every second game. If it ever gets lower than the 80 it might be a problem.

[AmsPhotos]

I assume the 40 game restriction wouldn't take effect if a player was injured for a significant amount of time or if they were a goaltender.

[pucksucker]

Hello everyone!

Nice to see a forum without all the negative issues of the Oregonlive board or the White Board. Hope I don't ruffle too many feathers ;-)

What is the final ruling for the 16 year old cap in the WHL? I see Portland has 6 16-year olds, Calgary 5, Rockets 5, T-Birds have 4 and several teams have 3,2,or1. This puts the WHL over the 40 limit as well ! Could someone clarify what the team and league limits are ?
Thank you
PuckSucker[/FONT]

[canes77]

I never knew about the 16 yr old rule until this thread...Interesting that the league could have more than 40 16-yr olds as long as some of them play 39 games or less. In Leth, we had a handful of 16 yr olds last yr, but looking at Justin Leclerc, he played in only 34 games but ended up as the #1 goalie. Some teams could bend the rules like this, sitting out guys every other game or so, letting them play at the U-17s at Xmas, etc.

[iceman778]

sometimes these links are working and sometimes it is not working