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What Does The NHL’s Olympic Decision Mean For The American Hockey League?

What Does the NHL’s Olympic Decision Mean for the American Hockey League?

Since the announcement made Monday afternoon by the National Hockey League that they will not include a stoppage in their 2017-18 season for the 2018 Olympics, speculation has begun on how national teams will fill their rosters for the twenty-third winter Olympiad. Many eyes have turned to the American Hockey League, the second highest level of professional hockey in the entire world.

With thirty teams, the league provides a developmental territory for players heading to the NHL, along with a place for veterans of the game to continue to play at a high level in North America.

“I do think there’s a pretty good possibility we will be stocking some of those Olympic teams,” AHL President and CEO David Andrews said on SiriusXM’s Stellick and Simmer Tuesday morning.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” said Hershey VP of Hockey Ops Bryan Helmer. “I’m sure we’re going to have lots of talks at our meetings in the summer about it. You don’t want to hold back a kid from playing for his country and playing in the Olympics. There are a lot of decisions that have to be made.”

One name that has been thrown around multiple times for a spot on Team USA’s roster is Hershey forward Chris Bourque. The 2015-16 AHL MVP has represented Team USA three times, including in 2006 in the World Junior Championships and 2013, winning the Deutschland Cup with the US. “It’s not something I’ve thought about,” said Bourque. “Of course if that opportunity arose, then for sure. Anytime you can represent your country and put on that jersey; it’s always a special opportunity.”

Bourque is signed through the end of the season on an NHL contract to Washington, and will most likely sign an NHL contract wherever he ends up after this year. That could cause some issues if the NHL decides all players under contract with their team, including ones playing in the American League, will not be allowed to participate. Andrews stated: “That’s going to be a decision that NHL general managers will make in terms of whether they’re interested and willing to assign players to national teams for the Olympics from their American League team.”

Andrews does believe if NHL teams are open to sending players, the AHL is willing to go along with that decision. “My guess is our position is going to be: the players belong to the National Hockey League teams, and they choose to assign a player to a national team for the Olympics and feel that’s the best thing for the player, then we’ll roll with that.”

There does seem to be opposition to a season stoppage, as Andrews said he doesn’t believe the league would stop to allow players to participate in the Olympics, and Helmer would rather keep the season going as only a few players from each team would be lost. “You might lose one or two players. That happens during the season with injuries and call-ups anyways,” said Helmer. “I don’t think it would be beneficial to stop the American League for two weeks – I don’t think you can with the NHL going on.”

The AHL will more than likely not make an official decision on stopping the season, or if they would allow players under AHL contracts to attend the games until this summer. Until then, speculation will continue how Olympic hockey rosters will look next year.

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