Seattle Kraken prospect Shane Wright Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

NHL, CHL grant top Kraken prospect special exemption to bypass junior league

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 9/13/23

Top Seattle Kraken prospect Shane Wright is in the in-between stage where he’s too good to be playing in the junior leagues but not quite ready to be playing in the NHL.

Which is why the NHL has worked out an agreement with the Canadian Hockey League (which encompasses the QMJHL, OHL and WHL) for Wright to bypass the transfer agreement between the two leagues, which states that CHL-drafted prospects can’t be assigned to the AHL unless they’ve played four seasons in juniors or turn 20 years old by Dec. 31 of their current season.

The pact allows Wright, who turns 20 five days after the cutoff date, to play in the American Hockey League in 2023 should he not make the Kraken roster out of training camp.

Interesting to see if the Shane Wright AHL exemption is a one time special circumstance case, or whether or not it sets a potential precedent. Wright's situation is a very unique but it might open a door for more under 20 years old prospects to join AHL. Matthew Savoie anyone?
— Steve Clark (@SteveClarkMedia) September 13, 2023

“We’re going to come in and commit to giving Shane every chance to make our team,” Kraken general manager Ron Francis told the Seattle Times. “And if at some point we make a decision that he’s not going to make it, then we would look to assign him to Coachella Valley and I believe at that point we would be fine in doing that.”

The Kraken ran into a similar problem at the beginning of last season. Wright scored just one goal and two points in eight games after making Seattle’s Opening Night roster, but he had to be returned to his junior league team, the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL.

Wright tallied 15 goals and 37 points in 20 games against other 18-and-under competition. Now, he has the opportunity to develop against other pro-level skaters with the Coachella Valley Firebirds (Seattle’s AHL affiliate) should the NHL prove to be too much for him still.

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