Tony Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 It's official folks, Kessel signs a multi-year deal with the Bruins. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=174477&hubname= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psycing Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of him next season. Should be interesting. I guess Boston is desperate . (Half Kidding, Kessel should be a good player for them). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromage Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 So, he's not going to rot in the juniors like every other prospect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted August 17, 2006 Author Share Posted August 17, 2006 I think Boston should have let him finish college first. Nothing against Kessel but another year playing for the Gophers wouldn't have hurt considering he had a "bad" season last year that made his stock drop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted August 17, 2006 Author Share Posted August 17, 2006 (edited) So, he's not going to rot in the juniors like every other prospect? Players have two options when they are junior aged, either go to the States or play in Canada. Playing Canada means going to school and playing in the CHL since most high schools and colleges don't have hockey programs. If they do, the programs aren't very good compared to the CHL. Universities do but in most cases it's easier to crack the NHL by playing in the CHL. The CHL regroups the QJMHL, WHL and OHL. If a player gets drafted or not, he's eligible to play in the CHL (if he gets drafted by any of the 3 leagues) until he's 19. A player can play in the CHL when he's 20 but if I remember right he has to turn 20 during the junior season. If the player is 20 before the junior season begins, his best hope to continue his hockey career if he wasn't drafted by an NHL team is to hope he gets a contract by a NHL, AHL or European club. In the States, the system is different. The system there mainly emphasizes education and sports. All high schools and colleges have sports programs. So someone can play hockey in high school and then various colleges in most cases come see the player and tell him that they are interested in letting him play in their college team and so on. Usually, the school program is fixed in a way that by the time the player finishes college, he's eligible to play in the AHL. Obviously, the people who decide to play in the US are also eligible for NHL draft just like any other junior player around the world. Forgot to mention, this is the most taken path by a player in North American. You can go play hockey in Europe but ideally it's best to play in either the US or in the CHL since the game is adapted to the NHL style. The Europeans play a different way compared to the NHL. Hence, why players like Kostitsyn are Mikus come to play in North America before they make the jump to the NHL, not only to continue developing their progression as a player and a prospect but to also adapt to the North American game of hockey. edit: typo Edited August 17, 2006 by Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromage Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Yeah, but you can be drafted and only after a couple years sign a contract. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanpuck33 Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Not sure if he could play in the CHL since I assume he wasn't drafted into the league since he was playing in college. Now that he has a contract signed, he won't be able to play in college since he is now a professional and he will not be old enough for the AHL. If he doesn't stick in the NHL, I don't know if he'd be able to play in the CHL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortcat1 Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 So, he's not going to rot in the juniors like every other prospect? That's a limburger comment on your part, fromage. For most prospects, the BEST thing to do IS to let them grow gradually into what they need to be and to have in order to be ready for the challenges of the NHL. The 18 or 19-year-old who's actually ready right out of the draft is unusual. For all of the Patrice Bergerons & Sydney Crosby's there are many more who are hurt long-term if not permanently by being rushed into the game. Even Guy Lafleur wasn't rushed into the game right away, if my memory serves me correctly. :king: :hlogo: :king: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromage Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 (edited) I knew someone was going to bring that up. Most prospects drafted never make it to the NHL, thus rotting in the juniors. They all probably have potential to play in the NHL, otherwise they wouldn't have been drafted in the first place. Edited August 19, 2006 by fromage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
House11 Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Not sure if he could play in the CHL since I assume he wasn't drafted into the league since he was playing in college. Now that he has a contract signed, he won't be able to play in college since he is now a professional and he will not be old enough for the AHL. If he doesn't stick in the NHL, I don't know if he'd be able to play in the CHL. Not sure of this so don't quote me ... but I think CHL players can't play in the AHL if they're under 20 because of an agreement with both leagues and the NHL .... I think if you play college in the states ( or high school even ) and don't ever play in the CHL you can play in the AHL under 20 years of age ( although its rare because NHL teams don't have to play players to play in college ) ... europeans can too ... example .. Laui Tukonen was 19 last year and played in the AHL. so in theory ... Kessel can play in the AHL this season .. but I don't think that's why they signed him. Again i'm not 100% sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dark_faerie87 Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Not sure of this so don't quote me ... but I think CHL players can't play in the AHL if they're under 20 because of an agreement with both leagues and the NHL .... I think if you play college in the states ( or high school even ) and don't ever play in the CHL you can play in the AHL under 20 years of age ( although its rare because NHL teams don't have to play players to play in college ) ... europeans can too ... example .. Lauri Tukonen was 19 last year and played in the AHL. so in theory ... Kessel can play in the AHL this season .. but I don't think that's why they signed him. Again i'm not 100% sure Oh Jason... :king: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortcat1 Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Whatever his status with regards to the CHL & AHL, it looks like the Bruins think they have struck gold again with Kessel just as they did with Bergeron. Call me overprotective, conservative, etc... but I really fear for kids who are rushed into the league at 18 & 19 years of age (even Crosby). As a rule, those are still bodies which are not yet fully developed nor are the emotions. That's an awful lot to demand for these youths. I do hope the best for Kessel, Bergeron, Crosby and others in that boat but, for the sake of this string, I fear that Kessel's career will be shortened or, at best, crippled by this kind of decision. :king: :hlogo: :king: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
House11 Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Whatever his status with regards to the CHL & AHL, it looks like the Bruins think they have struck gold again with Kessel just as they did with Bergeron. Call me overprotective, conservative, etc... but I really fear for kids who are rushed into the league at 18 & 19 years of age (even Crosby). As a rule, those are still bodies which are not yet fully developed nor are the emotions. That's an awful lot to demand for these youths. I do hope the best for Kessel, Bergeron, Crosby and others in that boat but, for the sake of this string, I fear that Kessel's career will be shortened or, at best, crippled by this kind of decision. :king: :hlogo: :king: I think he'll be ok ... he'll be 19 when the season starts ... alot of people forget that ... if his birthday was 2-3 weeks earlier he would have been drafted in 05 with crosby ... he's also already played one season of college against other 18-23 year olds and put of some pretty decent numbers ( although he was playing with some good players ) ... but I think the fact he's going to be 19 is the reason boston signed him ... if he was just turning 18 or just did ... I think they would have let him go to college for at least one year. also at 6' 190 he's got decent size/thickness to handle nhl size players and long as he doesn't go nuts and try to hit everyone and everything. Also I think Boston has enough decent forwards to keep him from having to do everything , like ovechkin .. they can put him on the second line with Savard and Murray ... those too will open up room for him to show his stuff. That and chara will be there to protect his ass. Oh Jason... :king: haha Faerie and his Finnlanders ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenadian Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 So he signs so he doesn't "rot" in Junior? What happens when/if his play in the NHL drops (playing against men..) He's be "rotting" on the bench............but still getting paid. Look at Fleury, Pitt really did a number on him [and his confidence] he got the call too early, got sent back and so on. True it's tougher for a goalie, since if your playing any little mistake will cost you.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted August 19, 2006 Author Share Posted August 19, 2006 Kessel has a two-way contract so if he doesn't get the right ice-time or doesn't play according to his projections he'll be sent to Providence, despite Kessel not wanting this, to continue his development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortcat1 Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Kessel has a two-way contract so if he doesn't get the right ice-time or doesn't play according to his projections he'll be sent to Providence, despite Kessel not wanting this, to continue his development. Well, at least that's a concession to the proper development of a young player. :king: :hlogo: :king: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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