With the NHL training camps and the KHL regular season set to begin in just under one month we wanted to take a look at the massive group of players who have departed the AHL for the KHL during the 2025 free agency period.
As of Aug. 23 30 players who played a significant portion of the 2024-25 season in the AHL have signed in the KHL for the 2025-26 season.
The AHL veteran rule and higher salaries are likely the two main reasons for the exodus of players to the KHL.
The AHL veteran rule concerns players who have played 321 or more professional games in the AHL, NHL, or Europe. Veteran Exempt players are players who have played between 260-320 games.
Teams are allowed a combined six veteran and veteran exempt players per game, at least one must be a veteran exempt player.
Additionally, the new NHL CBA rules will allow teams to place one 19-year-old CHL player in the AHL beginning in the 2026-27 season. This will continue to make the AHL a young mans league.
Every player who played in the AHL last season, the team they left, and their current KHL team are listed below.
Mason Morelli (F) - Henderson Silver Knights - Barys Astana
Mike Vecchione (F) - Hershey Bears - Traktor Chelyabink - Barys Astana
Tyce Thompson (F) - Bridgeport Islander - Barys Astana
Nate Sucese (F) - Hartford Wolf Pack - Shanghai Dragons
Riley Sutter (F) - Hershey Bears - Shanghai Dragons
Reilly Walsh (D) - Ontario Reign - Barys Astana
Jake Massie (D) - Hershey Bears - Barys Astana
Gage Quinney (F) - Henderson Silver Knights - Shanghai Dragons
Jake Bischoff (D) - Henderson Silver Knights - Shanghai Dragons
Olivier Rodrigue (G) - Bakersfield Condors - Barys Astana
Rocco Grimaldi (F) - Cleveland Monsters - SKA St. Petersburg
Joseph Blandisi (F) - Toronto Marlies - SKA St. Petersburg
Alex Limoges (F) - Hershey Bears - Dinamo Minsk
Andrew Poturalski (F) - San Jose Barracuda - Avangard Omsk
Daniel Sprong (F) - Coachella Valley Firebirds - CSKA Moskva
Joseph Cecconi (D) - Ontario Reign - Avangard Omsk
Maxime Lajoie (D) - Coachella Valley Firebirds - Avangard Omsk
Chase Priskie (D) - Hershey Bears - Sibir Novosibirsk
Pierrick Dube (F) - Hershey Bears - Traktor Chelyabink
Ty Smith (D) - Chicago Wolves - Dinamo Minsk
Louis Domingue (G) - Hartford Wolf Pack - Sibir Novosibirsk
Joseph Keane (D) - San Jose Barracuda - Spartak Moskva
Noel Hoefenmayer (D) - Laval Rocket - HK Sochi
William Dufour (F) - Colorado Eagles - Lada Togliatti
Rhett Gardner (F) - Lehigh Valley Phantoms - CSKA Moskva
Spencer Martin (G) - Chicago Wolves - CSKA Moskva
Brandon Biro (F) - Coachella Valley Firebirds - Ak Bars Kazan
Chris Driedger (G) - Manitoba Moose - Traktor Chelyabinsk
Mac Hollowell (D) - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins - Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Vasili Ponomarev (F) - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins - Avangard Omsk
Reigning AHL MVP Andrew Poturalski, All-Star Rocco Grimaldi, and Calder Cup champions Chase Priskie and Mike Vecchione are among the biggest names on this list.
Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.