Transfer Agreement Roadblock For Shane Wright, Kraken

AHL Not Currently An Option For First Round Pick

The Seattle Kraken and 2022 #1 draft choice Shane Wright find themselves in an awkward situation, one not of their own making.

The folks at The Hockey News mothership have some harsh words for that situation, words like "stupid" and "bizarre" and "archaic."

To know what caused this ire, it's crucial to understand the NHL-CHL transfer agreement. As explained by THN's Carol Schram, it applies to all 18 and 19-year-olds drafted out of the major junior leagues, the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL.

"If these players aren't on an NHL roster," Schram writes, "they must be returned to their junior squad. In essence, they can't be sent to the AHL, like a player from Europe or one who has come up through the NCAA. The main exception is for a two-week conditioning stint in the AHL, which is what happened to Shane Wright last season."

Wright won't be eligible to play for the Kraken's farm team in Coachella Valley this coming season, either. As Schram clarifies, "Wright doesn't turn 20 until Jan. 5, so he wouldn't typically qualify to play in the AHL this fall — even though he suited up for the Firebirds for a total of 34 games last season, between a fall conditioning assignment and a run through to Game 7 of the Calder Cup final."

This is what raised the hackles of Jacob Stoller, co-host of THN's "On The 'A'" podcast. "I think it is so beyond stupid, the situation that Shane Wright could be in now. He either once again has to be in the NHL, or the OHL next season. That makes zero sense.

"I watched most of Shane Wright's games with Coachella," Stoller said. "He got a lot better. Really thrived as a bottom-six player. Learned some small details. If he had stayed in the AHL all year, he would have gotten enough momentum that in the playoffs, he would have been a top-end player, or at least shown more consistency.

"Shane Wright is good enough to be a pro player. These stipulations are so bizarre and archaic. You could seriously risk his development, almost forcing Seattle to play him next year, where he may not be ready. A second year sitting the press box doesn't seem very smart."

THN's Schram explains how close Wright came to meeting an alternative criteria, which would have made him AHL-eligible. "Another exception to the CHL-NHL transfer agreements states that CHL players can graduate to the AHL after four junior seasons. Last season, (Wright) logged a total of 24 games with the Windsor Spitfires — one shy of the threshold to qualify for an official season played.

"Seattle GM Ron Francis has a decent case to argue that Wright deserves an exemption allowing him to play in the AHL if he isn't ready to claim a full-time spot with the Kraken."

Francis, in fact, has said he is pursuing such an exemption.