The Dallman reference was one I picked up on NHL Sirius radio a while back and they pointed out the AHL is still the 2nd best league in the world. Not something I ever considered but I thought it was a valid point when I considered it. And didn’t the AHL do an All Star game against a Sweden team a couple years ago and won like 7-1. They whipped them good. It makes sense because a lot of these AHL teams have some quality NHL prospects. The North American guys that go to Europe are guys looking for work or are trying to re-establish their career for a 2nd shot at the NHL.
A solid comparison is minor league baseball. AA vs AAA
Generally speaking AA has more talented players but they're a bit younger and lesser developed. AAA is a higher level of play but comprised of more developed players; mainly career minor leaguers.
This is reflected in the AHL's veteran limit.
AA = AHL
AAA = Elite European Leagues
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