Players who never played in the AHL

[MovesLikeJagr68]

Craig Adams only played in 35 AHL games, but 926 (and counting) NHL games.

 

[Clode]

Milan Lucic and Dougie Hamilton is all I can think of from the Bruins. Bergeron too if you dont count him playing for Providence during the 04/05 lockout

 

[SirPaste]

Bobrovsky

Good call

 

[norrisnick]

Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen

 

[snailderby]

Are we counting players who played in college or in an European league and then jumped straight to the NHL without a stint in the AHL?

 

[CheldishGamibno]

Tarasenko, Pietrangelo, Oshie, Berglund, Steen, Stastny on the Blues never played.

edit: My bad, actually Petro played 1 game in the AHL

Pietrangelo played 8 games in the AHL! (7 in the playoffs)

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Only Backstrom hasn't on Minnesota.

 

[SirPaste]

Pietrangelo played 8 games in the AHL! (7 in the playoffs)

Whoops, wasnt looking at playoff games

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

lindback when straight from SEL to NHL i think. Has played most of his ahl games in the last two years.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

any successful goalies of modern times that skipped the ahl?


I'm sure theres older goalies who outright skipped minor pro leagues. Not any modern guys though

Pretty damn rare, though there are bound to be some goalies coming out of Europe that have done it. Hell, even Tom Barrasso, who jumped from high school to winning the Vezina the following year, spent 5 games in the AHL during a Jennings Award-winning season (54 NHL GP).

Bobrovsky jumped from Russia to the NHL and was a young 22 when he did that.

 

[salsa man]

Cam Fowler and Andrew Cogliano

 

[Gentle Ben Ken0bi]

Mike Richards never played in a regular season AHL game until this year.

 

[FLpanthers16]

Huberdeau,Ekblad,Barkov

Florida Panthers^

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

Thats a good question, looks like some guys with minimal games played, Roy with 1, Price with 12, Marty 32, Hasek didnt but played in the IHL, maybe a guy who came over from Europe could have skipped it

Roy played 1 regular season game but played 13 of their playoff games being a critical part of the team and going on an unforeseen run winning the Calder Cup as a rookie goalie. Roy would duplicate this run with the 85-86 Canadiens again as a rookie goalie.

 

[GKJ]

There's a lot of them, I'm sure we could get this thread to 1,000 is everyone named just one unique person. Simon Gagne and Justin Williams are two others. Many that came from Europe, finally came over because they wouldn't have to play in the AHL.

Here is one-road less-traveled though: Dainius Zubrus. Not only did he not play in the AHL, but never in any high-level junior system and only because of the 04-05 lockout did he play in a pro league that wasn't the NHL, when he went to Russia. The Flyers drafted him out of the OHA Junior A and made the Flyers out of camp.

On another note, we'd have a million pages on HF Boards crucifying a team/GM if that happened today.

 

[Alexdaman]

too many to even bother

 

[Bologna 1]

gomez

 

[agent082]

Current finnish nhl players who have never played in AHL:

Kimmo Timonen
Olli Maatta
Tuomo Ruutu
Jussi Jokinen
Aleksander Barkov

Ex-finnish nhl players who still play somewhere but have never played in AHL:

Jere Karalahti
Petteri Nummelin
Ossi Vaananen
Niklas Hagman

And then there is lot of retired finnish players who haven't played in AHL.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Erik Johnson played 1 game in the AHL

 

[CornerGasHank]

Steve Mason played in only 3 AHL games before getting the call

 

[Stanleyjub]

Marty Turco seems to be the most recent North American goalie who never played a game in AHL. He did play in IHL for two seasons in Michigan K-Wings 1998-2000. K-Wings still had affiliation agreement with the Stars during that time.

 

[wintersej]

Seguin

 

[Rockaway Rob]

Huberdeau,Ekblad,Barkov

Florida Panthers^

Gudbranson only played 2 games in the AHL

 

[Stanleyjub]

Some other interesting NA goalie early career-paths

Jocelyn Thibault jumped straight from Q to NHL in 1993-94, he played 4 games in AHL that season. But during the following season with the lockout, he started the season back in Juniors and after the lockout ending would only play in NHL.
---------------------------------
How many goalies can say they played for Canada in u20 and men's World Championships as well in Olympics in the same season? Trevor Kidd can.
During 1990-91 season he played for Brandon Wheat Kings and Spokane Chiefs. In 91-92 he'd play 4 games for Flames and rest of the season with Team Canada in International series finally playing 7 games in u20s and one game in both Mens tournament and Olympics.

Next season he spent in IHL and later he played two games in AHL among a long career in NHL .
-----------------------------------

Sean Burke had also affiliation with Team Canada in International series early days of his career. Going from OHL to Team Canada and from there to Devils in 87-88. Finally playing in IHL 7 games 4 years after his first NHL start and playing also 7 games in AHL in his last season in 06-07.

 

[Brainiac]

any successful goalies of modern times that skipped the ahl?


I'm sure theres older goalies who outright skipped minor pro leagues. Not any modern guys though

Price had only a brief stint in the AHL after his junior season was over. Something like a few games and then the playoffs, where he dominated big time.