MS
1%er
OP updated. Thread GDTed and stickied.
Weird.
There's generally been a hard-and-fast rule that this tourney was limited to guys who had a maximum of 1 season of AHL experience (excluding guys like Klimovich who played AHL seasons as an underager). Raty and Bains would not have been at this in the past. And probably not a 25 y/o Hirose either.
Guys like Wouters and Silovs had 2 pro seasons and were not eligible/invited in 2023.
Surprised me as well given that Bains and Sasson are playing.
Interesting that there are only three invites; Deagan McMillan, Ty Halaburda, and Cooper Walker
The extra 'overage' guys mean less room for invites.
Personally I don't see the point in tiring Bains/Sasson/Raty out by extending their training camp and giving them extra games.
I don't think there's a super set age limit or whatever for these things. Haven't the Oilers dressed like a near-UFA-aged dude in the past?
The Oilers tried dressing Steve McIntyre for this tourney in 2010 (and as with other things, of course it was the Oilers who tried dressing a 30 y/o enforcer to beat up kids from other teams) but the rest of the teams killed that notion and this is when the 'one pro season' limit appears to date back to.