What One New Rule Change Means for Liam Greentree

Originally posted on Hockey Royalty | By Kyle Garcia | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 2:28 PM ET

By now, you already know that the NHL and NHLPA came to an agreement on a new CBA starting in 2026. It’s good news for the league and its fans, as it means five more years without any labor stoppages. Within the new four-year agreement of the next CBA, a lot of changes are expected. An 84-game schedule, no deferred salaries, league minimum increases, contract lengths (six years for free agents and seven years for teams signing their players to extensions), LTIR, playoff salary cap, draft rights signings, and much more.

However, one particular new change caught my attention among the many new changes. According to Frank Seravalli, all NHL teams will be allowed to place one 19-year-old CHL player in the AHL per season. That rule will go into effect at the beginning of the 2026-27 season.

Sources say a new provision in the CBA will allow each #NHL team to place one 19-year-old CHL player in the #AHL per season.

One per organization per season and 18-year-olds are ineligible.

Begins in 2026-27 season.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 10, 2025

Under the current CHL-NHL transfer agreement, a prospect must be 20 years old (must turn 20 by December 31st of that season) or four seasons in the CHL to be eligible to play in the AHL. For the LA Kings, it makes an impact for a few of their CHL prospects for this year: Carter George, Liam Greentree, and Jared Woolley. All three are 19 years old and don’t turn 20 by December 31, 2025; they will turn 20 in the calendar year 2026, making them ineligible to play a full season in the AHL for the 2025-26 campaign. That means they aren’t eligible to be assigned to the AHL until the 2026-27 campaign. It’s either their junior hockey team or the Kings this season.

With the new rule change not taking place until the 2026-27 season, fans who were hopeful that a potential new rule change could take place starting in 2025 and have Greentree eligible to play in the AHL will be disappointed (We’ll explain more on the possible options for Greentree within the next week or two).

While the new rule won’t make George, Greentree, and Woolley eligible to join the AHL this year, it opens the door for LA’s first-round pick from the 2025 draft for next year. Since the rule goes into effect in 2026, defenseman Henry Brzustewicz will be 19 and could be the one CHL player the Kings can place in the AHL if they opt to go that route and feel it’s best for his development.

This article first appeared on Hockey Royalty and was syndicated with permission.

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