Don't quote me on this but as far as I know, those 17 year olds will
turn 18 inside of this year.  The draft eligible players are born in a
certain time frame (and I don't think it's the calendar year, maybe Sept
1 to Sept 1 (?)).
 
Players are eligible also for two(?) years and then they go into the
supplemental draft that only the non-playoff teams pick in.  Otherwise a
player can only sign as a free agent.
 
As well, unlike Major League Baseball, teams hold the rights for a
college bound players through there four/five years at college.  If they
do not go to college, the team must sign them within a year of the draft
or they can go back into the draft the following year as per Tripp from
Oshawa Generals.
 
I may be wrong about some of this.  Please correct me if thats the case.
 
Rick Traugott
Head Hockey Coach
Trinity College School
Port Hope, Ontario
 
Bill Fenwick wrote:
 
> Question:  what's with the 17-year-olds in the draft?  (Thornton,
> Marleau, etc.)
> I thought the age limit was 19.  Or is that only for drafting
> college/college-
> bound players?  Or do the younger players declare, as they do for the
> NBA draft?
>
> --
> Disclaimer -- Unless otherwise noted, all opinions expressed above are
>
>               strictly those of:
>
> Bill Fenwick
> Cornell '86 and '95
> LET'S GO RED!!                                                  DJF
> 5/27/94
> "There are eight hundred thousand Canadians living in Southern
> California, and
>  I've just found out why.  They hate hockey."
> -- Jack Kent Cooke (1913-1997), former owner of the Los Angeles Kings
>
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