Ben Shelley: Ducks assign Mason McTavish to OHL

Would have been better if he could have gone to SD, but at 18 years old, he needs to be playing 23 minutes a game as a first line C, not 13 minutes a game as a 3rd line LW. He’s not ready to play C in the NHL, and that’s where his future is. And the Team Canada experience will be priceless, assuming he makes the team.

I don’t like it, but I understand it… kids a monster … Love this pick even more today than I did at the draft.

Agree with everyone else. I HATE this rule that the NHL has with the juniors. Mason would be much better served playing against better competition in the AHL. I've never figured out the reasoning that it's better for a junior to go down and destroy that league. I used to play golf professionally, it would have done me no good to go beat the crap out of some high school kids. I needed to play against the very best I could so I could figure out where I needed to improve or realize my ultimate decision that I needed to do something else for a living. Anyway, despite my hatred for this rule, sending Mason down is the best decision for his future. He's a future #2 center, he needs to be playing center.

I wonder whether GMBM would have sent him down?

The kid is going to be a handful for his OHL opponents. As others have pointed out, this is a situation where the AHL age minimum prevents an otherwise capable player from continuing his development in a more competitive environment. I hope the league starts discussing some sort of exceptional player status with the AHL or at least, maybe, giving each club an exception slot or two for its prospect pool.

It was originally put in place in 1979 and made sense for the NHL and CHL, Juniors allows two ELC slide years and AHL only allows one(if I’m not mistaken). Not sure the last time it was resigned, but the readiness of 18/19 yr olds to play in a higher league, the AHL in this case is a lot higher than it would’ve been in 1979 or even just 10 years ago. Which is why this becoming a much more common issue than it had been in the past with the occasional guy. Should it be addressed yes, but I’m not sure if the meeting between CHL and NHL happens during the CBA or not. The problem is why the CHL would agree to it, you’ve got to think having prospects of various NHL teams, especially good ones, is good for filling up the seats in games.

Agree with everyone else. I HATE this rule that the NHL has with the juniors. Mason would be much better served playing against better competition in the AHL. I've never figured out the reasoning that it's better for a junior to go down and destroy that league. I used to play golf professionally, it would have done me no good to go beat the crap out of some high school kids. I needed to play against the very best I could so I could figure out where I needed to improve or realize my ultimate decision that I needed to do something else for a living. Anyway, despite my hatred for this rule, sending Mason down is the best decision for his future. He's a future #2 center, he needs to be playing center.
- duxcup07

This rule simply add's an element of strategy, while ensuring too many kids aren't rushed into the lineup. Big difference between the mental grind of Golf and the physical grind of being a teenager playing against men. Ultimately, your strategy in Golf would only change based on the level of aggressiveness required. You can shoot the same score any given day, competition or not. It is a mental game.

This rule simply add's an element of strategy, while ensuring too many kids aren't rushed into the lineup. Big difference between the mental grind of Golf and the physical grind of being a teenager playing against men. Ultimately, your strategy in Golf would only change based on the level of aggressiveness required. You can shoot the same score any given day, competition or not. It is a mental game.
- bikeguy99

You don't improve by playing against lesser talent. Mason is 6'-2" and 210 lbs. He's going to destroy those kids in junior. He was already playing against men in the Swiss league last year. While I agree with the Ducks in that he needs to be playing center all of the time, I think there should be an exemption or two for extraordinary circumstances so a player of Mason's caliber can go to the AHL.

You don't improve by playing against lesser talent. Mason is 6'-2" and 210 lbs. He's going to destroy those kids in junior. He was already playing against men in the Swiss league last year. While I agree with the Ducks in that he needs to be playing center all of the time, I think there should be an exemption or two for extraordinary circumstances so a player of Mason's caliber can go to the AHL.
- duxcup07

Spot on…