Breaking: Shane Wright Headed to AHL

Seattle rookie forward Shane Wright is headed to the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Under the NHL’s loophole with junior-age players, if a player misses five consecutive games at the NHL level, they can be sent to the AHL for a two-week conditioning stint.

Wright was the consensus number-one pick for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The Kraken selected Wright with the fourth overall pick, and he made the Seattle roster out of training camp. With limited playing time in seven games this season, Wright collected but one assist and a plus-4 rating.

What is Seattle Thinking?

This isn’t the first time a terrific junior-aged player was introduced slowly to the NHL. In 2008-2009, 18-year-old Alex Pietrangelo played eight games for the St. Louis Blues. This after being the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He then went to play for Canada at the World Junior Tournament and won a gold medal. After the tournament, Pietrangelo was sent back to the Niagara IceDogs (OHL) so that he didn’t burn a year toward free agency at the NHL level. In 2009-2010, Pietrangelo played nine games for the Blues and once again was sent to play for Canada. He won a World Junior silver medal and was sent back to the OHL, this time to the Barrie Colts, a team that traded for him before the January 10th deadline. Once again, Pietrangelo did not burn a year of his entry-level contract.

Shane Wright, Canada

The Wright situation is precisely the same as the Pietrangelo issue. The NHL team will use the loophole to get Wright playing time before he is sent to play for Canada at the World Junior Tournament. The Kraken will then persuade Wright’s junior team in Kingston to trade away his rights to one of the top teams in the OHL. Currently, Ottawa is the top team with a record of 18-1-0.

Final Thoughts

Sending Wright to the AHL will get him in game shape for the World Juniors. Playing in that tournament will provide him with high-level competition before he is sent back to junior in January. If he is traded to a team like Ottawa, Wright will have the chance to play for a Memorial Cup and play games into late May. This will not hurt the player’s development, as many have seen in how Alex Pietrangelo developed almost one decade ago.


Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Chris Giles

Chris Giles is a former junior hockey player and coach from Canada. He has been a diehard Detroit Red Wings fan for almost 50 years. Chris is an avid golfer who has volunteered at several PGA and Canadian Open Championships throughout North America.

One thought on “Breaking: Shane Wright Headed to AHL”

  1. May definitely help him. Things happen for a reason and hopefully this will be really good for him.

Leave a Reply

NHL Playoff Game Recap: Winnipeg Jets vs Dallas Stars Game One (05/07/2025)

Mikko Rantanen’s natural hat-trick was enough to push the Dallas Stars to a game one win against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday night. Game Story The first period was a complete goaltending clinic as Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger stopped all golden chances that came towards them. The Jets had a […]

Read More

Winnipeg Jets Recall Parker Ford

The Winnipeg Jets have recalled forward Parker Ford from the Manitoba Moose earlier today. Ford last suited up for the Moose on February 16th as he’s been out with an injury since that time. The 24-year-old forward made his NHL debut earlier this season in Boston, where he scored his first career NHL goal against […]

Read More

ECHL: Atlanta Gladiators Promote Matt Ginn to Head Coach

The Atlanta Gladiators have officially promoted Matt Ginn to Head Coach, making him the seventh bench boss in franchise history. Ginn, who joined the team as Assistant Coach for the 2024–25 season, steps into the role following Derek Nesbitt’s transition to the front office as Director of Community Engagement. Ginn brings a deep familiarity with […]

Read More