Although he spent 2017-18 as a member of the OHL’s Sault St. Marie Greyhounds, Sandin’s future is unbound by the league’s bevvy of guidelines. A 1979 agreement between the CHL and NHL bars the former’s various alumni from turning pro until after their 20th birthday. Weird, I know.
It’s a rule whose sole intention is the talent preservation of Canada’s premier major junior conglomerate. And, like most NHL-related matters, it’s dumb, yet still makes a tiny bit of sense.
Sandin, however, is a walking loophole.
A native of Uppsala, Sweden, the 18-year-old spent 5 games with the SHL’s Rogle before joining the Greyhounds on loan.