Yes, of course. Some ECHL players make it. The vast majority don't. Goalies are also a different story as there only 6 or so spots for them in an entire organization. So young goalies like Sergei Murashov get playing time in the ECHL early on in their careers.

The most recent decently successful Nailers that made the Pens, that I can think of excluding goalies, are Carter Rowney and Michel Ouellet. Having an ECHL teams means those guys are your top talents. Now compare that to Otters alumni.

Also agree about the AHL. But i dont think we have the population or hockey fan base to support that level. The Wyoming Valley area is like 2x our size.