You really feel the difference in leagues when you get hurt. The way the NHL teams handle health care is absolutely amazing, in the AHL its pretty good and in the ECHL its not good. I had shoulder surgery when i was signed to the Washington Capitals when i was in training camp. They took me to the best hospital in D.C and had one of the country’s top surgeons under their payroll. The Doctor made an appointment with me immediately, stitched up my labrum and I was in the hospital for two days (and for those who don’t know, staying in a hospital in America will be the most expensive stay you’ll ever have). The team didn’t mind if i stayed in the hospital longer, as money wasn’t a concern, but i wanted to get out and rejoin the team again at the rink. I was given any kind of painkillers i wanted and everything was taken care of for me, i was treated like royalty. Now lets fast forward a little bit to the ECHL, I was in South Carolina and had a hip injury in practice. The team didnt have a doctor at the ready (like in the NHL) so i had to sit in the waiting room for 3 hours to see a doctor with the rest of the civilians. Now i know for the average person that is not a big deal but if for some reason youre an NHL player youll think that that is for peasants.