2025 USports Recruiting

[hockeyinsiderusports]

Degree programs are the most important. Most students in Canada pick their degree program, and then the school they would prefer to attend (yes, I know, a lot of students don't know what they want to study, but they have to apply to degree programs, unlike in the States where they can pick their "major" after they are accepted/enrolled).

The majority of male hockey players in the AUS are taking Business/Commerce followed by Kinesiology/Kinetics. Unlike in the 1980's, "easy" programs like Liberal Arts are in the minority. There are probably more male hockey players studying Engineering than English in the AUS.

I don't know if this is the case in the other conferences, but student-athletes in the AUS for the most part are focusing on using their CHL education money to get degrees that will get them careers after hockey.

So hockey schools who don't have those in-demand degree programs are going to falter with recruiting (hello, St. Thomas). Similarly, if a recruit wants to take Business, but doesn't have to grades to get into selective/competitive programs like McGill or Western, well, he's going to go to another school.

tl;dr I don't believe "better academic schools" are necessarily going to benefit in recruiting.

They can always do King College and still play at Western if they like or Woodsworth College play for Toronto

 

[dm8895]

I don’t think it’s that they will all of a sudden get the best players but the more you cut off the top of a pool of hockey players , chess players, whoever , more people will fall into a skill level, so if you take away the top 25% of USports recruits , more players will fall into that next group of players including academic focused players . I don’t think it’s that it helps them recruit , it’s that the playing field will be more balanced.
Their are far more low end CHL and high end Jr.A players kicking around than 60 point CHL players.

 

[MiamiHockeyII]

Degree programs are the most important.

The majority of male hockey players in the AUS are taking Business/Commerce followed by Kinesiology/Kinetics. Unlike in the 1980's, "easy" programs like Liberal Arts are in the minority. There are probably more male hockey players studying Engineering than English in the AUS.

I don't know if this is the case in the other conferences, but student-athletes in the AUS for the most part are focusing on using their CHL education money to get degrees that will get them careers after.

tl;dr I don't believe "better academic schools" are necessarily going to benefit in recruiting.

You can get a business degree at Windsor, Ontario Tech, and other schools that do not have a great academic reputation (I won't lay out the full list so as to not insult anyone).

The schools with the better reputations / higher entrance standards will benefit not because they are going to attract different players, but rather because the pool of CHLers with weaker grades is going to shift to the NCAA and thus move away from Concordia, Acadia, Carleton, etc.

As dms noted, it will lead to greater parity.

 

[dm8895]

Kaiden Kirkwood Lloydminster AJHL- Dalhousie

 

[chaser17]

I don't see how this doesn't get very messy, NCAA is already stealing the top 20's from the Albertas and UNB's of the world. Then we have 19 year old players who are already committing to NCAA programs a year out. I predict lots of guys will come crawling back though when they are overpromised and underdelivered. Alberta and Saskatchewan are gonna be forced to recruit Jr A guys and then screw them over once guys become available late in the summer or at Christmas.

 

[MiamiHockeyII]

I don't see how this doesn't get very messy, NCAA is already stealing the top 20's from the Albertas and UNB's of the world. Then we have 19 year old players who are already committing to NCAA programs a year out. I predict lots of guys will come crawling back though when they are overpromised and underdelivered. Alberta and Saskatchewan are gonna be forced to recruit Jr A guys and then screw them over once guys become available late in the summer or at Christmas.

Agreed. I think we will also see some 2nd/3rd year NCAA players return to Canada as they get bumped down the lineup, especially from the lower tiered NCAA schools that are now stocking up on CHLers.

 

[AdamMcg83]

Agreed. I think we will also see some 2nd/3rd year NCAA players return to Canada as they get bumped down the lineup, especially from the lower tiered NCAA schools that are now stocking up on CHLers.

Yes, this. IMO, the repatriation transfer path is about to get a lot more popular - especially if the bump down the lineup is associated with a decrease in scholarship monies. It might get pretty appealing to come back home and finish your degree if you're going to get more ice, and your tuition rate is about 70% cheaper back home.

 

[MiamiHockeyII]

William Bouwer - Queens - Carleton Place (CCHL)

 

[dm8895]

Charles-Antoine Lavallee - Amherst MHL - UQTR

Pretty decent major junior career , split this year between Q and tier 2.

 

[MiamiHockeyII]

LOI Registry Update:

Masen Culley Carleton University
Jacob Lafontaine Concordia University
Charles-Olivier Villeneuve Concordia University
Ludovik Tardif Dalhousie University
Seth Dragan Dalhousie University
Carter Murchison Dalhousie University
Kai Dunits Dalhousie University
Nick Houben Dalhousie University
Luke Johnston Dalhousie University
Liam Rodman Dalhousie University
Madden MacDougall Dalhousie University
Kyler Smith Dalhousie University
Owen Kindree Dalhousie University
Mason Beaupit MacEwan University
ZACHARY MARQUIS LAFLAMME Ontario Tech University
Thomas Sirman Queen's University
James McDowall Royal Military College of Canada
Edouard Souliere Royal Military College of Canada
Connor Prestwich Royal Military College of Canada
Owen Fergusson Royal Military College of Canada
Ethan Morrow Royal Military College of Canada
Olivier Dallaire Université de Moncton
Mathis Perron Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Louis-Philippe Fontaine Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Dillon Stiles University of Guelph
Ryan O'Dell University of Guelph
Loic Prudhomme University of Ottawa / Université d'Ottawa
Thomas Larouche University of Ottawa / Université d'Ottawa
Antoine Michaud University of Prince Edward Island
Simon Hughes University of Prince Edward Island
Michael Derbidge University of Prince Edward Island

Dalhousie doing some Costco shopping this year!

 

[MiamiHockeyII]

Benoit Forget - McGill - Rockland (CCHL)