CHL can now play NCAA - change everything !

Bjindaho

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Jun 12, 2006
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I’m an advocate of telling teams to “git gud” rather than force 16 year olds into undesirable situations so that grownups can make money off them without having to put in more work. This isn’t real pro sports here where players get compensated millions to have to bear it out with a crappy team that drafts them. The mini NHL model doesn’t make a ton of sense with teenage amateurs. Just my two cents.
The other side of this (which is extremely common in the QMJHL) is that the high end kids will always have other options such as the USHL. Quebec traded up to 1 because Dagenais would have played in the USHL if they didn't.
 
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Corso

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Aug 13, 2018
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Sure, but the bottom end of the USHL is pretty terrible, a lot of 18-20 year old bums to be honest, many of them taking away ice time from more talented youngsters. But it is a defensive league where defense is played better than the Q & O for sure. Or is it a league that doesn't have enough top end talent because the NTDP takes a lot of guys away from the other teams and the USHL's best producers just leave for the NCAA once they can?

The NCAA is going to win regardless, an infusion of medium to higher end talent from the CHL will boost nearly every program.

The USHL will, most likely, turn into an older league that is very similar to what the NAHL looks like today. It is still going to be a good league and will send a lot of players on to the D-1 ranks but will lack a lot of the high-end talent that it currently enjoys today.

The other side of this (which is extremely common in the QMJHL) is that the high end kids will always have other options such as the USHL. Quebec traded up to 1 because Dagenais would have played in the USHL if they didn't.

Right, kids (and their agents) will still have a say into where they will play.
 

jtechkid

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May 24, 2024
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The USHL will, most likely, turn into an older league that is very similar to what the NAHL looks like today. It is still going to be a good league and will send a lot of players on to the D-1 ranks but will lack a lot of the high-end talent that it currently enjoys today.



Right, kids (and their agents) will still have a say into where they will play.
NAHL is whats wrong with junior hockey in usa . my buddy told me they were 354 2004 kids playing in nahl this year. This is a complete joke of a number and they take ice time away from younger kids . This why NAHL has turned into a joke league . then ncdc is even more of a joke league . i guess my point they have no shot of playing div 1 so why wasting time in nahl - ncdc as 20 year old which will delay their time 2-3 years entering work force and put huge competitive disadvantage in relationship to kids same age .
 

Corso

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Aug 13, 2018
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NAHL is whats wrong with junior hockey in usa . my buddy told me they were 354 2004 kids playing in nahl this year. This is a complete joke of a number and they take ice time away from younger kids . This why NAHL has turned into a joke league . then ncdc is even more of a joke league . i guess my point they have no shot of playing div 1 so why wasting time in nahl - ncdc as 20 year old which will delay their time 2-3 years entering work force and put huge competitive disadvantage in relationship to kids same age .

The NAHL serves a valuable purpose in the hockey development model. All players need a place to play and many of those 20-year-olds will end up in the D-3 ranks or the ACHA. This isn't only about NHL track development.

BTW, the NAHL sends around 150 players into the D-1 ranks every year, a number surpassed only by the USHL.

In the future, the NAHL will be the proving grounds where D-3 will fill its rosters from and the league will still be sending some players to the D-1 ranks.

So, there is nothing wrong with the USHL becoming the new NAHL in this changing landscape of college recruiting and development.
 
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MeHateHe

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Dec 24, 2006
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The BCHL response so far has been to put on a happy face.


And to say they're putting a "pause" on responding to media about the issue.


I have to say, as someone who's done some work in the field of issues management, it's shocking how ill-prepared the BCHL has been for this. People have been speculating that this was coming for at least 18 months so while the pace of the change may be surprising, the fact that they clearly didn't have a plan for its eventuality blows my mind. Then again, hockey people are not known to be long-term thinkers.
 

bigdog16

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Nov 7, 2013
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NAHL is whats wrong with junior hockey in usa . my buddy told me they were 354 2004 kids playing in nahl this year. This is a complete joke of a number and they take ice time away from younger kids . This why NAHL has turned into a joke league . then ncdc is even more of a joke league . i guess my point they have no shot of playing div 1 so why wasting time in nahl - ncdc as 20 year old which will delay their time 2-3 years entering work force and put huge competitive disadvantage in relationship to kids same age .
The NAHL still averages 6-7 D1 commits per team per year. Its the strongest Junior A league after the USHL and BCHL. Not every kid is going to the NHL. Delaying a kid's workforce entry by 2-3 years certainly is not the end of the world. NCDC, again, is a fine route for a kid who wants to play in the northeast and close to home and get exposure to all of the NCAA D3 teams there.
 

Corso

Registered User
Aug 13, 2018
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The BCHL response so far has been to put on a happy face.


And to say they're putting a "pause" on responding to media about the issue.


I have to say, as someone who's done some work in the field of issues management, it's shocking how ill-prepared the BCHL has been for this. People have been speculating that this was coming for at least 18 months so while the pace of the change may be surprising, the fact that they clearly didn't have a plan for its eventuality blows my mind. Then again, hockey people are not known to be long-term thinkers.

Yeah, Allen Walsh has been saying since 2022 (and who some believe was a mover in all of this), after the Alston decision that college hockey would need to change its recruiting practices and its notion of amateurism, and it would only be a matter of time before CHL players became eligible. The NCAA itself knew it was highly vulnerable to a lawsuit with a high probability of success for any plaintiff bringing it about. So, the fact that the BCHL chose to do what it did at the time it did is beyond mind boggling.
 
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MeHateHe

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Dec 24, 2006
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Yeah, Allen Walsh has been saying since 2022 (and who some believe was a mover in all of this), after the Alston decision that college hockey would need to change its recruiting practices and its notion of amateurism, and it would only be a matter of time before CHL players became eligible. The NCAA itself knew it was highly vulnerable to a lawsuit with a high probability of success for any plaintiff bringing it about. So, the fact that the BCHL chose to do what it did at the time it did is beyond mind boggling.
I'm not sure I've said on this thread (how can we have four separate discussions about the same topic on this board) but this entire thing has been driven by a couple of BCHL team owners who didn't want any outside constraints. They acted like white knights for the players - and to be sure, the independent BCHL structure worked for the top echelon players - but it was primarily a business and ego move.

So it may well have been ego that kept them from properly planning for this. But it was a terrible business decision. Building a boat while simultaneously sailing the boat is a thing that rarely ends without someone getting wet.
 

jtechkid

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May 24, 2024
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The NAHL still averages 6-7 D1 commits per team per year. Its the strongest Junior A league after the USHL and BCHL. Not every kid is going to the NHL. Delaying a kid's workforce entry by 2-3 years certainly is not the end of the world. NCDC, again, is a fine route for a kid who wants to play in the northeast and close to home and get exposure to all of the NCAA D3 teams there.
that number is trending down every year and with new rule most people think nahl will be a div 3 feeder so whats reason playing as a 20 year old to play div 3?- should be cap on 20 year like ushl 2-3 per team
 

WarriorofTime

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Jul 3, 2010
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that number is trending down every year and with new rule most people think nahl will be a div 3 feeder so whats reason playing yo
your 20 for div 3 feeder
Not everything goes back to trying to make the NHL. People compete for competing's sake.
 

Corso

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Aug 13, 2018
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that number is trending down every year and with new rule most people think nahl will be a div 3 feeder so whats reason playing yo
your 20 for div 3 feeder

D-3 is fine hockey and nothing wrong with aiming for it,
 

jtechkid

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May 24, 2024
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D-3 is fine hockey and nothing wrong with aiming for it,
i played div 3 hockey way back at the one of top school out there and it was great hockey . however, i was 18 and graduate st 22 verse being a 21 year frehmen snd graduating at 24-25 age to play div 3 or club.
 
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WarriorofTime

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Jul 3, 2010
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i played div 3 hockey way back at the one of top school out there and it was great hockey . however, i was 18 and graduate st 22 verse being a 21 year frehmen snd graduating at 24-25 age to play div 3 or club.
Sure, but is it that big of a deal? So they spend a couple years playing Hockey between high school and college. They're probably from fairly affluent families and doing what they want to do. Are they suffering for it because they have a couple less years as an office drone?

For what it's worth, many (most?) junior hockey players that have graduated high school are at least taking some college courses on the side to pick up credits.
 

Corso

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Aug 13, 2018
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i played div 3 hockey way back at the one of top school out there and it was great hockey . however, i was 18 and graduate st 22 verse being a 21 year frehmen snd graduating at 24-25 age to play div 3 or club.

In this day and age, the vast majority are entering the league at 20-21 years of age.
 

bigdog16

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Nov 7, 2013
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that number is trending down every year and with new rule most people think nahl will be a div 3 feeder so whats reason playing as a 20 year old to play div 3?- should be cap on 20 year like ushl 2-3 per team
I would bet that 95% of incoming freshmen at the D3 level are 21 year old freshmen. D3 sends kids to the ECHL and a ton to the SPHL and overseas after they graduate.

Playing professional at any level is a massive resume builder for later in life, believe it or not, regardless of level.
 

Bonin21

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May 1, 2014
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In this day and age, the vast majority are entering the league at 20-21 years of age.
What league are you talking about. If D1, that's not the case. The average freshman age is probably like 19.5 or 19.75.
 

bigdog16

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Nov 7, 2013
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i played div 3 hockey way back at the one of top school out there and it was great hockey . however, i was 18 and graduate st 22 verse being a 21 year frehmen snd graduating at 24-25 age to play div 3 or club.
If this is actually true then it was 20+ years ago, even in the past 15 years theres no 18 year olds on any top 15 team at the d3 level. Times have changed.
 
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jtechkid

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May 24, 2024
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What league are you talking about. If D1, that's not the case. The average freshman age is probably like 19.5 or 19.75.
ushl has age limit of 3 20 year old per team .
nahl should do the same thing . if that was the case nahl would have about 96 20 year old playing which is good number . the fact they have 352 20 year old playing is ridiculous.
 
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bigdog16

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ushl has age limit of 3 20 year old per team .
nahl should do the same thing . if that was the case nahl would have about 96 20 year old playing which is good number . the fact they have 352 20 year old playing is ridiculous.
You are making the NAHL to be some washed up old man league.

Just for clarity, the average ages of
NAHL - 18.90
USHL (without NTDP) - 18.13
BCHL - 18.53

Thats a 9 month difference in average age between the USHL and NAHL.
 

Blue and Green

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Dec 17, 2017
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The NAHL serves a valuable purpose in the hockey development model. All players need a place to play and many of those 20-year-olds will end up in the D-3 ranks or the ACHA. This isn't only about NHL track development.

BTW, the NAHL sends around 150 players into the D-1 ranks every year, a number surpassed only by the USHL.

In the future, the NAHL will be the proving grounds where D-3 will fill its rosters from and the league will still be sending some players to the D-1 ranks.

So, there is nothing wrong with the USHL becoming the new NAHL in this changing landscape of college recruiting and development.
It's only indirectly for most NAHLers that are in D1. Typically they've moved up to USHL, occasionally BCHL or D3 en route to D1. Will be the same thing for future recruits of BCHL/Junior A who end up in D1; with only a few exceptions they'll move initially to CHL. And will be increasingly the case with USHLers. EDIT: Bigdog set me straight; NAHL does send a fair amount of guys directly to D1.

Will be interesting to see how everything shakes out. Maybe there won't be a need for two separate tiers of US-based junior hockey; perhaps re-position as one unified league that is the highest-calibre intermediate option, clearly superior to the Canadian junior leagues.
 
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bigdog16

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Nov 7, 2013
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It's only indirectly for most NAHLers that are in D1. Typically they've moved up to USHL, occasionally BCHL or D3 en route to D1. Will be the same thing for future recruits of BCHL/Junior A who end up in D1; with only a few exceptions they'll move initially to CHL. And will be increasingly the case with USHLers.

Will be interesting to see how everything shakes out. Maybe there won't be a need for two separate tiers of US-based junior hockey; perhaps re-position as one unified league that is the highest-calibre intermediate option, clearly superior to the Canadian junior leagues.
This is not even remotely close to being accurate. Go look at some NCAA rosters, especially in the Atlantic and CCHA and there are a ton of kids who came to the school from NCAA. There are more than 100 alone in the Atlantic.

Also its extremely rare you see a kid go from D3 to D1. It may happen once or twice every couple of years.
 

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