CHL Can Now Play NCAA - Changes Everything

[Daximus]

Very reasonable and level headed part here. This is kind of how I see it playing out myself. More players in the 16-18 yr ages in the league, with some of them then leaving at 18-19+ if they are good enough.
Also think that there will be a weird issue if college teams perhaps "overstock" their rosters, creating ice time issues as well. With that in mind, I wonder if the CHL becomes a weird de-commit option for players mid season before entering the transfer portal?

Yeah I think you'll see a lot more of those kids like Makar, Powers, Johnson, Fantilli, etc. who otherwise stayed out of the CHL to maintain their NCAA eligibility who will now be more than happy to stay in Canada and play in their respective CHL leagues while having the option open to go to the NCAA for their draft year or post-draft.

The other interesting development which I just thought of is the AHL. If you are drafted out of a CHL league you cannot play in the AHL until your 20 year old season. The same is not true for NCAA kids, who if they sign, can play AHL right away.

I'll use Gavin McKenna as an example. It's likely that if he does go to the NCAA next season for his draft year he will be a 1 and done and sign for the 26/27 season. But it gives his draft team an option to send him down to the AHL in his D+1, an option that wouldn't exist if he was drafted out of Medicine Hat. This will have much bigger impact for more physically developed players that have outgrown CHL competition. Go play CHL at 15, 16, 17. Jump to NCAA in your draft year at 18, sign the next season and go play AHL at 19 a full year earlier than you otherwise would have been able too.

It begs the question of if CHL teams are already going to be losing a lot of 18/19 year olds to the NCAA, should they just do away with this rule anyways and let teams and players decide where is best for them to play? Let the full gamet of options be open to players and teams to best decide. Do they sign an NHL contract for a chance to play in the NHL, get sent to the AHL if not ready, or get sent back to the CHL if not ready there or remain unsigned and go play NCAA?

 

[WarriorofTime]

Very reasonable and level headed part here. This is kind of how I see it playing out myself. More players in the 16-18 yr ages in the league, with some of them then leaving at 18-19+ if they are good enough.
Also think that there will be a weird issue if college teams perhaps "overstock" their rosters, creating ice time issues as well. With that in mind, I wonder if the CHL becomes a weird de-commit option for players mid season before entering the transfer portal?

Too many players, too little ice time is just a reality at every level. As players move up, it becomes more challenging, the ones that aren’t able to crack and hold down their lineup spot are typically the ones that fizzle out. It’s just the latest evolution in the development pyramid. It’s not that fundamentally different than a kid who scored a million goals in AAA getting stuck on the fourth line in the ohl.

As others have mentioned, the added flexibility of the NCAA is a plus. Players will exit junior/enter NCAA and exit NCAA on the timeline that makes the most sense for themselves working in connection with their teams. Macklin Celebrini is an 06 born that already came into NCAA and left it, all before his 18th birthday. Meanwhile, a bunch of 04 and 05 borns will be starting NCAA as freshmen next season with most 06 born players that will go on to play NCAA hockey remaining a year or two away.

 

[WarriorofTime]

The other interesting development which I just thought of is the AHL. If you are drafted out of a CHL league you cannot play in the AHL until your 20 year old season. The same is not true for NCAA kids, who if they sign, can play AHL right away.

I'll use Gavin McKenna as an example. It's likely that if he does go to the NCAA next season for his draft year he will be a 1 and done and sign for the 26/27 season. But it gives his draft team an option to send him down to the AHL in his D+1, an option that wouldn't exist if he was drafted out of Medicine Hat. This will have much bigger impact for more physically developed players that have outgrown CHL competition. Go play CHL at 15, 16, 17. Jump to NCAA in your draft year at 18, sign the next season and go play AHL at 19 a full year earlier than you otherwise would have been able too.

Yeah, it's not unheard of for players to play in the AHL after a One and Done stint in the NCAA. I wouldn't say it's super common (typically if a player is not ready for the NHL they'll do a second year in NCAA) but it's certainly an option. Levshunov did it this year, granted in his case, he would have gone to the CHL Import Draft but after players from Belarus were banned by the CHL he went to the USHL -> NCAA as an alternative so he was never an NCAA diehard, but had he gone to the CHL Import Draft, he wouldn't have been eligible to play in the AHL this past season. Bradley Nadeau (Carolina Late 1st) did same thing. Played in BCHL, then Maine, then spent last season (age 19) in AHL with the Chicago Wolves. It's another wrinkle to added flexibility that NCAA path offers.

CHL can consider getting rid of the AHL restriction given the NCAA option now, but at the end of the day, if players are viewing NCAA as a step up, many will likely still opt for at least a year in the NCAA.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Yeah, it's not unheard of for players to play in the AHL after a One and Done stint in the NCAA. I wouldn't say it's super common (typically if a player is not ready for the NHL they'll do a second year in NCAA) but it's certainly an option. Levshunov did it this year, granted in his case, he would have gone to the CHL Import Draft but after players from Belarus were banned by the CHL he went to the USHL -> NCAA as an alternative so he was never an NCAA diehard, but had he gone to the CHL Import Draft, he wouldn't have been eligible to play in the AHL this past season. Bradley Nadeau (Carolina Late 1st) did same thing. Played in BCHL, then Maine, then spent last season (age 19) in AHL with the Chicago Wolves. It's another wrinkle to added flexibility that NCAA path offers.

CHL can consider getting rid of the AHL restriction given the NCAA option now, but at the end of the day, if players are viewing NCAA as a step up, many will likely still opt for at least a year in the NCAA.

IIRC, Levshunov felt out of place as an Eastern European on a US university campus and didn't want to have to go to pointless classes for another year. That's why he signed after just one year at State

 

[WarriorofTime]

IIRC, Levshunov felt out of place as an Eastern European on US university campus and didn't want to have to go to pointless classes for another year. That's why he signed after just one year at State

Europeans also have a different mindset, sport/school system are not so intertwined, if you are opting for a professional career, you focus on being a professional. The high-end guys at European Football Academies aren't taking Psych 101 courses.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

It really feels like the NHL, NCAA, Hockey Canada and USA Hockey should've sent a bit more time hammering out details and guidelines before dropping this bomb on minor hockey. What a shitshow.

But my question, aside from the talent influx, how does this change the NCAA, and what will the NHL do to influence the NCAA? I'm talking perhaps an expanded schedule, equipment changes (tossing the full cages), what happens with physical guys and fighters, etc? The NHL and NCAA game are two very different beasts, and if so many kids are hitting NCAA ice now, I'm sure the NHL will want a bit more developmental/rules input here.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

It really feels like the NHL, NCAA, Hockey Canada and USA Hockey should've sent a bit more time hammering out details and guidelines before dropping this bomb on minor hockey. What a shitshow.

But my question, aside from the talent influx, how does this change the NCAA, and what will the NHL do to influence the NCAA? I'm talking perhaps an expanded schedule, equipment changes (tossing the full cages), what happens with physical guys and fighters, etc? The NHL and NCAA game are two very different beasts, and if so many kids are hitting NCAA ice now, I'm sure the NHL will want a bit more developmental/rules input here.

Everyone saw this coming in August 2024 when Rylan Masterson sued the NCAA. Then Braxton Whitehead committed to Arizona State in September 2024, challenging the old rules. Then the NCAA D1 Council ruled in favor of CHLers becoming NCAA eligible in November 2024. Everyone has had plenty of time to prepare for this. But like everything in the hockey world, people feared of stepping on each others' toes across different leagues, so things remained relatively silent with the exception of mostly overager commitments until the last few months.

 

[Daximus]

Yeah, it's not unheard of for players to play in the AHL after a One and Done stint in the NCAA. I wouldn't say it's super common (typically if a player is not ready for the NHL they'll do a second year in NCAA) but it's certainly an option. Levshunov did it this year, granted in his case, he would have gone to the CHL Import Draft but after players from Belarus were banned by the CHL he went to the USHL -> NCAA as an alternative so he was never an NCAA diehard, but had he gone to the CHL Import Draft, he wouldn't have been eligible to play in the AHL this past season. Bradley Nadeau (Carolina Late 1st) did same thing. Played in BCHL, then Maine, then spent last season (age 19) in AHL with the Chicago Wolves. It's another wrinkle to added flexibility that NCAA path offers.

CHL can consider getting rid of the AHL restriction given the NCAA option now, but at the end of the day, if players are viewing NCAA as a step up, many will likely still opt for at least a year in the NCAA.

I think it just becomes silly to say hey you were drafted out of the CHL so your only options are sign and go NHL/CHL or stay unsigned and go CHL/NCAA. Might as well just open up all the options for kids and between themselves and their teams they can make the best choice. Not everyone will be ready for AHL, some guys will be a bit to good for any league but the AHL but not quite NHL ready.

 

[WarriorofTime]

It really feels like the NHL, NCAA, Hockey Canada and USA Hockey should've sent a bit more time hammering out details and guidelines before dropping this bomb on minor hockey. What a shitshow.

tbh, all NCAA did is go from saying "this group of players can't play here" to "this group of players can play here"

What that means for the NHL, AHL, Hockey Canada, USA Hockey and all the various junior leagues isn't really their part of their jurisdiction. They'll all have to manage the impact and it'll sort itself out.

 

[Bonin21]

I'm talking perhaps an expanded schedule, equipment changes (tossing the full cages), what happens with physical guys and fighters, etc? The NHL and NCAA game are two very different beasts, and if so many kids are hitting NCAA ice now, I'm sure the NHL will want a bit more developmental/rules input here.

expanded schedule: doubt it, not more than maybe 2-4 more games at some point
full cages out: maybe, doesn't change much
physical guys/fighters: no change, they won't allow fighting

NHL more rules input? NCAA has no reason to listen and won't

 

[SpeedyCerviche]

Yeah I think you'll see a lot more of those kids like Makar, Powers, Johnson, Fantilli, etc. who otherwise stayed out of the CHL to maintain their NCAA eligibility who will now be more than happy to stay in Canada and play in their respective CHL leagues while having the option open to go to the NCAA for their draft year or post-draft.

The other interesting development which I just thought of is the AHL. If you are drafted out of a CHL league you cannot play in the AHL until your 20 year old season. The same is not true for NCAA kids, who if they sign, can play AHL right away.

I'll use Gavin McKenna as an example. It's likely that if he does go to the NCAA next season for his draft year he will be a 1 and done and sign for the 26/27 season. But it gives his draft team an option to send him down to the AHL in his D+1, an option that wouldn't exist if he was drafted out of Medicine Hat. This will have much bigger impact for more physically developed players that have outgrown CHL competition. Go play CHL at 15, 16, 17. Jump to NCAA in your draft year at 18, sign the next season and go play AHL at 19 a full year earlier than you otherwise would have been able too.

It begs the question of if CHL teams are already going to be losing a lot of 18/19 year olds to the NCAA, should they just do away with this rule anyways and let teams and players decide where is best for them to play? Let the full gamet of options be open to players and teams to best decide. Do they sign an NHL contract for a chance to play in the NHL, get sent to the AHL if not ready, or get sent back to the CHL if not ready there or remain unsigned and go play NCAA?

It's been widely speculated that the CHL/NHL agreement will be changed to allowed U20s into the AHL shortly.

 

[jtechkid68]

It really feels like the NHL, NCAA, Hockey Canada and USA Hockey should've sent a bit more time hammering out details and guidelines before dropping this bomb on minor hockey. What a shitshow.

But my question, aside from the talent influx, how does this change the NCAA, and what will the NHL do to influence the NCAA? I'm talking perhaps an expanded schedule, equipment changes (tossing the full cages), what happens with physical guys and fighters, etc? The NHL and NCAA game are two very different beasts, and if so many kids are hitting NCAA ice now, I'm sure the NHL will want a bit more developmental/rules input here.

NCAA told USA hockey they would try delay it in court for awhile to figure out the best outcome was the rumor out there and makes sense . The opinions of college coach’s too let it happen was probably split down the middle . The kid who did lawsuit looks like crybaby . The fact they let it happen mid season is amateur hour - scumbag move from everybody involved . It probably screwed 100-150 kids that went bchl - nahl to retain eligibility as they were decommitted like they we’re not even human beings( quick call - screw off - hang up ) and then massive movements in league and now CHL committing to college late in the game . I don’t mind the change ; just let happen next year to give all the kids , leagues ect time to prepare and plan - just a shit show !

 

[Hockeyville USA]

NCAA told USA hockey they were try delay it on court for awhile to figure out best outcome . The opinions of college coach too let it happen was probably split down the middle . The fact they let it happen mid season is amateur hour - scumbag move from everybody involved .

This has nothing to do with being "scumbags" or "amateur hour". This is all the result of the timing of Rylan Masterson's lawsuit and Braxton Whitehead's commitment to challenge the old rules. The NCAA didn't want to lose the lawsuit, so they just reacted & ruled in favor of CHLers becoming NCAA eligible.

 

[jtechkid68]

This has nothing to do with being "scumbags" or "amateur hour". This is all the result of the timing of Rylan Masterson's lawsuit and Braxton Whitehead's commitment to challenge the old rules. The NCAA didn't want to lose the lawsuit, so they just reacted & ruled in favor of CHLers becoming NCAA eligible.

tell that too all the kids who got decommited - yea nobody cares about them

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

expanded schedule: doubt it, not more than maybe 2-4 more games at some point
full cages out: maybe, doesn't change much
physical guys/fighters: no change, they won't allow fighting

NHL more rules input? NCAA has no reason to listen and won't

I do wonder though. If what some folk are saying is true, that the NCAA will become the most prominent last step to the NHL and the AHL loses a little bit of it's weight, how NHL teams and the NHL will feel about that. At least in the AHL, teams have their prospects going to their own farm team so they're pushing the same system as the major club and developing exactly how the NHL team wants and for the NHL game.

I can definitely see the NHL wanting more of an NHL-style game played at the NCAA level. And if the NHL and CHL make an agreement to let under 20-year olds into the AHL, you might see NHL teams push their prospects to go that route if the NCAA doesn't want to play ball with the NHL.

There's still a ton of variables and things to shake out with all of this. I don't think we truly know all the ramifications how this is going to change things from the NHL right down to the midget and prep school ranks.

 

[SpeedyCerviche]

I do wonder though. If what some folk are saying is true, that the NCAA will become the most prominent last step to the NHL and the AHL loses a little bit of it's weight, how NHL teams and the NHL will feel about that. At least in the AHL, teams have their prospects going to their own farm team so they're pushing the same system as the major club and developing exactly how the NHL team wants and for the NHL game.

I can definitely see the NHL wanting more of an NHL-style game played at the NCAA level. And if the NHL and CHL make an agreement to let under 20-year olds into the AHL, you might see NHL teams push their prospects to go that route if the NCAA doesn't want to play ball with the NHL.

There's still a ton of variables and things to shake out with all of this. I don't think we truly know all the ramifications how this is going to change things from the NHL right down to the midget and prep school ranks.

I do think there is a bit understated side not looked at much from the outside. NHL teams like signing guys and committing to players. This allows them to influence everything from diet, off ice, attend practices, etc.
Not saying it will change anything, but a bit of a wrinkle potentially I'm this new landscape.

 

[Blue and Green]

I do think there is a bit understated side not looked at much from the outside. NHL teams like signing guys and committing to players. This allows them to influence everything from diet, off ice, attend practices, etc.
Not saying it will change anything, but a bit of a wrinkle potentially I'm this new landscape.

It also locks up the guy's rights so he can't force his drafting team into a poor trade through risk of becoming an unsigned draftee UFA.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

tell that too all the kids who got decommited - yea nobody cares about them

I certainly don't. If they're good enough, they'll find a spot somewhere else. Lindenwood, Long Island, Stonehill, Canisius, etc still exist

 

[WarriorofTime]

tell that too all the kids who got decommited - yea nobody cares about them

Traditionally, most lower end guys are just not committed and get picked up over the summer prior to the entering school year (i.e., these next two months)

 

[NTDP]

I certainly don't. If they're good enough, they'll find a spot somewhere else. Lindenwood, Long Island, Stonehill, Canisius, etc still exist

This is true. For example I wonder if / how many Bowling Green guys don't have a spot next year due to 9 CHL kids coming in next year. I'm all for it, recruit the best players and sell your program. But yes, other spots can open up.

Also if you took all of your hockey news from this site you'd think it's literally nothing but CHL kids mixed with USHL / NTDP types getting committed to NCAA hockey. People forget there's some really good players in the NAHL and Canadian Jr. A. - Since May 1st alone there's been 26 new commits to Division 1 from leagues other than the CHL. For those unaware the link below is the most up to date and sortable commit list from collegehockeyinc. College scouts and recruiters will still be in rinks other than top tier junior to find players.

College Commitments

College Hockey Inc. - Your NCAA Hockey Resource

www.collegehockeyinc.com

 

[Hockeyville USA]

This is true. For example I wonder if / how many Bowling Green guys don't have a spot next year due to 9 CHL kids coming in next year. I'm all for it, recruit the best players and sell your program. But yes, other spots can open up.

Also if you took all of your hockey news from this site you'd think it's literally nothing but CHL kids mixed with USHL / NTDP types getting committed to NCAA hockey. People forget there's some really good players in the NAHL and Canadian Jr. A. - Since May 1st there's been 26 new commits to Division 1 from leagues other than the CHL. For those unaware the link below is the most up to date and sortable commit list from collegehockeyinc. College scouts and recruiters will still be in rinks other than top tier junior to find players.

College Commitments

College Hockey Inc. - Your NCAA Hockey Resource

www.collegehockeyinc.com

CH Inc misses some, Heisenberg misses some, EP misses some. Generally, you have to follow all of the major accounts/sources to know about every commit.

 

[NTDP]

CH Inc misses some, Heisenberg misses some, EP misses some. Generally, you have to follow all of the major accounts/sources to know about every commit.

Yeah I agree, but it's generally the best resource. EP misses a lot more than CH Inc has included. I don't use them for much besides some stat lines to be honest. I certainly don't listen to their scouts stemming from the 2023 draft.

My point was guys involved in the game know good players when they see them. They don't discriminate leagues (not saying you do this) and you see it with commits still rolling in from other leagues.

 

[PistolPete]

This has nothing to do with being "scumbags" or "amateur hour". This is all the result of the timing of Rylan Masterson's lawsuit and Braxton Whitehead's commitment to challenge the old rules. The NCAA didn't want to lose the lawsuit, so they just reacted & ruled in favor of CHLers becoming NCAA eligible.

Power to the people!

 

[PistolPete]

tell that too all the kids who got decommited - yea nobody cares about them

C'est la vie as les francais say

It sucks but bad shit happens in life

 

[WarriorofTime]

This is true. For example I wonder if / how many Bowling Green guys don't have a spot next year due to 9 CHL kids coming in next year. I'm all for it, recruit the best players and sell your program. But yes, other spots can open up.

Also if you took all of your hockey news from this site you'd think it's literally nothing but CHL kids mixed with USHL / NTDP types getting committed to NCAA hockey. People forget there's some really good players in the NAHL and Canadian Jr. A. - Since May 1st alone there's been 26 new commits to Division 1 from leagues other than the CHL. For those unaware the link below is the most up to date and sortable commit list from collegehockeyinc. College scouts and recruiters will still be in rinks other than top tier junior to find players.

College Commitments

College Hockey Inc. - Your NCAA Hockey Resource

www.collegehockeyinc.com

At the end of the day, if you can't make it to one of 60 D1 programs by the time you're 21, then you just weren't good enough. No shame in that. Everyone hits a wall somewhere (the ones that go all the way are rounding errors). There are a lot of spaces available for players who are good enough. Then there's still D3, ACHA, USports for those that can't make D1.