I don't think that's a fair assessment - it would be out of a desire to increase their value prop to the new battleground demographic- drafted U19's and U20's. That value prop is the ELC and the ability to attend main camp + earn pro games. Money, massive developmental opportunity, and the chance to make it for good. There's an element of chicken with respect to not opening themselves up to losing guys wholly. But- any U20 lost to the A is player that stayed for their U19. Any U20 that gets sent back after WJC, any U19 that gets sent back after an extend pro camp, etc etc etc.
Boonk
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Last I checked 40% is still bigger than 33% and is a majority.
Not every 18-20 yr old is leaving for D1 right away nor want to at all, the vast majority of D1 freshmen are 20-21 year olds and there will still be a decently large cohort of 18-20 yr old players on ELCs that will remain in that league. More Canadian depth players who are D1 commits are going to stay in the CHL circuits instead of leaving. I dont see how retaining more depth with young players who develop into better pros or college players through the CHL makes the circuit weaker.
Literally the first thing that comes up on google.
CHL Statement on the NCAA Rule Change | Canadian Hockey League
The CHL is aware of the rule change announced by the NCAA, which alters the eligibility of CHL players in the NCAA starting next season.
chl.ca
NCAA lifts eligibility ban to allow CHL players to compete at U.S. colleges
A major change to junior hockey has been adopted, changing the landscape for prospects in the Canadian Hockey League and NCAA ranks.
NCAA Eligibility Rule Change - Kitchener Rangers
For Immediate Release Thursday November 7th, 2024 Open Letter – NCAA Eligibility Rule Change Today is a big day for hockey and the young players that make our great game so special. On behalf of the Ontario Hockey League, I’m excited to share the collective enthusiasm expressed league-wide...
chl.ca
Doesnt seem like theyre too angry or upset about it, in fact they seem rather excited and relieved. Heres the OHL announcing changes to their scholarschip structure to account for the NCAA requirements. I dont think any league with a "bruised ego" goes forward with something like that. Cant say the same about the USHL or USAH.
OHL launches modernized Standard Player’s Agreement to meet changing landscape - Ontario Hockey League
The hockey landscape is changing, and the Ontario Hockey League is staying ahead of the curve, today unveiling a modernized Standard Player’s Agreement (SPA) that comes into effect for the 2025-26 season.
chl.ca
The problem is their "bread and butter" is not the premier bread and better anymore, and they are at risk of losing two slices of their bread loaf from their competitors (so to speak). At least half of the new D1 commits announced are CHL players and its only been a few months since the rule change, the gap is going to widen. Even if the USHL remains a good path to D1 and eventually pros (which it will) they face several risks going forward if they dont at least try to compete with the CHL leagues as a peer. So yeah, complacency of doing nothing to sway recruits that they are now directly competing with the CHL for WILL hurt their league.
Precisely, as it was explained to me from the CHL perspective the aim is to have players sign ELCs in order to collect development fees and of course the possibility of keeping them longer. The CHL realizes with this new rule change, that the old ways of doing business is no longer viable so change is necessary.
I mentioned sometime ago that I received information that Landon Dupont was given what essentially is a "NIL" deal by the Silvertips and the WHL. Apparently this deal allows him to earn money from sponsorship deals among other things. It seems that this will soon be implemented in the Q as well and I'm sure the OHL will start doing it as well.
Boonk
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Im aware of the numbers from 15 yrs ago vs today. In fact, lots of things with life and the world changed through 15 years and so did the ability of some countries to develop their own hockey players and their domestic development paths, good for them and for the sport. How does that invalidate what I say tho?
Hockeyville USA
Registered User
NIL money will be there for top end guys. Not like the old days where they make nothing.
I do understand the allure of the ELC signing bonus and opportunity to go to main camp, it’ll be up to what NHL teams want. Boston for example will want most of their North American prospects in the NCAA, will Edmonton & Utah want that? Who knows.
If we are talking about players from the CHL and NCAA in the NHL, the numbers haven't really changed all that much in the past ten to fifteen years. The CHL was and remains around the 50% mark while the NCAA hovered around the 30% mark and may have had a slight increase to around 33%. The real change occurred in the late nineties to the early aughts.
WarriorofTime
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- In 2022-23, 32% of players on active NHL rosters played college hockey (all Division I), up from about 21% in the year 2003 (source: collegehockeyinc.com). Additionally, 66% of former college players in the NHL played at least three college seasons, and 27% played all four.
Men's ice hockey: Probability of competing beyond high school
Men's ice hockey: Probability of competing beyond high school
www.ncaa.org
When the 2024-25 National Hockey League regular season gets underway Tuesday with a trio of games, there will be 242 former college hockey players on NHL Opening Night rosters. That represents an increase from 2023-24, when 234 NCAA alumni dotted opening-night rosters.
NHL rosters loaded with college hockey talent - Lets Play Hockey
More Than 240 NCAA Alums Named to Opening Rosters by College Hockey Inc. When the 2024-25 National Hockey League regular season gets underway Tuesday with a trio of games, there will be 242 former college hockey players on NHL Opening Night rosters. That represents an increase from 2023-24, when...
letsplayhockey.com
landy92mack29
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Good add but Swift gets their 2028 1st as a condition of him signing
The issue being discussed was whether there will be some CHL prospects who opt to forego the NCAA entirely and instead go directly to the AHL. I was making the case that going through the NCAA makes sense for CHL players of any caliber--assuming they can't make the NHL directly out of the CHL--whether they eventually go to the AHL after that or make the jump from the NCAA directly to the NHL. Obviously the AHL is a necessary step for many NCAA prospects simply because there will be many who aren't good enough to make the NHL directly from the NCAA.
But yes, I ultimately think going to the NCAA for some period of time makes sense for any caliber of prospect after their time in the CHL. Obviating the NCAA in favor of the AHL makes sense for clubs that want to control the prospects and leagues that want to maintain leverage, but not for the prospects/players themselves.
Boonk
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Because any player who signs their ELC with their NHL drafting club is beholdened to honor that contract as a pro athlete under that organizations control. That is not a thing with NCAA players who arent under a pro contract, as they are considered amateur student athletes. The CHL-NHL agreement wasnt made until 1992. There was no actual stable pro minor league wide farm system like the modern AHL until the 80s-90s, before that there were several renditions of the AHL, CANAM league, IAHL or w/e since the 1920s were more like senior amateur organizations larping as pro leagues competing with the NHL and WHA, or acting as a pseudo-feeder of senior amateur players recieving very little in development payout fees, with the modern CHL league not forming until 1975 with the 3 amateur junior leagues merging and the NCAA also being an amateur circuit.
Once the modernized pro AHL league came into the fruition in the 80s and absorbed some of the WHA and IHL defectors, it was a direct threat to the CHL whose players were barred from the NCAA in the 80s and whose teams had no protection rights to their players up to that point. Any NHL team with an AHL farm team could now just swoop in with a big pro contract for an 18-20 yr old legal adult to sign and they could plug them into the pros under their control and development system in the AHL instead, with little to no return for the CHL and no hope of being able to retain a legit junior amateur development pathway, and it was slowly happening. They needed some sort of deal to prevent their 18+ yr old players being raided with no recourse at the time, hence the NHL-CHL agreement. They would have far preferred to be able to have the stability of being the consensus pathway to D1 for amateur student-athletes as well as pros/NHL. Times have changed though, and so has the way minor and junior teams and their facilities have developed players. So no, it was never about their "egos", they simply acted the way they did and secured the stability of their league according to the times.
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Bonk
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Question: If an American player wasn't drafted by a CHL team, is he essentially a free agent that can sign with any CHL team, or is he confined by OHL/WHL/Q region? And at what age can a CHL team sign him?
(OK, actually two questions)
(OK, actually two questions)
Boonk
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WarriorofTime
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What becomes interesting is if a kid from say Massachusetts says he has no interest in playing in the QMJHL, but would play for say, London in the OHL. I guess he just has to make it clear as day that he won't sign with any QMJHL team, but if one throws a late pick out there anyways, then as long as he stays on reserve list, he can't sign with OHL team.
Kingpin794
Smart A** In A Jersey
Not any league. In the league that holds territorial rights.
WarriorofTime
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Think if a kid is not a on a reserve list, he can sign anywhere. Happens a lot of when Ontario kids get cut from the OHL that they pop back up in the QMJHL.
Kingpin794
Smart A** In A Jersey
Right but they've gone THROUGH their territorial league first.
WarriorofTime
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Kingpin794
Smart A** In A Jersey
Digging through rosters seems I may have been mistaken. Guess it doesn't happen enough for me to notice. Usually if a player is of any great skill worth signing as a FA, his home league will snatch him up.
It doesn’t invalidate it, just a reality check for the CHL humpers that they aren’t as macho as they think they are
Blue and Green
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You think that CHL players should go to D1 as soon as possible to further their development because it's a better level of competition-- which is fair enough-- yet you blow off the idea that some of them would be better off going to the AHL instead of D1 when the exact same argument can be made that the higher level of competition in the AHL will be more useful to them as long as they are good enough to handle it.
And, in other posts you've blown off the idea that anyone would want to spend any time riding buses in the AHL instead of being in the NCAA. I could roll out a list that would look like the Dead Sea Scrolls of guys who left D1 with remaining eligibility to play in the AHL. This talk of the magnificent campus lifestyle and puck bunnies, someone referring to the AHL as the Soggy Subs league is the rah-NCAA equivalent of "they won't leave CHL early because they'll make friends." The AHL, not D1 will be the finishing school and proving ground for most NHL-bound players and they'll want to complete that step as soon as possible.
AHL the finishing school... That no one wants to have to attend lol
More like summer school
More like summer school
Boonk
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Ah, so its just your opinion based on emotions and not something thats factual? What a "reality check" that is.
Blue and Green
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That's life. And the numbers tell the tale so your personal opinion on the matter means nothing.
