CHL Can Now Play NCAA - Changes Everything

[jtechkid68]

It'd be very stupid of him to go next year because he wouldn't be ready and would hurt his draft stock. Even his D+1 is a stretch

CHL is dramatically weaker than NCAA and it’s not even close so it will be interesting too see how these younger high end CHL kids do in college playing against 22 -24 year old men . Scott Wheeler( wrote tweet) for instance said college dramatically harder league and is not even close for CHL people who are delusional .

 

[bossram]

CHL is dramatically weaker than NCAA and it’s not even close so it will be interesting too see how these younger high end CHL kids do in college playing against 22 -24 year old men . Scott Wheeler( wrote tweet) for instance said college dramatically harder league and is not even close for CHL people who are delusional .

I've had people say NCAA is weaker than CHL. Saying the London Knights would beat most Div 1 teams. Absolutely ludicrous.

Pretty much any half decent Div 1 school would mop the floor of any CHL club. There is a massive difference playing teenagers vs. fully matured adults. A 16 year old going up against a 24 year old? C'mon.

And really, the players going from CHL to NCAA say it all. They're going there for the added challenge. To improve their development. It would make no sense to jump ship to a weaker league.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Kaden Aucoin (2009, dual citizen) signs with Sarnia

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Jacob Oster (2004, OHL, Oshawa Generals) commits to Vermont.

 

[WarriorofTime]

There's no way that's sustainable. I could see 3 or 4 teams over 5 years but 10 over that time seems too aggressive.

Not sure what you mean. It’s just up to member institutions and conferences themselves. Not a top down driven process. With the influx of newly eligible players, they certainly could have a rapid overnight expansion and not lose anything in terms of level of play compared to how across every conference.

 

[landy92mack29]

CHL is dramatically weaker than NCAA and it’s not even close so it will be interesting too see how these younger high end CHL kids do in college playing against 22 -24 year old men . Scott Wheeler( wrote tweet) for instance said college dramatically harder league and is not even close for CHL people who are delusional .

Before the change there wasn't that much of a gap but now with the influx of older chl players who instead of going pro/usports are now going NCAA it'll be much stronger.

I've had people say NCAA is weaker than CHL. Saying the London Knights would beat most Div 1 teams. Absolutely ludicrous.

Pretty much any half decent Div 1 school would mop the floor of any CHL club. There is a massive difference playing teenagers vs. fully matured adults. A 16 year old going up against a 24 year old? C'mon.

And really, the players going from CHL to NCAA say it all. They're going there for the added challenge. To improve their development. It would make no sense to jump ship to a weaker league.

from this past year London would beat most Div 1 teams. Going forward probably won't be the case as CHL while getting deeper will be younger and NCAA is getting massive influx of talent.

 

[Fyodorov]

Before the change there wasn't that much of a gap but now with the influx of older chl players who instead of going pro/usports are now going NCAA it'll be much stronger.

from this past year London would beat most Div 1 teams. Going forward probably won't be the case as CHL while getting deeper will be younger and NCAA is getting massive influx of talent.

There's been a huge gap between NCAA and CHL for a while.

 

[bigdog16]

Before the change there wasn't that much of a gap but now with the influx of older chl players who instead of going pro/usports are now going NCAA it'll be much stronger.

from this past year London would beat most Div 1 teams. Going forward probably won't be the case as CHL while getting deeper will be younger and NCAA is getting massive influx of talent.

I get your a big CHL supporter, and I am a big NCAA supporter. But I think you are on your own here. There is, and has always been, a massive gap.

 

[landy92mack29]

 

[landy92mack29]

I get your a big CHL supporter, and I am a big NCAA supporter. But I think you are on your own here. There is, and has always been, a massive gap.

Until the change the gap wasn't massive by any means. The top 10 or so schools were for sure stronger but the depth fell off fast in the NCAA. With the change there's going to be a lot of strong programs. I had a cousin who played SJHL-USHL-Maine but wasn't good enough to play WHL until he was 19 so made no sense. I also scout for a Junior A team located in Alberta that until this change would have 15-20 D1 commits on it per year so I have a good base on level of players going each route in Canada. I'll for sure admit with the change there will be a big gap between the CHL and NCAA going forward though.

 

[bigdog16]

Until the change the gap wasn't massive by any means. The top 10 or so schools were for sure stronger but the depth fell off fast in the NCAA. With the change there's going to be a lot of strong programs. I had a cousin who played SJHL-USHL-Maine but wasn't good enough to play WHL until he was 19 so made no sense. I also scout for a Junior A team located in Alberta that until this change would have 15-20 D1 commits on it per year so I have a good base on level of players going each route in Canada. I'll for sure admit with the change there will be a big gap between the CHL and NCAA going forward though.

Its always been a very big gap other than maybe the AHA teams, who would still beat CHL teams.

 

[NTDP]

Before the change there wasn't that much of a gap but now with the influx of older chl players who instead of going pro/usports are now going NCAA it'll be much stronger.

from this past year London would beat most Div 1 teams. Going forward probably won't be the case as CHL while getting deeper will be younger and NCAA is getting massive influx of talent.

I don't think this is true at all. London is a very good junior team and program, but they simply wouldn't beat most teams. I watch CHL and NCAA hockey and the NCAA game is a quicker pace, especially when the top 20 teams are playing each other (that's not even comparable anymore). Everyone talks about just the age factor, as if these NCAA teams are just older but somehow less skilled - that's not true. I knew there'd be someone eventually pushing the narrative the only reason going forward CHL teams would lose to NCAA teams is because they now have CHLers. I'm honestly not surprised.

Look at how many kids are signed to pro deals who were never drafted playing NCAA, and they're from all over D-1. One of the reasons I say in time you'll see the CHL needed the NCAA way more than the NCAA ever needed the CHL. I know people will clap back at me for that, but it's the truth.

 

[goavsblue8]

I have nothing against this whatsoever (see many of my posts on this topic), but I do wonder why guys like Wassilyn and Verhoeff just didn't go NCAA in the first place?

Its like I’ve said since the fall, most kids want to do both(chl and ncaa)

 

[Oak]

With all that's going on right now who in their right mind decided that the NAHL should have their first ever futures draft?

 

[Blue and Green]

It'd be very stupid of him to go next year because he wouldn't be ready and would hurt his draft stock. Even his D+1 is a stretch

I suspect what will happen occasionally is that a school wouldn't mind if a kid stayed in junior for another year, but if he's set on going to D1 ASAP and probably can play somewhat competently in the coming season then the school might feel like they need to accommodate him or risk losing him.

Don't see why 2026 would be any stretch for a player like this. If it was, I think the school would basically shut down any idea of taking him in this fall. A two-year difference between the time when the school thinks the player is truly ready versus when the kid thinks he's ready, that would seem to be an unbridgeable gap and it's unlikely that a commitment would ever have been made in the first place.

 

[Corso]

It'd be very stupid of him to go next year because he wouldn't be ready and would hurt his draft stock. Even his D+1 is a stretch

I'd be really really surprised if he went this fall; I totally agree that he would not be ready and be a bottom six (at best) forward....limited ice time with no PP.

Here's a very good article from the HockeyWriters

CHL & NCAA Change Landscape and Development for NHL Hopefuls - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More

With NCAA eligibility now enticing CHL players to join the collegiate ranks, it has changed the development process for many NHL hopefuls.

thehockeywriters.com

I believe we did mention it on this thread how beneficial this rule change will be for goalies.

 

[bossram]

Before the change there wasn't that much of a gap but now with the influx of older chl players who instead of going pro/usports are now going NCAA it'll be much stronger.

from this past year London would beat most Div 1 teams. Going forward probably won't be the case as CHL while getting deeper will be younger and NCAA is getting massive influx of talent.

I mean, here we go. Yes, there is already a big gap between the NCAA and CHL. I agree it will get wider now, as the CHL will skew even younger and most prospects with pro aspirations will go to the NCAA.

Re: London, their top players could hang or maybe even outplay Div 1. programs. But the bottom-half of their lineup would get manhandled. And even London's top forwards are smallish. They would have a massive physical disadvantage.

 

[WarriorofTime]

The CHL super teams are basically neck and neck with NCAA U20 team these days. Club level CHL teams would get demolished.

 

[StreetHawk]

I mean, here we go. Yes, there is already a big gap between the NCAA and CHL. I agree it will get wider now, as the CHL will skew even younger and most prospects with pro aspirations will go to the NCAA.

Re: London, their top players could hang or maybe even outplay Div 1. programs. But the bottom-half of their lineup would get manhandled. And even London's top forwards are smallish. They would have a massive physical disadvantage.

CHL is 16-20 year olds. NCAA is 18-22 and upwards of 24 years of age.

To go from chl to ncaa you go from being on the older side of the league to being among the youngest in college.

CHL isn’t going to convince kids who got drafted to stay if they get accepted to an ncaa program. Between reduced and better travel, facilities, Nutrition, training, etc there is no competing agains the money that the top ncaa programs have at their disposal to spend on all of the things that will help a player develop.

Even AHL clubs are hard pressed to match the ncaa unless they share with their nhl parent team.

CHL will have to attract the 16-17 years from Tier II in Canada and from USHL to offset the drafted kids they lose to the NCAA. Since playing in the CHL won't impact their NCAA eligibility, these kids can afford to play up a level at 16-17.

 

[Favin]

from this past year London would beat most Div 1 teams. Going forward probably won't be the case as CHL while getting deeper will be younger and NCAA is getting massive influx of talent.

Only if they reassembled the Knights in 2027-28 and they played in NCAA.

 

[Leviathan899]

I mean, here we go. Yes, there is already a big gap between the NCAA and CHL. I agree it will get wider now, as the CHL will skew even younger and most prospects with pro aspirations will go to the NCAA.

Re: London, their top players could hang or maybe even outplay Div 1. programs. But the bottom-half of their lineup would get manhandled. And even London's top forwards are smallish. They would have a massive physical disadvantage.

London’s top players would all have been elite college players, you all need to learn the game and stop talking about things you’re not aware of. Cowan, Barkey, Bonk, Dickinson, Halttunen and O’Reilly would have been elite college players. Everyone of these players have played with and against NHL talent. Michigan’s best player last season was an 06, Michael Hage, who played with and against a ton of current OHL’ers, and while Michigan wasn’t that good this year, they’re still marquee. Fact is the NHL still has more CHL guys than NCAA, and while this will change as things progress, the disrespect on the CHL here is nothing short of ignorant.

 

[WarriorofTime]

I had a cousin who played SJHL-USHL-Maine but wasn't good enough to play WHL until he was 19 so made no sense.

Won’t say the name but looks like he only made it 4 career games in ushl then mostly in NAHL in age 20 season then got cut his age 22 sophomore year and played ACHA so that’s an extremely marginal ncaa player walk on player. Not really a great representative for WHL-NCAA player gap.

 

[Blue and Green]

I'd be really really surprised if he went this fall; I totally agree that he would not be ready and be a bottom six (at best) forward....limited ice time with no PP.

Wassilyn is a possible/probable 2026 first-round NHL pick and kids on that level can usually play capably in D1 at 17. (Boumedienne played in BU's top-4 this season at age 17 and he's generally projected near the 1st-round/2nd-round borderline.) Plus, BU has to replace several prominent forwards; there should be decent ice time available.

 

[Corso]

Wassilyn is a possible/probable 2026 first-round NHL pick and kids on that level can usually play capably in D1 at 17. (Boumedienne played in BU's top-4 this season at age 17 and he's generally projected near the 1st-round/2nd-round borderline.) Plus, BU has to replace several prominent forwards; there should be decent ice time available.

You may be right, B.U. will be a very young team and he may be able to secure meaningful minutes.

 

[Kingpin794]

Guys you can't call one league weaker or stronger if they aren't in the same category. Weaker and stronger have connotations that the comparative groups are assumed to be on the same level of the developmental pyramid. NCAA is a men's league. CHL is junior. Of course NCAA teams would demolish 99% of CHL teams. Any FPHL team would beat CHL teams too but I wouldn't call the CHL weaker than the FPHL. NHL (professional mens) teams obviously beat NCAA. I wouldn't call NCAA a weaker league. If they two leagues ever become the same average age, THEN you can call one stronger or weaker.