CHL players that are going NCAA

[WarriorofTime]

Watching McKenna put up a billion points in the WHL playoffs there’s just no reason he should be going back there. Better for development to step up his level of difficulty imo.

 

[Bonin21]

Of the skaters that have played 2+ playoff games:

133/297 first rounders
48/297 second rounders
29/297 third rounders
That's 70% right there. So if you're a top three rounder looking for the best path to the NHL, look NCAA for a top 6D or top 4D spot (not that hard to find) at an NCHC/Hockey East/Big Ten school.

Outside of that, of course it'll be a mixed bag on what's best.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Watching McKenna put up a billion points in the WHL playoffs there’s just no reason he should be going back there. Better for development to step up his level of difficulty imo.

Can’t think of phenom that was hurt by dominating their final CHL season.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Can’t think of phenom that was hurt by dominating their final CHL season.

Impossible to say without counter-factual but Tavares having to play four seasons in the ohl due to ES and late birthday probably wasn’t great for him.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Some guys will derail their careers on these super teams because they’ll get stuck in a situation where they go from being line to line 3 or the bench. The very top end shouldn’t worry but some guys are going to learn a harsh lesson.

There’s a transfer portal. If first school isn’t working for one reason or another, you go to a different school and get more ice time. If you’re “buried” pretty high chance you just weren’t that good anyways. Tyler Boucher got buried, so he went to go play top line ohl. Either way his pro hockey career is mediocre.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Impossible to say without counter-factual but Tavares having to play four seasons in the ohl due to ES and late birthday probably wasn’t great for him.

Don’t think he ever reached the point where he was too good for the OHL in the final seasons, he wasn’t going ahead of Stamkos in 08, and his skating was an issue then. He improved it at the NHL level.

Agreed the what if for the phenoms is fair.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

There’s a transfer portal. If first school isn’t working for one reason or another, you go to a different school and get more ice time. If you’re “buried” pretty high chance you just weren’t that good anyways. Tyler Boucher got buried, so he went to go play top line ohl. Either way his pro hockey career is mediocre.

Fair, but a lost year at 18-19 can really hurt. Some guys aren’t that good or develop later. It will be great for the late bloomers who aren’t ready at 20.

 

[goavsblue8]

Some message board rumblings of Martone to msu and misa(like misas) to Michigan

 

[wetcoast]

Impossible to say without counter-factual but Tavares having to play four seasons in the ohl due to ES and late birthday probably wasn’t great for him.

So his skating magically gets better if he played in the NCAA?

Some guys will go but the majority probably don't.

 

[WarriorofTime]

So his skating magically gets better if he played in the NCAA?

Strangely hostile. He scored 72 goals in his second year and still had to play two more years. I generally think most high end guys shouldn’t stay in the same level of competition for more than two years. Three/four as you push down the ranks.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

So his skating magically gets better if he played in the NCAA?

Some guys will go but the majority probably don't.

Think he’s a guy who may have struggled or done well, game started getting faster at his age like his players had a few years under new nhl back then

 

[Torts]

Watching McKenna put up a billion points in the WHL playoffs there’s just no reason he should be going back there. Better for development to step up his level of difficulty imo.

Exactly. Similar to Matthews in his draft year...there is a better option available for development, he and his advisors should be more than willing to explore it. And that's not just the Michigan fan in me wanting him in Maize & Blue.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Strangely hostile. He scored 72 goals in his second year and still had to play two more years. I generally think most high end guys shouldn’t stay in the same level of competition for more than two years. Three/four as you push down the ranks.

I mean the augment is really that you pickup bad habits by dominating. Which I’ve seen, but there’s also a point where you just need games and reps. There’s no perfect formula, we’ll see what happens though.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I mean the augment is really that you pickup bad habits by dominating. Which I’ve seen, but there’s also a point where you just need games and reps. There’s no perfect formula, we’ll see what happens though.

I generally think talents wins out. Like McDavid could have played Jr. A leading up to his draft and he still would have ended up as what he is.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Quality of NCAA hockey is about to take a big jump. Looking like it's going to be the #1 destination for all top North American prospects (and probably some European too).

Wonder the impact that will have on viewership.

Should make the transition to the NHL even smoother for those guys. Yeah, it's less games, but they're against actual adults. Plus they'll get way more gym time.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Quality of NCAA hockey is about to take a big jump. Looking like it's going to be the #1 destination for all top North American prospects (and probably some European too).

Wonder the impact that will have on viewership.

Should make the transition to the NHL even smoother for those guys. Yeah, it's less games, but they're against actual adults. Plus they'll get way more gym time.

I wonder if you end up with a larger number of competitive teams at the national level eventually as well? Like you obviously have your handful of teams that compete for it year in and out but there is going to be an influx of talent to the mid level schools as well.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I wonder if you end up with a larger number of competitive teams at the national level eventually as well? Like you obviously have your handful of teams that compete for it year in and out but there is going to be an influx of talent to the mid level schools as well.

Oh yeah for sure, guys who would typically be middle of the lineup guys at top schools are going to get pushed out and find opportunities to thrive elsewhere.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

CHL will start becoming a stepping stone for the NCAA it seems like. The CHL will be a lot of the high end 16 and 17 year olds and then we will see a lot of them head to NCAA once graduated. Obviously a lot will stick around CHL still, but many will head to NCAA once they hit 18. Especially those blue chip type NHL prospects where the CHL is too easy for them at a young age(ex-Gavin McKenna type top NHL draft prospects)

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

CHL will start becoming a stepping stone for the NCAA it seems like. The CHL will be a lot of the high end 16 and 17 year olds and then we will see a lot of them head to NCAA once graduated. Obviously a lot will stick around CHL still, but many will head to NCAA once they hit 18. Especially those blue chip type NHL prospects where the CHL is too easy for them at a young age(ex-Gavin McKenna type top NHL draft prospects)

One thing that hasn't been talked about as much is the impact this might have on AHL/ECHL. A lot of major junior kids head straight there as 20 year olds today, but in a scenario where they're already playing competitive hockey vs men and getting their education, you may see a lot less 20-21 year olds playing in the minors.

 

[WarriorofTime]

I generally think talents wins out. Like McDavid could have played Jr. A leading up to his draft and he still would have ended up as what he is.

Yeah im not saying McKenna will be a bust if he played another year in WHL or anything crazy like that

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

One thing that hasn't been talked about as much is the impact this might have on AHL/ECHL. A lot of major junior kids head straight there as 20 year olds today, but in a scenario where they're already playing competitive hockey vs men and getting their education, you may see a lot less 20-21 year olds playing in the minors.

Oh that’s right. I didn’t think about that actually. Cause the kids that age out of major junior now will just head to NCAA for 4 years and skip that whole ECHL thing.

 

[ElmegTheWise]

Quality of NCAA hockey is about to take a big jump. Looking like it's going to be the #1 destination for all top North American prospects (and probably some European too).

Wonder the impact that will have on viewership.

Should make the transition to the NHL even smoother for those guys. Yeah, it's less games, but they're against actual adults. Plus they'll get way more gym time.

Hopefully the growth of more programs too like Penn State, Arizona State, etc.

 

[macbowes]

It'll be interesting to see how future changes between the CHL/AHL agreement affect the development pathway. If 18 and 19 year old CHLers were allowed to play in the AHL, I think that would stem the bleeding for the CHL. As it stands, the NCAA is a clear stepping stone between major junior, and pro hockey. The age difference is the primary factor that differentiates the NCAA from the CHL, and it does a really good job of providing top prospects with an environment to continue their development, face a new challenge, and a higher level of hockey, without having to take on the rigors of the NHL.

It's really disappointing from the perspective of a Canadian, and a CHL fan, to have talent flow into the US, but I think it's impossible to ignore the obvious appeal for these players.

Hopefully if players only play a single NCAA season, like McKenna, then when they are drafted, they are drafted out of the CHL, as well as the NCAA. When McKenna is called first overall at the NHL draft, it should not be the NCAA program that gets the credit at the draft podium, and the NCAA should not be taking credit for graduating X NHLers. The CHL should still be taking credit for the NHLers they graduate, regardless of whether they play their draft season in the NCAA, or not.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

It'll be interesting to see how future changes between the CHL/AHL agreement affect the development pathway. If 18 and 19 year old CHLers were allowed to play in the AHL, I think that would stem the bleeding for the CHL. As it stands, the NCAA is a clear stepping stone between major junior, and pro hockey. The age difference is the primary factor that differentiates the NCAA from the CHL, and it does a really good job of providing top prospects with an environment to continue their development, face a new challenge, and a higher level of hockey, without having to take on the rigors of the NHL.

It's really disappointing from the perspective of a Canadian, and a CHL fan, to have talent flow into the US, but I think it's impossible to ignore the obvious appeal for these players.

Hopefully if players only play a single NCAA season, like McKenna, then when they are drafted, they are drafted out of the CHL, as well as the NCAA. When McKenna is called first overall at the NHL draft, it should not be the NCAA program that gets the credit at the draft podium, and the NCAA should not be taking credit for graduating X NHLers. The CHL should still be taking credit for the NHLers they graduate, regardless of whether they play their draft season in the NCAA, or not.

The CHL would still be losing players early in that scenario, losing them to the A or to the NCAA is still losing them.

The players get announced as being drafted from the team they spent that season with. Adam Fantilli was drafted out of the University of Michigan, so that's how it gets announced, but the Chicago Steel still get developmental credit for him, although Fantilli's primary developmental years were spent with the Toronto Jr Canadiens & Toronto Red Wings in the GTHL (plus he spent a year at Kimball Union).

 

[NTDP]

Quality of NCAA hockey is about to take a big jump. Looking like it's going to be the #1 destination for all top North American prospects (and probably some European too).

Wonder the impact that will have on viewership.

Should make the transition to the NHL even smoother for those guys. Yeah, it's less games, but they're against actual adults. Plus they'll get way more gym time.

It will have more of a demand in Canada too. Sure fans will still watch their local/favorite CHL team, but they'll want to check out where these kids they just saw the last couple years are going next. TSN+ already shows several college games but I don't think many Canadians even watch them. They will be now.