OPINION: The Trickle Down Effect Is Good For College Hockey

On Nov. 7, 2024, the Canadian Hockey League players were given NCAA eligibility,  permanently altering the landscape of college hockey for the better. As a result of the ruling, there has been a trickle down effect of talent from the CHL into the NCAA, This does three things that markedly and sequentially improved NCAA Hockey. The ruling  increases the talent at all levels of college hockey, levels the competitive playing field and helps grow the game of college hockey.

The most obvious impact is that the talent level goes up. The Canadian Hockey League comprising the WHL, OHL and QMJHL has and continues to be the best junior league in the world. Players will leave other leagues where they plateaued and blossom there.

A recent example of this is the Soo Greyhounds' Chase Reid. Reid started the 2024-25 campaign with the North American Hockey League's (NAHL) Bismarck Bobcats, the second highest junior league in the United States. The NAHL is a high quality league, but a player of Reid's caliber needed higher level competition in order to grow further. After a season and a half in the OHL, Reid has hit his stride and is a projected top ten pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Until this point, the NCAA could not touch the talent pool that now includes Reid. Now Reid is slated to join Michigan State University potentially this fall getting the best of both worlds. This is just one of many examples of the NCAA's talent pool strengthening.  However, it is not just the Division I level that benefits, but Division III as well.

Because of the talent trickle down, players that would have been in depth roles at Division I schools are thriving in Division III. I witnessed this for Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders (MSOE), a budding DIII program I had the privilege of broadcasting this past season.

Forward Charlie Fink spent time throughout his junior career in both the OHL and QMHJL in a depth role. In 2024-25, his final season of juniors, Fink played in the North American Hockey League, earning 30 points (11 goals + 19 assists) through 53 games.

Before the rule change went into effect on Nov. 7 of that season, he may have been able to go to a smaller DI program such as Lindenwood, Stonehill or Robert Morris. Following the ruling however, Fink committed to Milwaukee School of Engineering in July 2025. This proved to help both parties. MSOE utilized Fink as a top six forward especially down the stretch of his freshman year. Fink is poised to be a leader going forward for the Raiders. Like the example of Chase Reid at the Division I level, instances reminiscent of Fink's are becoming more and more common which help elevate the talent of college hockey.

Before the ruling, the limited talent pool for NCAA Hockey teams resulted in the same few schools earning a monopoly on desirable players. That is far from the case anymore. I look towards what Bowling Green State University is building. The Falcons have secured the services of numerous higher level CHL players. Bowling Green is a mid level Division I program playing in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).

In the pre-ruling world, the Falcons would not have been likely to gain commitments from these players, with guys like Onni Kalto heading to the USHL or BCHL and subsequently to programs like Vermont or Wisconsin. The introduction of CHL players similar Kalto to NCAA hockey spreads the wealth and makes routine games that much more competitive.

Don't take my word for it though. Sacha Boisvert of the Chicago Blackhawks feels the same way. He noticed more of a level playing field across college hockey in his sophomore season at Boston University telling me "Teams that maybe didn't have as many options to pick from are picking from the CHL," Boisvert said.  "Every team is more balanced, and it's [the NCAA] a very deep with 62 teams. I think every single team has got a chance to win night in and night out. It is obviously is great for the game."

This cross-pollination between the NCAA and CHL brings in new fans, growing the college game. Junior hockey in Canada has ravenous fans all over the country. When beloved players age out, they still have followings in their old markets. TSN increased their NCAA Hockey coverage, allowing for fans to continue supporting their favorite players. They have also TSN started airing the Frozen Four in 2025 on their streaming platform TSN+,resulting in greater fan exposure across the Great White North. This exposure benefits both fans and potential college hockey players, helping cultivate aficionados and new talent for years to come.

Some in hockey may mistakenly argue that the trickle down effect is fueled solely by NIL money. Penn State's Jackson Smith dispelled that narrative in a July 2025 interview with Montreal based HFTV.

"There's a lot of pumping up the numbers," Smith said. "Some of the offers I'm seeing from schools on Instagram, that's like all the NIL money that a team has. There's definitely some numbers out there but I think it's definitely not as crazy as what's been posted about for sure."

Another issue that comes up for many people is the changing dynamic of junior hockey leagues, upending the "established order." My answer is simple: So what? Yes, the USHL is seeing less Division I commitments and the North American Hockey League is shifting towards Division III. The only constant in hockey and life is change. How those leagues respond to the CHL ruling will determine their future.

The USHL already introduced its own version of player contracts with the Standard Player Development Agreement (SPDA). Details on exactly what exactly is in the SDPA are cloudy, but reports from sources within the league tell me there is a financial component for players suiting up on USHL teams.

A CHL Pandora's Box has been opened. The trickle down effect as a result ought to be  celebrated for its positive impacts, rather than overly scrutinized for perceived disruptions.