NCAA coaches could vote on whether to make CHL players eligible for U.S. college hockey, according to Elliotte Friedman. Tony Ferrari analyzes the potential ripple effects if that change were to happen.

The development path of young hockey players may be getting more simplified as the NCAA coaches have been discussing whether or not to allow CHL players into U.S. college hockey.

Rumors have been bubbling under the surface for a while now, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned the topic on the latest 32 Thoughts Podcast. A vote by NCAA coaches after the end of this season could put the process in motion, but the speed in which the NCAA would look to allow CHLers into the fold remains up in the air.

What is also to be determined is whether players could only go play for an NCAA team after their CHL players are done or whether they could make the switch at any point.

Either way, a change this massive in hockey’s developmental pipeline would be monumental, even more so if CHL players can decide to head to the NCAA partway through major junior.

For years, the NCAA deemed CHL players ineligible because the three leagues that make up the CHL – OHL, WHL and QMJHL – have players in them who have signed professional contracts with NHL teams. It’s not uncommon for a drafted player to sign an entry-level contract and then be assigned to their team in the CHL for a season or two. The NCAA views the CHL as a professional league because of this.

Whether a player dresses in 200 CHL games or one pre-season game, they lose their eligibility for NCAA hockey. That means a player who never gets their shot at the CHL level, playing sporadically as a 16- to 19-year-old, would have no opportunity to establish themselves in the NCAA despite never playing meaningful minutes in the CHL.

The NCAA seems to have changed its mind on the matter in recent years as name, image, and likeness (or NIL) rules have been put in that allow college athletes to monetize themselves. A NIL deal is an agreement or arrangement between a student-athlete and a third party, such as a brand, company or individual, where the student-athlete receives compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness.

With some athletes having NIL valuations of more than a million dollars, primarily in football and basketball, the NCAA opening its doors for CHLers seems like a reasonable response. It was just a matter of time before college athletes found their way into securing a payday, as the money generated in NCAA athletics is incredible.

The CHL has an incentive to do this as well, though. The NCAA route has become a much more common path for high-level players from Canada and the U.S. over the last few years. Notable young Canadians, such as Cale Makar, Adam Fantilli and Macklin Celebrini, have all chosen to take their talents to the college ranks. Losing that level of talent isn’t a trend the CHL wants to continue.

The trickle-down effect on other levels of hockey will be felt in a variety of ways. The initial and most obvious effect will be on the NCAA itself. There could be players who would be playing near the top of the lineup who end up finding roles lower in the roster. The players who would generally occupy those spots lower in the lineup may have to move from Div. I to Div. III, depending on how many CHLers switch to NCAA.

Canadian university hockey, U Sports, could end up being the ultimate casualty in all of this. U Sports was the destination for many CHLers who weren’t able to get a pro contract or find a landing spot after their CHL time came to an end.

The CHL develops these players into high-level hockey players, and the education package it offers gives many players the opportunity to continue playing hockey at the Canadian university level while getting an education and figuring out what they want to do when hockey is no longer their top option. The top three scorers in U Sports – Connor Bouchard, Austen Keating and Simon Lafrance – represented each of the CHL leagues at one point in their hockey careers.

While there will still be players who choose to go to U Sports, the appeal of heading south to the NCAA with a wider audience and clearer path to pro hockey may ultimately lead to a massive talent drain from the Canadian university ranks.

As it currently stands, Jr. A hockey (CJHL) in Canada has been the best option for players looking to play in Canada through high school and then head to the NCAA, where they can push to garner attention from pro teams. Those leagues, such as the Alberta Junior Hockey League or Ontario Junior Hockey League, would likely have to find a new role, providing a pipeline to Div. III college hockey or possibly being the new pipeline to U Sports.

The BCHL, a primarily British Columbia-based league that removed itself from the CJHL under the Hockey Canada banner, could be in an awkward predicament. The BCHL was widely regarded as the best of the CJHL leagues before it departed, and part of the reason it voted to go independent was to develop a higher-tier junior league for players seeking NCAA scholarships. 

If CHL players become eligible to head to the NCAA at any point, the BCHL could become less of a draw for players with more options out there. That said, if CHL players can only go to the NCAA after their major junior career ends, the BCHL and CJHL still have an avenue for players who choose the U.S. collegiate route from the get-go.

In the NHL, the draft rules when it comes to signing could be thrown for a loop, as Jeff Marek mentioned on 32 Thoughts. As it stands, NHL teams have two years to sign a player drafted from the CHL and four years to sign a player drafted from the NCAA. The NHL would have to figure out what they want to do for players who play in the CHL but then head to college.

If and when the NCAA chooses to allow CHL players into the fold, the ripples across hockey at a variety of levels will be felt in a big way. It would allow the top junior players more freedom when it comes to choosing their path, rather than forcing them into a decision when they are 15 or 16 years old. It would also give CHL-committed players a secondary option if major junior doesn’t work for them.