Ben Gaudreau is one of the more interesting NCAA commitments in recent memory, playing two ECHL seasons after his OHL career ended, but still kept his collegiate eligibility.
Ben Gaudreau's hockey story is one of the most unique paths we've seen.
A seventh overall pick in the 2019 OHL draft, the Sarnia Sting expected big things from the highly-touted goaltender. He played fairly well over his three seasons with the team, losing one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the 2020-21 campaign.
Gaudreau was also well-respected by Hockey Canada brass, winning gold with the national team at the U18 and U20 World Junior Championships, even winning the best goalie award at the under-18s.
Ben Gaudreau with the Erie Otters. (Photo: Brandon Soto/OHL Images)This repertoire saw the North Bay native get selected in the third round of the 2021 NHL draft by the San Jose Sharks, though they'd never end up giving him an entry-level contract.
Because of that, he re-entered the draft, and passed through it, though he did earn an invite to the Tampa Bay Lightning's development camp that summer. Gaudreau returned to the OHL for his overage season, where he was traded from the Sting to the Erie Otters to play out his last season of junior.
After that season, he signed an amateur try-out agreement with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch for the rest of that season, not getting into a game. In the 2024 offseason, the goaltender signed a one-year AHL contract with the Rockford IceHogs, though he played the majority of the season with the ECHL's Indy Fuel.
He still did get into four games with the IceHogs, going 2-2-0. Then, in 2025, he signed a one-year deal in the AHL again, this time with the Laval Rocket. He didn't suit up for any AHL games in the 25-26 campaign, but still played 29 in the ECHL with the Trois-Rivières Lions.
That brings us to today, where Gaudreau has now committed to Clarkson University of the NCAA.
The rule changes around college hockey have certainly opened up more pathways for eligibility among players, but it's nearly unprecedented to have a guy who's played two full seasons of pro hockey be eligible to play collegiately, no less coming in as a 23-year-old freshman.
In the end, it's a testament to show how everyone's hockey journeys are different, and as the landscape continues to change, more avenues will appear for players looking for new homes. It will be interesting to monitor if any other players will follow Gaudreau's path in the future.
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