NCAA players who declare for the PWHL would likely be forfeiting their NCAA eligibility.
NCAA players who declare for the PWHL would likely be forfeiting their NCAA eligibility.
NCAA and USports players can declare themselves into the PWHL Draft. What that means for their NCAA eligibility is still to be seen.
According to the PWHL, "players with remaining collegiate eligibility are permitted to declare for the draft (in consultation with their campus compliance officers)."
In men's hockey, 67 current or incoming NCAA players were selected in the 2023 NHL Draft, all retaining their eligibility. In some women's leagues like the WNBA however, players must renounce their NCAA eligibility to enter the draft.
There are a number of current NCAA players who could forego their remaining eligibility to jump to the new league.
Ohio State transfers Hannah Bilka and Cayla Barnes are two of the older players in NCAA hockey, and are both using their extra year of eligibility provided to NCAA players due to the pandemic. Both are USA national team members and developmentally could benefit from stepping into the new league. The same could be said for Colgate's Danielle Serdachny, who led the NCAA in scoring last season with 71 points in 40 games before making her senior national team debut for Canada. Another player returning for a fifth season who could declare her eligibility is Wisconsin's Britta Curl. Curl won a national title last season, and made USA senior national team. There's little for her to still accomplish at the NCAA level. The same could be said for Canadian superstar Sarah Fillier who is schedule to return to Princeton for a final season. Fillier is one of the best players on the planet and has dominated internationally. She'd be a highly sought after first round draft pick if she declared.
Looking at younger players in the NCAA, most are certain to stay to finish their education, however some players like Caroline Harvey and Nelli Laitinen have the ability to join the new league whenever they choose based on their skill. This could occur if those players want to finish their university degrees in offseason and via distance studies as some NHL players do during their careers.
According to Jayna Hefford, the expectation is that players who declare would lose their NCAA eligibility, so although the option is available, it's a decision that comes with consequences.
Watch Jayna Hefford explain the NCAA eligibility below: