NCAA to allow CHL players to join US colleges

[Willie Dog]

[Boston_Habs]

I certainly opens up more options. Pre-junior Canadians already have the option to go the USHL/NCAA route if they want the college experience so I guess the benefit is allowing undrafted CHL players to jump from Canadian junior to the NCAA during their U20 eligibility or when their junior careers are over. Of course that option already exists in Canada, which is why Canadian college hockey is actually really good for anyone who pays attention. Teams like UNB, McGill, Western etc. are stacked with 4-year major junior players who were never drafted or never signed a pro contract. They enter college as 20-year olds and get 5 years of eligibility. Those kids would now have a US college option, so good for them. I can see a lot of undrafted 18 year old CHL players foregoing the rest of their junior careers (why bother?) and going to play NCAAA with its less demanding schedule and get a free college education in the US.

[Willie Dog]

Oct 5, 2024 15:17:27 GMT -5 Boston_Habs said:

I certainly opens up more options. Pre-junior Canadians already have the option to go the USHL/NCAA route if they want the college experience so I guess the benefit is allowing undrafted CHL players to jump from Canadian junior to the NCAA during their U20 eligibility or when their junior careers are over. Of course that option already exists in Canada, which is why Canadian college hockey is actually really good for anyone who pays attention. Teams like UNB, McGill, Western etc. are stacked with 4-year major junior players who were never drafted or never signed a pro contract. They enter college as 20-year olds and get 5 years of eligibility. Those kids would now have a US college option, so good for them. I can see a lot of undrafted 18 year old CHL players foregoing the rest of their junior careers (why bother?) and going to play NCAAA with its less demanding schedule and get a free college education in the US.

Glad this wasn't around when Arber went undrafted

[seventeen]

Oct 5, 2024 15:17:27 GMT -5 Boston_Habs said:

I certainly opens up more options. Pre-junior Canadians already have the option to go the USHL/NCAA route if they want the college experience so I guess the benefit is allowing undrafted CHL players to jump from Canadian junior to the NCAA during their U20 eligibility or when their junior careers are over. Of course that option already exists in Canada, which is why Canadian college hockey is actually really good for anyone who pays attention. Teams like UNB, McGill, Western etc. are stacked with 4-year major junior players who were never drafted or never signed a pro contract. They enter college as 20-year olds and get 5 years of eligibility. Those kids would now have a US college option, so good for them. I can see a lot of undrafted 18 year old CHL players foregoing the rest of their junior careers (why bother?) and going to play NCAAA with its less demanding schedule and get a free college education in the US.

I think this is going to hurt the Juniour A level (BCHL, OPJHL). Players used to go there to have the option to go to college and now they can go to the CHL and manage the same thing. It will help some players who don't mature by age 20 in juniour, so developing further in the NCAA may get them drafted as 21 or 22 year olds or get signed as FA's.