[News] NCAA allows CHL players effective Aug 1, 2025

[Canada 02]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1951662799165243784

[Canada 02]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1951692640095027271

[stemit14]

It will be interesting to see how these CHL players do in their D+1 seasons in college. It will be tougher competition and some of them may find themselves further down the lineup than had they stayed in junior. Just the nature of playing in teams with 22-23 year olds.

[Buff]

Who is left to play in the CHL? The quality of hockey is going to drop with all these star players leaving.

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by Buff

Who is left to play in the CHL? The quality of hockey is going to drop with all these star players leaving.

Until the dust settles, I think we'd better get used to the CHL being a mostly 17 year old and 18 year old league. I also believe that some pretty good players that were looking for NCAA opportunities might look at CHL teams if they feel they might get more playing time in the CHL.

[MegaErtz]

I'm glad that the WHL will die. Team owners have been making a fortune off child slave labour for decades.

[RyZ]

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

I'm glad that the WHL will die. Team owners have been making a fortune off child slave labour for decades.

The WHL makes very little profit and most of the teams struggle to keep the lights on and a team on the ice. Very few owners across the CHL are "making a fortune" in any way.

[MegaErtz]

Then explain to me why the owners of the Penticton Vees just paid $15m for an expansion franchise?

[sureLoss]

Also saying the WHL will die is a stretch.

The NCAA doesn't allow players who haven't graduated high school. There will still be a need for a league to develop most of the 16 to 18 year olds.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

Until the dust settles, I think we'd better get used to the CHL being a mostly 17 year old and 18 year old league. I also believe that some pretty good players that were looking for NCAA opportunities might look at CHL teams if they feel they might get more playing time in the CHL.

This crossed my mind as well. There are only so many roster positions and ice-time to go around. With NCAA teams loading up, it might not end up being the best development path for some of these junior stars if they end up on the 3rd and 4th lines, especially the ones that want to turn pro within the next couple of years. Right now, it seems like almost every junior star is clamoring to get into one of the good U.S. college programs, but within the next few years, I suspect that we will see it level off to an equilibrium.

I do think the Canadian junior system needs to change it's model somewhat though. From what I understand, some teams do make a lot of money, but most don't. I can see a future where the number of teams decreases in the CHL, and where they focus on quality over quantity, and these players actually get paid decently to entice them to stay in the CHL. The junior A and independent leagues like the BCHL will pick up the slack.

[stemit14]

Any chance this results in an increase in the frequency of players finishing their college hockey and walking to free agency? The traditional development path for most players out of the CHL was spending their D+1 year in junior and then spending a year or two in the AHL. Now, they can make just as much if not more money playing in college and then walk to free agency and pick where they want to play.

[MegaErtz]

If a business can't survive when forced to pay their employees at least minimum wage, they shouldn't exist. 95% of players in the CHL will not make a single appearance in the NHL, but they'll all give up their formative years to ride buses all over Canada to make money for greedy owners.

[MegaErtz]

Originally Posted by stemit14

Any chance this results in an increase in the frequency of players finishing their college hockey and walking to free agency? The traditional development path for most players out of the CHL was spending their D+1 year in junior and then spending a year or two in the AHL. Now, they can make just as much if not more money playing in college and then walk to free agency and pick where they want to play.

I also hope this happens more. No 18 year old should be forced to work in another country, thousands of miles from home, just because they were picked like cattle in a draft. All humans should have the right to choose where they work.

[Reggie Dunlop]

If I remember correctly, the Calgary Hitmen are the most profitable junior franchise in the country. Maybe that's changed (the Edmonton Oil Kings are up there too).

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by RyZ

The WHL makes very little profit and most of the teams struggle to keep the lights on and a team on the ice. Very few owners across the CHL are "making a fortune" in any way.

I have never understood this argument, would love to know what they spend money on. I like the product, the CHL city I am in I take my boy to about 10 games a year. Cheapest seats are 22 bucks a game with other seats being more expensive.

They average 3900 fans a game. That is over 2.9 million dollars in gross revenue just from the seats at 22 bucks a seat (gross is probably higher). They also make money off advertising and concessions. Say their gross is 6-7 million bucks a year in the regular season. I have no earthly idea how they would spend that much money. Like no idea.

When I was involved in running a junior A team our yearly budget as about 600K. That was 15 years ago but I doubt the average budget of a CHL team is 7 million bucks.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by stemit14

Any chance this results in an increase in the frequency of players finishing their college hockey and walking to free agency? The traditional development path for most players out of the CHL was spending their D+1 year in junior and then spending a year or two in the AHL. Now, they can make just as much if not more money playing in college and then walk to free agency and pick where they want to play.

I still think it's in the best long term financial interest for most players, especially bluechippers, to go pro as soon as they are able to. Burning an ELC year and getting to that 2nd contract sooner may have less immediate financial gain than before, but 4 or 5 years down the line, that decision to go pro earlier can have huge implications on total career earnings.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I still think it's in the best long term financial interest for most players, especially bluechippers, to go pro as soon as they are able to. Burning an ELC year and getting to that 2nd contract sooner may have less immediate financial gain than before, but 4 or 5 years down the line, that decision to go pro earlier can have his huge implications on total career earnings.

Good point. I do wonder though if more “project” players consider completing their college hockey if they know it’s unlikely they will get much of a chance to play regularly in the NHL within 4 years of being drafted.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

I also hope this happens more. No 18 year old should be forced to work in another country, thousands of miles from home, just because they were picked like cattle in a draft. All humans should have the right to choose where they work.

Nobody is forced to play in the CHL. Just because they get drafted, it doesn't mean they need to report if they don't like how prospective members are selected or invited to join.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by stemit14

Good point. I do wonder though if more “project” players consider completing their college hockey if they know it’s unlikely they will get much of a chance to play regularly in the NHL within 4 years of being drafted.

I don't think project players are getting much in terms of NIL money.

Remember that college ice hockey is still a very minor sport in the US compared to college basketball and college football.

If they aren't a big name they won't get much. McKenna only got as much as he did because he is being touted as a generational player and Penn State reportedly offered him about three times what the next highest offer from Michigan State.

[Sylvanfan]

With the extreme move toward protectionism going on in the US, how long are these schools going to get away with bringing in Canadians who play there for 1-2 seasons and turn pro. The U.S.A. is producing more than enough of it's own players to fill the NCAA schools these days. It's a matter of time until the rhetoric starts up that these foreigners are taking jobs from 'Mericans.