College hockey opens its doors to Canadian major junior players – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS Canadian major junior hockey players will be eligible to play Division-I college hockey next season.

The NCAA Division-I Council cleared the way Thursday with a vote to change a long-standing rule that considers the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League as professional leagues.

Canadian Hockey League players are now eligible to be recruited. They can be placed on the rosters from August 1, 2025 and play next season.

The development will have a seismic impact across the hockey world.

More than 1,000 junior hockey players are eligible to play college hockey, making the player pool larger than ever. CHL teams will likely start losing top talent to the NCAA.

Junior leagues such as the United States Hockey League, North American Hockey League and British Columbia Hockey League will have to compete to keep their top talent in college as they will now have more options.

The NHL will have to redefine its collective bargaining agreement, which has different entry-level signing parameters for CHL and NCAA players.

“We think this is a big moment in college hockey,” said Sean Hogan, executive director of College Hockey Inc.. “We believe college hockey has the opportunity to share the best players in the world. We are excited about these changes. “

For decades, NCAA Bylaw 12.2.3.2.4 has not considered CHL players because there are players in the CHL who have signed NHL contracts.

Players who have signed professional deals and earned more money than what covers “actual and necessary expenses” are still ineligible for college. But the new rule puts men's hockey and skiing under the same rules as other NCAA sports, allowing amateurs to compete against professionals. The change in turn opened the door for CHL players to play NCAA hockey.

The new legislation will also impact Europeans who remain eligible for the NCAA.

The legislation comes just seven months after NCAA coaches gathered at their annual meetings in Florida and largely opposed the opening of the CHL. At the time, they recognized the possibility that a lawsuit would change the rule and formed a committee to study the issue.

In August, a player filed a class action lawsuit in the Western District of New York, accusing the NCAA of violating antitrust laws by making CHL players ineligible. The player, Rylan Masterson, played two preseason games for the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL.

The NCAA opted to change its rules rather than fight the lawsuit, as it has done recently in several other cases.

College Hockey Inc. has served as the recruitment and promotion arm for the sport for more than a decade. In addition to being a resource for schools looking to start Division I programs and researching information for programs, it has also aided in college hockey's battle with the CHL for top players.

That fight will now shift to ensuring players remain academically eligible.

“It's no longer a fight with the CHL,” Hogan said. “Our role is to make sure the young players understand that college hockey is at the top of the pyramid.

“We will still fulfill the role of educating all players, including current CHL players, families, agents, coaches and anyone who influences young players, to ensure that they not only experience the benefits of playing college understand hockey, but also know what they need. what you need to do to stay eligible on your way to college hockey,” Hogan said.

A key component of the UND program is recruiting Western Canadians.

Even more are now available now that WHL players are eligible, including several high-profile players.

The most coveted recruit immediately becomes forward Gavin McKenna, who plays for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL. McKenna is a strong candidate to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. If he graduates high school this year, he could go to college in his draft year, like 2024 Hobey Baker Award winner Macklin Celebrini.

McKenna would likely go to the NHL after being picked.

McKenna, a native of Whitehorse, Yukon, has 32 points in 17 games for Medicine Hat this season.

Next August, teams can begin recruiting defenseman Landon Dupont from the Everett Silvertips. He is projected to go No. 1 overall in the 2027 NHL Draft.

There will be plenty of others.

The Athletics

published a 2025 NHL mock draft

this week. It predicted seven WHL players would go in the first round: forward Roger McQueen (Brandon), forward Cole Reschny (Victoria), defenseman Jackson Smith (Tri-City), forward Cameron Schmidt (Vancouver), forward Lynden Lakovic (Moose Jaw ), defenseman Blake Fiddler (Edmonton) and goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen (Prince George).

UND needs forwards for next season.

It loses at least five up front Carter Wilkie, Jackson Kunz, Cameron Berg, Louis Jamernik V and Jake Schmaltz.

Two committed recruits will surely be ready to pick Colorado Avalanche Will Zellers and San Jose Sharks pick David Klee. Four others will be old enough to follow Ashton Schultz, Andrew O'Neill, Carson Pilgrim and Cooper Simpson, but it's unclear if anyone will be ready.

That opens the door for UND to be especially active in recruiting forwards from the CHL.