Big news coming next week for CHL player eligibility in the NCAA

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Cooper Godin
October 5, 2024 (7:58)

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Big news is reportedly coming next week for CHL player eligibility in the NCAA.

Early next week, we could have some pretty significant news regarding CHL players being eligible to join NCAA schools going forward.

As soon as a player suits up for a game in one of the three leagues under the CHL umbrella - Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League or Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, they lose their eligibility to play with a school in the NCAA.

A lawsuit was filed back in August that was challenged the ban of CHL players being allowed in the NCAA and now, we're closer than ever to see a massive change to the landscape of hockey in North America.

On Monday, it was revealed that NCAA conference commissioners will be voting on CHL player eligibility and if the proposal passes, OHL, WHL and QMJHL athletes will be allowed to play Division 1 hockey in the United States. While it's unclear when it would take effect, it's safe to assume it'll be ahead of the 2025-26 season.

"NCAA conference commissioners are scheduled to meet Monday, with one item on the agenda being a proposal to allow CHL players permission to compete in the NCAA." Sportsnet said.

They added, "The item then will go to the NCAA Division I Council later in the week. If the proposal passes, CHL players will be eligible to play in the NCAA."

If it passes, which is expected, this is great news for players in the Canadian Hockey League, especially 20-year-olds who set to enter their overage year and might not have a guaranteed spot. It would give them some flexibility on where they're able to continue their hockey career.

So far, one CHL player has already verbally committed to making the jump to the NCAA, that being Braxton Whitehead. Whitehead currently plays for the Western Hockey League's Regina Pats, but announced in early September that he will be suiting up for Arizona State University starting in the 2025-26 season.

One interesting wrinkle to this will be NHL drafted players. Once a player signs a contract with an NHL club, they're no longer allowed to play in the NCAA. So if that rule remains in place after making CHL players eligible, that would mean those players signed to entry-level contracts with their NHL teams while in the OHL, WHL and QMJHL are not allowed to play in the NCAA. But we'll have to wait and see if there's any change on that front.