CHL player marks first of it's time verbally committing to NCAA school
Regina Pats Braxton Whitehead verbally committed to Arizona State University marking the first of its kind having a CHL player commit to an NCAA school.
This summer a class action lawsuit was filed against the NCAA alleging that the NCAA violated antitrust laws which prevented hockey players who appeared in Canadian Hockey League games from being able to compete for NCAA teams.
Now, news has leaked that for the first time, a CHL player who currently skates for a team in the Western Hockey League has received a verbal commitment from an NCAA D1 school to attend and play for them in 2025-2026.
Braxton Whitehead, a 20-year-old overage centre who plays for the Regina Pats received a verbal commitment from Arizona State University to begin playing with their program next season. This sets a precedent, as previously, no player who played in the Canadian Hockey League could not play in the NCAA.
Whether the suit filed will be successful is anyone's guess, but it could create a dramatic shift in the landscape of how hockey in Canada and the United States works for players whose goal is always to make it to the next level.
The NCAA has always ruled that anyone who has played in the three CHL leagues consisting of the WHL, OHL & QMJHL are ineligible because there are players who have signed NHL contracts playing in those leagues and they also receive a monthly stipend which is capped at $250. An NCAA bylaw, 12.2.3.2 states "an individual shall not be eligible for intercollegiate athletics in sport if the individual ever competed on a professional team.»
But is there a chance to change the rules, even slightly? It's possible but wait and see.
Source -
WHL's Braxton Whitehead commits to Arizona State, challenging NCAA rules
| POLL | ||
Should players who have participated in the CHL be able to play in the NCAA? | ||
| Yes. It's similar to playing in U SPORTS in Canada | 52 | 86.7 % |
| No. Rules are rules | 8 | 13.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
