NCAA reportedly working on agreement with Canadian Hockey League

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Cooper Godin
February 6, 2024 (11:08)

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At this current time, if a player steps onto the ice and appears in one game in any of the three leagues under the CHL umbrella - Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Maritimes Hockey League and the Western Hockey League - they would be ineligible to play in the NCAA. But that could be changing in the coming years.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the NCAA and Canadian Hockey League are currently talking about an agreement that would see players be allowed to play college hockey in the United States, even if they've played in the CHL.

"From what I understand, the CHL and the NCAA are talking very seriously about if you are eligible to go to school in the U.S. after your CHL career is done, you can go play for a NCAA team, this merger is going to happen at some point" Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast on Monday.

This would be massive for players who are 19 or 20-years-old as it gives them another option to play competitive hockey as their junior career comes to a close, especially if they don't get offers from professional teams in North America or Europe.

There's also a chance that it will lower, if not eliminate, the amount of players who are set to enter the drafts of these three CHL leagues and are considering not reporting to their respective team to remain eligible for the NCAA.

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