NCAA allowing CHL players

[cberkas]

Since the prospective recruit's thread has been getting off topic a bit lately, let talk about the NCAA/CHL agreement here.

 

This is interesting.  

[Yote 53]

Having CHL players eligible for NCAA hockey will hurt American born players.  Players, predominantly Canadian, that go the CHL route as a faster track to the NHL will now have the fall back of NCAA hockey taking roster spots from American born players in the USHL/NAHL/NCDC.  The NHL today has grown to 1/3 American born players largely because of the NCAA route.  It's simply a numbers game.  Less opportunities in NCAA for American born players will mean less American born players moving on to the NHL.  Not to mention the impact on youth hockey players in the USA that dream of growing up and playing for UND, the Gophers, Wolverines, Terriers, etc.  Less roster spots available, less opportunities, and this will trickle down from NCAA D1 hockey all the way to D3 and even to the ACHA who also does not allow CHL players.  Yes, this trickles all the way down to club hockey.

Another effect will be on the USHL.  I imagine there will be pressure to now offer stipends to players like the CHL does.  The hook that the USHL had, retain your NCAA eligibility, is now gone.  To compete on a level playing field with the CHL for players they will now have to offer the same package (compensation) that the CHL does.  This will put a strain on the USHL teams budgets as they adjust.  There isn't much, if any money in American junior hockey to begin with.  The USHL has nothing like the CHL media rights contract in Canada to generate additional revenue beyond gate and concession sales.

In conclusion, if you have youth hockey player in the USA who has a dream of maybe one day playing college hockey this sucks, because things just got a whole lot tougher.