FIVE MINUTE MAJOR - SEP 5, 2024 It’s a new week in major junior hockey as the preseason approaches for the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL). It’s already been going on for a little while for the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

It’s a new week in major junior hockey as the preseason approaches for the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL). It’s already been going on for a little while for the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

In the WHL, the Spokane Chiefs are once again providing students at Eastern Washington University (EWU) in Cheney to see WHL hockey live. Like last year, they’re once again hosting the Portland Winterhawks at the EWU Recreation Center’s ice rink. The facility houses EWU’s club hockey team in American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and they draw well. This gives students the ability to see good hockey for a super affordable price without having to go very far unlike how they’d have to during the regular season.

As far as college hockey is concerned, there have been rumors swirling for quite some time about the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and its player eligibility status with the NCAA.

There’s a strong rumor going around about the possibility of a partnership between the NCAA and Canadian Hockey League (CHL). If it indeed happens, it’d be a huge landmark event for the junior hockey world and its players.

Right now, players that plan or are signed to play at the NCAA level can only participate in Junior-A leagues and not at the major junior level. To this point, the NCAA has considered the CHL a professional league in its eyes. Until an agreement is reached, players can only go from the NCAA to the CHL and not the other way around.

While an agreement would be huge for players that might otherwise choose the CHL before heading to the NCAA after they age out, Junior-A leagues would take a hit. Junior-A leagues could lose top players pursuing a professional career after college to the CHL.

Right now, leagues such as the United States Hockey League (USHL) and independent British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) thrive by producing elite players that go on to the NCAA ranks.

As far as being able to play collegiately and not at the club level in the ACHA in the states, after their career in the CHL, players currently are only able to play at the U Sports level in Canada. That’s another league that could be hurt by a potential partnership between the CHL and the NCAA. There would likely be talent that otherwise currently goes to U Sports that would choose the NCAA.

While this partnership if it happens would hurt Junior-A leagues and U Sports in Canada, there are positives to it for players and scouts as well as both the CHL and NCAA. Scouts wouldn’t have to necessarily travel to so many places if the players they were watching were grouped closer together in the CHL or NCAA. US born players also wouldn’t necessarily have to play in the ACHA or go to U Sports after their CHL career if they didn’t turn professional, at least soon thereafter. Those players could also get more exposure than they likely would at the ACHA or U Sports level. There’s also the potential for NIL deals as well at the NCAA ranks.