On Tuesday Dec. 10, College Hockey Inc.'s Director of Men’s Hockey Athlete Relations Chris Meriney came to Sixteen-Mile Sports Complex to help teach young hockey players and their families about playing in the NCAA in the United States.
Young hockey players (though none older than 16) came to the presentation with their parents to learn about a path they could take in their hockey careers.
The NCAA path helps hockey players progress and develop their game by learning from some of the best coaches at the college level, while also being given the chance to get a university or college degree.
Several players in southern Ontario who have made the NHL have taken this path: Owen Power, Adam Fantilli, and Zach Hyman, for example, all attended the University of Michigan.
This used to be a path that came at a high cost - and not just financially. Before this year, if you wanted to play in the NCAA, you could not play in the CHL because the NCAA viewed the CHL as "professional hockey", because players are given a $250 stipend per month.
But a recent agreement between the NCAA and the CHL has now given CHL players the ability to join the NCAA, starting next season in 2025.
Meriney was adamant that the NCAA is a great level for players looking to develop from the ages of 20-24, which is perfect for players in the CHL because they all graduate from that league by the time they are 20 or 21 depending on their birthday.
"We view the NCAA as the top of the development period," said Meriney. "It's less games [than the CHL] but you are going to get more time in the weight room, more time in the film room, along with more intense and meaning games against an older age group while still getting world class coaching and exposure to the NHL."
Before this agreement, there was not a level for CHL players to develop past their final CHL season but now they can in the NCAA while playing at the highest level in the age group.
The NCAA will give players the ability to develop and it will also give scouts the chance to watch you more closely and give you as a player more exposure and a better chance to play in the NHL or to play professional hockey somewhere around the world like in the European leagues.
The college level has proven that it can develop undrafted junior players into NHL prospects and the new agreement gives the league more players to help.