CHL Statement on the NCAA Rule Change

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) along with its Member Leagues, the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), are aware of the rule change announced earlier today by the NCAA which alters the eligibility of CHL players allowing them to play NCAA Division 1 Hockey starting next season.

While we will take time to fully review this rule change, we believe this is a positive development that will provide our players with more opportunities to continue their hockey and academic careers following their time in the CHL. It will also give young players and their families more options in choosing their development path, which includes opening up the CHL – the best development hockey league in the world for players aged 16-20 – to more players worldwide.

For 55 consecutive years, the CHL has been the number one supplier of talent to the NHL. At the beginning of the 2024-25 NHL campaign, there were 390 CHL graduates on NHL rosters, marking once again the most of any development league in the world. Additionally, at last summer’s 2024 NHL Draft, the CHL led the way as 88 CHL players were drafted including 14 in the first round.

We remain strongly committed to carrying on that tradition of success on the ice while embracing the enhanced academic options that this rule change will present off the ice.