CHL to NCAA Recruiting Megathread

[cinnamoroll]

I wanted to make a general thread about CHL recruiting because the nuances of the major junior leagues are different than the typical junior landscape. I’ve chimed into a few different threads if they show interest/receive a commitment from a player I’m familiar with.

There’s a few misconceptions or often missing context to some common takes I’ve seen, which makes sense if you aren’t familiar with the different leagues. Consider this a place for tips and news around the entire league, ask any questions about teams or players.

I’m no expert in the CHL leagues and I’m more familiar with some teams than others, but I have a general grasp of the league and do a lot of draft/prospect sort of research as a personal hobby, mostly focused on my Sharks. If I don’t have an answer to a question, I can look into it or if someone else knows the answer, feel free to contribute. Some of these are also matters of opinion, such as the difference between the leagues.

There’s a lot of things to still be determined in terms of how the junior leagues and college recruiting landscape will ultimately settle into post-CHL eligibility decisions. Here are a few of the things I’ve felt are missing in some of the CHL recruiting discourse:

CHL League's Big Concern

CHL teams/league announcements of a player commitment usually has some line about "at the completion of their CHL eligibility" to emphasize that they want to keep players around. It's more a concern for the super high end younger players who would make enough money NIL wise that forfeiting their CHL scholarship package would not make a difference, but still a touchy subject.

It's a similar issue that lead to the CHL/NHL agreement that prevents players from going to the AHL full-time from major junior until their 20 y/o year- revenue and attendance. Connor Bedard sold out nearly every arena in the WHL his draft season.

Overage rules

General note: the declaration of your age for things like drafts and overage is birth year, so this years overage players are all born in 2004.

I think the overwhelming amount of overage players we are seeing right now is an immediate balancing act but we are going to see more and more CHL commits for younger players.

Overage players are usually a good bet to take, because they are a finite resource and them being on a team means they're considered very valuable. CHL teams are limited to 3 20 y/o max and basically up until the trade deadline (mid-January) they are in danger of becoming obsolete and traded for an upgrade or even released. I'd imagine scouts also have more reports on them and plenty of NCAA teams are tapping into outside scouts with more major junior viewings as well as their own viewings.

Cyclical nature of rebuilds

The cycles of contending and rebuilding goes very fast and it is very rare that a team will win a championship and remain at the top of the league the next year. Last season WHL champs Moose Jaw are dead last, and they traded their own first round pick for the next 3 seasons in various trades to load up for it. CHL trades are absolutely goofy to see, because for super high-end acquisition like for trade deadline can involve 12+ assets in picks and prospects.

One situation a team will be guaranteed to contend is if they are hosting the Memorial Cup. This year the host is Rimousk Océanic in QMJHL, cycles through the leagues. Host gets an automatic spot, along with each league champs. if the host wins their league, the runner ups get a bid. Teams usually get a lot of local support and more effort is put into improving the arena and making the team a formidable opponent. Next year is the WHL's turn, winning bid was Kelowna Rockets.

Effects of Hockey Canada policies

The politics in Hockey Canada can effect the leagues more, such as recent scandals to do with hazing and assaults. They govern a lot of the overarching policies, including eligibility. Junior league sanctions must be followed, which usually means scouts cannot go to their games and players looking to be drafted need a special exception.

Other CHL-wide things: Memorial Cup, the import draft, roster limits on import player (2) and overage players.

Hockey Canada has to approve exceptional status players (for the really good 14/15-year-olds, Crosby McDavid Bedard etc). Currently there are 2 playing in the CHL: Everett Silvertips D Landon Dupont 2024, Saginaw Spirit C Michael Misa in 2022.

Difference in the leagues

In terms of which league gets to draft certain players: draft rights to youth players is based on location. That's a very generic overview of the boundaries, but it is based on province/state.

One notable exception to this is the sons of former OHL players are allowed to declare for OHL draft regardless of their territory. There could be rules like this in the W or Q, but I hadn't seen any mentions of it anywhere. Afaict, the OHL used to draft from what is now QMJHL territory, and most of the instances of this rule are Nova Scotians who went home after pro careers and wanted their sons in the OHL. OHL also predates both WHL and QMJHL by roughly 7 decades.

WHL: Western Hockey League 22 teams

5 teams in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, 1 in Manitoba, 5 in Washington, and Portland OR.​

WHL draft is U15​

WHL territory covers a lot of land, but not a lot is super populated (midwest and yukon/northern territories) or untraditional hockey markets in southwestern US​

Reputation is defensively-sound and nastier, more physical and lots of fights.​

OHL: Ontario Hockey League, 20 teams

U16 draft​

17 teams in ontario plus 2 michigan, 1 pennsylvania​

OHL is in between W and Q in offense.​

Primarily drafts from Ontario’s AAA bantam teams.​

Oldest league, can be traced back to 1892​

QMJHL: Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, 18 teams

12 teams in Quebec, 3 in New Brunswick, 2 in Nova Scotia, 1 on Prince Edward Island.​

Quebec teams almost entirely communicate in french. Atlantic teams commentate/post in English or in both languages, most of them are in Atlantic Time which is 1 hour ahead of EST.​

Has a much smaller pool of players to pick from, especially since new england players previously leaned college. language barrier doesn’t help.​

Considered top heavy and not very defense oriented. Fighting is also outright banned in the Q, like in NCAA​

Team reputations

Some teams have relocated a lot since some markets can’t support a team (Hamilton) or ownership changes or competition with NHL markets. there are teams with very old rinks or tough recording setups. 2 WHL teams play in NHL arenas (Calgary Hitmen and Edmonton Oil Kings). Calgary Flames actually owns the Hitmen franchise. most recent relocation is Mississauga -> Brampton Steelheads, upcoming one is Acadie-Bathurst Titan -> Newfoundland Regiment starting next season after ownership change.

Notable teams:

• London Knights (OHL) last missed playoffs in 2000, reigning champs likely to go for a repeat. High end prospects used to threaten going NCAA to force a trade to them. Owned/coached/managed by the Hunter family. Absurd alumni list, currently most famous is probably Patrick Kane.
• Oshawa Generals (OHL) most titles in the OHL, lost to London in finals last year. alumni include Bobby Orr and Eric Lindros
• Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) tough season this year but historically very successful and the heart of Nova Scotian hockey. Notable alumni- Nathan MacKinnon
• Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL) hosting this years mem cup, you might have heard of their most famous alumni... Sidney Crosby.
• Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL) most titles in the Q, alumni Luc Robitaille, Claude Giroux
• Kamloops Blazers (WHL) most titles in the W but it's been a while since their last, hosted 2023 mem cup, notable alumni Jarome Iginla, Shane Doan
• Portland Winterhawks (WHL) first team to relocate to the US in 1976 after Oilers forced them out of Edmonton. alumni- Cam Neely, Marián Hossa
• Calgary Hitmen (WHL) first WHL team to succeed in the same city as an NHL team via expansion (Ottawa 67's predated the current Senators incarnation). Play in saddledome, same ownership group, founded by/named after Brad Hitmen Hart. alumni Ryan Getzlaf
• Kelowna Rockets (WHL) next years mem cup host, was meant to host in 2020... that did not happen obviously. Their logo/mascot is the Ogopogo which is amazing. alumni Shea Weber, Jamie Benn, Tyler Myers

League this year

Current top teams in each league are:
OHL: London Knights, Kitchener Rangers, Windsor Spitfires, Brantford Bulldogs.
QMJHL: Moncton Wildcats, Rimouski Océanic, Drummondville Voltigeurs, Chicoutimi Saguenéens
WHL: Everett Silvertips, Medicine Hat Tigers, Spokane Chiefs, Calgary Hitmen.

Moncton and London have fairly extreme leads in their leagues, 10 points ahead for Moncton and 9 points for London.

The regular season ends for OHL and WHL March 23rd, QMJHL ends a week earlier.

Feel free to ask any questions about any of this or any other topics you want to hear about.

 

[Sparkee]

A question I have is say a player got injured at end of overage year. Then couldn’t play the next season. Then now he can enter NCAA next fall as an ‘03. Does he lose a year of NCAA eligibility even though he couldn’t play due to injury? This is a scenario that might apply to Maine recruit Jeremy Langlois. I don’t know if you get a grace period if you have to miss a year due to injury or if he loses that year and can only now play 3 seasons?

 

[Patman]

A question I have is say a player got injured at end of overage year. Then couldn’t play the next season. Then now he can enter NCAA next fall as an ‘03. Does he lose a year of NCAA eligibility even though he couldn’t play due to injury? This is a scenario that might apply to Maine recruit Jeremy Langlois. I don’t know if you get a grace period if you have to miss a year due to injury or if he loses that year and can only now play 3 seasons?

If he didn't enroll in a college there shouldn't be a problem. College/university enrollment starts your eligibility time frame.

There was at one point a time/age element to ncaa eligibility with qualifiers (military service for instance). The intent was to stop the slide of overage freshmen which was becoming a problem in some sports, particularly mens ice hockey.

I don't know if this is still around

 

[cinnamoroll]

A question I have is say a player got injured at end of overage year. Then couldn’t play the next season. Then now he can enter NCAA next fall as an ‘03. Does he lose a year of NCAA eligibility even though he couldn’t play due to injury? This is a scenario that might apply to Maine recruit Jeremy Langlois. I don’t know if you get a grace period if you have to miss a year due to injury or if he loses that year and can only now play 3 seasons?

What patman stated is correct on the NCAA side of things. CHL side of things has the caveat in that you have a set amount of time after your overage year (whether or not you played it) to cash in on the scholarship. Langlois is under the QMJHL, so from what i can tell he has until Fall 2028 to apply. I think timelines are similar or shorter in the other leagues, also could have other rules governing how they go about getting their scholarship money, possible exceptions etc.

This specific situation will be just fine on both ends even if he needs extra time. If he isn't ready to go by fall and doesn't enroll immediately, he could probably play junior A level as part of his rehab, or he enrolls and does his rehab on campus.

 

[cinnamoroll]

Almost forgot- the OHL and WHL both have free-view games of the week that livestream on youtube. WHL does theirs on Wednesday, OHL is on friday. The whole games available after the livestream ends too.

In general the CHL is very good with consistent highlight uploads and most of the social media teams are on top of things, so tape on these players is very accessible.

 

[Sparkee]

What patman stated is correct on the NCAA side of things. CHL side of things has the caveat in that you have a set amount of time after your overage year (whether or not you played it) to cash in on the scholarship. Langlois is under the QMJHL, so from what i can tell he has until Fall 2028 to apply. I think timelines are similar or shorter in the other leagues, also could have other rules governing how they go about getting their scholarship money, possible exceptions etc.

This specific situation will be just fine on both ends even if he needs extra time. If he isn't ready to go by fall and doesn't enroll immediately, he could probably play junior A level as part of his rehab, or he enrolls and does his rehab on campus.

Isn’t that CHL scholarship only for Canadian colleges? I’m guessing he, and other OA recruits, get school paid for fully by NCAA. So in some ways it benefits CHL if they don’t have to pay out scholarships to these players if they go NCAA route.

 

[Sparkee]

Almost forgot- the OHL and WHL both have free-view games of the week that livestream on youtube. WHL does theirs on Wednesday, OHL is on friday. The whole games available after the livestream ends too.

In general the CHL is very good with consistent highlight uploads and most of the social media teams are on top of things, so tape on these players is very accessible.

I agree with this 100%. All 3 CHL leagues websites have video highlights of each game. So easy to find some footage on recruits top plays. Far superior to the lack of organization of video highlights from all the junior A leagues.

 

[cinnamoroll]

Isn’t that CHL scholarship only for Canadian colleges? I’m guessing he, and other OA recruits, get school paid for fully by NCAA. So in some ways it benefits CHL if they don’t have to pay out scholarships to these players if they go NCAA route.

Not at all, though the monetary amount is based on where you are living.

From the OHL’s NCAA FAQ:

2. Is an OHL player able to utilize their scholarship at an NCAA school?

Yes, up to the amount of scholarship funds available as outlined in the player’s Scholarship and Development Agreement. This amount is determined by the posted costs of tuition, books and fees for a general program at the University closest to the student athlete’s home residence at the time of signing. Student athletes can use their scholarship at any post-secondary institution of their choice, even if they receive financial support from other sources.

The QMJHL monetary amount is a scalable flat fee based on semesters annd courses and requires a player to have completed some education while in the Q. Basically $600 per course, per semester with caps on total per semester.

WHL doesn’t have specifics on their monetary amount and it’s based on years you played in the WHL, so if you only played 3 you could only get the scholarship for 3 of your 4 years. The time to claim is also shorter- within 18 months.

 

[Sparkee]

Not at all, though the monetary amount is based on where you are living.

From the OHL’s NCAA FAQ:



The QMJHL monetary amount is a scalable flat fee based on semesters annd courses and requires a player to have completed some education while in the Q. Basically $600 per course, per semester with caps on total per semester.

WHL doesn’t have specifics on their monetary amount and it’s based on years you played in the WHL, so if you only played 3 you could only get the scholarship for 3 of your 4 years. The time to claim is also shorter- within 18 months.

So how will it work… Can a player get their money from their CHL league and full tuition from the NCAA school? If so, it would be a very popular choice to go the NCAA route. Add to that some NIL money and they would be doing pretty good.

 

[pdt1081]

So how will it work… Can a player get their money from their CHL league and full tuition from the NCAA school? If so, it would be a very popular choice to go the NCAA route. Add to that some NIL money and they would be doing pretty good.

NIL is kinda funny because non-US citizens need a work visa to be eligible. Most kids coming for school are on student visa.

 

[Patman]

NIL is kinda funny because non-US citizens need a work visa to be eligible. Most kids coming for school are on student visa.

there are ways around it. You pay them when they go home to Canada.

 

[Sparkee]

I saw a player, Krzyzstof Macias, on Moose Jaw of WHL played in a league called Czechia, which is a pro league. Is he ineligible for NCAA hockey?

Krzysztof Macias - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Krzysztof Macias, 2004-05-14 Nowy Targ, POL Poland. Most recently in the WHL with Moose Jaw Warriors. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

 

[cinnamoroll]

I saw a player, Krzyzstof Macias, on Moose Jaw of WHL played in a league called Czechia, which is a pro league. Is he ineligible for NCAA hockey?

Krzysztof Macias - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Krzysztof Macias, 2004-05-14 Nowy Targ, POL Poland. Most recently in the WHL with Moose Jaw Warriors. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

I think the same as other european pro leagues, evaluated on case-by-case basis. he played 5 games total, maybe he has to sit out a bit, or if he proves that they only provided funding for necessary expenses it won't be much of anything. I don't know the ins and outs of Czech Extraliga contracts, the league doesn't publicly release player salaries. I'd guess it would be an uphill battle.

ok on further research: freshman Tomas Machu at Providence played 11 games in Czech Extraliga. I can't find anything about if he needed to sit out a few games like SHL players, he played 28 games this season.

 

[Sparkee]

I think the same as other european pro leagues, evaluated on case-by-case basis. he played 5 games total, maybe he has to sit out a bit, or if he proves that they only provided funding for necessary expenses it won't be much of anything. I don't know the ins and outs of Czech Extraliga contracts, the league doesn't publicly release player salaries. I'd guess it would be an uphill battle.

ok on further research: freshman Tomas Machu at Providence played 11 games in Czech Extraliga. I can't find anything about if he needed to sit out a few games like SHL players, he played 28 games this season.

Machu played in the second game of the season against ASU. So he didn’t sit more than 1 game it seems. That must mean Macias is capable of playing NCAA with minimal games to sit out if any.

 

[cinnamoroll]

Tangential piece of news from one of the leagues most concerned about the new rules affecting their pool of players- USports, the canadian university hockey org, was one of the main next steps for CHL players that didn’t go pro. They have a rule about having to sit out a year if you play pro hockey after christmas of the first year you try pro.

An interesting rule change will be announced by U Sports. Hockey players who have played pro will be eligible to play U SPORTS with no sit out period (was 365 days). It will be effective in fall so there are young players in pro now who would be avail to U SPORTS roster in fall.

 

[UW student and hockey fan]

Who are the best few players in all of the CHL committed to NCAA schools? I am a Wisconsin fan and definitely excited about Oliver Tulk, Daniel Hauser, and Blake Montgomery but not sure where they stack up compared to other top commits. Any insight is appreciated.

 

[Puckstopper467]

This is a crime to allow these players in. The NCAA should be fined and broken up. How about the last 40 years and all the American kids who were not allowed to play in the CHL? Maybe all those kids should sue the NCAA and claim discrimination

 

[cinnamoroll]

Who are the best few players in all of the CHL committed to NCAA schools? I am a Wisconsin fan and definitely excited about Oliver Tulk, Daniel Hauser, and Blake Montgomery but not sure where they stack up compared to other top commits. Any insight is appreciated.

I can give a generic overview of the bigger names

there's largely 3 different categories of commits to talk about:

First is the already committed players moving from lower leagues to the CHL, like Blake Montgomery (UW). He's one of the higher end names in that and is already drafted. A lot of the others are draft-eligibles like Lev Katzin (PSU) and Simon Wang (BU)

Next is those overage players who should join next year.
Some big scorers:
WHL - Shea Van Olm (PSU), Oliver Tulk (UW), Kyle Chyzowski (DU)
OHL- Cedrick Guidon (UVM), Pano Fimis (Notre Dame), Adrian Misaljevic (Clarkson)
QMJHL- Jonathan Fauchon (Providence), Justin Côté (Clarkson), Markus Vidicek (Quinnipiac)

Standout Goaltenders:
WHL: Daniel Hauser (UW), Max Hildebrand (BSU)
OHL: Austin Elliott (UML), Nate Krawchuk (RPI)
QMJHL: Jacob Steinman (BGSU), Joshua Fleming (PSU)

Another interesting case is Tyson Jugnauth who left college (i think wisconsin?) to join the WHL midway through last season, so he isn't so much as a commit as a transfer portal recruit in a round-about way... He's going to MSU.

The final (and smallest at this point) group is the CHL players who are not overage, so they are expected to enroll for a few years. The only one I really know of so far is Evan Van Gorp (Maine)

If I'm forgetting someone who is worth a note, feel free to add to this list, especially the first and third group.

I'll try to compile a list of players and their commitments per team, def could help with playoffs

 

[cinnamoroll]

Also: the american teams!

Currently there are 3 in the OHL and 6 in the WHL.

Two OHL teams are in Michigan- Flint Firebirds, Saginaw Spirit. The other is in Erie, Pennsylvania.

5 WHL teams are in Washington- Everett Silvertips, Seattle Thunderbirds, Spokane Chiefs, Tri-City Americans (Kennewick), and Wenatchee Wild. The remaining american team is in Oregon, the Portland Winterhawks.

CHL games are usually pretty fun environments, so if you find yourself in those areas or if you live near one of them, I would check it out. Even if your team doesn't have a recruit on that team, you could go see a game where a commit is visiting.

 

[pdt1081]

This is a crime to allow these players in. The NCAA should be fined and broken up. How about the last 40 years and all the American kids who were not allowed to play in the CHL? Maybe all those kids should sue the NCAA and claim discrimination

Are you that guy on X that comments on every commitment announcement asking if they're American? Saying all tax dollars should be cut off for the schools that award scholarships to non-American players.