Wisconsin Badgers 2026 Offseason

[MavsFan]

I think it's going to hurt the developer type programs and help the Michigan's, MSU, Denver, Nodak, even BC / BU versus Wisconsin. Another adjustment Hastings will have to make.

I think it's absolutely going to hurt a program like Minnesota State. B1G and NCHC are likely to pick off the vast majority of blue-chip high-school kids who are capable of playing D1 hockey right away. MSU has relied on getting late bloomers out of junior A. That won't be a feasible business model anymore.

 

[GoBucky18]

I think it's absolutely going to hurt a program like Minnesota State. B1G and NCHC are likely to pick off the vast majority of blue-chip high-school kids who are capable of playing D1 hockey right away. MSU has relied on getting late bloomers out of junior A. That won't be a feasible business model anymore.

While it's concerning, nothing has been truly decided yet. I just hope the NCAA realizes that hockey is really a diff't sport and if you want a decent product on the ice, you have to allow for some caviat for when the clock starts. That assumes they would care though (I'm not holding my breath). A couple additional thoughts:

1) Major Jrs age out at 21, under proposed new model, they'd still get 2yrs of eligibility. I somewhat think this was a way for NCAA to limit influence of Major Jrs, but unless kids are all in on school, they were "hired guns" anyway. The best CHL players that aren't ready for NHL/AHL probably want to up their free agent stock in the NCAA (BIG/NCHC/HE) rather than languish in the ECHL/play overseas and not get any vis. I don't really think that changes.

2) Failure by the NCAA to realize probably less than 10% of HS graduating seniors are ready for NCAA D1 hockey other than NTDP players and actually takes options away from kids.

3) I don't see any of the CCHA/AHA schools really competing for the top young players under a new system like is proposed and will have to rely on transfer portal/CHL players to put together their roster each year. Sad.

4) I'm hoping against hope that if they do 5yr chunks, they at least say 5yrs from the 19th birthday (Sept 1 or Aug 1 cutoff) OR from date of high school graduation. That way it covers the FB/BB folks, and allows for a cple years of jr hockey devlopment from 17-19. That way if you're 19 on Sept 2nd, it allows for an additional year.