GRAND FORKS — Canadian junior hockey majors will be eligible to play Division-I college hockey next season.

The NCAA Division-I Council led the way Thursday with a vote to change a long-standing rule that recognizes the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League as professional leagues.

Canadian Hockey League players are now eligible to be recruited. They will be included in the squad on August 1, 2025 and will be able to play next season.

This development will have a seismic impact on the hockey world.

More than 1,000 junior hockey players will become eligible for college hockey, making the player pool deeper than ever before. CHL teams will start losing top talent to the NCAA.

Youth leagues like the United States Hockey League, North American Hockey League and British Columbia Hockey League will have to fight to retain top college-bound talent because they will now have more options.

The NHL will have to redefine the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which has different entry-level signing parameters for CHL and NCAA players.

“We think this is a big moment in college hockey,” said Sean Hogan, executive director of College Hockey Inc. “In our opinion, this presents an opportunity for college hockey to share the best players in the world. We are excited about these changes.”

For decades, NCAA Regulation 12.2.3.2.4 ineligible CHL players because there are few players in the CHL who have signed NHL contracts.

Players who signed professional deals are still not college eligible.

In August, a player filed a class-action lawsuit in the Western District of New York accusing the NCAA of violating antitrust laws by making CHL players ineligible.

Player Rylan Masterson played two preseason games for the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL.

The NCAA opted to change its rules rather than fight the lawsuit, as it has done in many other recent cases.

The new rule subjects men’s hockey and skiing to the same rules as other NCAA sports and allows amateur players to compete against professionals as long as they are paid no more than “actual and necessary expenses” such as meals, lodging, transportation, etc. clothing, equipment, coaching, ice time, medical treatment and entry fees.

The new legislation will also have an impact on Europeans maintaining their NCAA eligibility.

The legislation comes just seven months after NCAA coaches gathered at their annual meeting in Florida and largely opposed opening the CHL.

At that time, they acknowledged the possibility of a lawsuit changing the rule and formed a committee to study the issue.

There is no need for that committee anymore.

College Hockey Inc. has served as the recruiting and promotional arm for the sport for over a decade. In addition to being a resource for schools looking to launch Division-I programs and researching information for programs, he also helped college hockey compete with the CHL for top players.

That fight will now shift to ensuring players remain academically eligible.

“He is no longer waging a war with the CHL,” Hogan said. “Our role is to make sure young players understand that college hockey is at the top of the pyramid.

“We will continue to take on the role of educating all players, including current CHL players, their families, managers, coaches, and anyone else who has an impact on young players, ensuring they are not only informed but also aware of the benefits of playing college hockey,” Hogan said. He told them what to do.

Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He was recognized four times by Associated Press Sports Editors as the Herald’s circulation division’s top beat writer and once as North Dakota’s sportswriter of the year. He lives in Grand Forks. Reach him at [email protected].