A new era of college athletics has come for ice hockey with the NCAA opening up eligibility to Canadian Hockey League players. The decision will have wide-ranging impacts.

An important point of clarity for both the CHL and NCAA will be whether NCAA programs will only have access to players not signed to pro contracts, with those around the CHL arguing players signed to NHL deals should remain ineligible to play college hockey. Currently, NHL contracts can slide in the CHL but not the NCAA.

Prospects with QMJHL, OHL, WHL previously had been seen as professionals, barred because of college hockey amateurism rules

Yesterday, Brad Elliott Schlossman was the first to report that the NCAA Division-I Council voted yes on the proposal to allow CHL players to maintain Division-I eligibility starting in the 2025-26 season.

The NCAA has lifted a longstanding restriction on CHL players, allowing them to compete at U.S. colleges starting next season. The decision, announced last week, is set to impact both individual players and the broader landscape of junior hockey leagues across B.

After months of speculation, news broke last week that CHL players would become eligible to play NCAA Division I hockey next season. While the news has been met with elation for many in the U.S., it’s not necessarily positive for Canadian hockey.