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Rules rewritten: How the NCAA is shaking up major junior hockey in Canada
Rules rewritten: How the NCAA is shaking up major junior hockey in Canada

Toronto Sun

time19 hours ago

  • Sport
  • Toronto Sun

Rules rewritten: How the NCAA is shaking up major junior hockey in Canada

This month, the best player in major junior hockey chose a new development path. Medicine Hat Tigers star Gavin McKenna warms up before a Memorial Cup game in Rimouski, Que., on Friday, May 23, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov) This month, the best player in major junior hockey chose a new development path. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Medicine Hat Tigers star Gavin McKenna announced on ESPN SportsCenter he would play for the Penn State Nittany Lions this fall in his final season before likely being picked No. 1 in the 2026 NHL draft. This wouldn't have been possible except for the NCAA changing a long-standing – and frankly, archaic – rule last fall to let skaters with Canadian Hockey League experience join U.S. college teams. That's not all. They also can be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for their services. The reported and repeated price tag for McKenna has been $700,000, though some agents and hockey observers don't think it's nearly that high in reality. The bottom line is Canada's most marketable hockey teen has opted to play south of the border and the Memorial Cup runner-up Tigers got nothing in return. It's a clear blow for the CHL, though its president believes it will take at least two or three years to determine the overall impact. 'When this rule change happened, universally, the (CHL) leadership group said it gave players more opportunity and choice,' Dan MacKenzie told Postmedia this week. 'We felt that was a good thing. I would stick by that. Gavin McKenna made the choice he felt was best for his career and it's within his rights to do that. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We're going to cheer him on next year.' For decades, talented kids as young as 15 had to pick either major junior or the NCAA. Some, like McKenna, will get to experience both before making the jump to the NHL. But there remain big factors to consider: quality of team and competition, length of season, importance of education and advancement opportunities. London Knights general manager Mark Hunter. (File photo) 'It's going to be interesting – both sides – where it all ends up,' said Mark Hunter, GM of the defending Memorial Cup champion London Knights. 'If you have a good program and spend time on your development side and make sure the players are doing everything they can to get better as a person and hockey player, your program will be fine. The ones that are not, it could be a struggle. Players can come and go. Everyone thinks it's greener somewhere else. It's not always . . .and there's no crystal ball here. 'The lay of the land is interesting right now.' SHOW US THE MONEY THE CHL is banking on McKenna as a unicorn. The Yukon 17-year-old played two productive seasons in Medicine Hat, but wasn't eligible for this year's NHL draft because he was born in December. The NHL draft cutoff date is Sept. 15. He's hardly the first phenom affected by a late birth date. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It happened to Auston Matthews 10 years ago. Instead of playing for the Western league's Everett Silvertips or a U.S. college, the future Toronto Maple Leafs captain opted to join Zurich in Switzerland for a reported $400,000 salary. McKenna has set the bar with his take-home pay at Penn State. Will there be a million-dollar NCAA hockey player at some point? Certainly, Connor McDavid would have commanded seven figures had he been in this situation in his junior days. Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula walks onto the field during warmups before the preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on August 19, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by) Penn State's big-name donor is alumnus Terry Pegula, who owns both the Buffalo Sabres and the NFL's Bills. The Pegula Ice Arena where McKenna will play seats just over 6,000 – more than Medicine Hat, but not nearly the size of some other big junior teams. Still, a university's ability to raise money is not limited to ticket sales and sponsorship like most junior franchises. 'There are only a handful of brand-name schools in hockey,' said player agent Andrew Maloney, of Maloney & Thompson Sports Management. 'There are some things we already know, but there is still some uncertainty. How much of a chilling factor will (money) have on players leaving the CHL early? What does the CHL-NHL agreement look like down the road? And how much money will be thrown around at these schools? This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I feel like (the payments) are not going to go down. Those are things we don't know at this point.' One NHL scout, speaking on condition of anonymity, called this a 'test dummy year' in the NCAA's drive to recruit CHL blue-chippers. 'In my opinion, how many schools can afford to keep doing this?' the scout said. 'Are you only paying for first-liners, or will fourth-liners get NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) money, too? That's up in the air right now. And if this doesn't work out, how are you going to get kids to come back who aren't actually NHL players and are going for an education? 'There isn't an answer to that yet.' This leads to the obvious question: Will the CHL counter by relaxing its recruitment rules and letting players be paid salaries instead of weekly stipends? The three leagues have defended themselves from lawsuits by claiming their players are student-athletes who live with billets and earn tuition for years spent in the major junior ranks. MacKenzie noted that everything is currently 'on the table.' 'The financial element is something I think for the vast majority of players shouldn't be the context for a real decision-making factor,' he said. 'For the vast majority of those players, the money being offered isn't life-changing and . . . shouldn't alter your development path. If you believe playing in the CHL in your 19th year is what's best, but you will forego NIL money, you will probably make it back when you sign your NHL contract. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I think money is part of the equation. It's not all the equation.' THE HARD NUMBERS The CHL's biggest worry isn't just McKenna. Keaton Verhoeff, another sure-fire NHL top five pick in 2026, committed to North Dakota after two years with the WHL's Victoria Royals. The 17-year-old defenceman is an elite talent the CHL would like to retain for a few more seasons. So far, five major junior players have made the move to U.S. college this summer for what would be their 17- or 18-year-old seasons. Most NCAA commits from the CHL – 85 per cent – are forgoing their over-age season (20 years old) or graduates no longer eligible for junior hockey. That includes Memorial Cup-winning London Knights goalie Austin Elliott and CHL top netminder Jackson Parsons of the Kitchener Rangers. Austin Elliott of the London Knights makes a save during Game 1 of their OHL playoff series against the Owen Sound Attack at Canada Life Place in London on Friday March 28, 2025. (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press) The CHL figures the NCAA rule change resulted in 225-plus players from other leagues choosing major junior for the coming season, while 143 U.S.-born players were selected in the OHL, WHL and QMJHL drafts – the most in a decade. 'It's pretty clear at this point younger players that would have previously played in the BCHL (B.C. Hockey League) or otherwise are good enough to play major junior,' Maloney said. 'Those guys are coming into the league now at age 16 and 17. Some of the high-end 20-year-olds are not coming back for an over-age season. They're going to the NCAA. So are guys who previously went to Canadian university. Now they're getting a shot at U.S. college and all of that is very positive. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'What's less clear is what will happen with those high-end 17- to 19-year-olds. Gavin McKenna didn't win the Memorial Cup, but what else could he possibly do in junior?' THE TUG-OF-WAR The benefit of attracting a talent like McKenna is obvious. If you're a Nittany Lion, you get to play with him. If you're in the Big 10, you get to play against him and that's also good for your development. But by staying in the CHL, you can experience longer regular seasons and the intensity of traditional NHL-style playoffs. 'You can't teach how to play in a seven-game series,' MacKenzie said. 'NHL teams like to see their drafted players go through it. It's a grind and it becomes a tell. It's harder to identify for players who only play 34 games and could get knocked out after two games in March (in college).' Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson reacts in the third period of their NHL game against the New York Rangers on Nov. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File) Reigning Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson of the Canadiens and the Sharks' 2024 NHL first overall pick Macklin Celebrini were ousted early while together at Boston University. Unless things change dramatically, you still need quality third- and fourth-year players to win a national title. It's the same as requiring top-notch 19-year-olds to win the Memorial Cup. 'You interview the kids before the draft and ask them about their plans,' the NHL scout said. 'No team will try to sway them, because this is 2025 and it's their career. Some say they have options and will know what to do after they're picked. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'All of them are promised rainbows and lollipops by teams and schools, but they have to see what it's like when they get there. It might not end up being what they thought and we'll see in November if some players go kicking and screaming back to where they were.' It will take time for most CHL markets to offer what many NCAA programs do in terms of dressing room, gym and facilities. The OHL recently showed off the Oshawa Generals' gorgeous home space on social media, but that's more the exception than the rule. Eight CHL teams, including Oshawa, Kitchener, Barrie and London, are upgrading facilities while three more – Sudbury, Brantford and Ottawa – plan new arenas. The CHL also expanded its import draft to three rounds, resulting in about 20 more players being selected. 'Our teams were keen on making sure we continue to have the calibre of play as high as it can be,' MacKenzie said. 'The third import was designed to do that. There are always topics on the agenda to make sure we're developing players in the best way and have the right environment – be it facilities, training and staff – as they get older. 'We want to continue to be a place where 19-year-olds can thrive.' LOOSE ENDS Sam Dickinson was the CHL's top defenceman last season. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. If the 19-year-old doesn't make the Sharks this fall, he'll be sent back to the London Knights, just like Easton Cowan of the Maple Leafs when he was the same age. Sam Dickinson of the London Knights celebrates after scoring to give his team a 3-0 lead over the Owen Sound Attack in Game 1 of their OHL playoff series at Canada Life Place in London on Friday March 28, 2025. (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press) The American league is not available to CHL players like Dickinson or this year's top picks, such as Michael Misa and Porter Martone, until they're in their age-20 year. The NCAA is only an option for players who remained unsigned by their NHL teams. 'I don't know why it's a rule (anymore), because they've professionalized themselves in every way,' Maloney said of U.S. colleges. 'But you still can't go back to school after signing a contract. The CHL and NHL will negotiate at some point and we'll see what happens after that.' There are two years remaining on the NHL-CHL deal, but that can be reopened to discuss teens playing in the American league. 'The NHL has not exercised that yet,' MacKenzie said. 'Based on the reporting around the CBA (collective bargaining agreement), that's on their minds. We have been partners with the NHL for a long time and will talk to them about this issue.' The CHL produced 90 selections (40 per cent) in the NHL draft last month – the most in nine years – and at least 21 first-round picks for the fifth time since 1969. But the big question is where they end up after hearing their name called. 'I think we'll see the best 17- and 18-year-olds playing against their draft class peers (in the CHL),' the scout said, 'but will we see them pushed against the best 19- and 20-year-olds trying to make it to the Memorial Cup? 'We don't know.' rpyette@ WILL THIS CHANGE? (2025 NHL draft picks by NHL teams) Canadian Hockey League: 90 United States Hockey League: 40 Sweden: 34 Russia: 22 NCAA: 9

Yuri Collins with the 2 Pt
Yuri Collins with the 2 Pt

Yahoo

time15-07-2025

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Yuri Collins with the 2 Pt

Five NHL Teams Who Could Land Gavin McKenna In The 2026 NHL Draft Earlier this week, projected 2026 first-overall pick Gavin McKenna committed to Penn State University. He is undoubtedly a massive pickup for the school, as he dominated the Western Hockey League (WHL) over the last few seasons. This past campaign with the Medicine Hat Tigers was his best, though, as he had 41 goals and 129 points in 56 regular-season games and 38 points in 16 playoff games. 2:38 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing

Gavin McKenna commits to Penn State for 2025-26 season
Gavin McKenna commits to Penn State for 2025-26 season

CTV News

time10-07-2025

  • Sport
  • CTV News

Gavin McKenna commits to Penn State for 2025-26 season

Gavin McKenna, the 17-year-old hockey superstar of the Medicine Hat Tigers, has committed to Penn State for next season. Gavin McKenna is taking his talents south of the border for his draft-eligible season. The former Medicine Hat Tiger sees Penn State and the NCAA as his best path to prepare for the NHL. 'I think it honestly just makes the jump easier. Going against older, heavier, stronger guys, I think it really prepares you, and I think even in the locker room, you know, hanging around older guys and being around more mature guys, I think that will help me a lot,' said McKenna during an interview on ESPN announcing his commitment. The projected 2026 first overall pick lit up the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers last season. The 17-year-old from Whitehorse racked up 129 points in 56 regular season games en route to a WHL championship and Memorial Cup final appearance. He's arguably the most notable prospect to ever commit to an NCAA school. 'Don't think it was a shock to see him commit. I think it had been going that direction for quite a while. From the U.S. perspective, it was more the team he committed to, because Penn State does not have this history of having a lot of really high-end NHL-type players,' said Brad Schlossman, a college hockey writer for the Grand Forks Herald. NCAA schools can offer players money through name, image and likeness deals as well as direct payments. McKenna will make a reported $700,000 this year to play for Penn State. While most players won't get anything close to that, most players are eyeing up the facilities NCAA schools can offer. 'Players are making decisions based on not only monetary and financial reasons, let's be clear here. We can't dismiss that either, but also for different development reasons,' said TSN director of scouting Craig Button. McKenna was able to make the move after the NCAA made CHL players eligible last summer. So far, more than 150 CHL players have committed to NCAA schools, with the vast majority being 19- and 20-year-olds. At this point, CHL member leagues say they're not worried. 'What I can tell you is we're not going to sit here with our arms crossed. We're going to continue to fuel the player development experience and put players in a position to advance their career to pro,' said WHL commissioner Dan Near. McKenna is one of four former Medicine Hat Tigers players who will be playing in the NCAA this fall.

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