4 days ago
WHL Commissioner Dan Near reignites NCAA vs. AHL hockey debate
WHL Commissioner Dan Near (via Getty Images)
A simmering hockey development debate that has been around for a long time has erupted once more—and this time it's personal. WHL Commissioner Dan Near came out swinging in his podcast appearance this week, likening NCAA hockey to "business class" and challenging whether or not it properly prepares players for the ruggedness of pro hockey existence in the AHL.
Dan Near's "business class" insult of NCAA draws criticism
On July 16, WHL Commissioner Dan Near caused a stir when he made an appearance on the Pipeline Show podcast and offered a blunt analogy comparing NCAA hockey to flying business class. He maintained that players, after being introduced to the comfort of the college game, might not be prepared for the pro-level grind and the turbulence associated with it.
'I know people who have flown coach their whole life and then had an opportunity to get upgraded, and they sat in business class.
Do you know how hard it is to go back to coach once you've sat in business class?' he said. 'Well, the American Hockey League versus the NCAA environment—I'm not sure that playing a Friday-Saturday schedule and then pumping iron and drinking smoothies all week is necessarily the best segue into what the AHL grind is like.
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His words prompted instant backlash on the web, particularly given the timing—just days after the league's best WHL star, Gavin McKenna, pledged to Penn State, the first marquee CHL player to leap to NCAA hockey under the new eligibility standards.
NCAA advocates make the case that additional time, schooling, and focus on comprehensive development can be to the benefit of both the player and the individual. Detractors contend it has the potential to shelter players from pro-grade adversity.
Bottom line: No easy path to
NHL
Dan Near's comparison is inflammatory, perhaps, but it raises a legitimate question: Is NCAA hockey readying players for professional hockey's strain, or is it too cushy?
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With more CHL players looking to the college path and the AHL still pumping out NHL-ready talent, the argument isn't disappearing anytime soon. And while leagues vie for the future stars, the only thing certain is that the road to the NHL will continue to be anything but smooth.
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