The NCAA Division I council voted Thursday to make Canadian Hockey League (major junior) players eligible for NCAA Division I hockey and those players may start to participate on NCAA Division I hockey teams effective August 1, 2025.
Players may participate in the CHL (Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League, and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League) without jeopardizing their NCAA Division I hockey eligibility provided they were not compensated above actual and necessary expenses for their participation.
The new eligibility for CHL players does not apply to NCAA Division III; CHL players are still ineligible for NCAA Division III hockey.
The United States Hockey League (USHL) released a statement shortly after today’s announcement.
“Since its inception, the United States Hockey League (USHL) development model has been holistically and intentionally aligned with the student-athlete experience,” reads the statement. “The USHL remains the world’s premier development path. All aspects of the league are focused on preparing athletes for collegiate and professional hockey, inclusive of on-ice, academic and character development. The USHL claims more than half of NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey players, while producing more NHL draft picks than any other league in the world over the past eight seasons. The USHL prepares players by providing them exposure, resources and experiences that empower young men for peak success.”
The CHL also released a statement.
“The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) along with its member leagues, the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), are aware of the rule change announced earlier today by the NCAA which alters the eligibility of CHL players allowing them to play NCAA Division 1 Hockey starting next season,” the statement said. “While we will take time to fully review this rule change, we believe this is a positive development that will provide our players with more opportunities to continue their hockey and academic careers following their time in the CHL. It will also give young players and their families more options in choosing their development path, which includes opening up the CHL – the best development hockey league in the world for players aged 16-20 – to more players worldwide. For 55 consecutive years, the CHL has been the number one supplier of talent to the NHL. At the beginning of the 2024-25 NHL campaign, there were 390 CHL graduates on NHL rosters, marking once again the most of any development league in the world. Additionally, at last summer’s 2024 NHL Draft, the CHL led the way as 88 CHL players were drafted including 14 in the first round.
“We remain strongly committed to carrying on that tradition of success on the ice while embracing the enhanced academic options that this rule change will present off the ice.”
OHL commissioner Bryan Crawford put out an open letter regarding today’s ruling.
“Today is a big day for hockey and the young players that make our great game so special,” Crawford wrote. “On behalf of the Ontario Hockey League, I’m excited to share the collective enthusiasm expressed league-wide following the NCAA Division I council’s vote affirming the eligibility of Canadian Hockey League players for NCAA Division I hockey programs effective August 1, 2025. This is a landmark decision that gives OHL players additional avenues and opportunities to pursue their hockey, academic and life goals upon graduation from our league. It also opens the OHL’s doors to talented young student athletes with NCAA aspirations, providing them the opportunity to take their game to the next level in the number one development league in the world. The OHL will continue to maintain a high standard as the leading supplier of talent to the National Hockey League while emphasizing the same blend of on-ice excellence with an off-ice commitment to character development and academics that has made the League what it is today.
“Through this transition, the league will continue to honor its commitments through the OHL scholarship and development program to players as they play out their years of eligibility, setting 20- and 21-year-old graduates up for success as they embark on new challenges both on the ice and in the classroom through both the NCAA and U SPORTS. The Ontario Hockey League has produced world class talent for decades, and this latest development signals a new chapter in the story of the greatest junior hockey league in the world. It’s a pleasure to be part of the OHL community and I share our collective excitement for what the future holds.”
WHL commissioner Dan Near today issued a statement.
“Today’s announcement that CHL players will now be eligible to compete in NCAA D1 Hockey beginning in the 2025-26 season represents a historic and consequential outcome that will be celebrated by all of those invested in the on- and off-ice development of young players,” said Near. “This decision creates opportunity for the brightest elite hockey players in Western Canada and the Western U.S. to now choose the WHL as the preferred destination for their development from the age of 16-20, without fear of compromising their NCAA eligibility. As always – the player is at the heart of what we do across the WHL through our 22 Member Clubs. Most of our graduates note their time in “The Dub” were the best years of their lives. We are thrilled that upon graduation from the WHL, players will have additional options as they pursue the next step in their personal and hockey journey. We look forward to the opportunity to welcome a new wave of talent and we take great pride in our responsibility to support all WHL players in the pursuit of their goals – be that on the ice, in the classroom, and as contributing members of the community.
“Players completing their eligibility with the WHL will continue to receive access to our leading post-secondary scholarship, funded by our 22 Member Clubs. In the 2023-24 season, the education bills for over 300 WHL Alumni were paid directly by the League and Clubs totaling in excess of $3 million in funding. The WHL is proud to continue this practice. The best in the West can now look forward to chasing their dreams alongside one another in the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players – the Western Hockey League.”
“We don’t have all the details of the new rule at this time, but based on what we do know, we view this historic change in a positive light,” added QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini in a statement. “First and foremost, I believe this is beneficial to younger players. The players and their families won’t have to rush to make an important decision at such a young age (15). All the best players from 16 to 20 years old will have the opportunity to play in the QMJHL (CHL), the best development league in the world.
“For the QMJHL and our 18 teams, the player is always at the heart of our priorities, added Cecchini. I hear often from our alumni that their years in the QMJHL were the best of their lives. We are delighted that after completing their careers in the QMJHL, players will have additional options to pursue their athletic and academic goals. We are also very much looking forward to welcoming a whole new wave of talented players, who, under the old rules, avoided our league to preserve their NCAA eligibility.”
“The QMJHL is proud to point out that once players’ commitments are completed, they have access to important scholarship programs. For the 2023-2024 season alone, over $2 million in scholarships were awarded to our alumni via the League and its teams. The QMJHL will continue to do everything in its power to contribute to the development, guidance and success of our players, both on the ice and at school.”
