NCAA Reportedly Set To Vote On Allowing Canadian Hockey League Players

There could be a pretty seismic shift coming to college hockey this week according to reports that the NCAA will vote Monday on whether or not to allow players with Canadian Hockey League experience — the highest level of junior hockey in Canada — to play at the college level.

For a long time, there have kind of been two paths to get to the National Hockey League. Young players either played in the CHL — which is made up of three leagues: the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League, and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League — or played in other junior leagues like the USHL and then played in college.

READ: COLLEGE CLUB HOCKEY JUST GAVE US AN EARLY SAVE OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE

A lawsuit filed over the summer is challenging and forcing the NCAA to consider changing things with the vote Monday, which was originally reported by USCHO.com.

According to the report, the NCAA Division I Council will meet to decide whether or not to adopt emergency legislation that would do away with the ban on major junior players. If they do, that would prevent any kind of court battle, which it sure seems like the NCAA would lose.

Kieran Cebrian of the Denver Pioneers and Gabe Perreault of the Boston College Eagles faceoff during the Division I Mens Ice Hockey Championship held at Xcel Energy Center. (Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

The NCAA considered CHL players to be professionals, but players only receive $600 per month stipends — which aren't even considered income for tax purposes — which are intended to cover living expenses, per Sportsnet.

This change will really shake up how players get to the NHL, especially as more and more high-end prospects are choosing to go the college route. This year's first overall pick in the NHL Draft, Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks played one season at Boston University before being drafted,

Last month, Braxton Whitehead of the WHL's Regina Pats became the first CHL to verbally commit to an NCAA program when he announced plans to play for the Arizona State Sun Devils in 2025, a move obviously made in anticipation of an NCAA about-face on this issue.