In a potential seismic shift in the development paths of NHL prospects, there have been recent discussions about opening the door for players from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) to play NCAA hockey if they desire. Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek of Rogers Sportsnet's '32 Thoughts' podcast and Chris Peters of FloHockey's 'Talking Hockey Sense' podcast have reported that there is appetite from both sides to make this change.
The CHL is widely regarded as the premier development league in the world, but players forfeit their NCAA eligibility if they participate in any games in the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, or Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. This has led many top draft prospects to choose the college path, causing frustration in CHL circles.
