Last month, the NCAA announced a rules change that will make all CHL players eligible to join the league next season.
Previously, players with CHL experience were barred from playing in the NCAA as they were considered to be professional players.
The change will have a massive impact on the future of the NHL draft and player development.
Will will start to see highly touted prospects commit to NCAA programs as a way to face tough competition in their draft and draft+1 seasons.
2025 top prospect Michael Misa appears to be one of the first players committing to the jump as reports emerged today that he is signing with Boston College.
Misa is expected to be a top-five pick in the upcoming draft and has been compared to all-time great players like Joe Thornton and Mitch Marner.
This move may even increase his draft value as leaving the CHL will also make him eligible to play in the AHL a season early should he leave BC but isn't quite ready to make the jump to the NHL.
That might seem like a small thing, but NHL general managers and scouting departments absolutely take these things into consideration when deciding who to draft.
It is easy to see why there is so much hype around Misa. The 17-year-old center has size at 6'1" and can score with the best of them.
Through 25 OHL games this season, he has 25 goals and 49 points putting him on pace for a 66-goal, 129-point season.
Quite simply, Misa is the kind of player you can only find at the draft. Whichever team lands him will be very happy they did in a relatively short period of time.
POLL | ||
Do you think Michael Misa will actually play for Boston College next season, or do you think he will end up in the NHL? | ||
NHL | 12 | 31.6 % |
NCAA | 26 | 68.4 % |
List of polls |