Last week it was announced that CHL players will now be eligible to compete in NCAA D1 Hockey beginning in the 2025-26 season.
The NCAA Division 1, which regulates U.S. college athletics, approved the rule change on Thursday. Previously, CHL players were ineligible to compete at the NCAA level as they were deemed professional because players receive a stipend of up to $600 per month for living expenses.
Western Hockey League Commissioner Dan Near said the 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."
Players completing their eligibility with the WHL will continue to receive access to post-secondary scholarships, funded by the WHL's 22 Member Clubs.
In the 2023-24 season, the education bills for over 300 WHL Alumni were paid directly by the League and Clubs totalling in excess of $3 million in funding.
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