TIMMINS - For the second straight year Canada White are World Under 17 Hockey Champions. In an all-Canadian gold medal game they beat Canada Red 3-1 in Sarnia.
Canada White defeated Sweden 6-4 in one semi-final, while Red dropped the US 7-3 in the other to set up a Canada final.
Sweden beat the US 5-4 in overtime to claim the bronze medal.
According to Hockey Canada, this is the breakdown of the 44 players who comprised Canada's two entries at the championships. Ontario 21 players, Alberta seven, British Columbia six, Quebec seven, Manitoba two, and New Brunswick one.
The closest northern connection listed as a player with Canada was Kohyn Eshkawkogan born in Manitoulin with Canada Red. He is currently with Ottawa of the OHL.
In New Brunswick at the Women's U18 national championships, Ontario Red won the gold with a 1-0 win over Quebec. Earlier in the event Quebec beat Saskatchewan 2-1 in the semis while Ontario Red beat BC 4-1 in the second semi.
Well, it's finally happened. The NCAA Division 1 council voted to allow players with major junior hockey experience to be eligible for scholarships in hockey.
Previously even one exhibition game played with an OHL, QMJHL or WHL team would have ended a player's NCAA eligibility.
The rule will be in effect this coming Aug. 1.
The new ruling includes the following, “players will retain their eligibility as long as they are not paid more than actual and necessary expenses as part of that participation.”
The NCAA had always maintained that Canadian major junior hockey players received a monthly stipend, which made them professionals. The current stipend is around $600.
With the landscape of NCAA Division 1 sports having been completely revamped by a rule change allowing players to derive outside monies for endorsements, sponsorships, etc., and the portal/transfer structure, you knew the door was soon going to be opened for CHL-experienced players.
The key issue being referred to for the change is the result of a lawsuit brought to court in Buffalo on behalf of a boy from Fort Erie Ontario. The suit alleges that the boy lost in U.S. College eligibility because he played in two OHL exhibition games.
It is a pretty significant ruling with far reaching ramifications. Ramifications I certainly don't have the space to cover here. But I'll touch a little on some of that.
First off, if you are a recently drafted player out of U16 to the OHL but were considering the NCAA route you will no longer be forced to make that decision before the first exhibition game. You could sign with the team and leave at any point during your OHL career if a spot was open for you in the NCAA.
Or you could play your entire OHL eligibility and then go at 20 or 21 and potentially play four more years in the NCAA. You may have been overlooked in the NHL draft, but now have an opportunity to improve your game and maybe get a shot at the NHL as a late bloomer.
You might simply be happy to keep playing while getting an education at a prestigious American school .
Currently, CHL players receive a school package that includes one year of schooling at a U Sports (Canadian University) school for each year they play.
There is no doubt that Tier 2 Junior A leagues in both Canada and the U.S. will be affected. So will U Sports teams.
What happens to the kids at 15, 16, 17, especially Americans, that may find their spots taken by CHLers?
What the effects are long-term are yet to be seen. But they will be impactful.
CHL overagers will be plums for NCAA squads looking to beef up their team's chances at a national championship.
Canadian leagues from Major Jr. A, Junior A, other junior levels and U Sports have already begun talking about how they will need to offer even more as a new avenue of competition for players opens up. It can be the same for the NCAA as 15-year-old commits may now decide on major junior and maybe join an American college team later.
One thing it could provide for is a need to buy a program to keep track of what players are doing.
No doubt though that new opportunities have opened up for Canadian kids.
Do you want to know how far the pendulum has swung?
In 2009/2010 I contacted every NHL, CHL and NCAA D1 Team as well as the NHL and CHL Commissioners and a variety of players agencies for donations for a week's long set of silent auctions for the World Under 17s held in Timmins.
Now remember Team USA always has a team. I got a call from a D1 school where a sheepish friend of mine told me the school could not donate anything because there were “pros” in the event. (CHLers.) To this day I have not been able to figure that one out.
I still have some old friends who are part of current NCAA programs and I hope to get a response on how they see this ruling. Stay tuned
Later Skater
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