NCAA’s Legal Problems, However, Have at Least Forced a Door Open
by Adam Wodon/Managing Editor (@CHN_AdamWodon)
Recently — like with the NCAA Regional debate — the evergreen topic of Major Junior player eligibility has taken on a new life.
For years, both issues were dormant. Not that it didn’t come up in conversation, but we’d reached a stalemate on it long ago and it was never going to change.
Well, not so fast.
Thanks to all of the recent legal machinations — i.e. losses in court by the NCAA — people have started to question whether Major Junior players will soon be eligible to play in the NCAA. After all, now that players can get paid NIL (name, image, likeness) money, and may soon be considered employees subject to at least minimum wage, how can we prevent Major Junior players from being allowed to play in the NCAA?
These are good questions. But the conversation to this point is nothing but speculation.
Recently, national hockey writers — particularly in Canada — started talking about the possibility of these players becoming NCAA eligible. They could see where the NCAA is headed as well as anyone.
But there’s nothing of substance actually happening.
Somewhere out there, a rumor became rampant that the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) — the ruling body of the three Canadian Major Junior leagues — and the NCAA were “negotiating” on eligibility. This is simply false. Not happening. Who would even be the ones to do the negotiating? Under what pretext?
It is true that NCAA coaches have been talking among themselves, but not to the point of any formality. NCAA head coaches have regular conference calls, and on one recent one, an official from the NCAA came on to give guidance about the issue. The NCAA has basically said they will listen to the coaches about where to go with it.
The argument until now was always that Major Junior players were not amateurs, and therefore ineligible. They receive stipends, and they also participate in games with players under NHL contracts.
Well, these lines in the sand are quickly becoming meaningless. And so once again, the issue is at the forefront.
But there’s no consensus, at this point, on what to do about it.
Certainly, the coaches will be discussing this again at the annual Coaches Convention in Naples at the end of April. They may…
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