Top Junior League Tightens NCAA Scouting Access as More Players Head to College
College hockey is seeing a big influx of former CHL players
This is a watershed season for college hockey because it marks the first season that players with experience in the CHL — the top level of junior hockey in North America — will be eligible to compete in the NCAA.
So, the news that the CHL will no longer provide scouting passes to NCAA programs certainly raised some eyebrows.
According to a report from Brad Elliott Schlossman of The Grand Forks Herald, a CHL spokesperson confirmed that they will not be giving passes to NCAA programs. This reverses a deal that College Hockey Inc., which has a board made up of individuals involved in college hockey, made with the CHL, so coaches could go to games.
This comes as over 150 players, according to Sportsnet, have jumped to the NCAA after playing in the CHL, which is comprised of three leagues: the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL. This figure includes Gavin McKenna, the presumptive first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, who spent last season with the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers but moved on to Penn State.
So, you can see why the timing of this decision not to give coaches passes to scout talent seemed a little suspect.
The CHL tightens scout access for NCAA programs amid a surge of junior players flipping to college hockey. (Getty Images)
However, this doesn't mean that NCAA coaches are persona non grata in CHL buildings. A CHL spokesperson said that the passes like the ones given last season do not carry over and that there's an application process before each season, and NCAA teams can also work deals with individual teams.
It's also important to note that while a lot of players jumped to the NCAA, there has been an influx of Americans joining the CHL, because CHL experience no longer disqualifies them from NCAA play.
I still think change is a good thing for everyone. Things are changing, and I think it will soon be the norm for the biggest prospects to play a couple of seasons in the CHL before jumping to the NCAA.
But we'll see how this move works out with the first crop of players making this change.