After a ton of speculation, Chicago signed former Minnesota defenseman Nick Leddy to an entry-level deal July 27. Yes, Chicago has suffered through a salary cap crunch, and they need bodies. But there is no reason to allow these late signings to continue.I like what Bruce is saying here and I agree that NCAA hockey players should have the ability to go to their training camps and if they are not signed they should be able to return to their college hockey team without penalty as long as they haven't signed a contract and recieved a signing bonus.
The NHL and NCAA need a defined partnership. No, that wouldn't stop CHL teams from poaching, but it would allow for a better working relationship between the NHL and college hockey, a growing entity in the United States that continues to produce more and more professional talent.
More specifically, there needs to be a deadline after which NHL teams can no longer pursue NCAA talent. It might encourage more NHL franchises to send their draft picks to the major junior ranks, but it also gives both sides a defined date to work with. However, any partnership needs a compromise. In this case, the NCAA must get rid of the rule that prevents kids from taking part in training camps.
Any drafted player should have the right to participate in NHL training camp -- at least on weekends, when they don't have to worry about attending classes. Giving NHL teams the ability to invite college players to camp would at least give them another vehicle to evaluate these players, even if they aren't going to be allowed to sign them.
I also have another question that I thinks needs to be asked; do certain NCAA division I hockey teams have a credibility problems with some of the NHL teams and their general managers?
