Paul Kelly wants NCAA to relax stance on CHL

H/T Junior Hockey Paul Kelly wants the NCAA to relax the rule that says once you play major junior you can't play in college. I think it's a good idea. I would shoot for more than 10 games though.

Boston.com --- Education is just one tool Kelly and other college hockey proponents have to promote the game. One change the NCAA could consider is its hard-and-fast eligibility rule. Currently, once a player signs with a major junior team or even appears in one game, he is not eligible for college hockey. Like other college advocates, Kelly supports a grace period. If a player appears in 10 or fewer junior games and decides it’s not the right fit, he could still play NCAA hockey.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing the NCAA move in that direction,’’ Kelly said. “You hear a lot of horror stories about a kid who played eight games, left his CHL team, and now he’s lost. He can’t go to college, but he’s still a talented kid. But right now, I don’t think there’s a big appetite for that. The overwhelming majority of college coaches agree with the current NCAA rule that all major junior hockey is like a pro league.’’

I think the NCAA’s stance on the CHL is misguided and wrong and I think the NCAA should reconsider its stance against the CHL because frankly I think It’s hurting NCAA hockey. Let's think of it this way. What if a kid played in the WHL while he was 16 up until say his 18 birthday and then decided that he wanted to go to college and play US college hockey. Why not let that kid play division I hockey. I think that kids should be able to play in the NCAA if he wants to. Just my humble opinion.

CHL wants to discuss feud with NCAA

Yawn! Does anyone ever get tired of the never ending debate, feud, pissing contest between the CHL and the NCAA? Bruce Ciskie has a good blog post on the discussion at his blog. Over at Western College Hockey Chris also has a pretty good post on this subject as well. I am not sure what the two sides are going to talk about unless they are going to call a truce and not act like warring parties.

It may not be on the official docket, but the recruiting war between the NCAA and the Canadian Hockey League is still expected to produce some lively discussion at the World Hockey Summit in Toronto.

"It's not on the agenda, but we've certainly indicated to Hockey Canada and USA Hockey that we think there is an opportunity to sit down," said Ron Robison, a CHL vice-president and commissioner of the Western Hockey League.

"We're committed to continuing to try to improve relationships with USA Hockey, NCAA Hockey and so forth. We have a responsibility in North America to the development system to do that in the best interest of the players. Our goal is to attempt to sit down (with them). Whether we can do that at the summit or soon thereafter, that will be our objective."

The feud between the CHL and NCAA has turned bitter since the hiring of former NHL Players' Association boss Paul Kelly as executive director of College Hockey Inc. Working on behalf of the NCAA, Kelly has attempted to discredit the CHL, along with elements of its programs, practices and policies.

Based on some of the fireworks to date, Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson wouldn't be surprised if there's more discussion during the summit.

"I'm sure through it all there are going to be comments on it," he said. "I think we should be real clear from (the perspective of Hockey) Canada: We want to improve our system, we want to make sure that what we control in our country is the best it can be. It doesn't mean players don't have the option to go NCAA. We certainly aren't saying negative things about NCAA. We're just trying to make the Canadian system better because that's under our umbrella.

"I think the key thing is, everyone should promote the things they're doing well. We're seeing bashing coming from NCAA and I don't like that. I think NCAA has some very positive things and that's what they should stick to, as the CHL does. The CHL has done a good job in their scholarship program. I would love to see the CIS jump more to the forefront and look at development using their universities and even the Canadian colleges to help players that want to go to school in Canada and play hockey."
[Windsorstar.com]

Like I have said before, “I think both leagues have a lot to offer and have their strong points as well as their not so good points.” NCAA and the CHL are both proven paths to the NHL and professional hockey. I do like the idea by Chris Dilks of having a gentleman’s agreement with the CHL like the WCHA does amongst its coaches.