Five things likely on the docket for college hockey coaches to discuss in Naples

College hockey heads to Naples, Fla., this week for the annual American Hockey Coaches Association convention.

The convention will be held from May 1-4, and there are plenty of important topics on the table for discussion.

1) Will CHL players be granted NCAA eligibility?

I’ve reported extensively on this topic since February. The CHL topic will be discussed this week, but I’m not expecting any final decisions from the coaching body.

From the dozens of conversations I’ve had on this topic over the last two months, I think the coaches are roughly split on the idea.

Some coaches told me they are staunchly against it, while others have been adamantly in favor of it. But the majority of coaches seem to be in the middle. They aren’t sure where they stand, but they want to have a productive discussion to learn more about the pros and cons.

Of course, it might be moot anyway if a CHL player or a collection of CHL players ever decides to file a lawsuit against the NCAA.

I wouldn’t underestimate the importance of the transfer portal in these discussions. The coaches who have been in favor of the move largely point to the portal’s impact on their program as the main reason why they’d like to see an expanded player pool.

The CHL discussions will likely be part of the Men’s Division I meeting, which is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.