State of the Game: College hockey is in a great spot, but components could be rapidly changing

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Control what you can control.

Coaches love that cliche, don’t they?

The NCAA plans to discuss various topics this spring at the annual AHCA convention in Naples, Fla. Those topics — which include the transfer portal, NIL, and the potential eligibility of CHL players — were also discussed on Friday at the Frozen Four during the annual “State of the Game” press conference.

And here’s the thing ... there’s a lot that the NCAA might not be able to control.

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Let’s start with the potential eligibility for CHL players. It’s not imminent, but it will be a topic this spring in Naples. 

Should players from the OHL, QMJHL and WHL be eligible for NCAA hockey, something they haven't been eligible for since the early 1980s?

“Those are the discussions we've had with the people from the NCAA,” said Minnesota Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin, who is on the NCAA men’s ice hockey committee. “We've had a couple of calls with all of the coaches. One in particular, a couple of months ago, to have some discussion about what we really want, what will be the best, right?

“If we can put together a good plan that does help everybody, that includes maybe those players, then I hope we come out of that at some point with a plan.”

The discussion is good. Committee chair Jeff Schulman (Vermont athletic director) also pointed out the fact that the decision on this topic could be out of the NCAA’s control.

A few months ago, the courts implemented unlimited transfers after the NCAA was hit with a lawsuit alleging that their transfer rules violated anti-trust laws.

An injunction was levied by a judge, and the NCAA (temporarily) stopped enforcing its transfer rules. That’s part of the reason there has been such a large influx of players in the transfer portal this cycle.

“I think the way that we're going about the discussion is the right way, to be thoughtful,” Schulman said. “But to your point, it can change very quickly if there's litigation. That's what's happened on so many issues facing college athletics right now. 

“I think as a college hockey community — I certainly have no insight into anything that's happening — but it is a little hard to defend the current system when we have college athletes that are benefiting in a big way from NIL, and yet we've said that people playing major junior hockey who are getting meal money or stipend, whatever it is, are professional, not eligible.

“It's a pressing issue, I think. No, I don't think things are going to change right away through the NCAA structure. There's other ways that change can happen.”

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This offseason is a rules year for the NCAA. North Dakota deputy AD Erik Martinson is the chairman of the rule’s committee and said that there are a number of issues the committee will explore this summer, citing specifically some of the changes made in the last cycle regarding standalone majors for checking from behind and head contact as well as video reviews (the challenge system).

“We have some work to do going through this next iteration of what we can do to progress some of these rules that we changed up,” Martinson said. “We've taken a lot of feedback. Jeff Fulton has done a great job as Secretary Rules Editor getting feedback from coaches, administrators, fans, media, and really going through and looking at what's best for us as a game from a Division III, Division I men's and women's scope.”

Some of the topics for this rules cycle will include goalie interference, challenges, more on the review process, and faceoff infractions. 

“We moved one way (on faceoff infractions), do we go back?” Martinson said. “How do we do what's best for the game? That's what we're looking at going into the summer.”

The topic of half-visors instead of full shields was also broached, in addition to the possible mandatory implementation of neck guards.

“[Half visors] have been on our docket every time I've been a part of the rule change process,” Martinson said. “Ultimately, we need to be there for the student-athletes safety and the well-being of the student-athletes on what that is from the NCAA level. It’s something we'll definitely talk
about this summer.”

Sandelin, for one, would like to see the change.

“I’d like to see it,” he said. 

Sandelin would also like to see neck protection as part of the sport. Former UMD forward Adam Johnson died earlier this year after getting hit in the neck with a skate during a game in Europe.

“We went through a pretty tragic time this year with [Johnson],” he said. “It shocked everybody. It had an impact on the hockey world. Hopefully [neck protection] will be on our docket.”

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The most polarizing topic might be the format of NCAA Regionals. Should the NCAA keep neutral sites, or, as some have lobbied, should they move back to on-campus regionals? And if so, in what form?

College hockey is split on the topic, generally across geographical lines though not entirely so. Eastern programs have (generally) favored the current format, and Western programs have generally advocated for a change to on-campus sites, although traditionally it's been overwhlemingly in favor of neutral sites as a whole. Those attitudes, however, may be shifting.

This topic is something the college hockey body can control.

“For a national tournament, this continues to be the best format,” Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf said. “I know there are other formats. The other suggested formats, I think, have fatal flaws for a national tournament. Neutrality is important. The majority of the coaches support the format we currently have.

“One thing that has changed that is forgotten about is the day off between regionals the last two years. It makes the attendance the last two years even more impressive. The day off in between was something that was good for the game, the coaches were in favor of it, but it also pushed games to Thursday. The day off was not good for fans, and it probably wasn’t good for attendance. Buildings don’t like it much.”

The counterargument would be to maximize attendance in front of home fans for the biggest games of the season. Denver coach David Carle has been among the most vocal supporters of an on-campus format.

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College hockey is changing. Heck, all of college sports are changing. That doesn’t mean that college hockey isn’t in a good spot as a sport.

“Look at the talent level in our game right now, we’re attracting som eof the top players in North America and Europe,” Sandelin said. “The competitive level of our game is really good. 

“Am I worried about where it could go? Yes. But right now it’s in a good spot. But watch the players that are playing our game right now. The number of guys that are moving right into prominent roles in the National Hockey League. It’s going to continue to grow. We’re in a great spot here.”