Canadian major junior hockey navigates new era of player movement as NCAA, AHL doors open wider

The Canadian Hockey League is navigating a transformed player-movement landscape after changes to NCAA eligibility and, more recently, the ability of elite 19-year-old players to play in the American Hockey League instead of returning to their major junior clubs.

The CHL, which is the umbrella of 61 teams in the Western, Ontario and Quebec-Maritime major junior leagues, is the top feeder of hockey talent to the NHL and vows that will continue.

The league features players between the ages of 16 and 20, with some 15-year-olds allowed entry under exceptional status.

The NCAA previously considered the CHL a pro league, but announced Nov. 7, 2024, that CHL players would be eligible to play Division 1 hockey as of Aug. 1, 2025.

The CHL's commissioners and team governors met Tuesday in Calgary less than two years after the NCAA's announcement.

Discussion revolved around the early effect of what QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini called "change with a capital C."

"The changes are monumental," concurred CHL commissioner Dan MacKenzie. "We still don't know where it is going to land."

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A high-profile player to immediately jump from major junior hockey to the NCAA was Gavin McKenna, who played for Penn State last season after leading the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers to the Memorial Cup final.

He's now in his NHL rookie season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who made him the first draft pick in June.

Overall, there's been a push-pull effect on the CHL in the early going.

Some players who previously avoided the CHL to retain their NCAA eligibility immediately joined major junior