WHL commissioner reviews state of the league in Sask. and beyond

It's a tumultuous time for the Western Hockey League (WHL).

Changes in eligibility rules have allowed major junior players to suit up for NCAA universities in the United States. The ensuing recruitment battle has caused WHL teams to evaluate their approach to roster building and retaining their young athletes.

WHL commissioner Dan Near spoke to assembled media in Swift Current, Sask., ahead of a recent Broncos fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Near discussed the state of the WHL and its five Saskatchewan franchises during this period of transition. He also touched on possible expansion for the league, the viability of community-based teams, streaming rights and player safety in the wake of a young Canadian player's hospitalization after an intense training session at an American university.

This interview was conducted on Oct. 17. It has been edited for length and clarity. 

Talk a little bit about the state of the Saskatchewan franchises in the Western Hockey League in the shifting environment you've had the last few years.

I think that there's a lot of strength. Three community-held teams, I think, creates a concentration that is maybe more community feeling than anywhere else in the league.

I think you've got competitive clubs. The cycle that people traditionally have experienced in junior hockey is getting shorter. You're building your teams in different ways, not only through the draft. Players who've come up through Junior A. Players leaving a little earlier for the NCAA. You've got a few more Europeans and a few more Americans in the league.

I think at one point in time there were teams like Swift Current that would say, it's harder for us to get somebody from the U.S. to come and play here. We just