Future of The CHL?

[GASabresIUFAN]

Or should I say the future of the NHL/CHL agreement.  LGR, Duda and I all posted the below article in various threads.

https://theathletic.com/1049600/2019/06/27/what-we-learned-about-the-future-of-nhl-at-the-2019-draft/

The article is pretty clear that Jbot philosophy is spreading in the NHL and the number of CHL kids being drafted is shrinking.  For modern GMs controlling a prospect in terms of years and where they play is becoming an increasingly important factor in the draft.  Over the last decade, CHL draftees have gone from nearly 50% of the players drafted to just over 33% in 2019.

Part of the issue for the CHL is the overall improvement in development in the US and in Europe. Also population stats are working against them.  I read recently that there are more kids playing youth hockey in the US then Canada.  Not a huge surprise given the US population is 9 times greater and the expansion of hockey in the Southern US and throughout California and the West.  For example Tage Thompson and Austin Matthews are from Arizona.  Newly drafted Ryan Johnson is from Irvine California.

So what can the CHL do?  I wonder if they can change the status of their players from pros back to amateurs and allow their “graduates” to move on to the NCAA to continue their development and get an education.  

They also may need to re-write the CHL/NHL agreement in some fashion to allow NHL teams longer evaluation time before signing players.  

The NHL could also help by making the ECHL better and a more important developmental league.  Maybe allow NHL teams to park former CHL prospects in the ECHL for a season before having to sign them to an ELC.  

 

[mphs mike]

How would youngsters learn Canadian geography if they didn't have to look up where Moose Jaw, Kelowna, Lethbridge, etc are?

[North Buffalo]

CHL just needs to figure out a better system so they can compete with US Hockey and Europe.

[Cage]

I like the idea of being able to let a prospect got to ECHL for a year before having to make a decision on signing them.  That would make those teams more exciting for us rather than just have a goalie and 1-2 others on those affiliated teams. 

[Curt]

40 minutes ago, Cage said:

I like the idea of being able to let a prospect got to ECHL for a year before having to make a decision on signing them.  That would make those teams more exciting for us rather than just have a goalie and 1-2 others on those affiliated teams. 

I think one problem with this is that it wouldn’t be very good for development.  I think the level of play in the ECHL is pretty low, below CHL or NCAA.  Please correct me if I’m wrong.

[French Collection]

I've watched quite a bit of CHL hockey over the years and always thought it was a great feeder league to the professional ranks.

Making a 16 year old choose between CHL, NCAA or another league can lead to making a huge decision very early in one's development. A lot of kids in Canada.want to be drafted into Junior and take that route, but if you haven't made an impact by the time you are 18, your ice time and role could be reduced and your confidence can suffer. The USA model of staying in high school hockey will provide way more of a support system to mature another year or two before joining the USHL or NCAA.

For the elite guys, the CHL is a great place to showcase your talent for 60+ games. The lifestyle is also more like pro hockey. They accumulate scholarship money but that money dries up if you turn pro or do not use it for 18 months, I believe.

I think the CHL still churns out a lot of talent but they burn out a lot of kids too early.

I don't know the solution, but local feeder leagues to the CHL could help kids mature and make better decisions. The CHL could be for 18-20 year olds and exceptional talents. Allowing CHL players to be considered amateurs and get NCAA scholarships may also improve the product.

 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

There is an article about McDavid's former roommate, Harper, in the Athletic who is now 24 and played at a Canadian College following his CHL career.  He used his CHL scholarship.  

It seems to me that the CHL and NHL need to give CHL players a one year free look in the ECHL before signing them.  I also agree that no 16 year olds shold be playing in the CHL, but would it be fair to the players for the kids to start in the CHL in the draft year?

 

[Marvin]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

There is an article about McDavid's former roommate, Harper, in the Athletic who is now 24 and played at a Canadian College following his CHL career.  He used his CHL scholarship.  

It seems to me that the CHL and NHL need to give CHL players a one year free look in the ECHL before signing them.  I also agree that no 16 year olds shold be playing in the CHL, but would it be fair to the players for the kids to start in the CHL in the draft year?

 

I think there should be a better way to graduate draftees into stronger competition that will help their development and allow the team control to slide more in the interim.  Moreover, there needs to be more of a push for kids to go to college and/or learn a trade so that they can have a non-NHL future.

[PromoTheRobot]

On 6/27/2019 at 7:59 PM, Curtisp5286 said:

I think one problem with this is that it wouldn’t be very good for development.  I think the level of play in the ECHL is pretty low, below CHL or NCAA.  Please correct me if I’m wrong.

I don't agree. ECHL level of play is much higher than either college or juniors. It's affiliated professional hockey, for goodness sake.

[French Collection]

I’ve known guys from the ECHL and they were not good enough to play CHL in their teens.

There are some good players there but it’s not like they are developing guys for the AHL. If you don’t make the A after your CHL or NCAA career ends there is a slim chance of getting to the NHL.

It is not like baseball where you move up a pro league every year until you reach your peak.