The Pro Hockey Study Group

Normally at this time of year, U SPORTS men's hockey players are either getting ready for the U Cup National Championship or studying for exams as their seasons and school years near an end. For some, they'll return for future years, but a number of them will get opportunities at a professional level as teams from across the planet look to add some depth and weapons for deep playoff runs. U SPORTS players are always scouted by teams in these leagues as players are older and more physically mature, they're hungry for a professional opportunity after choosing to go to school, and they're often ready to accept whatever role they're needed to fill. But what if players could come back to school?

On Tuesday, U SPORTS announced that, starting in the 2025-26 season, "incoming student-athletes who have played professional hockey will be allowed to participate immediately in U SPORTS men's hockey without a waiting period". This is a monumental shift in U SPORTS' philosophy regarding student-athletes, and it's one that could have significant impacts on the game at the university level.

In the past, there was a 365-day period where players had to attend school and attain the necessary grades without playing hockey before the student-athlete was allowed to play hockey. With the change announced yesterday, student-athletes with professional experience can join a U SPORTS men's hockey team immediately upon registering for the required credit hours at a Canadian university.

If you were thinking that you might see a Connor McDavid join the Alberta Golden Bears or a Sidney Crosby join the UNB Reds, U SPORTS was quick to point out that "any professional participation before August 15 of the year a player turns 22 will not count toward their U SPORTS eligibility". Any professional games that comes after August 15 in the year of a player's 22nd birthday would eat up years of eligibility, so you won't see any NHL players picking up a university degree and playing U SPORTS hockey after they retire from the NHL.

If this move seems a little puzzling, it doesn't get clearer with the statements coming out of U SPORTS yesterday.

"We are pleased to announce these steps today as a significant evolution in our efforts to ensure the highest quality of U SPORTS men's hockey programs nationwide," said Pierre Arsenault, Chief Executive Officer of U SPORTS. "University hockey in Canada has a rich history of providing exceptional experiences and opportunities for elite players, and we have been collaborating closely with the conferences and our members to enhance and strengthen our role in the hockey system."

Arsenault's comments are confusing because not all university programs are built or run in the same manner. While programs like UNB, UQTR, and Alberta have had significant success in their histories, schools like Regina, TMU (Ryerson), and UPEI are still looking for their first championships despite playing U SPORTS hockey for decades. While there are "exceptional experiences and opportunities", is having professional players on roster the right way to elevate the university game?

"U SPORTS allowing players to return after a year of professional hockey is a very progressive move, and it will continue to grow our product across the country," Brett Gibson, head men's hockey coach at Queen's University, said. "Players now have more choices, and U SPORTS hockey is an excellent choice for any hockey player."

While I don't fault Gibson for seeing opportunities to have professional players make his team better, one has to wonder if this is truly the best route for his program and other programs to take. Queen's has never won the U Cup or appeared in the U Cup Final, so it's not like the players they had skating for them in the past pushed them to new heights despite a number of them finding professional hockey opportunities after skating with Queen's.

Upon further examination, the vast majority of players who left Queen's for the professional ranks played less than three seasons professionally, making players like Jared Bethune, Patrick McEachen, and Luke Richardson the exception rather than the rule. That's not to say that Queen's won't develop exceptional players in the future who will have fruitful careers, but there haven't been a lot of players who have found long careers in professional hockey to this point.

There have been some players who played professionally and came back to play in U SPORTS, but success has been varied. Mike Danton is likely one of the biggest names to have done so when he opted to attend St. Mary's University following seasons with the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues, but he scored just six goals and nine points in 35 games with the Huskies. Danny Arndt had 12 goals and 20 points in 18 games with the Alberta Golden Bears in 1979-80 after a few seasons in the WHA, Jared Aulin went from the NHL and AHL to the University of Calgary where he scored 14 goals and 34 points in 16 games, and Connor Hobbs joined the University of Saskatchewan where he scored 12 goals and 54 points in two seasons after spending three seasons with the AHL's Hershey Bears.

What should be noted for each of the Canada West players above is that each were joining an already-strong team, and all of them found their games fairly quickly with their university squad. Danton joined a Huskies team that was good, but he couldn't regain the same scoring prowess he showed in junior hockey. For every Aulin and Hobbs, there are players like Danton and Artyom Duda who have high potential, but fail to reach it when playing against more physically mature players like we see in U SPORTS.

I can hear you asking, "so why is U SPORTS doing this then?"

The obvious answer is that U SPORTS can now be a place for development as players look to find ways to climb the professional ranks. There are only so many roster spots on SPHL and ECHL teams and players who jump to that level after leaving junior hockey now have a school option if things don't work. The NCAA hasn't changed their rules regarding players who appear in professional games, so U SPORTS can be the alternative for players who jumped to the pro ranks, but realized they could use a little more experience.

With U SPORTS giving all teams until January 10 to add players playing outside the university's conferences, the possibilities of seeing former professional players for the second-half of a season for teams making a run for the U Cup seems pretty high. Those players wouldn't have to sit out for the madnatory 365 days like they did before, and academic ineligibility for any player who opts to do the bare minimum at school would only become a reality if those players want to remain in school. It's like a U SPORTS trade deadline!

This opens up the possibility of teams simply bringing in a few players to potentially put them over the top if those players are just showing up for a three-month championship run. My hope is that programs won't do this, but every team that goes to the U Cup National Championship is being scouted. If a player was already playing professionally before jumping in with a U SPORTS team, it seems very likely he would take that opportunity if it was presented again.

Clearly, it's a brave new world in U SPORTS starting this summer, so we'll see how things develop. Honestly, if professional players commit to playing on U SPORTS teams for more than a few months, it could be an exciting time for U SPORTS fans as more talent is added to rosters. With the NCAA loading up on CHL talent after their rule change, it seems U SPORTS has found their talent pool from which they can draw: professional hockey.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!