Mailbag: Will former CHL players be more prone to enter the portal?
Plus: The NCAA released a memo on tampering, but I don't see it changing, Connor Hellebuyck will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and more
Like most players who arrive in college hockey, former CHL players suddenly have more control over their futures than at any previous point in their careers. With that newfound freedom, will we see a higher percentage of CHL players enter the transfer portal? It’s one of the questions tackled in today’s mailbag edition of the newsletter.
Also in today’s newsletter (#651):
The mailbag also includes questions about Northeastern’s ability to host a playoff game, the likelihood of the NCAA raising the roster cap for next season, potential candidates for the open assistant coaching position at UMass, and whether schools in the SEC could realistically add college hockey in the near future.
I also weigh in on the NCAA’s recent memo attempting to reinforce and enforce tampering rules. I applaud the effort, but I remain skeptical that it will lead to meaningful change — and I explain why in a commentary.
In the notebook, former UMass Lowell goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is set to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. College Hockey News has a feature on Jeff Jackson, while The Bemidji Pioneer tells a terrific story on the development path of Bemidji State forward Oliver Peer.
We also have the latest United Collegiate Hockey Cup standings, and Vermont defenseman Dylan Gratton has signed a professional contract, officially moving on to the next chapter of his career.
If you have ideas for a future newsletter, tips to pass along, or questions for a mailbag, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me anytime at mike@collegehockeyinsider.com. Sponsorship inquiries are also welcome.
You can also find me on X at @MikeMcMahonCHN.
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Now, let’s get into today’s newsletter.
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Mailbag: Will former CHL players be more prone to enter the portal?
The following questions were submitted via email, Subscriber Chat, and social media. Questions may have been edited for brevity, clarity, and formatting.
Trevor (Substack DM): Hi Mike, question for you - do you think a lot of these CHL guys will enter the portal at the end of the season? Or do you think they will stay put? I guess I’m just curious to see your opinion.
Like most players, I don’t think many CHL players are accustomed to having this level of freedom. Generally, they’re used to being under contract with a team, where movement only comes via a trade or a release.
Zooming out, I expect the numbers to look much the same as they have in recent years. On average, roughly 16 percent of college hockey players enter the transfer portal annually, and I’d be willing to bet former CHL players fall right along that same trend line. I’m sure there will be players who arrived on campus this past fall, had breakout seasons, and suddenly find themselves in demand. In some cases, those players may have been under-recruited coming out of the CHL and are now drawing significant offers from bigger programs (i.e. bigger revenue-sharing deals).
