OFFSEASON REPORT: ECAC commissioner Christiansen on NCAA 5-in-5 eligibility proposal

In a special offseason USCHO Report, Jim Connelly interviews ECAC commissioner Doug Christiansen about an NCAA proposal to change the eligibility window to align with high school graduation or a player’s 19th birthday. In this episode, Christiansen explains that this would have major consequences for college hockey, with 75% of players potentially losing a year of eligibility given the sport’s average player age of 20.6.

Christiansen describes ongoing, collaborative discussions with the NCAA, NHL, USA Hockey, and development leagues. The talks emphasize hockey’s unique development path through junior hockey and that the proposed rule was not designed for hockey.


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