Photo by Bryannah James
Of the many conversations that have emerged from the NCAA’s new eligibility rules, one in particular has far-reaching implications: the expansion of the CHL.
I had the opportunity to speak with all three major junior commissioners this week in Toronto, and the recordings varied depending on the league.
WHL head Dan Near didn’t foresee anything immediately happening in his circuit, as the ‘Dub’ already has 22 franchises – more than either of the other two. OHL leader Bryan Crawford talked about due diligence before jumping into anything, but did see the potential and said the league would be “open to anything that made sense.”
As for the QMJHL, that seems to be where most of the smoke is rising. Since the NCAA ruling, there has been talk of a return to the United States, where the last “Q” team was the Lewiston Maineiacs (2003 to 2011).
So where would the American QMJHL expansion fit best?
When I first thought about it, there were several possibilities. Do they go to a major hockey city like Boston, where it would be easy to have a team with local talent heading to Beanpot NCAA programs after a few years in the ‘Q’, or is it more important to keep travel close ? For example, Burlington, Virginia, is just a few hours from Quebec markets like Sherbrooke and Victoriaville.
“The ideals would come with great ownership, that’s where it would start,” QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini told me. “Great property in Burlington is better than bad property in Boston.”
And major ownership in Boston would also be intriguing.
Related: NCAA votes to allow major junior hockey players. What now?
“Keep in mind that in our competition we run buses,” Cecchini said. ‘The furthest points, Cape Breton to Rouyn-Noranda, that’s 26 hours. If you go to Baie-Comeau, which is up north, to Boston, it’s about 1, 14 hours. So it’s all within those four, five hours from Montreal. Everything you said is achievable. From a physical and geographical point of view it is simple.”
The biggest benefit for American kids would be that the QMJHL offers the highest level of hockey not currently available in the region. There are no USHL teams in the Northeast; only Tier-2 hockey in the NAHL or USPHL, plus the famous prep schools, such as Avon Old Farms and Kimball Union Academy.
Of course you have to convince the children who grew up want to play prep hockey to jump into a new league (and no doubt those local teams and Tier-2 leagues will fight to keep their talent).
“They need to learn the ‘Q,’” Cecchini said. “Once they get to know us, I’m pretty sure they’ll embrace us.”
With 18 franchises, the QMJHL is currently the smallest of the three major junior leagues, so adding a few teams – especially if the rosters would consist largely of players who otherwise wouldn’t have come to the ‘Q’ – is very feasible. In addition to Boston and Burlington, a number of cities seem obvious targets, from Portland and Lewiston in Maine to Manchester in New Hampshire or Lowell in Massachusetts.
The pitch is pretty obvious: play a few years of high-level hockey in the QMJHL and then move on to NCAA – just like you always dreamed of.
The fact that Quebec kids are already coming back to the league is a vindication for Cecchini: That wasn’t the case to avoid the ‘Q’ before, but they just wanted to maintain their NCAA qualification. We’ve already seen Zachary Morin, a 2025 NHL draft pick, leave the USHL for QMJHL Saint John, with the expectation that he will still attend Boston University in the future.
“We see it in the calls we’re getting now: the kids are coming back to our league,” Cecchini said. “That is a very good sign for us.”
And according to the commissioner, collaboration and cooperation with the NCAA are very welcome now that eligibility rules have upended the development landscape.
“First of all, I’ll tell you it’s good news,” he said. “I’m very happy that parents and children don’t have to make such an important decision at the age of 15.”
Get the latest news and trending stories straight to your inbox by subscribing to the Hockey News newsletter here. And share your opinion by commenting below the article on THN.com or via a visit to our forum.
Related: NCAA hockey eligibility change: CHL Leagues, USHL react to major decision
