Overview
- One year after the NCAA lifted its ban on CHL players, dozens have moved into Division I for 2025–26, led by Gavin McKenna at Penn State, Porter Martone at Michigan State, and Keaton Verhoeff at North Dakota.
- Through roughly half the regular season, most CHL-to-NCAA movers are adjusting well but not dominating, with scouts citing older, more physically mature college competition; McKenna has 15 points and a minus-7 in his first 14 games.
- The House settlement enables up to about $20.5 million per school in annual revenue sharing, with hockey receiving modest slices at some programs; UMass’s athletic director has discussed a roughly 5–8% allocation for hockey.
- Money and facilities give top conferences recruiting leverage, and reported six-figure packages for elite players—McKenna’s included—are influencing decisions, as the NCAA also rolls out a Deloitte-run NIL compliance clearinghouse.
- The CHL says only 19 departures were 17–19-year-olds and notes an influx of nearly 250 players from other junior leagues, while the USHL faces new talent pressure and a possible CHL–USHL tie-up has been reported but not confirmed.