Overview
- The NCAA Division I Council approved a rule last November allowing players with CHL experience to maintain college eligibility for the 2025-26 season.
- McKenna announced his commitment on July 8, securing what sources say is the largest NIL agreement in college hockey history.
- Seventeen-year-old McKenna posted 129 points in 56 WHL games, set a modern CHL record with a 54-game point streak and is widely projected as the 2026 NHL Draft’s likely first overall pick.
- Medicine Hat teammate Cayden Lindstrom and Tri-City’s Jackson Smith have also departed the CHL for Michigan State and Penn State, respectively, illustrating a broader prospect exodus.
- In response, CHL leagues are investing in upgraded facilities, enhanced training programs and nutritional standards to retain elite talent.