Last year, I wrote the following:
 
>As has been posted, only those 18-year old hockey players who have
>specifically opted into the NHL Amateur draft will be eligible for
>selection this year.  Because this act makes the player ineligible for
>NC$$ play, there will be relatively few college players chosen this
>year.  (I imagine that as in the NBA one can after the draft opt
>out if one doesn't yet have an agent, but I suspect that this will be
>a rare occurrence.)  Thus the only US college players to be chosen
>this year will be those who have already played at least one year in
>the NC$$.  As was the case last year, this will be a small group.
>
>Hopefully, I have all of my facts straight above.  What hasn't been
>brought out yet on Hockey-L is the following.  Next year, those
>players who were not eligible to be chosen this year will have a year
>of college play under their belts and will not need to formally
>declare for the draft.  Thus they will be eligible to be chosen
>without forfeiting NC$$ eligibility.  These players will be listed as
>being drafted from their college teams instead of from their high
>school or junior team.  This should mean additional exposure for
>college hockey because when The Hockey News and local papers add up
>where players come from the number drafted from colleges will be
>larger.
>
>Of course, this is next year, not this year.  Also, both the NHL and
>NC$$ will probably change their rules again before then.
 
Now it is a year later, and people such as Minnesota's Erik Rasmussen
have been selected by NHL teams with their college listed instead
of their high school.  Clearly, there were many more players chosen
this year listed under their college than last year or even earlier
years, although I suspect that the total number of college players
(including incoming freshmen) chosen is down from what it was say
five years ago.  I wonder if the fact that the colleges are named
instead of the high schools or junior teams for more players is of
benefit to college hockey.  It doesn't make an iota of difference
here in DC, but what about in places further north?
 
Ralph Baer
RPI '68, '70, '74
 
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