This has been touched upon on the USCHO board, initiated by a blurb in the
USHR (gotta love the alphbet soup).  The discussion is based upon a proposal
by the NCAA to dramatically change the definition of "amateur" athletes who
are eligible to compete for the NCAA.  Currently, the definition is based
upon receipt of payment (as we know all to well from several publicized
cases). As pertinent to college hockey, since 1981 this rule has prevented
players who have played major junior hockey from thereafter playing for an
NCAA program.  Hence, the incredible push by Major Junior programs to get
younger players to play a game or two as 15 and 16 year olds prior to them
being fully exposed to the NCAA option.
 
From reading the proposal being reported by the NCAA's subcommittee on
Amateurism, it appears there is a strong push to no longer use payments as a
basis for determining NCAA eligibility.  Instead, the proposed standard will
be whether the player is playing in a professional league which would provide
him or her with a competitive advantage in the NCAA.  First, it would appear
from my reading of this that major junior hockey would not be considered a
"professional league," but I'm not certain on this point.  Second, even if
major junior hockey is a "professional league," the proposed amendment would
permit a player to play in such a league for a one-year period after
graduating from high school, without losing NCAA eligibility.  Thus, in most
cases a player could play major junior hockey until the age 19 without
jeopardizing their NCAA status.  (The proposal would cause players who play
any years beyond this one-year window to lose their freshman year of
eligibility).
 
These changes, if adopted, seem like an enlightened approach, particularly in
hockey where kids have to make a decision at early ages (15 or 16), before
being in a position to know what their options are.  In many cases, the rule
imposed many hardships on players who genuinely want a college education, but
played a game or two in major junior hockey earlier in their youth.
 
I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this policy proposal.
 
The report is at this link, but to understand it better, check out the two
links within the document.
 
http://www.ncaa.org/databases/reports/1/199910mc/199910_d1_mc_agenda.htm
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.