>Burke says that he's optimistic, but the CCHA is opposing this change.
>CCHA Commissioner Bill Beagan said, "We didn't fall off the turnip truk
>yesterday.  The NHL is offering the Trojan horse.  They want to contro
>college hockey.  Their motives are self-serving."  He doesn't think th
>NCAA will change the rule.
 
>They also quoted agent Steve Bartlett as ssaying that he doesn't like he
>current rule because it makes a 17-year-old make a life decision that s
>almost irreversible.
 
>Finally, they again quote Shawn Walsh, who wants the NCAA to change th
>rule that prohibits colleges from talking to a recruit before his senir
>year in high school.  He said," Major junior teams can wine and dine
>these kids when they are 14, 15, and 16."
 
I wanted to comment on this.  I think this would be favorable to the scholar
athlete.  I don't understand the CCHA's opposition to the change.  Perhaps
the thinking is that the NHL would deadhead some of their prospects in the
colleges where they can have them play and receive coaching while the parent
club waits to open up a spot.  But so what?  The real NHL caliber material
leave college early now.  And, although this has been bandied about on the
list before, a star on a scholarship doesn't owe a college four years in its
hockey program, IMHO.
 
I would think allowing Junior A players a chance to attend college would be
in their best interests.  Perhaps a Junior A player isn't as good as he thinks
he is.  But having pickeed the Junior A path to the majors, he is stuck.  When
he is done playing in the Junior A's his only path is an extended, or perhaps
indefinite tenure in the AHL or IHL.  In fact he might end up a career minor
league player.  His interests might have better been served in getting a
college education to give him something to fall back on should his hockey
skills prove inadequate.
 
While not a perfect example, I think of the Ferraros, and the way their career
seems to be going, or rather not going with the Rangers.  In their freshman
year it looked like both Chris and Peter were headed for the Rangers at the
end of the Olympics.  Now it appears that they may never play for the NHL team.
They were fortunate that they enrolled at the University of Maine, thereby
allowing them to continue to play hockey, but at the same time study toward
a degree.  (Just an example, don't want to discuss their academic prowess.)
Had Chris and Peter gone the Junior A route they would probably now be
slaving on the Binghamton farm club, with no opening with the parent available
in the near future, if ever.
 
Assuming that a Junior A player has what it takes to achieve a college degree,
why shouldn't he be allowed to further his career through the scholar-athlete
route?  Truly a boy of 17 is hardly prepared to plot his future, and the
sportsworld shouldn't force him into a decision which he may later learn to
regret.
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            "NYS   // Hockey"
        Go 'Gate  //   Brian Morris
          Go RPI //      Albany, NY
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