College Hockey, Rewritten

Hudson Thornton played 49 games in the ECHL. Connor McClennon signed a legitimate AHL contract. Both ended up playing college hockey at Bemidji State. How? The CHL-NCAA Agreement opened a door nobody expected, and now former professionals are gaining NCAA eligibility through a process so murky that nobody can define the rules. Host Eli Cloutier talks with Jared Rubado, Chris Peters, and Brad Schlossman about the loophole nobody saw coming — and whether it'll ever be closed.Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Sound effects by Thomas Ryder Payne via Freesound.

When the NCAA voted to allow Canadian Hockey League players to play college hockey, the CHL had no say in the matter. There's no transfer agreement, no compensation, and no limits on who the NCAA can recruit. The result? The CHL's best players — Gavin McKenna, Porter Martone, and others — are heading to college. Host Eli Cloutier talks with Chris Peters, Brad Schlossman, and Guy Flaming about what the rule change actually means for both leagues. Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Sound effects by Simon Labelle via Freesound. Clips courtesy of ESPN and NBC Sports Philly.

For decades, players in the Canadian Hockey League — the top developmental pipeline for the NHL — were barred from playing college hockey. Then Rylan Masterson filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and everything changed. Host Eli Cloutier talks with Brad Schlossman and Mike McMahon to discuss how the CHL-NCAA Agreement came to be, and why it took a lawsuit to make it happen. Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Sound effects by Simon Labelle via Freesound.