All the news, and all the noise around the announcment yesterday that a Major Junior hockey player gave a verbal commitment to an NCAA program is not what some are portraying it to be.
What has Arizona State Hockey said about the alleged commitment? Nothing. There is no comment. No announcement. And just why is that? Arizona and all other NCAA programs cannot make any comment on any verbal commitments.
No comment from the NCAA though, and that is a big indicator that not everything is settled with this “verbal commitment”. Not a single word from anyone but Braxton Whitehead on social media.
While there is movement toward allowing CHL players into NCAA hockey, that is not likely to happen until the 2026 season. And only those with the grades to get through admissions will be allowed to play.
The only thing that is sure in this story is that Whitehead has said he was inspired by the recent lawsuit filed against the NCAA regarding CHL players. A lawsuit that is years away from being resolved and that is seen as being questionable at best.
Who else isnt saying anything about this? The NHL. Why? Because the NHL/CHL development agreement controls the paths of Major Junior players, and Whitehead falls under that agreement.
Whitehead is a good player. Not a generational player, but would be a good player at the NCAA level. He is not really an NHL prospect, but with four more years in NCAA hockey he might become one. He is clearly a gambler with this publicity, and he knows how to grab attention. Who ever advised him that this was the best course to take though, doesnt understand the politics of hockey.
Anyone remember the CHLPA? A story TJHN broke concerning the potential unionization of all Major Junior players. Going against what the hockey people in power wanted, was the slow death spiral that was the CHLPA.
Change, institutional change, has to come from within. Braxton Whitehead is not going to be the player who forces the NCAA to change or who forces the NHL/CHL development agreement to change. Change takes time, and negotiation, not publicity.
With new NCAA roster size rules going into effect in the 2025 – 2026 season, limiting rosters to twenty six players, and allowing for a maximum of twenty six full scholarships, the NCAA is slowly preparing the path for a small influx of CHL players in 2026.
Forrest Karr, executive director of American Hockey Coaches Association and Minnesota-Duluth athletic director has said that the NCAA Division 1 council is conducting what he called “a comprehensive eligibility review for all sports, ”which is expected to be completed by October 2025.
This review, and then a subsequent vote by NCAA programs will likely result in CHL players gaining eligibility in the spring of 2026. When at that time the NHL/CHL development agreement will have expired and be far along in the renewal process.
Also keep in mind the NCAA rule regarding, not just CHL players, and grades, but timing to enroll. All NCAA players must be enrolled full time in a university before they turn twenty one. Meaning Braxton Whitehead will need to be enrolled before his birthday in 2025.
Another indicator that needs to be looked at in this story is that College Hockey Inc., which is the authority on all commitments, has nothing registered or reported for Braxton Whitehead. College Hockey Inc. did report six other verbal commitments yesterday September 13, 2025, the same day that Braxton Whitehead made his announcement.
In an interview with ESPN, Whitehead said “I’m very hopeful that (the rules) will turn over before the 2025-26 season.” This statement making it clear that Whitehead understands that coming out publicly and announcing this commitment may not actually be as certain as what people are reading into the story.
The changes needing to be made are not just with the rules committee for NCAA hockey. Every compliance and admissions office will need to change and update their compliance and admissions standards and rules. This simply doesnt happen over night, or in any time period that may be considered short by any persons standards.
Whitehead will need to register and seek enrollment at Arizona State University before January 15, 2025. The likelyhood of all the rules changes and compliance changes needing to be made, and being approved to accommodate that enrollment date is remote.
The NCAA does not move quickly, and has proven when it tries to do so, it usually makes a mess of things. Example the fifth year of eligibility after COVID which has really made a mess of things. They will want to get these rule changes correct and as inclusive as possible before making them public and voting on them.
The Next American Hockey Coaches Association meeting is scheduled for May fourth through sixth in Florida. At that time more discussion is going to take place and preliminary findings of the eligibility review will be discussed before the report is completed in October.
This story is far from being over. TJHN will update this information as the dates and meetings take place as scheduled.
