The junior hockey landscape in Canada could soon be in for a massive change.
According to a report by ESPN, a WHL player has committed to an NCAA school, and is prepared to challenge the NCAA’s eligibility rules. Under the current rules, a player who plays even one game in the CHL is ineligible for the highest level of college hockey.
Braxton Whitehead, a forward for the Regina Pats is the player in question and, according to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, Arizona State is the school. Whitehead would suit up for the Pats this season before joining Arizona State in 2025-26 if his commitment is upheld.
This is not the first challenge to the NCAA’s rules this year. In mid-August, a lawyer representing Rylan Masterson filed a lawsuit against the NCAA accusing it of an illegal boycott on CHL players. Masterson was ruled ineligible despite never playing any regular season games for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires. Instead, he only played in two exhibition games.
Whitehead’s case and career are very different, however. Whitehead has played nearly 200 WHL games over the past four seasons, all with the Regina Pats. If he completes a full 2024-25 season with Regina, he could have over 250 games under his belt.
Whitehead is a native of Palmer, Alaska. His Pats face the Wheat Kings in exhibition play tonight at 7:00.
