An Open Letter to the OHL Community Regarding NCAA Player Eligibility Changes
An Open Letter to the OHL Community Regarding NCAA Player Eligibility Changes
Today is a big day for hockey and the young players that make our great game so special.
On behalf of the Ontario Hockey League, I’m excited to share the collective enthusiasm expressed league-wide following the NCAA Division I Council’s vote affirming the eligibility of Canadian Hockey League players for NCAA Division I hockey programs effective August 1, 2025.
This is a landmark decision that gives OHL players additional avenues and opportunities to pursue their hockey, academic and life goals upon graduation from our league. It also opens the OHL’s doors to talented young student athletes with NCAA aspirations, providing them the opportunity to take their game to the next level in the number one development league in the world.
The OHL will continue to maintain a high standard as the leading supplier of talent to the National Hockey League while emphasizing the same blend of on-ice excellence with an off-ice commitment to character development and academics that has made the League what it is today.
Through this transition, the League will continue to honour its commitments through the OHL Scholarship and Development Program to players as they play out their years of eligibility, setting 20 and 21-year-old graduates up for success as they embark on new challenges both on the ice and in the classroom through both the NCAA and U SPORTS.
The Ontario Hockey League has produced world class talent for decades, and this latest development signals a new chapter in the story of the greatest junior hockey league in the world.
It’s a pleasure to be part of the OHL community and I share our collective excitement for what the future holds!
Yours in hockey,
Bryan Crawford
Commissioner, Ontario Hockey League
