NCAA players and the draft

[DW]

Has anyone heard if the opt-in rule was extended for this draft? When the opt-in was waived last year the NCAA was going to make an official ruling on whether this would be permanent. Which I have yet to find. I found the link for old ruling and it states it is for the 2004 draft and a new ruling would be made for further drafts.

This would have some bearing on the draft being that there are some promising guys that have to give up there NCAA scholarships if they opt-in to this draft. Namely Jack Johnson, Brian Lee, Ryan Stoa, Matt Niskanen, Jack Skille, Jeff Frazee and there are are others of course.

I'm assuming that the NCAA will extend this ruling given the short time frame involved. Unless someone else has heard something different, please speak up if there has been some info about this subject.

Click to read more...

 

[MHNet]

All the guys you mentioned will not have to give up NCAA eligibility to opt-in to the draft.

The rule in question applies only to kids who were already in college. For example, Al Montoya entered college as a 17-year-old. At the end of his freshman year, he would have had to opt-in to the draft. Had he opted in, he would have lost his eligibility.

This rule does not apply to kids who are not currently in college. All these kids you mentioned are not in college yet. They will be entering college in the fall, but since they are not in college yet, the rule doesn't apply to them.

 

[DW]

Cool, thanks a bunch.

But this rule would apply to Nate Hagemo then because I believe he'll be turning 19 during the season.

 

[cagney]

It'll also apply to Dan Bertram, Tom Fritsche and Jonathan Matsumoto.

I haven't heard anything myself but this is a very good question. Perhaps Kitchener was thinking of this when they drafted Fritsche in the last OHL draft. If the NCAA doesn't allow them to maintain thier eligibility they may just opt in anyway and go major junior.

 

[MHNet]

There was an interesting question raised on the U.S. College Hockey Online forum about NCAA players and the draft. Perhaps someone here might know.

There was an ESPN.com article saying that teams will have like a five day signing period to sign all 2003 draft picks or else those picks re-enter the 2005 draft. Does "all 2003 draft picks" include college players? Typically teams retain the rights for college players until after they graduate, but going by this article it would appear that college players aren't excluded. Is this something with the new CBA? If so, this could have a big effect on college hockey and some effect on the draft (i.e. Jeff Tambellini was an '03 pick).

 

[DW]

That would outright kill the Gophers if that were to happen. Potulny, Irmen for starters. I had read that post as well but I thought that was more related to CHL prospects ala O'Sullivan, Carter, and Richards.

I can't see how this would be true, it wouldn't hurt just the Gophers but several teams in the WCHA alone.