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to watch webcast  live Click below!

Watch all the National Championships webcasts LIVE!

ACHA All-Star Game

Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 7:30 PM EST.
That's when the 2nd Annual Men’s Division 1 All-Star Game is set to take place at the Alice Noble Ice Arena in Wooster, OH.

40 of the top Men's Division 1 players, will converge on Ohio for this event. 

2008     6th Annual Showcase

2008 ACHA Showcase, Ice Line, West Chester, PA

October 10-12, 2008

Click here for the 2008 Showcase Schedule

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How the Canadian junior system hurts the NHL in the USA.

by Arenacale on May 19, 2010, 7:17 PM CDT

http://www.fromtherink.com/2010/5/19/1479587/how-the-canadian-junior-system

In discussing the probable top two picks in the draft over at Stanley Cup of Chowder, the SCoC man himself made a good point about Bruins fans trying to evaluate the prospects:

I love how everyone is an expert on a couple of 17 year old kids that all they have watched is YouTube clips or maybe part of a junior game on NHL Network.

 Unfortunately, for most of us in the US of A, Canadian junior hockey is largely a gaping void of ignorance: a foreign concept of player development taking place behind the curtain of a foreign land.  Every once in a while, we catch a glimpse of it on TV - the Memorial Cup on NHL Net, a news story on Patrick Roy's kid gooning it up in Quebec City, the team names read with player selections at the Draft - but there's precious little for the average American NHL fan to take in.  And it illustrates what I think is a major reason the NHL is still lagging behind the NBA and NFL in overall popularity.

******

Living in Boston, and having graduated from a Div. III college, I've never quite gotten why people follow college sports.  I had pro teams to watch, I didn't go to BC or BU or whatever, so I had no rooting interest and therefore, I didn't care.  In the past couple of years, though, a good friend and UMass Amherst grad has sparked my interest in college hockey by letting me tag along at a few games.  Then it started to make sense - I saw Matt Gilroy and Brandon Yip play for BU in person one year, the next they're on the Rangers and Avalanche.  That's why college football and basketball do so well, not just because of people cheering on their alma mater, but also because it has relevance to the pro leagues, since you're watching "tomorrow's stars today." And, as such, it acts as a boost to the big leagues, since it's both added publicity and a reason for college sports fans to follow "their guy's" career. 

The problem for the NHL, then, is that the American college game is not where it gets the bulk of it's stars from.  It gets them from Canadian junior, specifically the CHL.  Granted, it works, and Canadians certainly don't have a problem with it.  But, save for the few US markets that have junior teams, American coverage of the CHL is very limited (a stray game here or there and the Memorial Cup), and it makes it difficult for fans in NHL markets to follow their respective team's prospects.  That's lost buzz, especially come draft time, and it gives the appearance, fair or not, of the game of ice hockey being disconnected from most Americans, still a Canadian game for Canadians. 

Now, the NCAA is not without fault in this. Despite being a huge deal at a number of colleges, hockey is still not treated with the same gravity as football and basketball, though it seems like Paul Kelly's group is trying to get the ball rolling on increasing college hockey's visibility.  The NHL and them can only stand to gain by drawing more elite prospects to their game and giving casual fans more of a reason to watch.

By the same token, the NHL could get a boost right now by helping junior hockey's status grow in the States.  Start by simply finding more ways of explaining the Canadian junior system to Americans, since it goes against the accepted farm system of youth leagues->high school->college->pros.  Then, get more games on the air, especially once with potential high draft picks.  Let fans of American NHL franchises see who might be playing for them in the coming years.  Give them the visual proof of their hopes.  If the league can get the American fans to understand and at least marginally care about the CHL, and if the NCAA can get it's act together and become a truly reliable path to the NHL, then the sport of ice hockey will be on it's way to greater acceptance and a larger fanbase in the States.

Copyright © 2010 Sportsblogs, Inc

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http://www.windsorstar.com/sports/NCAA+fights+back+against+poaching+hockey+talent/2331683/story.html

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http://www.windsorstar.com/sports/Fretter+makes+right+hockey+choice/2331672/story.html

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College players making a splash in ‘09 Draft

July 2, 2009 by Dave Weldon  

62 US College players were taken in this year’s NHL Draft. It’s been said that US players haven’t been able to make a substantial impact in the NHL as much as players coming out of the Canadian Junior Leagues, such as the OHL or QMJHL, where for example this year’s No. 1 pick, Johnathan Tavares came from (OHL- London Knights) and 2005’s No. 1 pick, Sidney Crosby (QMJHL – Rimouski)

45 Americans were taken in the 2008 Entry Draft, only 9 of which were playing US College Hockey.

The record for Americans taken in the first round was tied in 2006 & 2007 (10), 2 of which were US College players.

The current peak of US College Hockey Entry Draft success is hands down, current Chicago Blackhawk Captain and former North Dakota Souix, Johnathan Toews, who went 3rd in 2006, and current Boston Bruin and former Minnesota Golden Gopher, went 5th in 2006.

There have been 6 US born players taken at No. 1  – ‘07 Patrick Kane (Blackhawks), ‘06 Erik Johnson (Blues), ‘00 Rick DiPietro (Islanders), ‘95 Bryan Berard (Senators), ‘88 Mike Modano (Minn. North Stars) and in ‘83 Brian Lawton (Minn. North Stars).

Here is a break down of all the US College players who were taken in the 2009 Entry Draft.

(I) = Incoming Recruit
(*) = No Longer With Team

Round One

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The NCAA meets Canada, what does this all mean?

June 2, 2008 by Dave Weldon  
 

For the past decade or so there has been serious talks in allowing Canadian Universities to apply for membership in the NCAA.  As of January 14th this year, a 97% vote approved this move.  The ruling that is being put in place will allow Canadian Universities to apply for Division II status of the NCAA within the next three years.

Since there is not a Division II program of college hockey in the NCAA, the ruling that goes forth is that one men’s program and one women’s program would be allow to apply for NCAA Division I status.  The two schools that look to be at the forefront of this application is the University of British Columbia and Simon-Fraser University.  Timing is everything right now for these schools, as they must apply by June 1st (yesterday) for admittance.

One of the major issues that presents itself is that a majority of the Canadian schools have former CHL and pro players suiting up for their teams, which violates NCAA rules.  The assumption would be that if a Canadian University joined the NCAA and had a team that was full of former pro players, that they would then have to make the Division I program an entirely new entity, taking the same route that Robert Morris took four years ago, in recruiting an entire roster.  The Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) has different rulings on players going professional; those Professional games played before Dec. 31 of the year in which an athlete turns 21 are not charged against the athlete’s CIS men’s hockey eligibility.  One particular case is former Los Angeles King’s forward Jared Aulin (you can read his story in Canada West).

There is also discussion (which should be figured out by now) on how moving to the NCAA will affect a Canadian school’s status with the CIS status.  CIS President Dick White was quoted in the Leader-Post saying, “One of the things that our board has discussed as a principle — and it has got a long way to go yet — is ‘If you choose to go NCAA, you go with all your teams. We’re not going to be a soft-landing spot for some of your teams.’ That is something that the board has decided to investigate.”

Some of the rumors swirling around is that this could help the eventual movement of Bemidji State University into the WCHA conference.  This could coincide with their new agreement with the WCHA that guarntee’s them 12 non-conference games a year which starts in the 2010-2011 season and their addition of a new arena that meets the needs of a larger fan base and recruitment efforts.

At the same time, this could turn to be great news for Robert Morris and the rest of the CHA confernece.  Not that having Bemidji in the conferece is a bad thing, but everyone knows that they want out, if a replacement could be pulled in from a potential Canadian school (or schools that could make the conference larger) this could lead to less expense costs for Robert Morris (in traveling to BSU for games).  Something else to look at is where the recruits are coming from, a majority of NCAA recruits do come from the Canadian Junior Leagues and an advantage for Robert Morris in playing in Canada would be direct exposure for young players in the area to meet the coaching staff and see Coach Schooley’s style of play, not to mention recruiting trips while you are playing games.

One other area to look at, also in recruiting, something that can be compared to what Coach Mike Rice of the Colonial basketball team is working on, is scheduling non-conference games near where his players grew up, in an attempt to make it easier for their families to see them play (Tony Lee is from the Boston area, this past season we played and beat Boston College in their arena).  This could be an immense recruiting tool that no college coach has been able to use yet, the best way to utilize this tool is if you are able to lure a Canadian team into your conference, this guarantee’s that you will be able to make it up there for an alloted number of games.

More news should come in the next few weeks, so be sure to check in to see what this entails for the CHA and college hockey in general.

NCAA approves program to allow CIS schools

 

TSN.ca Staff

1/14/2008 1:31:01 PM

In a landmark decision the NCAA has voted to allow Canadian universities to apply for membership and the University of British Columbia is set to do so.

The vote was 97% in favour (258 for, 9 against, 2 abstentions).

The move paves the way for Canadian schools like UBC to join the Division 2 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association within the next three years.

Schools must apply for membership by June 1st.

Any school looking to make the move would have to deal with substantial changes in recruiting of athletes. The major difference between membership in the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) and the NCAA is the way athletic scholarships are awarded. In the NCAA a Canadian university would be able to award a full ride scholarship while in the CIS first year students are able to receive a max of tuition but only if they have a high enough average academically, at least 80%.

There would also be eligibility issues with hockey teams as any player with past major junior experience would be ineligible to play in the NCAA. Many former CHL players now suit up for their Canadian schools.There is a provision in Div 2 that allows a school to have a maximum of one mens and one womens team participate in Div 1 athletics. That means if UBC is successful, their hockey team could play in Division 1. There is no Division 2 hockey program in the NCAA.

It is a two part process and if a Canadian school is granted status in the NCAA they would still need to be accepted into one of the athletic conferences. Both UBC and Simon Fraser University have already had discussions with NCAA conferences in the western United States and there is interest in both sides of the negotiations. The Great Northwest and Pacific West Conferences have been part of the discussions.

If they do not make it into a conference, the only other option would be to play as an independent.

It is believed the University of Alberta and St Claire's College in Ontario are also interested in membership.

The NCAA is currently holding their annual convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

http://www.tsn.ca/ncaa/news_story/?ID=227280&hubname

CIS responds to NCAA decision on international membership

CIS
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
NCAA Decision

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CIS responds to NCAA decision on international membership

OTTAWA (CIS) - Canadian Interuniversity Sport officially responded on Tuesday to the NCAA's decision to allow universities from outside the United States to seek active Division II membership.

The 10-year pilot program was approved Monday at the 2008 NCAA Convention.

Canadian Interuniversity Sport Chief Executive Officer, Marg McGregor, offered the following perspective.

What was the NCAA decision?

NCAA Division II paved the way for Canadian institutions to seek active Division II membership when they approved a 10-year pilot program at the 2008 NCAA Convention in Nashville, on January 14.

The Canadian measure was hailed as an antidote of sorts for Division II members in the West and Northwest regions (there are currently 83 western members compared with 193 in the east).

The program takes effect immediately and Canadian schools may apply for membership as soon as June 1, 2008. Schools that meet the June 1 application deadline could start the process of joining Division II as soon as the 2008-2009 academic year.

How will this decision impact Canadian Interuniversity Sport? Is this a threat to the ongoing health of CIS, if a university elects to leave CIS and join the NCAA?

The vast and overwhelming majority of Canadian universities are very proud of their membership in CIS and their involvement in a Canadian league that celebrates academics and athletics.

The feedback from Canadian universities suggests that a very small number of universities might pursue the NCAA option. While CIS values all our members and does not want to lose any, the CIS membership has grown in recent years and indications are it will continue to do so. So from a simple number of members perspective, the potential loss of one or two members is offset by the recent expansion.

At the same time, the NCAA membership decision has changed the landscape and given CIS cause to reflect. CIS will be conducting a membership satisfaction survey to identify issues that require attention. We plan to confront the difficult issues and align ourselves for the future. We plan to build on our strengths of being a Canadian league that celebrates and supports academics and athletics, and is proud of its Canadian roots.

Some media reports have suggested that UBC wants to join the NCAA in order to provide greater financial support to student-athletes. What is the CIS reaction to this?

A common and outdated misconception is that athletic awards and scholarships are only available south of the border. In fact about one in two CIS student-athletes receive financial support to pursue their athletics and academics in Canada. Athletic Financial Awards are a vital component in providing an outstanding educational and athletic experience for our student-athletes and are critical in the decision for our students to pursue their dreams in Canada.

Student-athletes who achieve an academic average are eligible to receive athletic scholarships in an amount equal to the cost of tuition.

There is great diversity in the 51 universities who are members of CIS. There are some universities who would prefer to be able to offer athletic scholarships in amounts greater than the costs of tuition, and others who would prefer to have the maximum set at a lower cap. This is similar to the NHL which recently established a salary cap. Some teams would prefer a higher cap, others lobby for a lower cap. Part of being a member of any large organization, be it CIS or NCAA, involves compromise.

So what is Next?

CIS will have discussions with Canadian universities considering joining the NCAA to express that CIS values all its members and would prefer that none migrate south of the border.

If a Canadian university chooses to apply and is accepted as a NCAA member there will be a lot of issues to resolve as this rolls out, and we go our separate ways.

CIS will conduct a CIS membership satisfaction survey. We will continue to evolve and change as an organization that is committed to celebrating academic and athletic excellence in Canada. We will be open to embracing new ideas, philosophies and change, and we will demonstrate confidence to move in new directions.

Could a university compete in the NCAA and still maintain their membership in the CIS?

This will be decided by the CIS membership in June 2008. The philosophical position taken by the CIS Board of Directors that will be advanced to the CIS membership for their discussion and decision recommends against a joint CIS-NCAA membership scenario.

This can be considered a defining moment for CIS. At the end of the day the CIS membership is an expression of who we are and what we value. As CIS goes forward, the CIS Board of Directors wants the CIS membership to be composed of universities who are fully committed to a Canadian league and proud of the Canadian roots and "keeping it in Canada".  The Canadian identity and the Canadian model are important and integral values of who we are.

Our niche is a Canadian organization with a Canadian identity and a commitment to quality education and athletics. We are proud of our Canadian identity, and our Canadian commitment to quality education and athletics.

About Canadian Interuniversity Sport

Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Fifty-one members, 10,000 student-athletes and 550 coaches vie for 19 national championships in 11 different sports. The CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, and 27 World University Championships. For further information, visit www.universitysport.ca

-CIS-

For more information contact:

Marg McGregor
Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Ph: (613) 562-5670 ext. 26
Fax: (613) 562-5669
mcgregor@universitysport.ca
www.universitysport.ca

Michel Bélanger
Communications Manager
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Ph: (613) 562-5670 ext. 25
Cell: (613) 447-6334
Fax: (613) 562-5669
belanger@universitysport.ca
www.universitysport.ca

Last Updated: 2008-01-16
Author: Scott Stewart
Email: aestewart@wei.org