Major junior hockey players can now join NCAA Division I teams; stakeholders weigh in | Globalnews.ca

Max Hildebrand is the first WHL player from Saskatchewan in recent history to commit to an NCAA Division I program.

A seismic shift in the North American junior hockey landscape has opened the doors for major-junior athletes from across Canada and the United States to be eligible to hit the ice for Division I programs beginning next season .

The National Collegiate Athletics Association voted on Nov. 7 to drop a previously iron-clad stance barring players in the Canadian Hockey League .

The NCAA is now allowing CHL eligibility for its Division I programs, but Division III remains off limits to athletes with major-junior experience.

With the change, the SJHL and junior A hockey across Canada will no longer have their status as the only place north of the border for elite players to earn Division I scholarships as one of their largest recruiting chips.

University of Saskatchewan Huskies head coach Brandin Cote doesn't believe the sky is falling as a result of the NCAA decision.

U Sports programs like the Huskies and University of Regina Cougars will now face increased competition for incoming student-athletes from NCAA schools.

Cote isn't closing the door on players leaving Canadian teams for NCAA programs, only to potentially return.