According to a published report in the Pioneer Press, college hockey coaches plan to meet with National Hockey League officials next month in Toronto to discuss the NHL poaching college players before their eligibilty has expired.
Among those reported to meet in Toronto are Minnesota coach Don Lucia, Boston University coach Jack Parker, Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves and Harvard coach Ted Donato. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is also expected to be in attendance.
“College hockey has been under assault,” said Paul Kelly, executive director of College Hockey Inc., to the paper. “It used to be hard to keep your highly skilled players for three years; now it’s two years, and sometimes one. You’re constantly recruiting; you have to re-create your team.”
The meeting will take place Nov. 9, the night before Hockey Hall of Fame inductions.
“It’s complicated,” Lucia added in the same news article. “I think the good news is they want to try to help, and we want to find solutions that are beneficial to everybody. I think they understand they want college hockey to be viable, too. That’s a strong feeder program.
“There’s only so much you can do, but let’s see if we can find some common ground that can be beneficial to all sides.”
