A new era has begun in college hockey.
The 2025-26 season marks the introduction of a new path to the NHL for hockey prospects.
Before this season, players used both the Canadian Hockey League and NCAA to prepare themselves for the pros, but prospects were not allowed to move from one league to the other. However, last fall, the NCAA reversed the ruling, allowing players to join the NCAA after playing in the CHL.
While the NCAA has produced a handful of professional players, the CHL has stood as the premier path for producing top talent in the NHL. Since the ruling was reversed, players across the CHL have committed to schools all around the NCAA.
Eight of these players made the move to Tempe, joining ASU's ever-growing hockey program. As the season began, the integration of talent from the CHL took center ice in Tempe during the weekend of ASU's opening hockey series.
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The Sun Devils faced now-No. 4 Penn State, a school that headlined the movement of CHL players joining the NCAA. In July, Gavin McKenna, the expected first pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, announced his commitment to Penn State, moving from the Medicine Hat Tigers.
NCAA newcomers wasted no time making an impact in the opening series. During ASU's 6-3 loss in the first game of the season, a player making their first appearance after moving from the CHL was involved in the first five goals of the night.
While McKenna picked up an assist on Penn State's first two goals, it was freshman forward Sam Alfano and junior center Sean McGurn who scored ASU's first two, all three of whom spent time in the CHL.
With McGurn assisting a goal and Alfano scoring once and assisting twice, ASU head coach Greg Powers could not name any concerns in CHL players' acclimation to college hockey.
However, it would not be clear skies in the desert as Penn State's star would answer his Friday performance with the go-ahead goal the next night. After touching the ice in the NCAA, McKenna was confident in the choice he made.
"I could have stayed in the (WHL) and taken the easy route," McKenna said, who scored 129 points last season. "I wanted to challenge myself this year coming to the NCAA and hopefully prepare for next year to potentially play in the NHL."
Having coached McKenna through his NCAA debut, Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky was happy with the impact that his new superstar's decision had on college hockey.
"It's a great sign for the growth of college hockey," Gadowsky said. "I don't know who I'm talking to right now, whether it's presidents, (athletic directors), donors — I'm not sure but I hope that there's a combination of all three. Look at what happened tonight and the attention that this is getting, and say 'Hey, that would be great for our university.'"
ASU now heads to play in the Ice Breaker tournament on Friday and Saturday. With Notre Dame and either Quinnipiac or Alaska Fairbanks on the schedule, ASU's new additions from the CHL have the opportunity to continue to prove themselves in college hockey. Powers does not doubt their continued integration into the NCAA.
"They love the game, they love the development model," Powers said, who has coached the Sun Devils since 2010. "They're all thriving in every way, academically and athletically. You saw a bunch of them really translate well to what college is all about."
Edited by Jack McCarthy, Senna James and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at aswift10@asu.edu and follow @alexswiftsports on X.
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