The NCAA Division I Council approved a rule Thursday allowing players with CHL experience to compete at U.S. colleges starting next season.

The NCAA has voted to make Canadian Hockey League players eligible to play college hockey, according to a statement.

As of the release of this article, there is just one known NCAA commitment of the Western Hockey League and it is strictly verbal: Forward Braxton Whitehead of the Regina Pats. Whitehead made history on September 13 by verbally committing to Arizona State University, and becoming the first WHL player to do so.

“With a larger player pool, hopefully more NCAA schools will consider adding hockey programs to provide opportunities for those additional players.” In September, Braxton Whitehead said he had verbally committed to Arizona State, making him the first ...

The NCAA Division 1 Council approved a rule Thursday allowing players with Canadian Hockey League experience to compete at U.S. colleges starting next season, a landmark decision that has the potential of shaking up the NHL's two largest sources of developmental talent.

The CHL, OHL and WHL expressed optimism about the NCAA's change to major junior hockey player eligibility, while the USHL discussed its path for NCAA hopefuls.

The NCAA voted on the rule change for collegiate men's ice hockey and skiing at a council meeting on Thursday.