CANMORE – The chaos that happened in November set in for Hudson Sedo.
After a landmark decision to allow Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players in NCAA Division I men’s hockey starting next year, a seismic shift in the winter sport’s landscape is sending tremors across every level in Canada.
By all accounts, it’s been a good kind of chaos for the 18-year-old rookie goaltender, who after quickly establishing himself as one of the best players in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), became a top target for recruitment at a higher level elsewhere.
The Western Hockey League (WHL) came calling for Sedo, and so did Team Canada West for the World Junior A Challenge. Sedo flew to Prince Albert, Sask., for a tryout with the Raiders, in hot pursuit of the young netminder’s services, then he is back in Canmore this week before heading to Canada West tryouts.
“I would say it’s been a bit of a whirlwind. Lots of travel and driving and flying, but It's been an amazing experience so far,” said Sedo, a tall and slim prospect from St. Albert.
Sedo, who has a 7-2-0 record and .926 save percentage with the Eagles, became a sought-after goalie in western Canada this month, after the NCAA voted to make major junior players in Canada eligible to play Division I men’s hockey.
Historically, if teenage players wanted to go the NCAA route, then the Canadian Junior A Hockey League (CJHL) was one of the main pipelines to get there. The NCAA, which regulates student athletics at U.S. post-secondary institutes, had banned what it considered professional athletes in Division I, which players under the CHL banner had fallen under due to receiving compensation - a $ 600 stipend- until the Nov. 7 decision.
The vote gives elite players in leagues like the AJHL the flexibility to now choose destinations like the WHL without fear of losing their NCAA Division I eligibility.
“For myself, as an 18-year-old, it’s a pretty awesome opportunity for me to be able to now look at making that jump to the WHL before heading to the NCAA,” said Sedo.
Clarity on hockey pyramid
President of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League (CJHL) Andy Harkness said he’s encouraged that the NCAA’s new ruling has given clarity on where the CJHL fits into the hockey ecosystem, which is essentially a feeder organization to the CHL.
“At the end of the day, I think this just benefits the hockey players,” said Harkness. “No more decisions at 14 or 15 [years old] of ‘Am I going to NCAA?’ … then we’re going to be a landing spot for CHL players that need more time to develop. So I think it's all great news and we see it as a win.”
Harkness added the CJHL hasn’t experienced any significant changes but they are anticipating hurdles and a trickle-down effect eventually. However, it’s “great news” to now be able to work with the CHL, said Harkness, as opposed to being seen as competitors.
“We’re evaluating all the different scenarios, but at the end of the day we think it gives us clarity … on our job to develop players,” said Harkness.
Dan Mason, a professor with the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation said that the recruitment implications for junior A leagues will fall on its ability to attract exceptional players.
The CJHL, which overlooks the AJHL, had a competitive advantage to lure players looking at a future in the NCAA.
“I think that there are going to be exceptional players that potentially go to the Western Hockey League before going to the NCAA, which is something that makes the AJHL exciting, at least before the break off of those franchises to the [British Columbia] Hockey League [earlier this year],” said Mason. “But I think that at the very high end, it’s gonna have implications for recruitment and that sort of thing.”
Sedo said he had mixed emotions about the NCAA vote due to the added difficulty and pressure that some Junior A players are now facing since the player pool for the NCAA has become much broader.
“They might not be getting the same eyes and attention as they were prior to the decision to change the rules,” said Sedo.
Teams checking in on Eagles players
This season, Canmore Eagles had its best start to a season in the past two decades, but that has become a double-edged sword for the local Junior A club, with eyes on its top players across multiple leagues.
Around the time of the NCAA vote, the Eagles went on a six-game losing skid that lasted well into November. Losing Sedo for a stretch of games hurt; however, head coach and general manager Andrew Milne thought part of the team’s struggles could have been a “mental battle” with the uncertainty and changes coming.
“Things are moving so fast that the players don't know what to do and I think it's just a distraction to the big picture, which is just to control your attitude and your effort,” said Milne in a Nov. 18 interview with the Outlook.
“There’s so much movement right now in the game of hockey, the loyalty is gone and that’s the part of the game that’s a little challenging. The players aren’t quite seeing what the path is to get to the next level because it’s uncertain right now.”
Teams within the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), an independent league which welcomed five teams from the AJHL earlier this year, are trying to recruit players.
During the BCHL’s Nov. 20 board of governors meeting, commissioner Steven Cocker said a “small percentage of players have left our league due to this change” in the NCAA.
Milne said BCHL teams were “calling some of our players” after about 40 players left the independent league to join major junior teams in leagues like the WHL or Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
“Where are they replacing those guys from?” said Milne. “Well, they’re calling our guys or their agents are getting a hold of our guys and having discussions and, unfortunately, it just causes a lot of stress for a lot of kids.”
Mason said the main thing to keep in mind is that when the WHL, or other major junior leagues are recruiting, it’s only the high-end players. He added the opportunities that the players will receive outweigh the losses of the individual clubs.
“But at the same time these [Junior A] teams are part of the communities that they play in and people are happy to watch the players play for the love of the game and chase the dream of playing at a higher level,” said Mason. “I think that's not going to go away, necessarily.”
New opportunities are falling on players like Sedo.
As of Wednesday (Nov. 27), the goalie is the lone Eagles player to be also listed on a WHL roster.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity that Canmore has provided me to develop as a hockey player, and with this rule change, I think that for me it’s very beneficial and it provides future opportunities at the next level and I’m really excited to entertain those,” said Sedo.
“I’m looking forward to putting on an Eagles jersey back on for this week and hopefully bring some more wins to the team and … I’m excited for what the future holds.”
