Dan MacKenzie: CHL sees opportunity in NCAA shift

CHL president Dan MacKenzie says the NCAA rule change has reshaped junior hockey but insists the CHL is increasingly becoming a destination—while he addresses debates over player migration, NHL discussions, and why the Memorial Cup format may need tightening.

Kelowna, B.C. has its playoff energy, but Dan MacKenzie’s focus isn’t only on the next puck drop. With the Memorial Cup closing in, the CHL president is also weighing what this season’s NCAA rule change has done to the whole junior landscape—and what it means for the league’s next move.

MacKenzie is in town as the Everett Silvertips face the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in the Memorial Cup semifinal on Friday. The winner will take on the Kitchener Rangers in Sunday’s final, capping a year that has forced hockey’s development pipeline to adjust.

For MacKenzie. the first full junior-hockey season following the NCAA’s landmark rule change is proof that the CHL isn’t just surviving the new world order—it’s trying to capitalize on it. He said the CHL feels “good” overall at this stage. even as the landscape has changed. framing it as an opportunity rather than a crisis.

In his view, the biggest shift is the choice now available to parents, players, and agents. Under the previous model. NCAA eligibility was revoked. and the CHL said it’s now seeing hundreds of players who wouldn’t have reported under old rules. That has helped the leagues—the WHL, OHL and QMJHL—trend younger.

But MacKenzie didn’t pretend the change is all upside. The CHL has also lost elite players to U.S. college hockey before they age out of the junior level, and he acknowledged the concern around the direction of top prospects.

Players like JP Hurlbert and Caleb Malhotra are part of the argument for how the NCAA rule change opens doors into the CHL. At the same time. MacKenzie was asked whether it worries him that a “good chunk” of elite 2026 draft kids could be headed to the NCAA—while naming a list of possibilities including Ryan Lin. Malhotra again. and Daxon Rudolph.

MacKenzie’s response was careful: it’s “going to take some time” to see where things ultimately land. He said every player will make decisions based on what they believe is in their best interest, and the CHL needs more time to determine what the right next step is for each player.

For 18- and 19-year-olds, though, he believes the CHL is still a strong option. He pointed to the types of roles and workload that scouts and NHL personnel repeatedly describe as key—being a captain. playing lots of minutes. and featuring in all situations. He also emphasized that the CHL environment is built around more games. four rounds of playoffs. and ultimately the Memorial Cup.

Those details mattered to him because he sees the CHL’s appeal as more than just development; it’s also the kind of responsibilities and ice time that come with a long run through the season. He stressed that the CHL’s environment is different than what the alternative is, and he said that’s “fine.”

Alongside the NCAA shift, the CHL is also locked in discussions with the NHL on the 19-year-old rule. Asked whether it’s something that’s planned to happen next season—described as “one first-round pick per team”—MacKenzie said the CHL is still in discussions and that he didn’t have much to report. The NHL is their biggest partner. he said. and the CHL wants any pathway changes to be “thoughtful and responsible and player focused.”.

He added that for the majority of players who could potentially qualify, the CHL still believes it can offer the right combination of coaching and development to keep them progressing.

The transfer conversation is ongoing too, including talks involving USA Hockey and Hockey Canada. MacKenzie said they are still in talks, but there wasn’t “a lot to report” on a conclusion. He said the CHL would like a transfer agreement with USA Hockey that allows for an orderly movement of players back and forth. but he also said the league still has “some work to do.”.

There have also been discussions about collaboration with the USHL, though not framed as an immediate merger. MacKenzie said they met in the fall for preliminary. “blue-sky” discussions and that there hasn’t been much since—without suggesting the topic is off the table. He called it nothing imminent and “definitely nothing concrete.”.

Even the Memorial Cup is on his radar for potential changes. MacKenzie said the format has been around for a significant amount of time and that for the teams involved it has been a “very fair process. ” with a round-robin followed by moving on. Still, he said they’re always looking at what the right format is for fans, players and teams.

He referenced that the CHL changed the format of its prospects event a couple of years ago. adding that the league isn’t afraid to make changes. He said he believes shortening the Memorial Cup is something they would like to try and see. pointing to other events such as world juniors—where teams play two games in an arena in one day—as an example of a model that could shorten the event.

At the moment, though, he said they’re evaluating a variety of options and aren’t “quite there yet.” Nothing is to report right now, but the goal is still to make the tournament more exciting.

What isn’t in question for the CHL is the direction of facility upgrades and player experience standards. MacKenzie addressed the OHL’s minimum-standards document for teams and said discussions across the CHL have happened. He explained that each league is responsible for hockey operations and the standards of the leagues they operate. describing it as a strength that North America is large and not everything applies nationally.

With the new landscape. he said the leagues have stepped up in recent years to raise standards for player development and player experience. He also connected it to competition for players in markets that are “very competitive. ” pointing to new builds and renovations across the league. Last summer. he said there were about 10. and this summer the number is “similar. ” which he called significant—upgrading facilities. building new dressing rooms. adding new scoreboards. and working with cities to improve environments for both players and fans.

Expansion is the final thread MacKenzie pulled at in his conversation, and he was clear about its priority status. He said expansion is a priority, citing increased demand from players who want to play in the CHL. He said expansion is managed and driven at the league level. and each league is at a different place depending on priority markets and owners’ positions.

But the direction is set: the CHL has expansion “on the eye,” and he said it will move forward when conditions are right.

From the Memorial Cup semifinals and final to the NCAA’s rule change reshaping player choice. the underlying message from MacKenzie is that the CHL is measuring every adjustment—and trying to turn uncertainty into something better. In a season defined by movement. renegotiation and new standards. his focus stays fixed on one thing: making the CHL a place where players choose to develop. and keep developing.

Dan MacKenzie CHL NCAA rule change Memorial Cup Everett Silvertips Chicoutimi Saguenéens Kitchener Rangers WHL OHL QMJHL USHL USA Hockey Hockey Canada NHL 19-year-old rule junior hockey