U Sports hockey could create more NHL players
"I think it's underrated. I think it's really good hockey and it's competitive. There's a lot of undercover, off the radar skilled players in that league," Derek Ryan says.
Jason YuenA bit of an underrated fact for the University of Alberta Golden Bears, is that Edmonton Oilers head coach, Kris Knoblauch, and center Derek Ryan are both former Bears. While this is a great opportunity for the university, it also suggests that more U Sports athletes could enter the professional world. Knoblauch seems to think so.
“There are definitely a lot of players that can move on to the American League, spend a little time there, and then move on and be a National Hockey League (NHL) player,” Knoblauch said in an interview with The Gateway.
“So many players are late bloomers. They can go to university and become different players,” Knoblauch says
The biggest challenge college athletes have with entering the pros, is that U Sports is not a go-to feeder for the NHL. But that doesn’t make it bad hockey. In fact, it’s a bit of an untapped resource.
“I think it’s underrated. I think it’s really good hockey and it’s competitive. There’s a lot of undercover, off the radar skilled players in that league,” Ryan said in an interview with The Gateway.
So why do these players get overlooked? A big reason is that scouts are watching younger guys while they’re playing in major-juniors, and at that age, they’re not always ready.
“So many players are late bloomers. They can go to university and become different players. You look at Ryan, he was watched a lot when he was a junior and was regarded as a player that couldn’t play in the NHL. So, he was ignored. Then, obviously, he played at the U of A, played some pro, and then he got some attention,” Knoblauch said.
This makes you wonder if coaches are starting to think of U Sports as a potential recruitment pool. According to Knoblauch, “it definitely is. [That league] was neglected.”
This could get complicated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s rule change, as some great players will go to the states. However with more Canadian Hockey League players heading down there, this means United States Hockey League players might come here. All are great athletes, and some have NHL potential.
Where the Oilers are looking in terms of prospects and why they have to
The Oilers have a strong veteran core and unlike developing teams who are out of the play-off picture, they’re not in a position to trade away senior players for prospects and picks. After all, you only have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for so long, so you have to make something happen now.
However, even the Oilers need to start looking at prospects that can help them a year or two from now. The problem? They’ve traded away all their assets.
“What happens is you end up having to go out and look for players, and most teams are looking for players through high draft picks. Well, the Oilers haven’t had very many of those, so now they have to find other ways. Another way is to look at other leagues that are neglected. Whether that’s in Europe or U Sports or those kinds of avenues,” Knoblauch said.
We’re already seeing U Sports and NHL interaction
While it’s not a lot, the Bears currently have two NHL draft picks — Brett Hyland with the Washington Capitals and Connor McClennon with the Philadelphia Flyers. As well as Bears defence-man, Marc Lajoie, who attended the 2024 Oilers rookie training camp.
Hyland has certainly seen the most success with his NHL team, having attended the Capitals training camp during the Bears’ pre-season.
“That experience is nothing like I’ve ever had before. They’re grown men that have been doing it for 10, 15 years, and I’m just coming from a junior team. It’s kind of neat, but you try and go in and take someone’s job. At the end of the day, that was my goal,” Hyland said.
It’s hard to say whether Hyland will be invited back. But if the Capitals are watching U Sports — and especially their draft picks — as closely as Knoblauch has eluded to, it’s likely, given Hyland’s performance.
With all this in mind, you can’t ignore the rate at which U Sports players are interacting with NHL teams compared to previous years. Previously, the Bears had only seen 15 players go on to play an NHL game, the most recent being Noah Philp. It’ll be interesting to see how those numbers change in years to come.
