UNH Commits Update 12-6-2024: UNH Off to Fast Start Recruiting CHL Players
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"CHL players had been considered professionals and barred because of the NCAA’s amateurism rules, in part because some CHL players have signed NHL entry-level contracts."Even CHL players who had not signed an NHL contract lost amateur status because they competed against "professional players" who had signed. CHL players also receive a stipend of up to $600 per month for living expenses. That's often mentioned as a reason they are "professional".
Due in part to growing pressure from U.S. antitrust law litigation the NCAA voted on November 7th to grant eligibilty to most Canadian Major Junior players beginning in the 2025-26 season. CHL players can be eligible for Division I hockey "provided they did not receive above actual and necessary expenses to compete in the CHL". CHL players who've signed NHL pro contracts continue to be ineligible (see College Hockey Inc. for details).
The Canadian Hockey League is known as an elite development track for aspiring young hockey players. The nearly 800 players (aged 16-20) in the CHL play a rigorous schedule including training camp, 68 regular season games plus playoffs. The CHL is a major source of NHL players. For example, there were 390 CHL graduates on the 2024-25 NHL opening day rosters (NHL has 736 players on active rosters).
New Recruiting Opportunities Needless to say, the CHL provides a deep pool of talented players for NCAA Division I coaches to scout and recruit. Of the 64 D-I programs, UNH is off to one of the fastest, most successful starts. Last week CHL defensemen Alex Carr and Nicholas DeAngelis plus center Sam Oliver committed to UNH for the 2025-26 season. A look at today's version of Chris Heisenberg's database of committed recruits shows 1 CHL commit for UConn, Merrimack, Providence, Vermont, Wisconsin and Arizona State, 2 for Princeton and Bemidji State, and 5 for Bowling Green. All but one are in their 4th full season of CHL competition.
Profiles of CHL Commits to UNH
Alex Carr
Defense, 6'0", 194 lbs. Shoots Right Hometown: Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada DOB: March 30, 2004; 20 years, 8 months Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars 2024-25 Team: Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) 2020 QMJHL Draft: Selected in 4th Round (#66 Overall) by Halifax Mooseheads Committed to UNH on November 25, 2024 at Age 20 years, 8 months. |
Nicholas DeAngelis
Defense, 6'2", 187 lbs. Shoots Left Hometown: King City, Ontario, Canada DOB: May 22, 2004; 20 years, 6 months Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars 2024-25 Team: Surrey Wolves (Ontario Hockey League) 2020 OHL Draft: Selected in 2nd Round (#36 Overall) by Windsor Spitfires Committed to UNH on November 25, 2024 at Age 20 years, 6 months. |
Sam Oliver
Center, 5'11", 183 lbs. Shoots Left Hometown: Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada DOB: July 4, 2004; 20 years, 4 months Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars 2024-25 Team: Drummondville Voltigeurs (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) 2020 QMJHL Draft: Selected in 2nd Round (#27 Overall) by Charlottetown Islanders Committed to UNH on November 25, 2024 at Age 20 years, 4 months. |
2024-25 Statistics
Player | NZ Stars** | Team | League | GP | Goals | Asst | Pts | PIM | +/- |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 Commits | |||||||||
Sebastian Bradshaw 5/26/05 (F) | 3.75 | Langley Rivermen | BCHL | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | - |
Coquitlam Express | BCHL | 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | - | ||
Alex Carr 5/22/04 (D) | 3.75 | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | QMJHL | 24 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 14 | +12 |
Reid Conn* 2/2/04 (D) | 3.75 | Chicago Steel | USHL | 20 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 48 | +3 |
Nicholas DeAngelis 5/22/04 (D) | 3.75 | Sudbury Wolves | OHL | 25 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 24 | -3 |
Conner de Haro* 10/17/05 (D) | 3.75 | Youngstown Phantoms | USHL | 17 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 4 | +4 |
Connor DeTurris 10/8/04 (F) | 3.75 | Nanaimo Clipper | BCHL | 23 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 8 | - |
Sam Oliver 7/4/04 (F) | 3.75 | Drummondville Voltigeurs | QMJHL | 28 | 23 | 11 | 34 | 32 | +7 |
Ryan Philbrick* 6/20/04 (D) | 3.75 | Salmon Arms Silverbacks | BCHL | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | - |
Eliot Séguin-Lescarbeau* 9/14/05 (G) | 3.75 | Des Moines Buccaneers | USHL | 12 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 3.85 | .868 |
2025 or '26 Commits | |||||||||
Price Grimes* 1/28/06 (D) | 3.5 | Chilliwack Chiefs | BCHL | 22 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 28 | - |
Kole Hyles 1/16/06 (F) | 3.75 | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders | USHL | 19 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | -1 |
Luca Primerano* 3/17/05 (F) | 3.5 | Cowichan Valley Capitals | BCHL | 24 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 11 | - |
Jack Sadowski* 7/29/06 (F) | 3.75 | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders | USHL | 15 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | -6 |
2026 Commits | |||||||||
Jesse Allecia 10/12/05 (F) | 3.5 | Drummondville Voltigeurs | QMJHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Alberni Valley Bulldogs | BCHL | 20 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 4 | - | ||
Yale Junior Bulldogs 18U | USA 18U Nationals | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | ||
Geno Carcone 11/14/06 (F) | 3.75 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 22 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 29 | -11 |
Ryan Grout 8/15/07 (G) | 4.0 | Tri-City Americans | WHL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
Salmon Arms Silverbacks | BCHL | 13 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 2.37 | .912 | ||
Nikita Konevych 6/3/06 (D) | NR | Corpus Christi IceRays | NAHL | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 33 | +1 |
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders | USHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +1 | ||
Niko Tournas 2/17/06 (F) | 4.0 | Danbury Hat Tricks | NAHL | 20 | 13 | 9 | 22 | 22 | +5 |
2026 or '27 Commits | |||||||||
George McCaffrey 1/2/07 (F) | 3.5 | Bismarck Bobcats | NAHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -2 |
Long Island Gulls 18U | Beast 18U | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | - | ||
MidFairfield Rangers 16U | USA 16U Nationals | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | ||
New England District | USA Selects 17 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | - | ||
Jayden Connors 2/26/07 (D) | 3.75 | Prince George Spruce Kings | BCHL | 20 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 | - |
Pavel Martinu 12/20/07 (F) | 3.0 | Seacoast Performance Academy 18U | 18U AAA | 22 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 20 | - |
2027 Commits | |||||||||
Blake Cash 5/9/08 (F) | 3.25 | Seacoast Performance Academy 16U | 16U AAA | 31 | 20 | 34 | 54 | 0 | - |
Seacoast Spartans | USA 15 Only Nationals | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | - | ||
* = Signed NCAA Athletic Aid Agreement | |||||||||
** = Neutral Zone 5-Star Rating |
The statistics for the commits, presented in the above table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, I project the "2025 Commits" will begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2025. My projections projections are based on the following factors:
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.
~ Number of incoming transfer players and the position they play.
~ If a NCAA Athletic Aid Agreement has been signed.
~ The year the commit and UNH coaches originally targeted for enrollment in UNH.
~ How old the commit would be upon admission.
~ Number of years in junior hockey and remaining years of junior eligibility.
~ The commit's performance in recent seasons as well as injuries.
~ Anticipated date of high school graduation.