Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Awareness of NHL Ties Grows
Recent media coverage highlights the growing pipeline from college hockey to the NHL.
College Hockey, Inc.’s recent infographic on the rising NCAA influence on NHL rosters has spawned some significant discussion in the hockey world, including two prominent pieces of media coverage.
Infographic | CBSSports.com Story | NHLers This Season
Chris Peters of CBSSports.com – who also writes the United States of Hockey blog – wrote an article entitled “College hockey players increasing in number, importance in NHL.” Peters begins with Tampa Bay rookie phenom Cory Conacher (Canisius) and explores the multiple reasons for college hockey’s success. Among them:
“More U.S.-based players are getting drafted into the NHL also, and those who aren’t get four or more years to prove teams wrong and earn a free-agent deal.
“Another factor is college programs being strengthened through the recruiting arms race to provide better coaching, better facilities, more time in the weight room and other sound developmental practices that give an NHL prospect the right situation to grow as a player. Today’s college player is leaving his program better prepared for the NHL as a result.”
Wednesday College Hockey, Inc.’s Nate Ewell joined Jim “Boomer” Gordon on NHL Network Radio to talk about the graphic and how superior player development programs in college have contributed to the growth in NHL representation. Listen to the interview here:
In addition to that media coverage, thousands of people saw and shared the infographic on twitter and facebook.