The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Dan Mackenzie on the CHL Top Prospects and the Changing Junior Landscape
Episode Date: November 2, 2025Dan MacKenzie, President of the CHL, stops by to talk about the upcoming Top Prospects Challenge, the evolving landscape of the Canadian Hockey League, and what’s next for junior hockey in Cana...da.SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS!!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼Bauer: https://www.bauer.com/👍🏼Shark Ninja: https://www.sharkninja.ca/ninja-crispi-4-in-1-portable-glass-air-fryer-cooking-system/FN101CGY.html?utm_source=Better+Collective&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=H2+Air+Fryer&utm_content=EN👍🏼Uber Eats: https://www.ubereats.com/ca👍🏼Prime Video: https://primevideo-row.pxf.io/c/5560083/3303015/20020Reach out to sales@thenationnetwork.com to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us!If you liked this, check out:🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Flames_Nation🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting____________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with us on ⬇️Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoffDaily Faceoff Merch:https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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                                        He is the president of the CHL.
                                         
                                        He is Dan McKenzie, and later on in November, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in Calgary and Lethbridge.
                                         
                                        Dan, how are you today?
                                         
                                        I'm doing all right, Jeff.
                                         
                                        How are you?
                                         
                                        I'm doing well.
                                         
                                        Happy Halloween.
                                         
                                        The question of today, I'll kind of put you on the spot here.
                                         
    
                                        You can go whichever direction you want with this one, because mine was, I was 10 years old and Landy McDonald got traded and I was distraught.
                                         
                                        So here's the question today.
                                         
                                        What moment haunts you the most in your heart?
                                         
                                        hockey fandom.
                                         
                                        It can be a game, it can be a trade,
                                         
                                        it can be anything that you're like,
                                         
                                        oh, this like, this shook me.
                                         
                                        This, oh, I can't, this rattled me when it,
                                         
    
                                        when it happened.
                                         
                                        For some, it might be the Gretzky trade.
                                         
                                        For me, it was the Lanny MacDonald deal.
                                         
                                        Do you have one that still to this day haunts you, Dan?
                                         
                                        So when I was a kid,
                                         
                                        I, I grew up in southern Ontario.
                                         
                                        And I was a, so I was born in 19,
                                         
                                        So I'm a, I was a Philadelphia Flyers fan.
                                         
    
                                        And so that was the Broad Street Bullies.
                                         
                                        Oh, yeah.
                                         
                                        And my, my down the street best friend was a guy named Greg Dvorsky, who you probably
                                         
                                        would know that name.
                                         
                                        So hang on a second year, like from the famous Dvorsky family of officials?
                                         
                                        Yeah.
                                         
                                        So Greg, Paul, his father was, Bill was a, you know, a significant figure in the officiating
                                         
                                        world in our area for sure um anyway gregg was a was a leifs fan and i was a flyers fan and we
                                         
    
                                        you know we whenever we'd play each other on the driveway it was always Clark against
                                         
                                        sitler or i was Bernie perrott and he was so-and-so um and the Bernie pran injury that
                                         
                                        ultimately killed his career i think was for me it was a big one oh yeah there's the stick in the
                                         
                                        eye absolutely well i'll tell you what all uh i don't want to sort of i hate the and i always end up
                                         
                                        doing this. Like, oh, I'm going to big dog this story. But let me color this story in because
                                         
                                        there's a junior hockey association to this one. That's going to transition us to our conversation
                                         
                                        through the Ottawa 67s. Bernadette Dvorsky, the mom. Bernadette Dvorsky was the delivering
                                         
                                        nurse when Logan Couture formerly of the Ottawa 67s and then San Jose Sharks was born. That is like
                                         
    
                                        my most arcane piece of trivia that the legendary officiating family's matriarch, the
                                         
                                        delivered Logan Couture,
                                         
                                        NHL superstar, former Ottawa 67,
                                         
                                        and with that, we'll get into a junior hockey talk,
                                         
                                        and I do want to talk about the draft,
                                         
                                        and I do want to talk about prospect rankings,
                                         
                                        and I do want to talk about where the CHL is at right now with prospects.
                                         
                                        But listen, I had such a good time last year
                                         
    
                                        at the London and Oscewa Games in the CHL USA Prospect Challenge.
                                         
                                        This year, November 25th and 26th in Calgary and Lethbridge,
                                         
                                        Um, last year was a, was a fun event and it was a cool event.
                                         
                                        Uh, I'm glad that this continues as a tent poll event for the CHL, uh, rosters announced, um, earlier this week.
                                         
                                        Um, what should we expect this time around?
                                         
                                        This is obviously populated by a lot of players you're going to see in the, like last year, I think it was like half the first round was in that game.
                                         
                                        And it feels like it's going to be the same this time around.
                                         
                                        Yeah, I mean, that's exactly.
                                         
    
                                        I think if you said, what are you going to see?
                                         
                                        I think you're going to see two things.
                                         
                                        You're going to see really high level prospects, really high level talent on.
                                         
                                        the ice. I think we have, on Team CHL, there's 22 players, 15 are A-ranked by the NHL Central
                                         
                                        scouting, and the other seven are B-ranked. So you're talking about, you know, elite players.
                                         
                                        And I think that, you know, the thing that you're going to see, and one of the reasons why we
                                         
                                        really like this format is, you know, this isn't an All-Star game, this isn't a, you know,
                                         
                                        the game's not going to be 10-9. You know, these teams care, especially in today's sort of
                                         
    
                                        of environment, right? Like, you know, the players on team CHL are, you know, I think are going to be
                                         
                                        happy to represent the CHL and care. And I think you're going to find the same thing, obviously,
                                         
                                        about players on the United States national team who are going to be, you know, really keen on
                                         
                                        avenging, you know, they ended up losing the games last year. They're going to want to come back
                                         
                                        and win and show well. But there's a lot of pride on the line. And so, you know, I think
                                         
                                        that's something that's exciting. And I think the fact that it's two games also matters. And I know
                                         
                                        from speaking with our friends at the NHL on the central scouting side,
                                         
                                        they're really happy that they're getting opportunities to see players play in two games.
                                         
    
                                        And they even said last year after the game,
                                         
                                        they really saw some players face adversity in the first game
                                         
                                        and then come back and show well in the second game,
                                         
                                        which really helped the draft stock.
                                         
                                        And those are the kinds of little things that, you know, scouts are looking for.
                                         
                                        You know, the other thing, like, I remember going back to Latin,
                                         
                                        the London game specifically, perhaps a little bit more so than the Oshawa game,
                                         
                                        you always think about where's the moment where a kid pops
                                         
    
                                        and sort of gets on like scouts know all these players going in
                                         
                                        but gets on like fans radars
                                         
                                        and that first hit that Kashan Acheson laid
                                         
                                        and it might have been towards the end of the first period
                                         
                                        of the first game everyone kind of went like
                                         
                                        ooh who's this you know Kashan Acheson
                                         
                                        if you're just like a casual fan you know all the heavyweights going in
                                         
                                        like the star players
                                         
    
                                        you know I wonder like you know someone like Caleb Malhotra
                                         
                                        with the Bulldogs like everyone knows
                                         
                                        like the family background through Manny
                                         
                                        But I wonder, like, one of the things about this game is, are these two games, is it's not club play, so you're getting elite level talent against elite level talent.
                                         
                                        And this is a place where if you're a prospect that wants to make a name for yourself, this is a great avenue and forum for those players to do so.
                                         
                                        It absolutely is.
                                         
                                        And I think it, I think these players have all played against each other in high level competition, whether it be at the, you know, the U-18s or the hell of
                                         
                                        link are the U-17 challenge like there's a whole bunch of places that they would have played each
                                         
    
                                        other um you know and so i think that's that's there's some familiarity but i also think that to
                                         
                                        your point maybe some players who are who who maybe aren't at you know viewed up being at the top
                                         
                                        of the list right now have an opportunity to jump and i do i remember one of things i remember
                                         
                                        last year you know watching the first game it really became clear that matthew shaffer was
                                         
                                        something special he he set he separated himself and i think that was one of the first
                                         
                                        you know, times where I, you know, I remember after, you know, following all the press after,
                                         
                                        that he really separated himself. So it can happen at both ends of the spectrum in terms of the
                                         
                                        players. And I also remember the other one I really remember, it's an interesting sort of nugget
                                         
    
                                        to this game is in the, in the second game in Oshawa, the U.S. goalie, Bautinger, played
                                         
                                        phenomenal, stood on his head. Yep. And he's now going to be playing for Team C.H.L.
                                         
                                        This is an interesting, yeah, it's just an interesting twist. So,
                                         
                                        So, like, listen, I think it's a, this is about the kids have an opportunity to showcase their skills in an environment that's sort of set up perfectly for them.
                                         
                                        The games matter.
                                         
                                        I think it's going to matter to the players, going to matter to the teams.
                                         
                                        The U.S. team wants to win.
                                         
                                        We want to win.
                                         
    
                                        We've got, we've got an all-star lineup of coaches.
                                         
                                        We've got some of the top coaches.
                                         
                                        Well, we probably have the top coaches right now in each of the leagues between Willie Desjard and Jay McKee and Sylvan Favreau.
                                         
                                        The games are going to be phenomenally competitive.
                                         
                                        the talent level is going to be super high.
                                         
                                        It's best on best, you know, nothing better.
                                         
                                        So it's going to be fun.
                                         
                                        And I'd be remiss if I didn't say if you're in southern Alberta
                                         
    
                                        and you're looking to buy tickets,
                                         
                                        CHL.c slash prospects challenges where you can go.
                                         
                                        Again, first nights in Calgary,
                                         
                                        second nights in Lesbridge.
                                         
                                        And it's going to be a ton of fun.
                                         
                                        I can't wait.
                                         
                                        You know what I love,
                                         
                                        and this is a small hockey geek thing.
                                         
    
                                        I love warm up with all the junior players wearing the club jerseys.
                                         
                                        I just think it's like it's the coolest look,
                                         
                                        like right away you can get out there and sort of like identify your guy or your guys.
                                         
                                        And speaking of which, I want to ask you about J.P. Hurlbert,
                                         
                                        who's come into Camloops playing with the Blazers from Texas.
                                         
                                        You know, Tom Galardi owns the Dallas Stars.
                                         
                                        Tom Galardi, Camloops Blazers, I don't think that's a coincidence.
                                         
                                        But nonetheless, like he's come into the CHL.
                                         
    
                                        And I know you have a lot of players coming in in and around their draft years right now.
                                         
                                        and really torn it up.
                                         
                                        Like, he's been a phenomenal success early on here for the Camloops Blazers.
                                         
                                        Where are you seeing now?
                                         
                                        I want to sort of dovetail this conversation into how the new reality has, in many ways,
                                         
                                        strengthened the CHL.
                                         
                                        And there are a lot of players now that are choosing,
                                         
                                        and before their draft year, to go play in the CHL.
                                         
    
                                        Hurlbert is one of them.
                                         
                                        If there wasn't this reality, do you think this player would be
                                         
                                        in the Western Hockey League?
                                         
                                        No.
                                         
                                        No, I don't think he would.
                                         
                                        And I think, you know, another one would be Caleb Mohocha,
                                         
                                        who's going to play for, play for Team CHL as well.
                                         
                                        You know, the change last November in the NCAA rule has resulted in, basically,
                                         
    
                                        we said it sort of at the time, it's giving players and their families and their agents,
                                         
                                        you know, lots of choices in terms of.
                                         
                                        what they're, you know, where they feel the next best step for their development is.
                                         
                                        And what we're seeing is that in this class of player, this age group of player,
                                         
                                        we're seeing a massive movement of players into the CHL from a variety of different places.
                                         
                                        But ultimately, they're choosing to play in our leagues.
                                         
                                        And, you know, JP's one of them, Caleb's one of them.
                                         
                                        But there's a lot of them.
                                         
    
                                        And, you know, we've seen about 250 ballpark players.
                                         
                                        that have come in, and these are players we never would have, a lot of them we never would have
                                         
                                        gotten, right? They were, they were Americans who, who, you know, wanted to play, or who obviously
                                         
                                        wanted to play NCAA, some Canadians in the same boat, some Europeans in the same boat, some Europeans
                                         
                                        who maybe didn't have the opportunity because of the way our rules were set up. And so what we're
                                         
                                        seeing is we're seeing that, you know, the CHL is the preferred destination for this age of
                                         
                                        player 16, 17, 18, 19 in the world. And so, you know, because these players, especially
                                         
                                        pre-draft, feel like this is the place where they can develop the fastest, get the most exposure.
                                         
    
                                        And it's events like the Prospects Challenge that give them that opportunity to do so, you know,
                                         
                                        along with, you know, the combination of schedule, facilities, coaching, all the things that make
                                         
                                        the CHL, you know, the best development league in the world.
                                         
                                        You know, I look at it right now and I say to myself, you know, the leading up to the, to the draft year, the CHL looks to me as the strongest it's ever been.
                                         
                                        for all those reasons that you sort of underline.
                                         
                                        What are the challenges for you after that?
                                         
                                        You've attracted, you know, a lot of talent from a lot of places,
                                         
                                        USHL and BCHL and European.
                                         
    
                                        You've up the import rule.
                                         
                                        Now there can be three.
                                         
                                        What about after that?
                                         
                                        Like, is that like where the challenges begin?
                                         
                                        Well, I think, I think, I mean, at that year,
                                         
                                        I think you're right.
                                         
                                        We are at a point where,
                                         
                                        You know, we are seeing, you know, the talent level of our league rise.
                                         
    
                                        I'd say overall rise.
                                         
                                        I think when you look at the central scouting rankings that came out a couple weeks ago,
                                         
                                        we had this year almost 75% of the players on the list,
                                         
                                        and the list was increased from last year, were from the CHL.
                                         
                                        and and you know record numbers from each of our leagues you know it's not just coming from say the
                                         
                                        Ontario hockey league it's coming from everywhere the BC the WHL the OHL and the QMJJL all saw record
                                         
                                        numbers of players on those lists so I think that's a that's an assertion that you know
                                         
                                        it is a really great place to play if you want to get drafted into the NHL I think to answer
                                         
    
                                        your question about what's next I think
                                         
                                        you know, we've had lots of discussions about, you know, at what point do players make their, again, again, as there's decisions to make on the entry point into the CHL, there's also decisions to be made on the exit point. And when do you leave? And do you leave with remaining eligibility? Do you not? And I think those decisions are still going to be made. All right. I think that I think that we saw some movement last year. We had about 20 players approximately.
                                         
                                        with eligibility decide to leave and move to the NCAA again about 250 came in on the on the
                                         
                                        other end and I think what we're focused on and you've you and I have talked about this jeff before
                                         
                                        is just you know our you know we have to make sure that our our places are great places for
                                         
                                        19 year old players at the top end to continue to develop and traditionally it has been our league
                                         
                                        has been the combination of the schedule um you know the opportunities especially for
                                         
                                        leadership positions, playing a lot, playing a lot of minutes, playing a lot, a lot of
                                         
    
                                        situations, getting the chance to, before you move on to pro hockey, which we all know is a man's
                                         
                                        game and is hard, before you make that jump, proving that you can, you know, you can be the
                                         
                                        leader on your team or be a leader on your team or play a specific role. And so, and I think
                                         
                                        that, that, you know, one of the things that, that we're focused on, and I know you've had,
                                         
                                        you know, commissioners from our leagues on this show talking about the improvements that they're
                                         
                                        making in their development system.
                                         
                                        This is about developing players and it's about developing young men, both on and off
                                         
                                        the ice.
                                         
    
                                        But there's been a lot of focus in terms of the off-ice stuff in terms of facilities and all
                                         
                                        the areas where, you know, I think we hear about as it relates to opportunities they
                                         
                                        might have in the NCAA.
                                         
                                        And so I think what you're seeing on our side, you're beginning to see, and I think it's
                                         
                                        really ramped up, and I think it will continue to ramp up because our communities, and
                                         
                                        our teams are really competitive is they're going to make sure that they're doing all they can
                                         
                                        to develop their players and they have the best facilities and coaching staffs and
                                         
                                        ancillary services you know whether like I mean I'm talking like you know strength and conditioning
                                         
    
                                        coaches and mental performance coaches and all those areas that that are really important
                                         
                                        and so I think that's going to probably be where you're going to see continue to see
                                         
                                        you know work on our side um to make sure that we're
                                         
                                        that we're, you know, best able to compete and have a discussion with a player and an agent when
                                         
                                        they're getting at that age where they're thinking, you know, the grass might be greener somewhere
                                         
                                        else that we can say, well, here's what we've done and here's what we're, you know, here's,
                                         
                                        here's how our system can help you develop, you know, at the elder state of your junior hockey
                                         
                                        career.
                                         
    
                                        The one thing that I have been impressed with, which, you know, a part of me, just bluntly, Dan,
                                         
                                        I'm a little surprised that is how organizations, teams, managers are working with kids on their
                                         
                                        development path, not just in the CHL, but elsewhere.
                                         
                                        People that I've spoken to like, okay, this is what we've sort of laid out for this player.
                                         
                                        This is what he wants to do.
                                         
                                        This is how he's going to come through our system.
                                         
                                        And it's like, okay, you know what?
                                         
                                        Like that, that to me says, look, this is the CHL putting the premium on development.
                                         
    
                                        And I want to stress something like that is, those are the majority of conversations that I have.
                                         
                                        Like that is like overwhelmingly teams working with the players and figuring out with them and their families and the teams, what is best for their development.
                                         
                                        Now here's the turn.
                                         
                                        The comments by Antoine Roussel and Shakutomi about Nathan Lecomte.
                                         
                                        You know how sensitive an issue this is for me.
                                         
                                        I love these kids and I love the CHL and all three leagues.
                                         
                                        So our listeners and viewers understand.
                                         
                                        Lecompt took a little bit time away from Chucutimi.
                                         
    
                                        There was speculation he was going to jump to the U.S.HL.
                                         
                                        I don't believe anybody contacted asking for our release.
                                         
                                        And TVA sports reporting, Antoine Rousselu, sits on the board at Chakutimi, said,
                                         
                                        I wouldn't let that player go.
                                         
                                        The league must make an example of him and make his life hard.
                                         
                                        Like when I hear that, like that is the complete antithesis of what I've heard
                                         
                                        from overwhelming majority of other organizations.
                                         
                                        Like, when you hear that, what goes through your mind?
                                         
    
                                        Because in my mind, that ain't helping at all.
                                         
                                        Well, listen, I can't make a comment on, you know,
                                         
                                        what he was thinking when he said that.
                                         
                                        Roussel was thinking about when he said that.
                                         
                                        So I can't really comment on that.
                                         
                                        I do know, you know, with respect to this situation,
                                         
                                        that the player that Nathan
                                         
                                        I believe we had sort of had indicated
                                         
    
                                        that after the prospects came last week
                                         
                                        that he wanted to take some time away
                                         
                                        and just more for his well-being
                                         
                                        and I think he talked to his team about that
                                         
                                        and they were the team and his teammates
                                         
                                        I think were very supportive of that.
                                         
                                        I know his agent, you know, came out with something
                                         
                                        and I also know, as you said,
                                         
    
                                        that the team didn't receive any.
                                         
                                        There was no...
                                         
                                        That's my understanding.
                                         
                                        That's my understanding.
                                         
                                        And I also know the situation,
                                         
                                        I believe that the situation has resolved,
                                         
                                        itself in terms of Nathan is back with his club and, you know, is, again, has talked to his team
                                         
                                        about where he's at and is going to move forward.
                                         
    
                                        And that team in particular is going to be, you know, I think a team that will likely go a long
                                         
                                        way this year, just given the state that they're in.
                                         
                                        So, so again, but I can't really comment on the comments from Rizot, but I can tell you
                                         
                                        that to the first part of the question around development and looking at a players,
                                         
                                        you know, full development across their time with us.
                                         
                                        That is something that's beginning to be.
                                         
                                        I shouldn't say beginning.
                                         
                                        Many of our teams have done that in the past.
                                         
    
                                        But what we're finding is more and more teams are mapping that out with their players.
                                         
                                        And I think it's interesting because I think some of it comes down to with the change in the landscape with the NCAA rule change.
                                         
                                        I think what you're seeing is a bit of a, and I, you know, Jeff, I know you're, you're
                                         
                                        really well versed on the levels below the CHL and what happens in minor hockey and junior A
                                         
                                        and junior B.
                                         
                                        I think that, you know, with the change in the rule, there's beginning to be, there's becoming
                                         
                                        more of an of an interface, I'd say, between the CHL club and some of those levels below it.
                                         
                                        Yep.
                                         
    
                                        And a desire to have players be able to move, you know, move up and down, depending on what
                                         
                                        makes the most sense for the player, understanding that a lot of the cases, we're talking
                                         
                                        about like 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds who, you know,
                                         
                                        again, our league is really hard to play in when you're 16.
                                         
                                        So having opportunities where you can come up,
                                         
                                        maybe play some, go down, play some,
                                         
                                        maybe play some mid-a-or-Triple-A,
                                         
                                        depending on where you're in the country,
                                         
    
                                        whatever it's called,
                                         
                                        and have a year when you're 16 that, you know,
                                         
                                        that looks like it,
                                         
                                        it's really built around your development
                                         
                                        and where you're at is something that we're seeing more and more of.
                                         
                                        And I think is indicative of how the vast majority of our teams
                                         
                                        are, you know, thinking about how they're going to develop their players.
                                         
                                        you know one of the things that really stuck with me the last time we spoke here on this program
                                         
    
                                        we're talking about what this year is going to be like and your answer whenever I say I don't
                                         
                                        know when someone asked me a question on podcast or video or television or wherever I say like look
                                         
                                        this is going this is going to be a this is going to be a bad talk radio answer but my answer is
                                         
                                        I don't know and you said that to me but that had a lot of gravity to it because we don't know
                                         
                                        what this season is going to look like.
                                         
                                        And one of the things that we wondered about is right now,
                                         
                                        the idea of jumping and going to NCAA perhaps earlier than you probably should
                                         
                                        or your family thinks you should or your agent thinks you should or you think you should.
                                         
    
                                        We don't know what's going to happen when players say,
                                         
                                        you know what, this isn't what I thought it was going to be.
                                         
                                        And we've already seen, you know, Rylan Gould go back to the, to the, to the H.L.
                                         
                                        you're looking at it now, like that's the thing that I wondered about how many players are
                                         
                                        going to go and then come back and will they be welcome back with them open arms?
                                         
                                        And it's, I mean, all the commissioners have told me the answer was yes.
                                         
                                        Again, further to the whatever is right for that player's path is right for that player's path.
                                         
                                        And if you make a move that didn't work out for you, well, there's still a home back here
                                         
    
                                        for you in the, in the CHL, do you have any clearer picture of what the rest of this first
                                         
                                        season of this new relationship is going to look like because your, I don't know, may not have
                                         
                                        been a great talk radio answer, but it was the right one. But do we now start to have an
                                         
                                        understanding where we're starting to know what this is going to be like? A long-winded question.
                                         
                                        Well, at the risk of being, you know, a bad talk radio guest, I'm probably going to double down a little
                                         
                                        bit and say, I think, I think we still don't exactly know.
                                         
                                        Can you hear me?
                                         
                                        Yeah, I got you fine.
                                         
    
                                        Yeah, got you fine.
                                         
                                        Got you fine.
                                         
                                        I think there's still some time left to be, to be, before I can answer that question.
                                         
                                        I mean, listen, the first semester at NCAA schools, you know, has another six weeks probably to go.
                                         
                                        So we'll see.
                                         
                                        You know, I think that I think that the one thing I would say, and we've talked a lot about this at our table, like with myself and the commissioners and some other folks on the player development side.
                                         
                                        It's just in hockey, there's this.
                                         
                                        there's this um and and as you know i don't come from a full background in hockey for my whole
                                         
    
                                        career so i'm just there's such a rush to get to the to get to the next level right and and i
                                         
                                        wonder if if eventually what's going to happen is um as players are looking at trying to make
                                         
                                        their decisions if eventually it becomes clear that you know what for the vast majority of
                                         
                                        players and again understanding as you said every situation is different but you know
                                         
                                        for a vast majority of your players like max out your time in junior max out your time if you're
                                         
                                        good enough to go to the NHL grade if not max out your time of college and then see what happens
                                         
                                        like there's not a rush and and you know I don't know if that's going to be what's going to happen
                                         
                                        but I think we're the you know you know you could throw out a player and say hey maybe the move to
                                         
    
                                        the NCAA was the right move and others you look at and you go oh they're not playing very much
                                         
                                        or they're struggling and maybe they should stay.
                                         
                                        I think every player is different.
                                         
                                        But I don't think we haven't seen,
                                         
                                        it's too early to tell exactly what, you know,
                                         
                                        what's going to happen.
                                         
                                        I think another couple months will know a little bit more.
                                         
                                        And then, again, I think we're going to need to go through
                                         
    
                                        it probably for at least one or two more cycles to see, you know,
                                         
                                        what the right, well, if there's a general trend.
                                         
                                        But again, in the meantime, I think our job is to make sure that we're really,
                                         
                                        really focused on doing all we can.
                                         
                                        can to make sure that our players are in the best developments to it to best um environments to
                                         
                                        develop and have the right facilities and people around them um and opportunities and if we do
                                         
                                        that then you know we feel pretty comfortable about you know our ability to to compete with
                                         
                                        anybody um one of the things when i talk to to junior hockey operators um lately has been the
                                         
    
                                        idea of the 19 year old to the american hockey league and and opening that door um nothing is
                                         
                                        official yet, but teams keep saying, we're preparing for it. Is there anything you can comment on
                                         
                                        there? Or are there anything? Like, is it a topic of discussion if it happens? Like, what do we do
                                         
                                        to the teams? Does every team get a, I don't know, I'm getting ahead of myself, compensatory first
                                         
                                        round pick if they lose a player, etc. Is there anything you can color in on that discussions? Because,
                                         
                                        as you all know, that discussion is going around the CHO. Yeah. So, I mean, this is one that is,
                                         
                                        It's a topic that is obviously of important, I mean, a very strong importance to us and to, you know, the NHL and the NHLPA.
                                         
                                        So in our deal, so we have a deal with the, with the NHL right now that ultimately means that if a player doesn't stick with their NHL club after a certain amount of time, that they get, there's a mandatory return provision back to the CHL.
                                         
    
                                        And so the NHL has indicated us that they have an interest in reopening our agreement around that issue.
                                         
                                        issue with the support of the NHLPA.
                                         
                                        I don't think that's news.
                                         
                                        And so right now, we're in a, we're in a situation where we're, we're, we're, I'd say
                                         
                                        we're more internally, we've spoken to the NHL.
                                         
                                        We did a presentation in September to their general managers just about our view on the matter
                                         
                                        and why we think it's, it's a really important matter that we have to be careful and
                                         
                                        we've got to take some caution on and that, you know, we're going to do that.
                                         
    
                                        And so right now we're in the process of internally determining, you know, if the NHL wants
                                         
                                        some more flexibility in that area, what that might look like.
                                         
                                        And we're continuing to dialogue with the NHL on, you know, what that could look like.
                                         
                                        And ultimately, the PA will have to be involved in some areas well.
                                         
                                        And but, you know, that'll be up to the NHL in terms of how that process works.
                                         
                                        But we're just as pretty early days.
                                         
                                        We have a bit of time, but we're something that we're just, you know, trying to.
                                         
                                        to figure out, you know, if there's a desire for more flexibility, what that could look like
                                         
    
                                        in such a way that it takes into account, you know, all stakeholders, including the CHL.
                                         
                                        A couple minutes left with you. I got a couple more here. And thank you for your time. You're
                                         
                                        always generous. About a year ago, we all started talking about Newfoundland and the return
                                         
                                        of junior hockey to Newfoundland. And here we are. How has it been?
                                         
                                        listen it's it's from what i understand it's been great um i i spoke to mario and glen stanford
                                         
                                        their president around the launch and i think he had he had a whole bunch of games in a row at the
                                         
                                        beginning like i think he had you know home games for the first six or eight of his games and and
                                         
                                        it sounds like from looking at the attendance numbers and and that market it sounds like it's it's been a
                                         
    
                                        really a home run um a home run on the days that the trauma yeah here we go
                                         
                                        but no it sounds like it's been really really well received and um i mean that city is is a great
                                         
                                        place for for hockey um you know they've got a great arena the fans are passionate they've proven
                                         
                                        it through their through their um you know support for other teams that have come through there
                                         
                                        i really do believe that based on again based on the discussions that i've had with the cue
                                         
                                        commissioner and with the folks on the ground in newfoundland that they've got the right model
                                         
                                        they've got the right ownership, they've got the right, you know, arena and set up
                                         
                                        and operators that they're going to be really successful.
                                         
    
                                        And they also had the good fortune, I think, of the way the draft went.
                                         
                                        They got a couple of hometown boys to start in their first draft, which always helps.
                                         
                                        Always always helps.
                                         
                                        So I think they're in, I think they're off to a great start.
                                         
                                        And again, we're really bullish on that market in terms of what it's going to be, you know,
                                         
                                        long term for the, for the Q and for the CHO.
                                         
                                        You just, I mean, we all know how much, you know, Newfoundland hockey fans love their, love their teams and embrace them and hold them close.
                                         
                                        Last one for you, again, going back to the, the U.S. CHL USA Prospects Challenge.
                                         
    
                                        This is in Calgary on the 25th, Lethbridge on the 26th.
                                         
                                        Last year, like I mentioned to you, like I love this event, these two games.
                                         
                                        Any tweaks, any changes this time, or if it ain't broke, don't fix it?
                                         
                                        No, you know what?
                                         
                                        it's uh so the rules are going to be the same uh for the most part one this is a very specific
                                         
                                        thing that we're going to have to deal with a little bit is because of the way the rules work
                                         
                                        between countries in terms of the age of the players the u.s team were cages and so we have to
                                         
                                        we have to if you remember last year it got a little testy yes uh in both markets and there's a bit
                                         
    
                                        of grabbing of cages so we have to deal with that uh so we'll be talking to the rest about that
                                         
                                        but other than that no it's going to be it's going to be full go and um again best
                                         
                                        best on best super high level of competition the other interesting thing too but given what we've talked
                                         
                                        about in terms of the the high that the level of play in the CHL and being you know and ultimately being
                                         
                                        the best one to be the best development league in the world we're seeing that reflected in the
                                         
                                        in the post NCAA rule change world where the CHL has we have seven players on of 22 that are
                                         
                                        going to be from non-canadian they're going to be u.s or european and so you mentioned her but i mentioned
                                         
                                        bottinger um shilov is another one like there's
                                         
    
                                        who, you know, ripping up the queue.
                                         
                                        You know, I mean, on the Canadian side, I mean, between, you know,
                                         
                                        Ryan Lynn and Rubeck and Xavier, like, it's going to be,
                                         
                                        it's going to be amazing.
                                         
                                        That talent level on you, it's going to be great.
                                         
                                        Are you going out?
                                         
                                        Are you coming out?
                                         
                                        That is my plan.
                                         
    
                                        I loved it so much.
                                         
                                        I'm hoping my boss is watching right now hearing me say, that is my plan, Dan McKenzie.
                                         
                                        I had such a great time, and I love that part of Alberta as well.
                                         
                                        You mentioned Cate, let me just indulge me for two seconds.
                                         
                                        And my last question.
                                         
                                        You mentioned Cages.
                                         
                                        I was just talking to Jay Rose Hill about this at the NHL level.
                                         
                                        How about the CCHL level?
                                         
    
                                        Can you ever envision a day where cages are mandatory in the CHL?
                                         
                                        Listen, you could ever say never on anything.
                                         
                                        Right.
                                         
                                        You know, I don't know.
                                         
                                        I think that, again, our, our, our, our, uh,
                                         
                                        M.O. for a long time has been around, again, preparing players to play at the next level,
                                         
                                        and at the next level they don't wear cages. And so, you know, understanding that we do work
                                         
                                        with the best companies in the world in terms of safety for helmets, advisors, and those kinds of
                                         
    
                                        things, neck guards are mandatory across our league. So I don't know. It's an issue that we'll
                                         
                                        continue to monitor and see where things go and, you know, what the environment looks like. But I don't
                                         
                                        see a change in the short term.
                                         
                                        Gotcha. Okay, listen, thanks for being very
                                         
                                        generous with your time. As I mentioned, you always
                                         
                                        are. You really indulge me. I appreciate it.
                                         
                                        Good luck on the
                                         
                                        25th and 26th in Calgary and
                                         
    
                                        Lethbridge and fans can get tickets
                                         
                                        at CHL.ca slash
                                         
                                        Prospects Challenge.
                                         
                                        Perfect. Awesome. Thanks, Dan.
                                         
                                        Thanks, Jeff. Take care. Happy Halloween.
                                         
                                        Go boojews.
                                         
                                        Yes. The only team hoping
                                         
                                        this, by the way, the only team hoping that the
                                         
    
                                        Jayes could play a best of 11
                                         
                                        in the Toronto
                                         
                                        belief right now.
                                         
                                        I fled 16 hours last night
                                         
                                        every day this week,
                                         
                                        every day this month.
                                         
                                        I can't get out my head
                                         
                                        lifestyle ambitions day-to-day
                                         
    
                                        because you can call it all right.
                                         
                                        I went to the dark man
                                         
                                        and tried to give me a little medicine.
                                         
                                        I'm like, no, and that's fine.
                                         
                                        I'm not against those men that's pretty new.
                                         
                                        It's me and myself and how this is going to be fixing my mind.
                                         
                                        I do want to break it.
                                         
                                        I turned on the music.
                                         
    
                                        I do want to beg us.
                                         
                                        I turn on the music.
                                         
                                        It's enough, help, I don't think you're sometimes losing.
                                         
                                        Have been on the days that we're wrong.
                                         
                                        In the dead dark night
                                         
