Insiders Call for Change in NHL Draft System Divides Fans: “Zero Chance”

The 2025 NHL draft picks will shake things up in June. Like every year, fans will keep a close eye on who the teams will pick to join their ranks this time. And, like each year, controversies about the picks will soon create a whirlwind of debate within the community. The age-dependent drafting process has long been a point of contention among NHL fans, and one expert’s proposal to usher in a new era to the sport has everyone debating again.

Unlike the NBA, the NHL drafts athletes at a younger age, giving them the opportunity to develop throughout their junior years. The hockey league’s drafts are also much longer compared to the NBA, but it looks like not everyone is on board with the thought of making a change to the existing MO of the drafting process.

In a post on X from April 3, SportsNet’s Frank Seravalli called for a change in the age-based drafting system. “As the #NHL and #NHLPA have begun CBA negotiations, with changing CHL/NCAA landscape, is it time to change from an 18-year-old, age-based Draft to a system where players declare themselves eligible for the Draft at their own pace?” the hockey pundit wrote in his post while sharing a video of his recent appearance in Daily Faceoff’s episode 372, where he discusses the matter in detail.

“Now that the CHL players are eligible to play in the NCAA, let’s have the CHL and the USAHL solely be feeder leagues to college,” Seravalli could be heard proposing in the video. The seasoned NHL insider stated that athletes can play for either of these leagues between the ages of 15 and 18, and if they don’t get an NCAA scholarship by then, they could go on to play for two more years before becoming a free agent.

Frank noted that getting into the NCAA could give the athletes the time they need to develop and declare themselves for the NHL whenever they see fit. However, his proposed changes are significantly different than the existing drafting methods and have understandably caught the attention of the fans.

Fans both laud and slam the idea

“I think the answer is to just make the draft age a year or two older,” one fan seemed to have an ingenious yet simple solution to the problem. In contrast to the NHL, the other national leagues draft players who are much older than 18. This fan, taking a cue from the likes of the NBA, believes that bumping up the drafting age by just a few years could benefit the athletes immensely. However, not everyone is on board with the idea.

“Zero chance this should ever happen,” wrote another fan, who is of the opinion that things should be left as they are so that the NHL’s integrity and success could continue without moving things around. “No thank you, keep it an 18 year old draft,” another fan seemed to share a similar take on the whole drafting issue. Talk about swaying to and fro, huh?

For another fan, too, the NHL seems to be the only national league that has things right. “No the NHL is the only league that does all things draft related right,” the fan’s comment reads. 17-year-old Gavin McKenna’s incredible form in the CHL has put him on the radar for many NHL experts, who claim that he should be the first to be drafted in 2025. For understandable reasons, many fans also think the leading NHL teams should make such potential use of, and this fan also walks a similar path.

“That would be ABSOLUTELY INSANE,” wrote another fan, and we can’t tell if they’re being genuine or sarcastic! What do you think the drafting age should be for the NHL? Tell us your opinion below!