By Kevin Dillon/DFP Sports
The NCAA Board of Directors approved legislation last weekend that allows college hockey coaches to contact recruits starting Jan. 1 of their sophomore year of high school, which is five and a half months prior to when the previous rule allowed them to reach out to them.
Previous legislation did not allow college coach contact with players until June 15 of their grade 10 year, and even then phone calls, emails, social media direct messages and text messages were limited. Now, all of those forms of communication are unlimited, while coaches are still limited in the number of in-person meetings.
BU coach David Quinn is a fan of the rule changes.
“It’s huge for so many reasons,” Quinn said. “I think what will happen is you will see less kids decommitting and going to other schools because you’re able to build relationships with sophomores that you commit and juniors.
“I have already had exchanges with guys that we have got verbal commitments from that are sophomores and juniors, you know? It just gives you that opportunity to create a relationship. Because, you guys [young people], your world is based on electronics and texting. Even though I’m not talking to them, I’m texting with them, which forms a relationship. It really makes a difference.”
Quinn said that the new rules will be important as college hockey tries to keep American talent from moving north to play Canadian Major Junior hockey. The old rules gave CHL teams the first chance at recruits, as they would draft them before colleges could even talk with the recruits.
“It gives us a chance to talk to kids that we normally don’t even get a chance to get to and get to them a lot,” Quinn said.”
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