The Division I Amateurism Cabinet has excluded men’s ice hockey from a legislative proposal intended to loosen restrictions on prospective student-athletes who participate on teams with a teammate who is paid.

The men’s ice hockey community – including USA Hockey, the coaches association and several conferences – believed that Proposal No. 2009-22 could negatively affect the sport at the NCAA level. They believe that allowing men’s ice hockey student-athletes who participate on teams with paid teammates would open the door to participate in Major Junior A hockey, which current rules prohibit. Major Junior A is a competitive league overseen by the Canadian Hockey League, generally recognized as a professional league for players between 16 and 20 years old.

Proposal No. 2009-22 targets what some have called “vicarious professionalism,” a circumstance that professionalizes prospects who participate on teams with professional athletes, even if the prospects are not paid more than actual and necessary expenses.

The ice hockey community believes that prospects who wish to participate in NCAA hockey would choose to participate in Major Junior A hockey before coming to college, and the recruit could be influenced to take action that could jeopardize his eligibility at the NCAA level (taking more than actual and necessary expenses, signing with an agent or signing a professional contract that provides more than actual and necessary expenses). Additionally, time demands of participation in the Major Junior A hockey league could hurt a recruit’s academic performance.

The cabinet agreed and will modify its proposal to exclude men’s ice hockey. The measure will receive initial consideration at the Legislative Council meeting at the NCAA Convention in January.