Historically, Canadian major junior hockey has represented the quickest and most popular pipeline for young NHL talent.

Players between the ages of 16 and 20 are eligible to play in the Canadian Hockey League, a 60-team umbrella organization of three sub-leagues that play in Canada and the northern United States. Since some CHL players may sign contracts with NHL teams, all CHL players must forfeit their NCAA eligibility.

The CHL more closely mirrors the NHL than the NCAA does with respect to schedule length and specific rules. The CHL’s talent pool is also arguably deeper than the NCAA’s, and CHL teams compete for the prestigious Memorial Cup in May.

The pressure to play in the CHL is relatively low for New England-born players like Hart and Vesey, whose fathers both played college hockey. But in Canada and areas of the United States that have weaker traditions of college hockey, the CHL’s pull is considerably stronger. Hailing from Toronto, Harvard freshman and New Jersey Devils draft pick Alexander Kerfoot faced a real decision.

“For people who go to major juniors, it’s a pretty enticing offer,” Kerfoot said. “It’s basically a semi-professional league. So people will get drawn in and go there, but I just think that college hockey has really improved in the last couple of years.”

For Kerfoot, the opportunity to play hockey while getting an education was too good to pass up. He also feels that Harvard’s shorter schedule will allow him more time to develop in the weight room and hone his skills. In its first four years of existence, College Hockey, Inc., has heavily promoted these and other advantages of college hockey.

“Our message is really, ‘Unless you’re going to be a surefire NHLer at 19, or if you have so little interest in academics that you wouldn’t succeed in a college environment, then college is something you should definitely consider,’” Ewell said.

Only about 15 teenagers may have the chance to play in the NHL each year.

College Hockey, Inc., moderates showcases across Canada in which American college coaches explain the rules of the recruiting process and what it means to play in the NCAA. Ryan Kennedy, a senior columnist for The Hockey News, applauds the organization’s efforts.

“I think [College Hockey, Inc., is] doing a great job,” Kennedy said. “They are a good intermediary [and] source of information for kids that are trying to make this pretty big decision in their lives… It’s a matter of knowing what the rules are, and I think College Hockey Inc. has done a very good job of explaining that.”

North American players need not forego junior hockey entirely to maintain NCAA eligibility. College prospects may play in less-competitive American junior leagues like the United States Hockey League for one or two years before they enroll in a university. In the year leading up to his Harvard debut, Vesey set single-season Eastern Junior Hockey League records for points and goals with the South Shore Kings.

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT IN THE NCAA

Although drafted NCAA players may not sign contracts with professional teams, they remain in close contact with their organizations throughout their college years. Scouts travel to select Harvard games to meet with their team’s draft pick and watch him play. NHL front offices offer advice, analyze game film, and receive progress reports from Donato.

“If they’re coming in for the weekend, they’ll usually email me or call me about when they’re coming in,” Vesey said of the Predators employees who track his progress. “It’s a little bit more pressure, but I try to ignore it and just go out there and play like any other game.”

An NHL team also communicates with an NCAA prospect about when he might be ready to take the next step in his career. Often, this next step happens before a player has completed his degree.