TEMPE, Ariz. -- When it comes to the sport of hockey, the transition between the collegiate and professional ranks isn't like traditional sports such as football or baseball. Not only is the process different for getting drafted, but "the route" for a hockey player to come to a university may be obscure as well.
We decided to break down the path of how some Sun Devil hockey players ended up in Tempe, and how the current and future path of those that were drafted will play out.
Junior Hockey
Junior hockey is for players between the ages of 16-20 before they enter college. There are various amounts of junior leagues across North America, but most of the options that players have result in spending years of their life away from family to mature in hockey. Players end up living with billet families, who offer room and board to junior ice hockey players who leave home to join elite teams in other towns. Coaches are often involved with matching a player to a billet family.
While many student-athletes are fortunate to attend their local high school with friends they've grown up around, most hockey players who move away for bantams, minor midgets, and even junior hockey attend high schools in their new town. Some will also move to play for some of the elite preparatory schools like Joey Daccord at Cushing Academy, Josh Maniscalco and Gage Mackie at Shattuck-St. Mary's, Dominic Garcia at Culver Military Academy Prep, Brett Gruber at Notre Dame Academy, and Evan DeBrouwer at Ridley College High School. Some may utilize online high school to complete their diploma as well.
A vast majority of collegiate players come from the following five North American leagues:
However, junior hockey has an age limit, as only players between the ages 16-20 prior to the season beginning are eligible. If the player turns 21 during their final season of juniors, they are still eligible to play the remainder of the season, but will lose a year of collegiate eligibility if heading to an NCAA institution. (See NCAA bylaw 12.8.3.5)
This happened to current senior defenseman Jakob Stridsberg. Instead of entering as a freshman, Stridsberg began competitively as a sophomore due to playing -- and winning an NAHL championship -- for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs past his 21st birthday.
The route of junior hockey typically leads to most college hockey freshmen to be older than their fellow classmates.
The Sun Devils have had two exceptions to that rule with current junior Brinson Pasichnuk, who arrived in Tempe at age 18 after just two years in junior hockey, and freshman Demetrios Koumontzis, who is a traditional 18-year-old freshman after playing high school hockey in Minnesota. While many high schools do have hockey, it is very rare for players to go straight to college after playing for their high school teams, as the level of talent outside of Minnesota at that level isn't as high.
NHL Draft Rules
The NHL's entry draft grants eligibility to any North American player older than 18 by Sept. 15 and younger than 20 on Dec. 31 of that respective draft year.
Non-North American players are also eligible for the NHL if over 20 years of age.
In the 2018 NHL Draft this summer, Sun Devil freshman forward Demetrios Koumontzis was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 4th round and attended their development camp. Despite being drafted, Koumontzis remains eligible to play in the Maroon and Gold this upcoming season and beyond.
So, why can Koumontzis still play with the Sun Devils?
He may retain his college eligibility and due to a new bylaw (12.3.1.1), hockey players may be represented by an agent or attorney during contract negotiations prior to full-time collegiate enrollment. The individual may not receive benefits from the agent or attorney and must pay the going rate for the representation. If a contract is not negotiated and signed, the agreement for representation with the agent or attorney must be terminated prior to full-time collegiate enrollment.
Even though a contract was not negotiated between the Flames and Koumontzis – which typically only happens with a select few of college-bound or currently enrolled college players -- the Flames own Koumontzis' rights for four years from the date he is drafted, which allows them to attend practices and speak to him throughout his ASU career. At the end of that four years, the organization -- and player -- must decide whether or not they would like to sign him to a contract. If a contract is not agreed upon, the player may decide to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA). Any player who is not drafted and is over the age of 20 automatically becomes an UFA.
If the Flames decide Koumontzis is ready to take the next step in his career prior to the end of the four years of protection, they may call him up before he completes his four years of college. One unique thing to Arizona State is the "Sun Devil for Life" program. If any Pac-12 student-athlete decides to forego any of his remaining college to turn professional, the player may return at any time following his or her professional career to complete their degree with at least the percentage of athletic scholarship they were on while competing.
Current Sun Devil hockey players with ties to the NHL
Any NCAA player is able to be invited by NHL teams to attend their development camps. Players who are drafted attend their respective organization's camps.
Demetrios Koumontzis: drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 4th round of the 2018 NHL draft and attended the Flames development camp (2018)
*Joey Daccord: drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 7th round of the 2015 NHL draft and has attended the Senators development camp (2015, '16, '17, '18)
Brinson Pasichnuk: attended the Minnesota Wild (2016), Montreal Canadiens (2017) and Arizona Coyotes (2018) development camps
Johnny Walker: attended Columbus Blue Jackets development camp (2018)
Austin Lemieux: attended the Pittsburgh Penguins development camp (2016, 2017, 2018)
Jacob Wilson: attended the St. Louis Blues development camp (2018)
Tyler Busch: attended the Calgary Flames development camp (2017)
Jakob Stridsberg: attended the Toronto Maple Leafs development camp (2017)
*Joey Daccord was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2015 meaning his four years is coming to a conclusion in 2019. The Senators and Daccord need to decide on a decision for the future of Daccord's career following the 2018-19 season otherwise he will become an UFA.
We decided to break down the path of how some Sun Devil hockey players ended up in Tempe, and how the current and future path of those that were drafted will play out.
Junior Hockey
Junior hockey is for players between the ages of 16-20 before they enter college. There are various amounts of junior leagues across North America, but most of the options that players have result in spending years of their life away from family to mature in hockey. Players end up living with billet families, who offer room and board to junior ice hockey players who leave home to join elite teams in other towns. Coaches are often involved with matching a player to a billet family.
While many student-athletes are fortunate to attend their local high school with friends they've grown up around, most hockey players who move away for bantams, minor midgets, and even junior hockey attend high schools in their new town. Some will also move to play for some of the elite preparatory schools like Joey Daccord at Cushing Academy, Josh Maniscalco and Gage Mackie at Shattuck-St. Mary's, Dominic Garcia at Culver Military Academy Prep, Brett Gruber at Notre Dame Academy, and Evan DeBrouwer at Ridley College High School. Some may utilize online high school to complete their diploma as well.
A vast majority of collegiate players come from the following five North American leagues:
- Canada
- BCHL (British Columbia Hockey League)
- AJHL (Alberta Junior Hockey League)
- United States
- USHL (United States Hockey League)
- NAHL (National American Hockey League)
- NCDC (National Collegiate Development Conference – formerly USPHL)
However, junior hockey has an age limit, as only players between the ages 16-20 prior to the season beginning are eligible. If the player turns 21 during their final season of juniors, they are still eligible to play the remainder of the season, but will lose a year of collegiate eligibility if heading to an NCAA institution. (See NCAA bylaw 12.8.3.5)
This happened to current senior defenseman Jakob Stridsberg. Instead of entering as a freshman, Stridsberg began competitively as a sophomore due to playing -- and winning an NAHL championship -- for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs past his 21st birthday.
The route of junior hockey typically leads to most college hockey freshmen to be older than their fellow classmates.
The Sun Devils have had two exceptions to that rule with current junior Brinson Pasichnuk, who arrived in Tempe at age 18 after just two years in junior hockey, and freshman Demetrios Koumontzis, who is a traditional 18-year-old freshman after playing high school hockey in Minnesota. While many high schools do have hockey, it is very rare for players to go straight to college after playing for their high school teams, as the level of talent outside of Minnesota at that level isn't as high.
NHL Draft Rules
The NHL's entry draft grants eligibility to any North American player older than 18 by Sept. 15 and younger than 20 on Dec. 31 of that respective draft year.
Non-North American players are also eligible for the NHL if over 20 years of age.
In the 2018 NHL Draft this summer, Sun Devil freshman forward Demetrios Koumontzis was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 4th round and attended their development camp. Despite being drafted, Koumontzis remains eligible to play in the Maroon and Gold this upcoming season and beyond.
So, why can Koumontzis still play with the Sun Devils?
He may retain his college eligibility and due to a new bylaw (12.3.1.1), hockey players may be represented by an agent or attorney during contract negotiations prior to full-time collegiate enrollment. The individual may not receive benefits from the agent or attorney and must pay the going rate for the representation. If a contract is not negotiated and signed, the agreement for representation with the agent or attorney must be terminated prior to full-time collegiate enrollment.
Even though a contract was not negotiated between the Flames and Koumontzis – which typically only happens with a select few of college-bound or currently enrolled college players -- the Flames own Koumontzis' rights for four years from the date he is drafted, which allows them to attend practices and speak to him throughout his ASU career. At the end of that four years, the organization -- and player -- must decide whether or not they would like to sign him to a contract. If a contract is not agreed upon, the player may decide to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA). Any player who is not drafted and is over the age of 20 automatically becomes an UFA.
If the Flames decide Koumontzis is ready to take the next step in his career prior to the end of the four years of protection, they may call him up before he completes his four years of college. One unique thing to Arizona State is the "Sun Devil for Life" program. If any Pac-12 student-athlete decides to forego any of his remaining college to turn professional, the player may return at any time following his or her professional career to complete their degree with at least the percentage of athletic scholarship they were on while competing.
Current Sun Devil hockey players with ties to the NHL
Any NCAA player is able to be invited by NHL teams to attend their development camps. Players who are drafted attend their respective organization's camps.
Demetrios Koumontzis: drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 4th round of the 2018 NHL draft and attended the Flames development camp (2018)
*Joey Daccord: drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 7th round of the 2015 NHL draft and has attended the Senators development camp (2015, '16, '17, '18)
Brinson Pasichnuk: attended the Minnesota Wild (2016), Montreal Canadiens (2017) and Arizona Coyotes (2018) development camps
Johnny Walker: attended Columbus Blue Jackets development camp (2018)
Austin Lemieux: attended the Pittsburgh Penguins development camp (2016, 2017, 2018)
Jacob Wilson: attended the St. Louis Blues development camp (2018)
Tyler Busch: attended the Calgary Flames development camp (2017)
Jakob Stridsberg: attended the Toronto Maple Leafs development camp (2017)
*Joey Daccord was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2015 meaning his four years is coming to a conclusion in 2019. The Senators and Daccord need to decide on a decision for the future of Daccord's career following the 2018-19 season otherwise he will become an UFA.