NCAA team officially adds CHL player amid class action lawsuit

Regina Pats forward Braxton Whitehead, playing forward in the WHL, has verbally committed to play for Arizona State University beginning the 2025-26 season. This is somewhat important, since, under the current rules, players from major junior leagues, the WHL and OHL, as well as the QMJHL, are not eligible for college hockey.

What makes this more interesting is that it comes on the heels of a class-action lawsuit filed in August against the NCAA and ten universities, claiming that their rules of eligibility break antitrust laws and that players should be allowed to participate in both major juniors and college hockey. If the lawsuit were to succeed, it could change how players move between these leagues.

That's why Braxton Whitehead and Arizona State are banking on the rules changing by the time he's set to join the Sun Devils in 2025. Currently, the NCAA doesn't allow any CHL player to play in college because those leagues include NHL-contracted players and provide a stipend of up to $250 per month.

Braxton Whitehead, who turned 20 over the weekend, is getting set to embark on his fifth season with the Pats after putting up 52 points in 52 games last season. Due to NCAA rules regarding unsigned players, Arizona State isn't allowed to comment, but Whitehead let the news spill to his teammates in Regina on Thursday, confirming the rumblings that had been making the rounds in the locker room.

Source: ESPN
WHL's Braxton Whitehead commits to Arizona State, challenging NCAA rules

Source: Elite Prospects
Braxton Whitehead Stats