National Collegiate Development Conference Officially Launches For 2017-18
Boston, MA (December 14, 2016) – The United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is proud to announce the launch of the National Collegiate Development Conference, (NCDC) which is a unique, tuition-free Junior hockey division geared toward Division I collegiate development/placement and beyond.
The National Collegiate Development Conference will drop its first puck in September 2017 with 11 organizations committed to offering junior hockey players from around the world a platform to develop their skills and become the college hockey stars of tomorrow. Players who desire to stay closer to home in the East, or who have a desire to frequently showcase their skills in front of the dozens of NCAA Division I schools in the East, will now have a tuition-free option and the ability to compete in what will become a pipeline for training, development and NCAA Division I advancement.
With 56 percent of NCAA Division I schools in the NCDC’s footprint, the scouting and development opportunities will increase significantly. Last year the USPHL had more than 300 college commitments in its pay-to-play model, and the league plans on that number steadily growing as its ability to move players to the NCDC arrives.
The NCDC makes the long wished-for option of tuition-free hockey on the East Coast a reality,” said Commissioner Jeff Nygaard. “It’s always been a good idea but it has taken the commitment and business savvy of the current group of owners to move it forward.”
“We also listened to college coaches who want to recruit prospects in their backyard so they can more efficiently develop relationships with prospects and monitoring their developmental progress. The USPHL is excited to be part of yet another college advancement solution for high-level players.”
The founding NCDC teams are the Boston Bandits, Junior Bruins, Connecticut Jr. Rangers, Islanders Hockey Club, Jersey Hitmen, New Jersey Rockets, Northern Cyclones, PAL Junior Islanders, Rochester Monarchs, South Shore Kings, and Syracuse Stars.
Player Acquisition:
Teams participating in the National Collegiate Development Conference have eight Tenders which will be used to secure player rights for players not in a particular team’s organization. A Tender is a mutual agreement that is signed by both the player (parents of the player if under 18 years of age) and the organization.
Players who are not signed to a Tender will be eligible for the NCDC Futures Draft (2001 & 2002 birth years) to be held in January 2017, or the NCDC Entry Draft to be held in May 2017. Players not signed to a Tender or drafted by a member club will have the opportunity to participate in team-specific tryout settings in order to earn their spot in a franchise.
For more information about the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC), please visit www.usphl.com/NCDC
Tag(s): HOME