Hockey Canada wants to raise the NHL entry draft age by a year

President Bob Nicholson has been trying to raise the age which players can enter the NHL from 18 to 19. This would mean that players who are 18 would have to wait another year to be selected by the NHL, with those who are a year older than them being given the opportunities. However, an exception would be made for those 18 year olds who are elite or perhaps on a top-10 list.

The reason why Nicholson is trying to change the entry age is that he argues players should be given time to develop properly before entering into the NHL. If they wait a year and train thoroughly, even leaving time to relax and do other things like play PartyPoker (IT), they may have a better chance of success once they are drafted. Saying that though, Nicholson is not denying that 18 year olds like Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jeff Skinner are capable of playing in the league.

Nicholson says he recognises that it is becoming normal for players who have exceptional talents to play within higher age groups. He wants to slow down this process, allowing the players to reach their full potential before moving up to the next level. If the NHL was to accept this change, the alterations to the league may not actually be all that significant. This is because there are really only a handful of 18 year old players in the league at the moment anyway.

However, he is sticking to his opinion and trying to make a change. It will be interesting to see what the NHL make of it and whether or not any changes occur as a result. There have been shifts in the drafting age since the first one in the 1960s. The age started at 17, before changing at various intervals, including 18 in 1965 and all the way to 20 after that. It then settled at 18 and only time will tell if it will change again.