NHL Draft prospect Jack Eichel remains committed to BU
By Cory Buck
Next year’s NHL draft will be among the most anticipated in a decade. There hasn’t been this much hype surrounding the top of a draft since Sidney Crosby went first overall in 2005 following the season-long lockout. Connor McDavid is considered the Sidney Crosby of the upcoming draft, but Massachusetts native Jack Eichel is making a case of his own for the spot as the ‘1A’ of the 2015 draft. While McDavid will continue to showcase his talents with the Erie Otters of the OHL, Eichel remains committed to playing college hockey with Boston University.
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As far as young NHL prospects go, the best route is typically seen as junior hockey. A teenager will play more games in one of the leagues unified by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and he’ll live more of a pro lifestyle than he would in college, where it’s, well, college. However, a college scholarship can ultimately prove more valuable to plenty of players who may not have a future in the NHL, as well as provide more structure for those who do. While the NCAA and the CHL are considered rivals, the two are more like apples and oranges.
“I made a commitment to Boston University and I plan on fulfilling that commitment and going there and playing college hockey,” Eichel said per NHL.com. “BU is the next step in my development and it’s a better route for me at this time. I get to play against older players, the coaching staff is great. I like everything about it.”
Let the debate rage on as both players will become less comparable from different leagues, making life just dandy for NHL scouts. Buckle up, hockey fans. The next ten months are going to be full of talk about these two players, as we won’t know anything for sure until draft night next June.