NCAA introduces new transfer window for men’s hockey

How student athletes change schools in the United States is changing.

On Wednesday, the NCAA Division I Cabinet approved changes to the transfer windows for several spots, including men’s ice hockey.

The new transfer window is set to begin on the Monday after the national championship game, and last for 15 days. It is a profound change from the previous portal window, where players had up to 45 days in order to decide whether or not they wanted to change schools.

Another change in the transfer window comes from when a head coaching change occurs. In that event, another 15-day period will open five days after the new bench boss is announced. However, if a new head coach isn’t announced within 30 days of the previous coach leaving the program, and Day 31 comes after the national title game, the 15-day window will open. That coach departure window will only be available from after the hockey transfer window opens, and goes through Jan. 2.

The transfer portal has become a huge part of college sports, especially in hockey. During the time when players were given the option to play a fifth year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, athletes elected to use that extra year of eligibility to play somewhere else.

The opportunity to change teams has helped both individuals and teams. Last year’s national champions, Western Michigan University, had eight players who transferred in from other schools, including Liam Valente, who joined the Broncos after a couple of years at Providence College and has been one of Western’s top offensive weapons since the change of scenery.

The transfer window changes were proposed by the men’s ice hockey oversight committee. The Cabinet contacted the Women’s Ice Hockey Committee to consider changing its transfer win to match the men’s game.

Other sports seeing transfer window changes include men’s and women’s basketball, men’s wrestling, as well as track and field.