"Normally this would not be any noteworthy news. Then you realize where Jack Beck was playing last year. He already spent four years playing junior hockey and spent last season playing in both the ECHL and AHL with affiliates of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Players are now allowed to make the jump from juniors to the NCAA, a major change, but Beck is in his own category as a player who's played professional, but minor league, hockey."
"You might be wondering how this is even allowed? That question seemed to baffle even Frank Servalli and John Buccigross as they tweeted about the news. The conclusion seems to be the only league the NCAA counts as "professional" to the point of losing your college athletic eligibility is the NHL. That's at least for now where it's a major grey area loophole. If there's no rule saying that it's not specifically allowed, why shouldn't it be?"
Arizona State University awarded Jack Beck a scholarship to play for the Sun Devils after Beck spent last season in both the ECHL and AHL with Pittsburgh Penguins affiliates. Beck previously spent four years in junior hockey and now represents a case of a minor-league professional joining NCAA hockey. The NCAA appears to treat the NHL as the primary league that automatically voids college eligibility, creating a grey-area loophole for other paid professional leagues. This situation raises questions about consistency with longstanding bans on paid leagues and the integrity of college eligibility rules.
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