How to make it to the NHL

Updated October 17, 2026

There's no single road to the NHL. Players get there from Canadian major junior, US junior hockey, college, prep schools and European clubs. Here's how each path works, how the NHL Draft works, what scouts look for, how small the odds really are, and the other good places hockey can take you.

Before 15: build the player

Nobody makes the NHL at 12. What matters early is getting better every season and still loving the game.

• Skating first. Scouts at every level look at it. See how to skate faster.
• Puck skills and hockey sense. Handle a puck or ball most days, watch games, and think about why plays work.
• Play other sports. USA Hockey encourages young players to play other sports in the off-season.
• Don't stress about the letters. AA or AAA at 11 doesn't decide your future. The guide to youth hockey levels and age groups explains the system.
• Train off the ice the safe way. Bodyweight work is plenty for now. Try hockey workouts at home.

Around 15 and 16, things speed up. The Canadian major junior leagues draft players at those ages, and junior and college programs start watching more closely.

Path 1: Canadian major junior (the CHL)

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is three leagues: the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the Western Hockey League (WHL) and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). It has 52 teams in nine provinces and nine teams in four US states. Most players are 16 to 20, and a few exceptional players are allowed in at 15.

• How you get there. Each league holds its own draft. The WHL drafts players in the year they turn 15. The OHL picks mainly from U16 teams. Many of the top QMJHL picks come from Quebec's U18 AAA league. Players can also join a team later.
• What it's like. A long season (the WHL plays 68 regular-season games), lots of travel, and if your team is far away, moving away from home as a teenager.
• School. Each league has an education program: the WHL Scholarship Program, OHL Education Services and the QMJHL's grant program. They help players pay for school after junior, and players who don't turn pro can go on to play for a Canadian university in U Sports. Ask any team exactly what its program covers.

Canada also has Junior A hockey, a level below the CHL.

The big change: CHL players can now play NCAA Division I

The NCAA used to treat CHL players as professionals. Even a couple of exhibition games in the CHL could cost a player his college eligibility. That changed on November 7, 2024, when the NCAA Division I Council voted to let CHL players compete in Division I. The rule took effect on August 1, 2025.

The condition: you can't have been paid more than actual and necessary expenses, such as meals, lodging, travel and equipment. The decision covered Division I, so if you're looking at Division III schools, ask them about their current rules. And signing a pro contract still ends your college eligibility.

Path 2: US junior hockey and the NTDP

• USHL: the only Tier I junior league in the United States.
• NAHL: the only Tier II junior league in the US.
• NA3HL: Tier III.

USA Hockey's junior leagues are for players aged 16 to 20, and players keep their NCAA eligibility. It's common to play a season or more of junior before starting college.

The National Team Development Program (NTDP) is USA Hockey's own program in Plymouth, Michigan. Its under-17 and under-18 teams play a USHL schedule, and the under-18 team also plays NCAA teams. Players are invited to join.

Path 3: NCAA college hockey

College hockey gives you years of hockey and a degree. Players are often drafted before they start college, and their NHL team keeps their rights while they play.

• Grades count from ninth grade. To play NCAA Division I, you need 16 NCAA-approved core-course credits and at least a 2.3 grade point average in those courses, and you register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
• Timing. Many players play junior hockey first and start college a year or two after high school.
• Not drafted? It's not over. Martin St. Louis was passed over in the draft and played four years at the University of Vermont. He went on to win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and made the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Path 4: Prep schools and hockey academies

Some private schools in the US and hockey academies in Canada build their programs around hockey and school. The paths cross a lot. Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota won USA Hockey's Tier I 18U national title in 2026. The first pick in the 2026 QMJHL draft came from Mount St. Charles Academy in Rhode Island, and the third pick in the 2026 OHL draft came from the Hill Academy in Ontario.

If you're considering one, ask about cost and financial aid, the travel schedule, the class workload, and where recent players went next.

Path 5: Europe

In countries like Sweden, Finland, Czechia and Switzerland, pro clubs run their own youth and junior teams. In Sweden, the top junior league is U20 Nationell, and its teams are tied to clubs in the SHL or HockeyAllsvenskan. The best teenagers can move up to their club's men's team. NHL teams draft plenty of European players, and the rules let some players from outside North America be drafted at an older age. North American players can go to Europe too, to play pro after junior or college.

How the NHL Draft works

• When: once a year, in late June. The 2026 draft was June 26 and 27.
• How big: seven rounds, the format since 2005. With 32 teams, that's 224 picks.
• Who's eligible: you must turn 18 by September 15 of the draft year, and North American players can be drafted through the year they turn 20. For the 2026 draft, that meant players born between January 1, 2006 and September 15, 2008. Born on September 16 or later? You wait an extra year. Some older players from outside North America are eligible too.
• What it means: being drafted gives one NHL team the right to sign you. It isn't a spot on the team. Most picks go back to junior, college, Europe or the minors to keep developing.
• Never drafted? Players who are never drafted can still sign with an NHL team as free agents, and some have had great careers that way.

What scouts look for

Scouts watch a lot more than your points. The Vancouver Canucks' scouting staff, for example, looks at hockey sense, skating, skill, compete and character, plus coachability and leadership. A University of Alberta study of WHL scouts found that compete and character were the words they used most, and that leadership and being a good teammate mattered a lot.

Things you can control:

1. Compete every shift, including in practice. Scouts watch practices too.
2. Play hard without the puck. Backchecking, winning battles and being in the right spot matter.
3. Be a good teammate. Make the right pass. Scouts dislike players who chase their own points.
4. Watch your body language. Slumped shoulders and outbursts after a mistake are red flags.
5. Be coachable. Listen, try the change, ask questions.
6. Think before you post. Scouts look at players' social media.
7. Parents, stay calm in the stands. In the same study, scouts said a difficult parent can be a reason to pass on a player.

The same habits help at tryouts; see hockey tryout tips.

How small the odds are

Here's the honest part. In 2025-26, USA Hockey had about 586,000 registered players and Hockey Canada more than 615,000, counting all ages. Each year the NHL Draft takes 224 players, and they come from all over the world, not just the US and Canada. Only a tiny share of youth players are ever drafted, and not every pick plays an NHL game.

That isn't a reason to quit. It's a reason to play because you love it, to work at it because getting better feels good, and to make sure the rest of your life is in good shape too.

Keep it fun, and keep school strong

• Fun keeps you in the game. USA Hockey warns that doing too much can lead to burnout. Rest, other sports and friends outside hockey are part of a long career.
• School keeps doors open. College hockey has grade rules, CHL education money is for school, and every hockey career ends eventually.
• Sleep and eat well. Teens need 8 to 10 hours of sleep. For food, see what to eat before a game.

Other great places hockey can take you

• College hockey: NCAA Divisions I, II and III in the US, and U Sports in Canada.
• Pro hockey below the NHL: the AHL is the NHL's main development league, and every NHL team has an AHL affiliate. The ECHL is another pro league in North America.
• Pro hockey in Europe: leagues across Europe sign North American players.
• Women's hockey: NCAA hockey, national teams, and the PWHL, which started play in 2024.
• Coaching: many players start by helping with younger teams, and both USA Hockey and Hockey Canada train coaches.
• Refereeing: both national bodies register and train officials. It keeps you on the ice and shows you the game from a new angle.
• Adult hockey: adult leagues let you keep playing for life.

And on a night off, there's the arcade kind of hockey: Brudvig Hockey 2027 is a free 3-on-3 arcade hockey game that runs in your browser. Win its Challenge Cup and you sign the Cup in the record book.