Rule change brings players to the Mooseheads, Eagles who used to stay away

When 16-year-old Will Bent logged on to Instagram one day last June, the Boston-area native was tagged in a post that originated a country away.

Bent, who wasn't familiar with Halifax or Nova Scotia, learned he'd been drafted by the Halifax Mooseheads.

"It was funny," he said. "I didn't really know it at first, so I laughed and my parents were like, 'Oh my God, you got drafted there.' It's huge."

At first, Bent wasn't interested in playing for the Mooseheads. That's because he'd committed to playing for Providence College in Rhode Island in 2027-28.

Under a former set of rules, anyone who played in a Canadian Hockey League game or attended training camp for more than 48 hours lost their eligibility to play NCAA Division I hockey.

However, that was changed last November, creating a path for Bent to join the Mooseheads in early January. He's the fourth player to join the team since late November as a result of the eligibility change.

Three of the players were past Mooseheads' draft picks, while one had attended a training camp as a free agent.

The Mooseheads are rebuilding this season and the additions have allowed them to get stronger without having to trade away players or future picks.

Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell said more players are likely on the way next year.

"We have a lot of other players that chose not to come to our training camp over the last year or two because of the rule and they're reaching out to us now, so it's going to make for some interesting conversations and some real stiff competition in training camp next year," he said.

Russell is excited about the rule change, but one of the questions it raises is at what age will players leave for the NCAA.

He said preliminary indications are NCAA schools will want players to use up their major junior eligibility before going south. Russell said the average age on NCAA rosters is probably around 22 or 23, so he thinks that's why teams would want the players to stay longer in the CHL.

Russell said the Mooseheads have hired two more scouts to cover the New England area. Players from there are eligible for the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League draft.

Flyer picks

Over the years, the Mooseheads have drafted some players who ended up playing NCAA hockey, with the hopes they would change their minds. While players such as Jack Eichel and Alex Newhook never played for the Mooseheads, some did abandon their NCAA plans, such as current Moosehead Liam Kilfoil.

"Sometimes it makes sense depending on where you are in the cycle of your draft, you can risk a draft pick, or you have multiple draft picks, so you take a flyer on guys and the odd time it worked out," said Russell.

Bent was picked by the Mooseheads in the 14th round of last June's QMJHL draft, even though he was pegged as a first-round player.

Prior to playing for the Mooseheads, Bent was playing at a prep school in Rhode Island in front of crowds that usually consisted of the players' parents.

When Bent spoke with CBC News in mid-January, it was after his second home game with the team, which was attended by almost 9,000 fans.

Outside of the team's dressing room, there's a mural with photos of former Mooseheads, many of whom have gone on to successful NHL careers, such as Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin.

Bent said this history is inspiring.

"I feel like I could try and be one of those guys and get further in my career with that," he said.

What the Cape Breton Eagles are doing

The Mooseheads' provincial rivals, the Cape Breton Eagles, have also taken advantage of the rule change, picking up Andrew Brown of the Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League in December.

Eagles general manager Sylvain Couturier said the team has been in talks with around five players who plan to play for Cape Breton next season.

"They didn't want to leave their team this year, but they said they were open to step up and come next year, so that's huge," he said. "It's a big change and it's a good change."

Couturier said the team has added a full-time scout for the New England area, which is something it never had before.

The change will also mean more road trips for him to the U.S.

"It's more work, but it's fun," he said. "I mean, you want … the best product on the ice. And I think the product will be definitely better."