Rumours and rumblings around the Medicine Hat Tigers with players eligible for the NCAA next season

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It has leads to several players signing with CHL teams this season, who had previously committed to NCAA programs, but none yet with the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Tigers head coach and general manager, Willie Desjardins, said there are still lots of question marks until things are really finalized with the agreement, but he believes there won’t be restrictions on current WHL players being able to go play college hockey next season in America before they age out of the league.

“I think you work at your own program, you make it a great place for them, and players stay,” Desjardins said.

“I think that overall, though, it gives players some opportunities. They’re going to change things for sure. What it’s going to look like, we’ll know in a couple of years.”

Desjardins said the ruling could help the team with the recruitment of their drafted American players who may have avoided the CHL previously to remain eligible for the NCAA.

“We’ve got some high-end guys. Noah Davidson‘s a high-end player down in Shattuck that we might get because of this,” Desjardins said.

“We’ve got Jacob Rombach, that’s another high-end defenseman,” he added.

“You never know what’s going to come out. We may get him, and both would be really good additions to our team.”

Davidson, a 2008-born forward from Irvine, Calif. who stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 199 pounds has put up 42 points in 39 games with the Shattuck St. Mary’s 18U Prep team based in Faribault, Minn.

He was picked 31st overall by the Tigers in Round 2 of the WHL US Prospects Draft in 2023.

Rombach, a 2007-born defenseman, who towers at 6-foot-6 and 201 lbs, from Blaine, Minn. is playing in his second season in the USHL with the Lincoln Stars.

He has five assists through 22 games so far this season, and is committed to the University of Minnesota Gophers for the 2025-26 season.

Rombach was the 11th overall pick of the Tigers in Round 1 of the WHL US Prospects Draft in 2023.

Current Tigers defenseman Jack Kachkowski, had given up an NCAA Division I Scholarship last season to join the Tigers prior to the change in eligibility.

“The WHL is one of the best junior leagues in all of Canada and North America. I think that was one of the biggest reasons I decided to come here and it’s been really good playing against these guys,” Kachkowski said.

“The speed in the WHL has been really good for me and you know adjusting with the guys learning how to play with them. I think my game’s grown exponentially,” he added.

“Coming here was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and it’s been awesome for my game.”

Kachkowski said he is happy to know he can still have the opportunity to play US college hockey when his WHL career is completed.

He is also enjoying being a Tigers.

“All the guys have been awesome. It’s been really great,” Kachkowski said.

“I think just for the speed of my game playing against every one of these guys in practice. They make me rise my level and playing against all the guys in this league helped me rise my level as well,” he added.

“I think speed for sure is the biggest thing playing for the Tigers.”

by Jesse Gill

Rumours and rumblings around the Medicine Hat Tigers with players eligible for the NCAA next season

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