CALGARY – Some of the nation’s top college players had mixed reactions yesterday to Thursday’s precedent-setting decision regarding 1998 Devils first-rounder Mike Van Ryn.
Following arbitrator Lawrence Holden’s ruling that Van Ryn is an unrestricted free agent, U.S. collegians will now be able to break away from the team that drafted them by leaving college to play over-aged junior hockey.
This was the path taken by Van Ryn, who left the University of Michigan after his freshman year to play for Sarnia of the Ontario junior league. By playing juniors for two seasons, Van Ryn was able to claim free agency. Now 21, he is too old to re-enter the draft.
The Devils, however, believed that they still held his rights – until Holden ruled otherwise. And now, if a college player doesn’t want to play for his drafted team, he can head to juniors and then negotiate with every team as an unrestricted free agent.
“It gives [college players] a lot of leverage,” said Boston College defenseman Brooks Orpik, who is likely to be taken in the top 10 in today’s entry draft.
Center Jeff Taffe, who will be taken high today out of the University of Minnesota, said some college players could be hurt by the ruling as fearful NHL teams might shy away from picking them.
“Teams will take less of a chance on us because they think we’ll stab them in the back,” Taffe said.
Taffe added that he doubts that he will turn down the team that chooses him today.
“I don’t think I’d ever do that to a team,” he said. “If they showed interest in you, it would be hard to turn around and walk out on them.”
Islanders GM Mike Milbury said the ruling will be a problem for teams.
“Everybody’s getting the full impact of that,” he said. “You have to be careful and be ready to pay a price.”
Meanwhile, the NHL said yesterday it will not appeal the ruling.