Dent In The Pipeline: NHL Draft-Eligible Players Take A Hit

Many draft-eligible prospects and NHL teams attempting to pick them face an uncertain future after several hockey leagues were unable to hold full seasons or play at all because of the coronavirus pandemic. It's a dent in hockey's developmental pipeline that forced some players to relocate to Europe just to show their development at a crucial stage.

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On Tuesday, the Ontario Hockey League, which commissioner David Branch says is considered the top developmental league in the world, abandoned its plans to play this season. U.S. college, European and the other three Canadian junior leagues got on the ice, making the evaluation of teenagers an even more difficult job.