Article written by Rowan McCarthy
The NCAA ruling on CHL-player eligibility last November turned the junior hockey landscape upside down. Prior to the November ruling, any player who joined a CHL team became ineligible to play NCAA hockey. The change created an environment where the CHL is now a viable destination for elite young players who want to preserve the option to secure an education while they develop as hockey players in the NCAA.
Ottawa native Thomas Vandenberg is one of the players profiting from the change as he no longer needs to decide between his educational interests and playing hockey at an elite level for his hometown team.
Ottawa 67’s GM James Boyd described taking Vandenberg in the fifth round of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection as a strategic choice.
“[Vandenberg] was a key player on his Myers team when we drafted him … He really would have been a much higher pick in the OHL if he was committed to the league at the time,” said Boyd. “He went down to Cedar Rapids, and we had a chance to watch him a few times. What really stood out is his skating and poise with the puck.”
As mentioned by Boyd, the 2008-born center decided to take his talents to the Cedar Rapids Roughriders in the USHL in order to protect a potential future in the NCAA. Like the majority of young hockey talents, Vandenberg wanted to play at the highest level possible; however, he and his family also placed a premium on education.
“I wanted to go to college,” said Vandenberg when discussing his decision. “Economics is big for me, that’s the main thing I wanted to go for. Going to the USHL allowed that, as well as being a great league with great development, so it all piled together into one, and it ended up being a good decision.”
In 55 games with Cedar Rapids, the speedy forward scored nine goals and nine assists, finishing tenth on the team in scoring.
While assessing options at the end of last season, he had 67’s goaltender Jaeden Nelson attempting to sway him towards returning to Ottawa.
“I don’t take all the credit, there are people who get paid a lot of money to do that,” said Nelson, who is also an Ottawa native. “His draft year, we were in high school math class together, so I was in his ear the whole time wanting him to come play for us … After the rule change, I got right back on him again trying to get him here.”
Coming home to Ottawa comes with benefits beyond hockey. In going to the USHL, Vandenberg had no choice but to move away from his family. At the age of 15, the idea of moving to the United State alone must have been daunting. Thomas’ father, Pat Vandenberg, mentioned that while his son faced challenges in moving away from home at such a young age, he and his wife Carolin hope that he’s grown from the experience. This year, he will be able to play hockey while enjoying the comforts of his home and family.
“The hometown opportunity for Thomas is pretty much a no-brainer because we know this is an excellent program and Thomas seems really ready for this opportunity,” said Pat. “As parents … it’s very hard for your 15/16-year-old to leave. It’s quite nice to have that opportunity for your youngest to come back home … We’re excited about that. Very much so.”
Vandenberg, who said he models his game after Boston Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron, played extremely well at Ottawa’s training camp, showing a lot of chemistry with returning players like Nic Whitehead and Kohyn Eshkawkogan. He made full use of his poise and skating skills as he blew past defenders on two occasions to create scoring opportunities.
While he will undoubtedly need time to adjust to the OHL, he will have plenty of opportunity to shine on what will be a younger 67’s squad. After missing the playoffs last year, Ottawa retooled during the offseason, adding young talent like 2025 third-overall pick Brock Chitaroni and second-round pick Jack Johnson.
The CHL changed its Import Draft rules this summer allowing teams to roster three import players rather than two. As a result, Ottawa scooped up Czech defender Ondrej Ruml with the eighth-overall pick in the draft before taking Finnish forward Jasper Kuhta in the second. They will play alongside Swedish star forward Filip Ekberg, Ottawa’s third import player.
In terms of returning players, the 67’s faithful should look for Ekberg to have a big season. The second-year man was selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. Prior to the draft, he led the U-18 World Junior Championship with 10 goals and eight assists on the way to winning a silver medal and simultaneously breaking the Swedish record for most points scored at the tournament.
Both Kohyn Eshkawkogan and Nathan Amidovski seem to have taken a step forward. Eshkawkogan looked silky smooth during training camp, using his dazzling hands and skating ability to dance through opponents, while Amidovski consistently created opportunities using his size and puck protection skills. Amidovski has goals in both of Ottawa’s opening preseason games, a positive sign for a player who struggled at times during his rookie campaign.
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