22-Year Old Among a Handful Benefiting From New Lenient NCAA Regulations
by Mike McMahon/Staff Writer (@mikemcmahon)
(photo: Tyler McMahon)
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. So, who’s the new guy?
Justin Gill didn’t take long to make a first impression. In his NCAA debut for Merrimack last Friday night, the 22-year-old forward scored the game-tying goal on the power play and assisted on Parker Lalonde’s game-winner, finishing with two points and plenty of buzz in his first NCAA appearance.
What makes it even more remarkable is that 24 hours earlier, Gill wasn’t sure he’d ever get the chance to play college hockey — or even be eligible to.
Gill had been on campus and enrolled in classes, but his NCAA clearance was still pending. A veteran of more than 250 games in the QMJHL, he spent last season bouncing between the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders and the ECHL’s Worcester Railers.
After the NCAA adjusted its eligibility rules last year to allow former CHL players, several schools began exploring those newly available options and how far it could go. In August, Bemidji State took a shot by adding two players who aged out of Major Junior, then went to play pro for a season. The NCAA approved the move. Arizona State, Quinnipiac and Niagara followed suit, each landing players who had brief stints in pro hockey.
For Gill, precedent was on his side — but approval still had to come directly from Indianapolis. The green light finally arrived just after 5 p.m. Thursday.
“The last few weeks have been pretty crazy,” Gill said. “Going through the process with the NCAA was long and different for me. I’m just glad it’s over and I can focus on playing hockey.”
The somewhat official, albeit vague, explanation from the NCAA is that the amount of money these players earned in one year of pro hockey, was no more than the full cost of attendance at an NCAA school. These players are also subject to age maximums still, so Gill only has two years of eligibility. And to be fair, most if not all would have gone to the NCAA right after Major Junior, instead of pro, if that was an option last year.
Gill’s resume speaks for itself. A fifth-round pick of the New York Islanders in the 2023 NHL Draft, he recorded 105 and 123 points (regular season + playoffs) in his final two QMJHL seasons and was nearly a point-per-game player for Worcester last year. Along the way, he shared ice with a few familiar Merrimack names — playing alongside Alex Jefferies in Bridgeport and Hugo Ollas in Worcester.
“I didn’t get a chance to talk with [Jefferies], but Hugo told me a lot about Merrimack,” Gill said. “He said the school was great and the team was a really good group. That definitely helped me make my decision.”
Even with clearance in hand, Merrimack head coach Scott Borek wasn’t sure Gill would suit up Friday. Though Gill had been practicing with the team, Borek wanted to be sure he was mentally ready after a whirlwind few weeks.
“When we got word so late that he was eligible, I almost didn’t play him,” Borek admitted. “I wanted to make sure he was ready in his own mind. I asked him if he thought he was ready, and he said he was good to go.”
Good to go, indeed. Gill played a confident, composed game that immediately elevated the Warriors. His power-play goal tied the game late in the second and he set up Lalonde’s game-winner a few minutes into the third. More than that, he seemed to be involved in every play during his shifts.
“The first impression is always important,” Gill said. “I’m just happy I was able to get out there and help our team win. I just want to be out there contributing to wins.”
Borek praised not just Gill’s on-ice skill, but what he’s brought to the locker room.
“He’s a great kid. He’s done so much work to get to this point, and I’m really happy for him,” Borek said. “Ironically, he brings a real level of professionalism to our group — in his approach, in how he handles himself. He was obviously huge in the outcome tonight, but he gives us just as much off the ice as he does on it.”
Gill describes himself as a “shooter” — and his numbers back it up. He scored 98 goals over his final two junior seasons and has long drawn praise from NHL scouts for his hockey IQ and playmaking instincts, both of which were on display Friday.
Still, his first NCAA goal didn’t come quite as planned.
“I am a shooter — any time I have the chance, I’m thinking shot,” Gill said with a grin. “But it’s funny, on that play I was actually trying to find Caelan Fitzpatrick in front of the net. Lucky for me, it went in.”
For a player who wasn’t even sure he’d get to play college hockey, Gill couldn’t have scripted a better debut.