The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Bulldogs aren’t rushing into NIL
NEW HAVEN — Yale has a Name, Image and Likeness policy, but a couple of men’s hockey players aren’t rushing to take advantage of the opportunity.
“Yeah, we’ve had a few guys that have done a couple things with different brands or companies,” captain Graham Lillibridge said before Thursday’s practice, “and I think more opportunities will continue to probably get brought to our attention, so that we can even seek out as we’re getting started here this season.
“But I wouldn’t say it’s a huge area of focus.”
The university issued its policy this week, first reported Thursday by the Yale Daily News. A state law this summer followed NCAA changes that allowed athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL) and hire representation for those purposes.
Lillibridge said he has no such NIL deals. Neither has Ryan Carmichael of Greenwich, a junior transfer from Notre Dame.
“I haven’t really taken a big look,” Carmichael said. “I’m just focused on how I’m going to play on the ice, and I think that goes for a lot of guys on our team here.
“So I haven’t really looked that deep into it yet, but maybe that’s something down the road.”
The young Bulldogs have been practicing for several
weeks but won’t play their first game until Oct. 30 at Brown. The home opener is Nov. 5 against Quinnipiac.
“Certainly they’ve gotten more comfortable with the pace of college hockey, or the pace that we can try to recreate in practice,” coach Keith Allain said. “Obviously as quick a tempo as we try to go, we all know that first game is going to be at a different level. I think we’re trying to figure some things out combination wise. We’re making progress.”
Lillibridge said the team has used its off-ice time to bond and is coming along on the ice.
“Also getting everyone used to the systems we want to play, getting that ingrained in ourselves to where it’s natural and instinctual as opposed to having to think always,” Lillibridge said.
“Then for the guys that weren’t able to play games over the course of this past 18 months like myself, it’s just really getting back into game shape and back up into game speed,” he added, “getting used to taking the constant wear and tear and pounding like it is in a game and just get used to making Yaleplays at that high level.”