Chanhassen native Mike Reilly, who played three years of college hockey at the University of Minnesota, is a second-year pro for his hometown Wild.

In the springtime, in the middle of this hockey season, he plans to go online and complete his final three college credits so he can graduate with a degree in economics.

Asked how he’ll be able to handle the workload while also playing hockey, the 23-year-old defenseman said, “It’ll be super easy to hack away at it because I’m so close. It won’t take up too much time. School’s important for our family, and I definitely didn’t take school lightly in college.”

Hudson Fasching, also a former Gopher who plays professionally for the Buffalo Sabres, graduated in three years. Blossoming NHLers Nick Bjugstad and Nate Schmidt recently got their college degrees, while Keith Ballard (University of Minnesota) and Mark Parrish (St. Cloud State) have returned for their degrees after finishing lengthy NHL careers.

Years ago, there was a stigma that to one day become a high-end or longtime NHL player, you had to go the Canadian junior route.

Not anymore.

NHL Pipeline

Thirty percent of players in the NHL this season played college hockey, and oftentimes, they’re some of the top scorers in the league. Last season, top-10 point producers Joe Pavelski (University of Wisconsin), Blake Wheeler (University of Minnesota) and Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College) were NCAA alumni.

Six of the top seven rookies in total ice time last season played college hockey, and three of the top six rookie scorers, including Jack Eichel (Boston University). Each of the top five rookie defensemen in scoring, led by Shayne Gostisbehere (Union College), played college hockey.

Opening Night rosters this season had 211 former NCAA players representing 47 universities, 14 of whom played in the NCAA last season. Boston College led all schools with 23 alumni in the NHL, followed by Michigan (21), Wisconsin (20), Minnesota (19), Boston University (14) and North Dakota (14).

More than half of the players on the reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins played college hockey.

A record 11 NCAA players were taken in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and a record 67 NCAA players signed NHL contracts since the end of last season.

“I think it’s the best of both worlds,” Gophers coach Don Lucia said. “You get your education and you get to continue to play hockey.”

More Time to Develop

What hockey players need to understand when they’re deciding which route to go is most players, except for the select few, don’t play in the NHL by the time they’d otherwise graduate at 22 or 23. There’s no fast track, unless you’re the most special of the special. There were only 18 teenagers in the NHL last season, and only eight would be considered regulars.

“In college, you have a chance to continue to develop as a person and a player for a longer period of time.” Lucia said. “There are so many kids that are late bloomers, and by going to college, you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket.”

To illustrate Lucia’s point, the average age of NHL rookies since 2005 is 22.8. Of the 286 NCAA alums in the NHL in 2014-15, 208 (73 percent) played three or four years in college.

“You could certainly make the argument that if you just plan to go to college for one year, why go?” Lucia says. “If you’re that high end of a player and you’re driven to be in the NHL, then maybe go to junior for one year and get drafted high in the NHL and go sign an NHL contract.

“But for the majority, the opportunity to go to college, which are some of the best years of your life, and have a chance to train physically, have more practice time, develop longer, get your education, I think it’s a real benefit and it’s a great option for a lot of kids.”

Life After Hockey

Even if you leave college early to turn professional, you’ll eat into eventually completing your degree. For instance, Ballard had 28 credits to go, returned to school 11 years later and now has a degree in sports management. Ninety percent of college hockey players will ultimately earn their degree.

Plus, many players may get a cup of coffee in the NHL, so to speak, but how many are going to have a career?

According to College Hockey Inc., more than 7,000 men have played in the NHL. Only 306 have played more than 1,000 games. Over 400 have played exactly one game. Of the 241 players taken in the 1996 draft, 99 played a game in the NHL, 44 played more than 300 games and only three are still playing, including Pittsburgh’s Matt Cullen, the Virginia, Minn.-born, Moorhead-raised St. Cloud State alum who recently played his 1,300th game.

“You have life after hockey,” Lucia said. “Even if you reach the NHL, how many are going to play four, five, six hundred games or how many are going to make enough money where you’re never going to have to work again? Or, maybe your hockey career’s over at 30. You still have 30 more years to work.

“You’re not going to sit around and do nothing and be bored, so that’s where having that college education really helps. That’s where having your degree or being so close to your degree that you can go back and get it really helps.”