40 top NHL Draft eligible CHL players will compete January 30, 2017, in Quebec City.
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League in association with the host Quebec Remparts Hockey Club, and title partner Sherwin-Williams, today announced the 40 players that will compete in the 2017 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at Centre Vidéotron in Quebec City on Monday January 30, 2017.
The 40 CHL players competing in the game were chosen by all 30 NHL clubs and divided into teams by NHL Central Scouting. This season’s event marks the 22nd annual showcase of the CHL’s top-40 NHL Draft eligible players featuring talent from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Western Hockey League competing before hundreds of NHL scouts in attendance.
“The Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is one of the highlights of the hockey season and a truly special experience for players from across the CHL,” said CHL President David Branch. “Since 1996 this event has annually featured the next wave of NHL talent showcasing their skills before hundreds of NHL scouts and General Managers. We look forward to January 30 with 40 of the top CHL players eligible for the 2017 NHL Draft competing before the passionate hockey fans in Quebec City and to CHL fans across Canada watching live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.”
The rosters include all 17 CHL players who received ‘A’ ratings by NHL Central Scouting in their November Players to Watch list including Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings, Maxime Comtois of the Victoriaville Tigres, and Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires who will compete for Team Cherry. Team Orr includes ‘A’ rated players such as Nico Hischier of the Halifax Mooseheads, Matthew Strome of the Hamilton Bulldogs, and Kailer Yamamoto of the Spokane Chiefs.
“As the Official Paint of the CHL, Sherwin-Williams is proud to sponsor the 2017 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game,” said Paul Clifford, President and General Manager, Sherwin-Williams. “We take great pride in making a difference in the communities we serve and we look forward to celebrating this great sport alongside these talented hockey players and their fans across Canada.”
28 of the CHL’s 60 member clubs are represented on the rosters led by 19 OHL players from 11 different teams, 15 WHL players from 11 teams, and six QMJHL players from six teams. All 15 CHL players chosen in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft competed in last year’s game played in Vancouver. In 21 years, a total of 293 CHL players from this event have been chosen by NHL clubs in the first round of the NHL Draft representing 47% of all players selected.
“The Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game provides a unique opportunity for NHL scouts and General Managers to evaluate top CHL talent for the 2017 NHL Draft in a best-on-best competition,” said NHL Central Scouting Director Dan Marr. “It’s also a unique opportunity for the players to take advantage of the spotlight in what is consistently an exciting and highly competitive showcase.”
Since the event was first introduced in 1996 the game has featured 13 players selected with the first overall pick in the NHL Draft including Connor McDavid, Aaron Ekblad, Nathan MacKinnon, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, Marc-Andre Fleury, Rick Nash, Vincent Lecavalier, Joe Thornton, and Chris Phillips.
Team Cherry and Team Orr coaching staffs in addition to captains and alternates will be announced at a later date.
The 2017 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is proudly supported by title partner Sherwin-Williams, and CHL associate sponsors CIBC, Cooper Tire, and autoTRADER.ca. The game will be broadcast live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
Tickets are still available through the box office at 1-855-790-1245 or visit Ticketmaster to purchase online.
2017 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Rosters:
Team Cherry:
Goaltenders:
Ian Scott (Prince Albert Raiders)
Stuart Skinner (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
Defencemen:
Cal Foote (Kelowna Rockets)
Antoine Crête-Belzile (Blainville Boisbriand-Armada)
Henri Jokiharju (Portland Winterhawks)
Pierre-Olivier Joseph (Charlottetown Islanders)
Artyom Minulin (Swift Current Broncos)
Jarret Tyszka (Seattle Thunderbirds)
Forwards:
Maxime Comtois (Victoriaville Tigres)
MacKenzie Entwistle (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jake Leschyshyn (Regina Pats)
Ivan Lodnia (Erie Otters)
Antoine Morand (Acadie-Bathurst Titan)
Nolan Patrick (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Isaac Ratcliffe (Guelph Storm)
Adam Ruzicka (Sarnia Sting)
Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
Robert Thomas (London Knights)
Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
Gabriel Vilardi (Windsor Spitfires)
Team Orr:
Goaltenders:
Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)
Alex D’Orio (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Defencemen:
Nicolas Hague (Mississauga Steelheads)
Jacob Paquette (Kingston Frontenacs)
Markus Phillips (Owen Sound Attack)
Eemeli Rasanen (Kingston Frontenacs)
Conor Timmins (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Juuso Valimaki (Tri-City Americans)
Forwards:
Sasha Chmelevski (Ottawa 67’s)
Alex Formenton (London Knights)
Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Cody Glass (Portland Winterhawks)
Nico Hischier (Halifax Mooseheads)
Kole Lind (Kelowna Rockets)
Stelio Mattheos (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Nikita Popugaev (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Michael Rasmussen (Tri-City Americans)
Nate Schnarr (Guelph Storm)
Matthew Strome (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Kailer Yamamoto (Spokane Chiefs)
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