Quebec City, QC – 40 of the CHL’s top prospects eligible for the 2017 NHL Draft were put to the test on Sunday at Centre Videotron one day before Team Cherry and Team Orr face-off at the 2017 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.
Players seized the opportunity to showcase their individual strengths with Sport Testing once again putting the next wave of NHL Draft talent through a series of tests to gauge fitness and skill levels for NHL management and scouts.
Alex Formenton of the London Knights, ranked 24th by NHL Central Scouting in their Midterm Rankings, finished atop the overall standings in the on-ice portion of the tests which included forward and backward sprints, reaction, weave agility, and transition agility each performed with and without the puck. Defenceman Antoine Crete-Belzile of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (ranked 66th by NHL CS) finished second in on-ice tests, followed by fellow rearguard Markus Phillips of the Owen Sound Attack (ranked 62nd by NHL CS) in third position, forward Nico Hischier of the Halifax Mooseheads (ranked 2nd by NHL CS) in fourth, and Michael Rasmussen of the Tri-City Americans (ranked 6th by NHL CS) finished fifth in the skating drills.
Defenceman Jacob Paquette of the Kingston Frontenacs (ranked 90th by NHL CS) led the way in off-ice tests conducted earlier in the day which included strength testing, agility runs, sprints, and various leg power evaluations. Forward Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (ranked 29th by NHL CS) finished second in off-ice tests, and Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads (ranked 4th by NHL CS) finished in third position. Alex Formenton also finished near the top in off-ice tests landing in fourth place overall, followed by Isaac Ratcliffe of the Guelph Storm (ranked 20th by NHL CS) in fifth.
In specialized Sport Testing for goalies, Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires claimed top honours in an array of reaction, agility, and movement challenges.
2017 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game – Sport Testing Combine Top Performers:
On-Ice Tests:
30M Forward Skate:
1 – Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyounds) 3.991
2 – Stelio Mattheos (Brandon Wheat Kings)
3 – Cody Glass (Portland Winterhawks)
30M Forward Skate with Puck:
1 – Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
2 – Stelio Mattheos (Brandon Wheat Kings)
3 – Henri Jokiharju (Portland Winterhawks)
30M Backward Skate:
1 – Michael Rasmussen (Tri-City Americans)
2 – Markus Phillips (Owen Sound Attack)
3 – Nico Hischier (Halifax Mooseheads)
30M Backward Skate with Puck:
1 – Markus Phillips (Owen Sound Attack)
2 – Nico Hischier (Halifax Mooseheads)
3 – Antoine Crete-Belzile (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Transition Agility:
1 – Alex Formenton (London Knights)
2 – Antoine Crete-Belzile (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
3 – Henri Jokiharju (Portland Winterhawks)
Transition Agility with Puck:
1 – Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
2 – Alex Formenton (London Knights)
3 – Markus Phillips (Owen Sound Attack)
Weave Agility:
1 – Alex Formenton (London Knights)
2 – Kailer Yamamoto (Spokane Chiefs)
3 – Antoine Morand (Acadie-Bathurst Titan)
Weave Agility with Puck:
1 – Kailer Yamamoto (Spokane Chiefs)
2 – Nico Hischier (Halifax Mooseheads)
3 – Alex Formenton (London Knights)
Reaction:
1 – Stelio Mattheos (Brandon Wheat Kings)
2 – Adam Ruzicka (Sarnia Sting)
3 – Kailer Yamamoto (Spokane Chiefs)
Reaction with Puck:
1 – Juuso Valimaki (Tri-City Americans)
2 – Alex Formenton (London Knights)
3 – Michael Rasmussen (Tri-City Americans)
Off-Ice Tests:
Pro-Agility Left:
1 – Ivan Lodnia (Erie Otters)
2 – Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
3 – Kailer Yamamoto (Spokane Chiefs)
Pro-Agility Right:
1 – Kailer Yamamoto (Spokane Chiefs)
2 – Juuso Valimaki (Tri-City Americans)
3 – Ivan Lodnia (Erie Otters)
Vertical Jump:
1 – Alex Formenton (London Knights)
2 – Jake Leschyshyn (Regina Pats)
3 – Jacob Paquette (Kingston Frontenacs)
Broad Jump:
1 – Eemeli Rasanen (Kingston Frontenacs)
2 – Ian Scott (Prince Albert Raiders)
2 – Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Medicine Ball Toss:
1 – Nicolas Hague (Mississauga Steelheads)
2 – Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)
3 – Markus Phillips (Owen Sound Attack)
Grip Left:
1 – Adam Ruzicka (Sarnia Sting)
2 – Nikita Popugaev (Prince George Cougars)
3 – Jacob Paquette (Kingston Frontenacs)
Grip Right:
1 – Adam Ruzicka (Sarnia Sting)
2 – Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
3 – Jacob Paquette (Kingston Frontenacs)
Paquette, Frost, Tippett, Formenton, Ratcliffe were Top @SportTesting Off-Ice Performers at #SWTP.
RESULTS: https://t.co/uIVk4410EZ pic.twitter.com/ZOTXXfknAf
— CanadianHockeyLeague (@CHLHockey) January 30, 2017
Formenton, Crete-Belzile, Phillips, Hischier, Rasmussen were Top @SportTesting On-Ice Performers at #SWTP.
RESULTS: https://t.co/uIVk4410EZ pic.twitter.com/5meAye59Qg
— CanadianHockeyLeague (@CHLHockey) January 30, 2017
Sport Testing scores provide valuable performance benchmarks to coaches and players at all levels of hockey with data collected at the Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game shared with NHL Central Scouting and distributed to all 30 NHL teams.
For more information please visit www.sporttesting.com.
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 and in the United States on NHL Network.
Tickets are still available through the box office at 1-855-790-1245 or visit Ticketmaster to purchase online.
For more information please visit .
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