The Canadian Hockey League and the National Hockey League announced the players that have been selected to participate in the 2000 Home Hardware Canadian Hockey League Top Prospects Game in a noon hour press conference in Toronto. The game, which is scheduled for February 2 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, will feature 40 of the CHL’s Top Prospects for the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. The 2000 game will be the fifth edition of the Top Prospects Game and will be the fourth game played in Toronto.

The players were selected by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau and NHL teams. From a team perspective the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL will have 5 players in the game. Defencemen Jared Newman and Libor Ustrnul will be joined by forwards Tomas Kurka, Kris Vernarsky and Justin Williams. The Seattle Thunderbirds will have four players in this year’s showcase of the CHL’s top draft prospects. The Thunderbirds’ contingent consists of defencemen Gerard Dicaire and Craig Olynick and forwards Shane Endicott and David Morisset. From the QMJHL the Victoriaville Tigres will have two players in the game. The Tigres’ Carl Mallette and Antoine Vermette have been selected to play in this year’s game.

From a local perspective four players will participate in the 2000 Home Hardware CHL Top Prospects Game. Three players from the Brampton Battalion have been named to this year’s lineup. Forward Raffi Torres will be joined by defencemen Tyler Hanchuk and Rostislav Klesla. Lou Dickenson of the Mississauga IceDogs has also been selected to play in the game.