Captains set for Top Prospects battle in Calgary
By Patrick King for the Canadian Hockey League
The headliners may be looking to make headlines at the BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.
For the first time in their young careers, Team Cherry captain Sam Reinhart and Team Orr captain Aaron Ekblad will be going head-to-head. The battle between two of the Canadian Hockey League’s top prospects will be a memorable one, whether they live up to the words spoken by Reinhart just days before the event.
“I don’t think I’ve ever actually played against Aaron, so it’s definitely going to be exciting. If I have to fight him one or two times in the game,” Reinhart said before pausing. “I was just kidding.”
Reinhart and Ekblad are unlikely to drop the gloves, but might raise the fans out of their seats in this game. Reinhart, a forward with the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League and Ekblad, a defenceman for the Barrie Colts in the Ontario Hockey League, developed a strong friendship playing together for Team Canada at the recently-completed World Junior Hockey Championship in Malmo, Sweden.
The pair got a chance to see each other every day in practice, and after that experience, Ekblad knows it will be tough to contain Sam in an intense, spirited game such as the BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.
“Sam is obviously a very special player,” the product of Belle River, Ontario says. “Playing against him in practice, (I saw) how smart he is with the puck and the kind of hockey IQ he has in games and in practice. Going against him in this game is going to be a special challenge for me and I’m very excited to play against such a high quality and high intensity player.”
While the scouting community tries determining which of these two prospects is the most deserving of the first overall pick, fans in Calgary, Alta. will be treated to a rare opportunity to see them compete against each other.
All 30 NHL teams will be represented in the building with their scouting staffs. What they will see is a fierce competition between the two who will undoubtedly match up against each other at various points during the games.
“The one thing that our scouting staff likes with Sam is that he’s an exceptional player with the puck,” explains Dan Marr, Director of the NHL’s Central Scouting. “His offensive hockey sense is really kind of off the charts with his vision and his playmaking. It’s ultra-quick hands to go along with excellent on-ice awareness. He always knows where the puck is and always seems to be at the right place at the right time.”
Ekblad was the second player granted “exceptional player” status by the OHL in 2011 to enter the league a year earlier than his peers at age 15, following in the footsteps of John Tavares in 2005. Ekblad’s strengths may match Reinhart’s perfectly, which will make for an interesting showdown between the two.
“With Aaron, you’re getting a building block for any (NHL) team,” Marr says. “He’s a cornerstone on the defence. He plays the game with authority, he really skates and moves well for such a big player and he also moves the puck very well in the game today – the NHL game is skating and moving the puck. Both of these players are going to be future stars in the National Hockey League.”
Given how hard Reinhart is to contain, one would think Ekblad is thankful the BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game might be the only time they will meet in their junior careers, but Ekblad has other plans.
“The type of player I am and the person I am, I like to be challenged,” he says. “To be honest, I’d rather have him in the (Ontario Hockey League) and have him as a challenge. Of course, there’s a lot of challenges within the OHL.”
If Ekblad has his way, he and Reinhart will meet again in London, Ontario this May.
“Hopefully our two teams will be at the Memorial Cup this year and we’ll have that opportunity to play against each other,” Ekblad concludes.
The BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will be broadcast live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports beginning at 7:00 pm Mountain time, and is also available on the NHL Network in the United States and on Sportsnet 960 The FAN.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased through Ticketmaster or by calling 1-855-985-5000, or for Group Reservations please call 1-403-777-4646.
For more information about the event please visit www.bmotopprospects.ca.