Three Barber Poles suiting up in inaugural Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game
On Wednesday night, the OHL’s top NHL draft-eligible players will go head-to-head in an East vs. West showdown in Brantford in the inaugural Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game, and it will have a distinct Ottawa 67’s flavour.
Three members of the Barber Poles — forward Filip Ekberg, and defencemen Kalb Dietsch and Nolan Jackson — are set to participate on Team East, which trails only the Saginaw Spirit in terms of representation.
With the reimagination of what used to be the CHL Top Prospects game, which has become the CHL USA Prospects Challenge, the OHL has coined a new high-profile game, but the honour is all the same for those named to rosters.
“It’s really cool,” Ekberg said. “I mean, it’s some proof that you have done something good, and it’s gonna be really fun, really cool.”
The selection came as a surprise for Dietsch, who’s in his first season in the OHL, after spending last season with the Ottawa Jr. Senators of the CCHL.
“I was completely shocked,” Dietsch said. “I thought I was being messed with for a second. It just feels good to know that I’m getting recognized for how I’ve been playing and that I have an opportunity to prove who I am and what I can do to any scout who is watching.”
The Brantford Civic Centre holds a little under 3,000 people, but you can be certain that it will be filled to the rafters with scouts, and those who can’t be in attendance, will be watching on TV.
With that, of course, comes a little added pressure on the shoulders of still-young players, with all of the 67’s participating being 2007-born.
“[There’s] a little pressure, obviously, but then at the same point, I just try to focus and dial in and not really worry about who’s watching,” Dietsch said. “I just have to trust how I play. I can’t really focus on the outside noise.”
Though nerves are undoubtedly a part of the experience, it also brings a jolt of confidence, as people notice the good work you’ve done all season long.
Dietsch, in particular, says he’s starting to settle in after missing the start of the season with an injury, and that he’s much happier with his standard performance over the past handful of weeks.
Whether it’s excitement or trepidation, the three Barber Poles will have one another to turn to when they need an extra hand.
“It’ll feel good to know someone,” Dietsch said. “I’ll have some chemistry with them, so it’ll be good to be on the same ice and show what we can do.”
Puck drop is at 7 p.m. and can be streamed on CHLTV, Rogers TV, the OHL’s YouTube, X, and Facebook accounts for free.