Vukojevic named to Team Cherry for the 2019 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League in association with National Hockey League Central Scouting have announced the rosters for the 2019 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game which takes place on Wednesday January 23 in Red Deer, Alberta. Kitchener Rangers defenceman, Michael Vukojevic has been named to Team Cherry.
The 40 players from across the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League selected by NHL clubs to compete in the 24th annual showcase of draft eligible talent have been divided into Team Cherry and Team Orr by NHL Central Scouting.
Team Cherry will be coached by Ron MacLean alongside Dave Hunter and Brent Sutter, with Team Orr to be coached by Kelly Hrudey with Robyn Regehr and Marc Habscheid.
NHL Central Scouting ‘A’ rated prospects Bowen Byram (Vancouver Giants), Dylan Cozens (Lethbridge Hurricanes), Nolan Foote (Kelowna Rockets), Arthur Kaliyev (Hamilton Bulldogs), Peyton Krebs (Kootenay ICE), Raphael Lavoie (Halifax Mooseheads), Samuel Poulin (Sherbrooke Phoenix), and Matthew Robertson (Edmonton Oil Kings) headline the Team Cherry roster. The group also includes World Junior Championship talents in Mads Sogaard (Medicine Hat Tigers) from Denmark, and Valentin Nussbaumer (Shawinigan Cataractes) from Switzerland. A total of 20 different CHL teams are represented on Team Cherry including eight WHL, six OHL, and six QMJHL clubs. The home team will feature the host Rebels with forward Oleg Zaytsev.
‘A’ rated prospects on Team Orr include Kirby Dach (Saskatoon Blades), Vladislav Kolyachonok (Flint Firebirds), and Ryan Suzuki (Barrie Colts). The group also includes Brett Leason (Prince Albert Raiders) who was a member of Canada’s National Junior Team. The roster breakdown includes nine OHL players, with seven WHL, and four from the QMJHL representing a total of 17 CHL teams. Kelowna Rockets defencemen Kaedan Korczak and Lassi Thomson will compete together, as will London Knights forwards Matvey Guskov and Connor McMichael, and teammates Nikita Okhotyuk and Graeme Clarke of the Ottawa 67’s. The Rockets pair will play opposite Foote, Orr forward Josh Williams will face his Tigers teammate Sogaard, and Orr goaltender Hunter Jones will face his Peterborough Petes teammate Nick Robertson on Cherry.
2019 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Rosters:
Team Cherry:
Goaltenders:
Taylor Gauthier (Prince George Cougars)
Mads Sogaard (Medicine Hat Tigers)
Defencemen:
Samuel Bolduc (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Bowen Byram (Vancouver Giants)
Billy Constantinou (Kingston Frontenacs)
Thomas Harley (Mississauga Steelheads)
Matthew Robertson (Edmonton Oil Kings)
Michael Vukojevic (Kitchener Rangers)
Forwards:
Maxim Cajkovic (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Dylan Cozens (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
Nolan Foote (Kelowna Rockets)
Arthur Kaliyev (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Peyton Krebs (Kootenay ICE)
Raphaël Lavoie (Halifax Mooseheads)
Nathan Légaré (Baie-Comeau Drakkar)
Valentin Nussbaumer (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Samuel Poulin (Sherbrooke Phoenix)
Jamieson Rees (Sarnia Sting)
Nick Robertson (Peterborough Petes)
Oleg Zaytsev (Red Deer Rebels)
Goaltenders:
Colten Ellis (Rimouski Océanic)
Hunter Jones (Peterborough Petes)
Defencemen:
Artemi Kniazev (Chicoutimi Saguenéens)
Vladislav Kolyachonok (Flint Firebirds)
Kaedan Korczak (Kelowna Rockets)
Jake Lee (Seattle Thunderbirds)
Nikita Okhotyuk (Ottawa 67’s)
Lassi Thomson (Kelowna Rockets)
Forwards:
Nikita Alexandrov (Charlottetown Islanders)
Joe Carroll (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Graeme Clarke (Ottawa 67’s)
Kirby Dach (Saskatoon Blades)
Matvey Guskov (London Knights)
Brett Leason (Prince Albert Raiders)
Connor McMichael (London Knights)
Sasha Mutala (Tri-City Americans)
Jakob Pelletier (Moncton Wildcats)
Ryan Suzuki (Barrie Colts)
Philip Tomasino (Niagara IceDogs)
Josh Williams (Medicine Hat Tigers)
The teams are named in recognition of event builders and hockey icons Don Cherry and Bobby Orr who were instrumental in the success of the event when it was first introduced in 1996. Since 2006, the winning team has been presented with the Don Cherry and Bobby Orr CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Trophy engraved with the names of every player to ever participate in this prestigious event. Teams wearing the Orr crest carry an overall record of 13-6 while Team Cherry holds an all-time record of 7-13 with the extra victory opposite Team Davidson in 2005.
The 2019 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is proudly supported by title partner Sherwin-Williams, and CHL associate sponsors CIBC, Kia Canada, Cooper Tires, and Kubota Canada. The game will be broadcast live across Canada on Sportsnet and TVA Sports, and in the United States on NHL Network.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased via reddeerrebels.com or ticketsalberta.com. For further ticket details please contact the Rebels office at 403-341-6000.
For more event information please visit http://sherwin-williamstopprospects.ca.
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