Toronto – Forty of the Canadian Hockey League’s top rated prospects for the 2000 NHL Entry Draft took to the ice at the Air Canada Centre Wednesday for the 2000 Home Hardware CHL Top Prospects Game. The game kicked off the festivities surrounding the 2000 NHL All-Star Game, which will be held at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday February 6.

Oshawa Generals graduate and Hockey Hall of Fame member Bobby Orr guided his troops to a 6-3 win over the team coached by Mississauga IceDogs co-owner and Hockey Night in Canada personality Don Cherry in the fifth annual game. The win gives Orr, who also won in 1999 and 1997, a 3-2 lead over Cherry in the five games to date.

Nathan Smith of the Swift Current Broncos paced Team Orr with two goals, including the game winner at 6:17 of the third period. Smith was named player of the game for Team Orr. Victoriaville Tigres centre Carl Mallette chipped in with a goal and an assist while Brampton Battalion defencemen Rostislav Klesla and Tyler Hanchuck, and Kootenay Ice centre Jarret Stoll also scored for Team Orr. Battalion left winger Raffi Torres added three assists while Marcel Hossa of the Portland Winter Hawks and Ben Knopp of the Moose Jaw Warriors each had two assists.

Hanchuck scored into an empty net 12 seconds after serving the games only penalty, a two minute minor for roughing.

Seattle Thunderbirds defenceman Gerard Dicaire opened the scoring for Team Cherry a little over one minute into the second period. Calgary Hitmen left winger Matt Pettinger and Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Nick Schultz also scored for Team Cherry. Windsor Spitfires centre Steve Ott, who was named player of the game for Team Cherry, added two assists.

Calgary Hitmen goaltender Brent Krahn, the top rated goaltender for the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, allowed one goal on 23 shots while recording the win for Team Orr. Davis Parley of the Kamloops Blazers, who started the game for Team Orr, allowed two goals on 24 shots.

Ryan Aschaber of the Windsor Spitfires allowed three goals, including the game winner, on 20 shots after relieving Jean-Francois Racine of the Drummondville Voltigeurs who stopped 16 of 18 shots he faced in the first half of the game.

The Top Prospects Game, which returned to Toronto after last year’s game in Calgary, raised $24,000 to help support Kids Help Phone. Over five years, the CHL Top Prospects Game has raised over $100,000 for this cause.

The CHL Top Prospects Game was played at Maple Leaf Gardens from 1996 through 1998 before moving to Calgary in 1999. It features the top forty rated players for the NHL Entry Draft as selected by National Hockey League Central Scouting. During the past four years, 65 players selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft had played in the CHL Top Prospects Game.