Lin, Team CHL Battle U.S. NDTP in CHL USA Prospects Challenge Tuesday and Wednesday
Calgary, Alta. – The 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge begins tonight at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, when Vancouver Giants defenceman Ryan Lin and other top 2026 NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) face off against the U.S. National Under-18 Team.
Lin was announced as one of the first players to Team CHL in September, along with Niagara Ice Dogs forward Ryan Roobroeck and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada defenceman Xavier Villeneuve, after each was identified by NHL Central Scouting.
The 17-year-old right-shot defenceman currently has 28 points in 24 games so far this season for the Giants, which leads all WHL blueliners. He was also named an alternate captain for the two-game series.
The 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge will be broadcast live across Canada on TSN and RDS, with Game 1 in Calgary on November 25 and Game 2 in Lethbridge on November 26. Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. MT / 8:00 p.m. ET both nights.
Quick Facts on Team CHL
- All 15 CHL players who received an “A” rating from NHL Central Scouting – identifying them as projected first-round candidates for the 2026 NHL Draft – have been named to Team CHL’s roster.
- This year’s roster features 10 players from the OHL, eight from the WHL, and four from the QMJHL.
- Eight players represented Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, earning bronze medals: Belchetz, Carels, Di Iorio, Edwards, Lin, Pantelas, Preston, and Rudolph.
- Six members of Team CHL – Carels, Di Iorio, Lin, Roobroeck, Rudolph, and Villeneuve – helped Canada capture gold at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship
About the CHL USA Prospects Challenge
First introduced in 2024, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge is a best-on-best, two-game series spotlighting the top NHL Draft-eligible players from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL facing off against the U.S. National Under-18 Team. The inaugural edition, held last November in London and Oshawa, proved a major success — 16 of 22 players on Team CHL were selected in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
The 2025 edition, hosted by the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes, will once again spotlight elite NHL prospects projected to headline the 2026 NHL Draft — including Carson Carels (Prince George Cougars / WHL), Ethan Belchetz (Windsor Spitfires / OHL), and Egor Shilov (Victoriaville Tigres / QMJHL) among the 15 CHL players who earned an “A” rating (first-round candidate) on NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch List. Full Team CHL roster details are linked here, with player notes and profiles accessible here.
