Rosters announced for 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

 

The Canadian Hockey League in association with National Hockey League Central Scouting have announced the rosters for the 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game which takes place on Thursday, January 16, 2020 in Hamilton, Ont.

The 40 players from across the Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League selected by NHL clubs to compete in the 25th annual showcase of draft-eligible talent have been divided into Team White and Team Red by NHL Central Scouting.

Fourteen WHL players will represent the league at the annual event, including two goaltenders, five defencemen, and seven forwards.

Suiting up with Team White from the WHL will be goaltender Dylan Garand, defencemen Kaiden Guhle, Luke Prokop, Braden Schneider, and Christoffer Sedoff as well as forwards Ridly Greig, Seth Jarvis, and Connor Zary. Representing the WHL on Team Red will be goaltender Brock Gould, defencemen Kasper Puutio, and forwards Jack Finley, Jake Neighbours, Justin Sourdif, and Ozzy Wiesblatt.

Top CHL scorer Alexis Lafreniere of the Rimouski Oceanic, currently a star for Canada’s National Junior Team, headlines Team White talent that includes a total of six ‘A’ rated prospects from NHL Central Scouting’s November list. Among those players are a trio of Team Canada Selection Camp invites including defenceman Schneider (Brandon Wheat Kings), plus forward Cole Perfetti (Saginaw Spirit) and Zary (Kamloops Blazers). They’ll be joined by World Junior talents that include Slovakian goaltender Samuel Hlavaj (Sherbrooke Phoenix) and Czech Republic forward Jaromir Pytlik (Soo Greyhounds). A total of 16 different CHL teams are represented on Team White including six OHL, six WHL, and four QMJHL teams. Schneider will play alongside fellow Wheat King Greig, Pytlik alongside fellow Greyhound Ryan O’Rourke, and Zary with fellow Blazer Garand. Team White will also include two Shawinigan Cataractes in forwards Mavrik Bourque and Vasily Ponomarev.

10 ‘A’ rated prospects are listed on the Team Red roster including Canadian National Junior Team members Quinton Byfield (Sudbury Wolves), Jamie Drysdale (Erie Otters), and Dawson Mercer (Drummondville Voltigeurs). Team Canada goaltender Nico Daws (Guelph Storm) will also play for Team Red, as will leading OHL scorer Marco Rossi (Ottawa 67’s).  A total of 17 CHL clubs are represented on Team Red including eight OHL, six WHL, and three QMJHL teams. Rossi will compete alongside fellow 67’s forward Jack Quinn, and Mercer will have Voltigeurs defenceman Thimo Nickl on his side.  London Knights teammates Antonio Stranges and Luke Evangelista will also compete together on Team Red.

Three CHL clubs will feature players going head-to-head as Byfield will compete opposite his Sudbury Wolves teammate Jack Thompson, while a pair of Prince Albert Raiders and Windsor Spitfires will also be divided with White’s Guhle and Will Cuylle opposite Red’s Wiesblatt and Jean-Luc Foudy.

Team White will be coached by George Burnett (Guelph Storm) and Trevor Letowski (Windsor Spitfires), while Team Red will be led by Rob Wilson (Peterborough Petes) and Vince Laise (Hamilton Bulldogs).

 

2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Rosters:
*denotes ‘A’ rated first round candidates

Team White:

Goaltenders:
Dylan Garand (Kamloops Blazers)
Samuel Hlavaj (Sherbrooke Phoenix)

Defencemen:
Kaiden Guhle (Prince Albert Raiders)*
Ryan O’Rourke (Soo Greyhounds)
Luke Prokop (Calgary Hitmen)
Braden Schneider (Brandon Wheat Kings)*
Christoffer Sedoff (Red Deer Rebels)
Jack Thompson (Sudbury Wolves)

Forwards:
Mavrik Bourque (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Brandon Coe (North Bay Battalion)
Will Cuylle (Windsor Spitfires)*
Tyson Foerster (Barrie Colts)
Ryan Francis (Cape Breton Eagles)
Ridly Greig (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Seth Jarvis (Portland Winterhawks)
Alexis Lafreniere (Rimouski Oceanic)*
Cole Perfetti (Saginaw Spirit)*
Vasily Ponomarev (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Jaromir Pytlik (Soo Greyhounds)
Connor Zary (Kamloops Blazers)*

Staff:
Head Coach – George Burnett (Guelph Storm)
Associate Coach – Trevor Letowski (Windsor Spitfires)
Athletic Therapist – Amy Mausser (Sarnia Sting)
Equipment Manager – J.R. Grant (Windsor Spitfires)

 

Team Red:

Goaltenders:
Nico Daws (Guelph Storm)
Brock Gould (Victoria Royals)

Defencemen:
Lukas Cormier (Charlottetown Islanders)
Jamie Drysdale (Erie Otters)*
Thimo Nickl (Drummondville Voltigeurs)
Jeremie Poirier (Saint John Sea Dogs)*
Kasper Puutio (Swift Current Broncos)
Donovan Sebrango (Kitchener Rangers)

Forwards:
Quinton Byfield (Sudbury Wolves)*
Luke Evangelista (London Knights)
Jack Finley (Spokane Chiefs)
Jean-Luc Foudy (Windsor Spitfires)*
Dawson Mercer (Drummondville Voltigeurs)*
Jake Neighbours (Edmonton Oil Kings)
Jacob Perreault (Sarnia Sting)*
Jack Quinn (Ottawa 67’s)*
Marco Rossi (Ottawa 67’s)*
Justin Sourdif (Vancouver Giants)*
Antonio Stranges (London Knights)*
Ozzy Wiesblatt (Prince Albert Raiders)

Staff:
Head Coach – Rob Wilson (Peterborough Petes)
Associate Coach – Vince Laise (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Athletic Therapist – JP Laciak (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Equipment Manager – Kasey LaMorre (Hamilton Bulldogs)

The 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is proudly supported by new title partner Kubota Canada, and CHL associate partners CIBC, Kia Canada, and Cooper Tires.  The game will be broadcast live across Canada on Sportsnet and TVA Sports, and in the United States on NHL Network.

Tickets are on sale for the 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at ticketmaster.ca or call 855-985-4357.  For group and promotional inquiries, please contact the Hamilton Bulldogs at 905-529-8500.

For more information please visit http://kubotatopprospects.ca.

About Kubota Canada
Kubota Canada Ltd. (KCL) is a subsidiary of Kubota Corporation, a tractor and heavy equipment manufacturer based in Osaka, Japan. KCL markets and distributes Kubota-engineered and manufactured equipment, which includes a complete line of tractors (up to 210-horsepower), performance-matched implements, compact and utility tractors, compact construction, landscaping and public work equipment, residential lawn and garden equipment, commercial turf products and utility vehicles. For product literature or dealer locations, visit: kubota.ca.

About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 350 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.