Spokane star Catton brings beefed-up shot and drive to succeed to Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game
For WHL teams, keeping Berkly Catton off the scoresheet simply isn’t the goal anymore.
Instead, it’s about limiting the damage the crafty Spokane Chiefs alternate captain inflicts on his opponents.
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft-eligible forward is riding a 10-game point streak that’s seen him tally eight goals and 15 assists in the leadup to the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.
Catton is one of 18 WHL players to earn the invite.
That’s no surprise to Chiefs Head Coach Ryan Smith, who says Catton entered the season ready to hit another level.
“He’s worked a lot on his shot in the offseason and you can see that- he’s got over 20 goals. He’s really focused on that,” Smith said. “He’s worked on his face-offs, and his faceoff percentage has come up. Then in structure, he’s tried to bear down on his D zone and his play away from the puck- and that’s hard for him because he has the puck so much.”
“His edge work, his skating is top-notch, there’s not too many that can do that at our level. His vision, his ability to make plays in traffic, he does all those things at a pace that it’s hard to handle. He makes some plays that other players can’t make and he’s getting stronger as it goes along.”
The 17-year-old Saskatoon, Sask. product leads Spokane with a tidy 22 goals and 33 assists for 55 points in 33 games, reaching his rookie season point total inexactly half as many games.
Smith coached Catton at the international level when the top prospect captained Team Canada Red at the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where Catton put up three goals and nine assists in seven outings en route to a silver medal.
He believes that the tournament was key to Catton’s development at the junior level.
“Being a 16-year-old rookie in the WHL, there were some challenges for him,” Smith recalled. “When he got there (U17s), he seemed a little more comfortable amongst his peer group and a little more confident, and then he brought that back to Spokane and that transcended into his game at the WHL level.”
The following season, Catton would rep the maple leaf once again, earning gold at the 2023 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.
NHL Central Scouting has identified the 5-foot-11,164-pound forward as an ‘A’ rated player, which indicates Catton as a potential first-round candidate.
He’ll battle to raise his draft stock and capture the attention of thousands of fans when the Top Prospects Game takes place at the Avenir Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick, on Wednesday, January 24, 2024.
Basha, Andrew – Medicine Hat Tigers – Calgary, Alta. – 5’11” – 184 – LW
Catton, Berkly – Spokane Chiefs – Saskatoon, Sask. – 5’11” – 170 – C
Curran, Maxmilian – Tri-City Americans – Prague, Czechia – 6’3” – 179 – C
Howe, Tanner – Regina Pats – Prince Albert, Sask. – 5’10” – 182 – LW
Iginla, Tij – Kelowna Rockets – Lake Country, B.C. – 6’0” – 186 – C
Jecho, Adam – Edmonton Oil Kings – Zlin, Czechia – 6’5” – 201 – C
Josephson, Ollie – Red Deer Rebels – Victoria, B.C. – 6’0” – 185 C
Lindstrom, Cayden – Medicine Hat Tigers – Chetwynd, B.C. – 6’3” – 210 – C
Miettinen, Julius – Everett Silvertips – Helsinki, Finland – 6’3” – 205 – C
Parascak, Terik – Prince George Cougars – Lethbridge, Alta. – 6’0” – 176 – RW
Ritchie, Ryder – Prince Albert Raiders – Kelowna, B.C. – 6’0” – 175 – RW
Wetsch, Carson – Calgary Hitmen – Vancouver, B.C. – 6’0” – 187 – RW
Brunicke, Harrison – Kamloops Blazers – Calgary, Alta. – 6’2” – 185 – RD
Elick, Charlie – Brandon Wheat Kings – Calgary, Alta. – 6’3” – 200 – RD
Roberts, Colton – Vancouver Giants – Maple Ridge, B.C. – 6’4” – 198 – RD
Yakemchuk, Carter – Calgary Hitmen – Calgary, Alta. – 6’3” – 190 – RD
Cowan, Dawson – Spokane Chiefs – Warren, Man. – 6’2” – 185 – G
Matecha, Lukas – Tri-City Americans – Pardubice, Czechia – 6’3” – 194 – G
The 40 players will be assigned to either Team Red or Team White in the new year, while captains and alternates for both squads will also be announced in January.
The 2024 Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game will mark the 28th edition of this showcase and it will represent the first time that the event has taken place in the province of New Brunswick.
Of the 40 CHL players to compete at the 2023 Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game in Langley, B.C., 37 went on to be selected in the 2023 NHL Draft, including Connor Bedard (Regina Pats), who was chosen first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks.
Since the event was first introduced in 1996, it has featured 16 players who were later selected first overall in the NHL Draft, including Bedard (2023), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011) and Chris Phillips (1996).
The 2024 Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game airs live on TSN, TSN.ca, the TSN app, and RDS on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 (4:30 p.m. MT). With a limited number of tickets available, fans are encouraged to act quickly to secure their seat for the 2024 Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game in Moncton by visiting ticketmaster.ca.
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