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Ontario Hockey League

2015 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Rosters Announced

December 17, 2014 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL) News Release


Toronto, ON - The Canadian Hockey League in association with the host Niagara IceDogs, and BMO Financial Group, today announced the 40 CHL players that will compete in the 2015 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in St. Catharines, ON, on Thursday January 22, 2015.

The 40 CHL players competing in the game were chosen by the 30 NHL clubs and divided into teams by NHL Central Scouting. This season's event marks the 20th annual showcase of the CHL's top-40 NHL Draft eligible players featuring talent from the Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League competing before hundreds of NHL scouts in attendance.

"The BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is one of the highlights of the hockey season and truly features the next wave of talent to the NHL," said CHL President David Branch. "Since 1996 the CHL's top prospects have had the opportunity to showcase their skills in this event before hundreds of NHL scouts and General Managers. We look forward to the game on January 22 in a brand new world-class facility home to the OHL's Niagara IceDogs with 40 of the top players eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft competing before the passionate hockey fans in St. Catharines and to CHL fans across Canada watching live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports."

Canadian National Junior Team Selection Camp members Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters and Lawson Crouse of the Kingston Frontenacs are among a group of 22 players on the roster recently given "˜A' level ratings as first round NHL Daft prospects by NHL Central Scouting in their November "˜Players to Watch' list. McDavid and Crouse are two of the nine "˜A' rated prospects who will compete for Team Orr alongside Mathew Barzal of the Seattle Thunderbirds and WHL top scorer Nick Merkley of the Kelowna Rockets. 13 "˜A' rated prospects will compete for Team Cherry including OHL top scorers Mitchell Marner of the London Knights and the Otters' Dylan Strome, along with Daniel Sprong of the Charlottetown Islanders and defenceman Jakub Zboril of the Saint John Sea Dogs.

"As the Official Bank of the CHL, BMO congratulates the up-and-coming talent chosen for this year's roster," said Shawn Namvar, Regional Vice President of Niagara Region, BMO. "The BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game gives hockey fans and our customers a chance to see the very best young athletes from across the country display their skills, we look forward to seeing them on the ice in St. Catharines this January."

32 of the CHL's 60 member clubs will be represented in this game featuring two players on the host Niagara IceDogs including forward Graham Knott and defenceman Vince Dunn both on Team Cherry. The 40 CHL players include 15 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, 13 from the Ontario Hockey League, and 12 from the Western Hockey League.

"The BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is an event that all NHL scouts and General Managers circle on their calendars," said NHL Central Scouting Director Dan Marr. "The 40 players competing in this game were chosen by our 30 NHL clubs and provides a unique opportunity for them to evaluate top CHL talent for the 2015 NHL Draft. This is also a unique opportunity for the players who can take advantage of the spotlight to promote their play in this exciting and highly competitive single-game best-on-best contest."

In the past 19 years a total of 265 players from this event have been selected in the first round of the NHL Draft representing 47% of all players selected by NHL clubs in the first round.

2015 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Rosters:

Team Cherry:

Goaltenders:

Callum Booth (Quebec Remparts)

Samuel Montembeault (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)

Defencemen:

Brandon Carlo (Tri-City Americans)

Vince Dunn (Niagara IceDogs)

Noah Juulsen (Everett Silvertips)

Matt Spencer (Peterborough Petes)

Mitchell Vande Sompel (Oshawa Generals)

Jakub Zboril (Saint John Sea Dogs)

Forwards:

Anthony Beauvillier (Shawinigan Cataractes)

Filip Chlapik (Charlottetown Islanders)

Jake DeBrusk (Swift Current Broncos)

Graham Knott (Niagara IceDogs)

Mitchell Marner (London Knights)

Adam Musil (Red Deer Rebels)

Daniel Sprong (Charlottetown Islanders)

Mitchell Stephens (Saginaw Spirit)

Dylan Strome (Erie Otters)

Evgeny Svechnikov (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)

Yakov Trenin (Gatineau Olympiques)

Dennis Yan (Shawinigan Cataractes)

Staff:

Don Cherry - Head Coach

Brian Kilrea - Assistant Coach

Bert O'Brien - Assistant Coach

Nick Kypreos - Assistant Coach

Dennis MacDonald - Athletic Trainer

Russ Hammond - Equipment Manager

Team Orr:

Goaltenders:

Mackenzie Blackwood (Barrie Colts)

Nick McBride (Prince Albert Raiders)

Defencemen:

Guillaume Brisebois (Acadie-Bathurst Titan)

Thomas Chabot (Saint John Sea Dogs)

Nicolas Meloche (Baie-Comeau Drakkar)

Ryan Pilon (Brandon Wheat Kings)

Ivan Provorov (Brandon Wheat Kings)

Jeremy Roy (Sherbrooke Phoenix)

Forwards:

Mathew Barzal (Seattle Thunderbirds)

Paul Bittner (Portland Winterhawks)

Lawson Crouse (Kingston Frontenacs)

Ryan Gropp (Seattle Thunderbirds)

Jansen Harkins (Prince George Cougars)

Travis Konecny (Ottawa 67's)

Nikita Korostelev (Sarnia Sting)

Connor McDavid (Erie Otters)

Timo Meier (Halifax Mooseheads)

Nick Merkley (Kelowna Rockets)

Nicolas Roy (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)

Pavel Zacha (Sarnia Sting)

Staff:

Bobby Orr - Head Coach

Marty Williamson - Assistant Coach

Dave Bell - Assistant Coach

Billy Burke - Assistant Coach

Doug MacLean - Assistant Coach

Pete Dobbin - Athletic Therapist

Kevin Emo - Equipment Manager

Last season, 17 CHL players who competed in the 2014 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Calgary, AB, were selected in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft. Florida Panthers first overall pick Aaron Ekblad of the Barrie Colts captained Team Orr to a 4-3 victory over Team Cherry who was led by captain Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice chosen second overall by the Buffalo Sabres. Since the event was first introduced in 1996 the game has featured 12 players selected with the first overall pick in the NHL Draft including Ekblad, Nathan MacKinnon, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, Marc-Andre Fleury, Rick Nash, Vincent Lecavalier, Joe Thornton, and Chris Phillips.

The 2015 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will be broadcast nationally by Sportsnet and TVA Sports and available on Sportsnet Radio. Associate partners for the event include SUBWAY, Cooper Tires, and autoTRADER.ca.

For more information about the event please visit www.bmotopprospects.ca

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