Calgary & Lethbridge to Host the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge
June 28, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release
LOS ANGELES, CA - The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and its three Member Leagues - Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) - are excited to announce Calgary and Lethbridge as the host cities for the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge. The first game of the two-game series will take place on Tuesday, November 25 at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, while the second contest will be held the following night on Wednesday, November 26 at VisitLethbridge.com Arena in Lethbridge, Alberta.
First introduced in 2024, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge is a two-game series that sees the top NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL's Member Leagues (WHL, OHL & QMJHL) compete against those from USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (NTDP) Under-18 Team. Ultimately, the 2025 edition of this event in Calgary and Lethbridge will showcase many of the top prospects that will be selected within the early rounds of the 2026 NHL Draft.
At the inaugural CHL-USA Prospects Challenge held last November in London and Oshawa, 22 standout players from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL competed for Team CHL against the U.S. National Under-18 Team. Of those 22 players, 16 were selected in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft last night. Among them were top-five picks Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters / OHL), Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit / OHL), Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL), and Brady Martin (Soo Greyhounds / OHL), all of whom participated in the two-game series in November. Goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen (Prince George Cougars / WHL), who also took part in the event, also made headlines on Friday as one of the first two netminders in four years to be selected in the first round.
"We are thrilled to bring the CHL USA Prospects Challenge to Calgary and Lethbridge this November," said Dan MacKenzie, President of the CHL. "These two passionate hockey communities will provide an exceptional backdrop to highlight the CHL's top prospects eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, giving fans in both of these markets the opportunity to see a premier best-on-best competition featuring the next generation of NHL talent. This event not only highlights elite competition but also strengthens the cross-border rivalry that makes this series so compelling for fans and scouts alike."
"The Western Hockey League is excited to welcome the CHL USA Prospects Challenge to Calgary and Lethbridge," commented WHL Commissioner Dan Near. "The Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes will serve as excellent hosts for this world-class event, and we thank both Clubs and their communities for welcoming this event with open arms. We look forward to showcasing the best players from across the entire Canadian Hockey League and are eager to once again ignite the great rivalry that exists on the ice between Canada and the United States."
"Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation and the Calgary Hitmen organization are thrilled to host the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge in Calgary," shared Calgary Hitmen Vice President Mike Moore. "With the Flames, Wranglers, and Hitmen all playing at the Scotiabank Saddledome, this is a fantastic opportunity for our passionate fans to see elite prospects take an important step toward the NHL Draft, some of whom may one day wear a Flames jersey."
"The Hitmen have had 64 players selected in the NHL draft, including 13 first-round picks. A number of these players participated in a prospects game." Moore added. "It's going to be an amazing event for all hockey fans in Calgary."
"We are very excited to be able to have this marquee event come to the City of Lethbridge and the VisitLethbridge.com Arena. We think it will be a great thing for our community, our organization, and especially our fans to be able to see the best of the best from both Canada and the United States go head to head on our ice," stated Terry Huisman, General Manager of Business Operations for the Lethbridge Hurricanes. "We believe that our community and the City of Lethbridge will do a great job of hosting this event while being able to showcase what Lethbridge is all about and what we have to offer. We look forward to helping grow this event and take it to another level."
"The 2026 CHL USA Prospects Challenge will be a hard act to follow the strong showing by NHL prospects in the inaugural 2025 series," said Dan Marr, Director of NHL Central Scouting. "NHL Clubs will again be looking forward to another exciting series showcasing the best CHL and USA draft-eligible prospects. This unique opportunity for NHL General Managers and Scouts to watch a best-on-best, natural rivalry competition is an added value resource for NHL Clubs and a great opportunity for the players to showcase the talent available in the 2026 NHL Draft class."
Calgary and Lethbridge are long-standing junior hockey markets with proven histories of successfully hosting major sporting events. Both cities have welcomed marquee CHL events in the past, including stops on the former Canada-Russia Series - Calgary in 2003, and Lethbridge in both 2004 and 2013. Calgary and the Scotiabank Saddledome have also had the distinction of hosting the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game three times (1999, 2001, and 2014). The 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge will mark the first time in six years that the CHL has brought a national event to Alberta, with the most recent being the 2019 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Red Deer.
Building off of one of hockey's greatest rivalries between Canada and the United States, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge sees players from the CHL and NTDP's U18 team compete before hundreds of NHL scouts and thousands of fans in an effort to improve their draft stock ahead of the upcoming NHL Draft. In Calgary and Lethbridge, the CHL roster will consist of 17- and 18-year-old players eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft - specifically, those born between September 16, 2007, and September 15, 2008.
As with last year's event, Team CHL will be selected from a pool of top 2026 NHL Draft-eligible prospects, identified through a collaborative survey conducted with all 32 NHL clubs. Based on the results, the CHL's coaching staff and management team will work together to finalize the roster of players chosen to represent the league at this premier showcase.
Western Hockey League Stories from June 28, 2025
- Giants Forward Schmidt Selected by Dallas Stars in 2025 NHL Entry Draft - Vancouver Giants
- Calgary & Lethbridge to Host the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge - WHL
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