Dzhioshvili at USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

January 12, 2016 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Bloomington Thunder News Release

OMAHA, Nebraska - The United States Hockey League will host the NHL Top Prospects Game tonight, Tuesday January 12, from the Ralston Arena, the home of the Omaha Lancers. The 7 p.m. game features the top-40 draft eligible players in the USHL including Thunder forward Vladislav Dzhioshvili (Cornell University). The rookie of the top junior league in the country is the first selection into the game for the Thunder and joins an elite class of NHL prospects on the ice in Omaha.

The game will be live streamed for FREE on USHL.FastHockey.com starting at 7 p.m. The teams will each compete in the skills competition at 6:35 p.m., which will also be broadcast on FastHockey. Follow along to all the coverage on Twitter using the #USHLTPG or following @USHL. Follow the Bloomington Thunder on Twitter, @BLMThunder, for updates on Vlad leading up to and during the skills competition and game. Get up to speed on all the storylines and info for the game by heading to USHL.com.

Dzhioshvili, 18, will wear #51 for Team West after being substituted for Omaha's William Fallstrom. The Moscow, Russia native will join the top prospects as one of the top 20 scoring rookies in the USHL this season with 11 points (3g, 8a) through 23 games played. After finishing the year with Bloomington in 2014-15, the 6-foot, 189 pound forward has enjoyed his first full season in the league.

The USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is in its third year of existence. Since its inception, 46 players from the showcase have gone on to be selected in the NHL Draft. Thunder defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk (Western Michigan University) competed in the 2015 Top Prospects game for Team West while playing for the Lincoln Stars. Kalynuk took home an assist in the game on the final goal by Chris Wilkie (University of North Dakota, Florida Panthers).

In the 2015 Top Prospects Game, the Team West MVP Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson (Boston University, Boston Bruins) was also an import player and was later selected by the Boston Bruins in the second round of the NHL Draft. Forsbacka-Karlsson was also taken in the KHL draft during the 2013 season in the fourth round. This offseason, Dzhioshvili was also a KHL draft pick, selected in the first round pick of the Russian equivalent to the NHL.

NEXT HOME GAME: Friday, January 15th - 7 p.m. - It's the annual Military Appreciation game as the Thunder host the Des Moines Buccaneers. Friday night drink specials help you save with $1 Budweiser Drafts and Pepsi Products from 6-7 p.m. Active military, veterans, and their families can get tickets to the game for $10 by calling (309) 434-2980. Come see the Thunder pay tribute to those who support our country and its freedoms!

Bloomington Thunder Forward Vladislav Dzhioshvili

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• Dzhioshvili at USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game - Bloomington Thunder
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