Mattson Announced to All-American Prospects Game

August 26, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Bloomington Thunder News Release


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Hockey announced today the 42 players who will compete in the fourth annual CCM/USAHockey All-American Prospects Game set for September 24 at First Niagara Center, home to the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres.

"This game provides the best U.S. players eligible for next year's NHL draft the opportunity to showcase their skills on a national stage," said Jim Johannson, USA Hockey's assistant executive director of hockey operations. "We're excited to return to Buffalo and with input from NHL Central Scouting, we're certain fans in the region will enjoy the chance to see future stars of the NHL, some who are very likely to one day wear the Sabres jersey."

Each year the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game assembles the top U.S. players who are eligible for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. Following last year's game, 26 players that participated in the contest went on to be chosen in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, including seven first-round selections.

Among the 24 forwards selected, the Bloomington Thunder will send forward Mitchell Mattson (University of North Dakota), who was named by NHL Central Scouting Service as an initial player to watch for the 2015 NHL draft. The Grand Rapids, MN native skated in his first USHL games in 2014-15. Finishing the season with Bloomington, he tallied seven points (2g, 5a) in 13 games played.

Also named are forwards Clayton Keller (Swansea, Ill.), Luke Kunin (Chesterfield, Mo.),Tage Thompson (Oyster Bay, N.Y.), and Matthew Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo.), who helped the U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team capture the gold medal at the 2015 International Ice Hockey Federation Men's Under-18 World Championship. In August, Tim Gettinger (North Olmsted, Ohio),William Knierim (Skokie, Ill.), Drake Rymsha (Huntington Woods, Mich.), Riley Tufte (Ham Lake, Minn.) and Garrett Wait (Edina, Minn.) skated for the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that competed in the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.

The defense corps boasts Chad Krys (Ridgefield, Conn.) and Charles McAvoy (Long Beach, N.Y.), who joined Keller, Kunin, Thompson, and Tkachuk on the gold medal-winning U.S. squad at the 2015 IIHF Men's Under-18 World Championship. Ben Gleason (Ortonville, Mich.), Andrew Peeke(Parkland, Fla.), and Sam Rossini (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) contributed to the U.S. Under-18 Select Team at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.

Among the four goaltenders are Evan Sarthou (Black Diamond, Wash.), who backstopped the U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team to a gold medal at the 2015 IIHF Men's Under-18 World Championship, and Stephen Dhillon (Buffalo, N.Y.), who skated for the U.S. Under-18 Select Team at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.

Thirty-three players have ties to the United States Hockey League, the top junior league in the U.S., including 21 players associated with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program in Plymouth, Michigan. Last season, Kieffer Bellows (Edina, Minn.), was named the 2015 USHL Rookie of the Year and received USHL All-Rookie First Team honors while Krys was a USHL All-Rookie Second Team selection.

For the complete roster, click here. For more information or to purchase tickets to the event, visit AllAmericanProspectsGame.com.

Stay tuned to BloomingtonThunder.com and BloomingtonThunder.tv for an extended feature with Mitchell Mattson in the coming days.

USA HOCKEY NOTES: Collectively, 12 states are represented on the roster, including Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Washington. Michigan leads all states with 11 players while Minnesota is second with eight ... Players selected to compete in the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game were chosen by USA Hockey in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting ... Twenty-two players appeared on the 2015-16 NHL Central Scouting Futures List, which highlights players that have potential to be selected in the first three rounds of the draft ... Forward Matthew Tkachuk; defensemen Chad Krys and Charles McAvoy; and goaltender Evan Sarthou attended USA Hockey's National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, New York, in early August ... Head coaches for the game will be announced in early September... CCM-designed uniforms will be unveiled in mid-September ... The Buffalo Sabres and First Niagara Center are hosting the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game for the second consecutive year and third time overall. Last year, Team Grier defeated Team Olczyk, 6-3. On Sept. 29, 2012, Team McClanahan beat Team Housley, 5-2, in the inaugural event.

BLOOMINGTON THUNDER NOTES:

SEPT. 25, 7 p.m. - Home Opener: Join the Thunder as they kick off their 2015-16 season against the Waterloo Black Hawks. Every fan in the building will take home a special edition Home Opener t-shirt from the game. Join the party early with festivities outside the Coliseum and on the concourse from 6-7 p.m. Beer and soda will also be on sale for $1 during that time. For tickets call the Thunder office at (309) 434-2980.

Season and Partial Ticket Plans: The 2015-16 season will be here before you know it and for just $50 we can reserve your season or partial tickets for the Bloomington Thunder at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum. Season Tickets start at just $240 and youth season tickets are $150 including all of the same benefits. You'll also have a chance to win a pair of Chicago Blackhawks regular season game tickets during the 2015-16 season.

Can't make it to every game? Check out 20 and 10-game ticket plans starting at only $100. Make it a voucher pack and get all the same benefits with more flexibility.

Reserve your tickets for the 2015-16 season by calling (309) 434-2980.



United States Hockey League Stories from August 26, 2015


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