Participating players announced for Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game
Published on January 13, 2004 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL) News Release
London, Ontario - The Canadian Hockey League and the National Hockey League announced today the 40 players who were selected to participate in the 2004 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Wednesday January 21, 2004 at the John Labatt Centre in London.
The game will showcase 40 of the CHL's top players that are eligible for selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft that will be held in Raleigh, N.C. on June 26 and 27. The players were selected by the National Hockey League's 30 teams.
More than 300 players have suited up in the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and gone on to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft, including all 40 players who played in the game last year. The game has featured five players who were the first overall picks in the NHL Entry Draft - Chris Phillips (1996), Joe Thornton (1997), Vincent Lecavalier (1998), Rick Nash (2002) and Marc-Andre Fleury (2003)
The 2004 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will start at 7:00 p.m. on January 21, 2004. The game will be broadcast live across Canada on Rogers Sportsnet and RDS. The event will also feature a skills competition on Tuesday January 20 at the John Labatt Centre.
The coaches for the 2004 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will be Don Cherry and Bobby Orr, who have been behind the benches for eight of the nine games. Orr won three straight games from 1999-2001 and leads the series 4-3. Team Cherry won last year's game in Kitchener.
Cherry will be joined behind the bench once again by Brian Kilrea, coach and general manager of the Ottawa 67's. Kilrea is the CHL's all-time winningest coach and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November. London Knights coach Dale Hunter will join Orr behind the bench. Hunter played three seasons in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers and Sudbury Wolves before graduating to a 20-year career in the NHL. He is in his second season behind the bench with the Knights, who are currently third overall in the OHL.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 13, 2004
- IceDogs News - Niagara IceDogs
- Participating players announced for Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game - OHL
- McGrath & Valabik To Participate In Top Prospects Game - Kitchener Rangers
- Hockey Night In Canada's Chris Cuthbert to MC 5th annual Battalion Players' Charity Dinner on Monday - North Bay Battalion
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
