The Canadian Hockey League and sa国际传媒 Hockey League announced their 40-player rosters for their respective top-prospects games with the CHL list a complete washout for the Victoria Royals while nine players from Island teams have been listed for the BCHL game.
The Western Hockey League leads the three CHL major-junior circuits with 19 players named, including consensus 2023 NHL draft top pick and North Vancouver-product Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats, followed by 15 players from the Ontario Hockey League and six from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. A total of 32 of the 60 CHL teams will have a player in the game Jan. 25 at the Langley Events Centre. The lowly Royals (5-22-3) are among 28 CHL teams that will not be represented.
The host Vancouver Giants, who play the Royals on Wednesday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, will have two players performing in the top-prospects game with forwards Samuel Honzek from Slovakia and American Jaden Lipinski despite not having a blockbuster WHL season at 11-14-5. The Giants are among seven CHL teams with multiple representatives, led by the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds (20-4-2) with three.
Another top-prospects game player coming to the Memorial Centre this week, Friday and Saturday with the Tri-City Americans (14-13), is defenceman Lukas Dragicevic.
The stars come out to play. Since 1996, the CHL top-prospects game has displayed 15 players subsequently selected first overall in that year’s NHL draft. The list includes Alexis Lafreniere (2020), Nico Hischier (2017), Connor McDavid (2015), Aaron Ekblad (2014), Nathan MacKinnon (2013), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), Taylor Hall (2010), John Tavares (2009), Steven Stamkos (2008), Patrick Kane (2007), Marc-Andre Fleury (2003) and Rick Nash (2002).
Meanwhile, the 40 top BCHL draft-eligible players, 29 of which are already committed to NCAA Div. 1 teams, will skate in the league’s top-prospects game Jan. 20 at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton. The teams will be split between Team West, which will include the players selected from Island teams, and Team East. The selections were made by NHL Central Scouting and sa国际传媒-based NHL scouts. Players already drafted by NHL teams are not eligible to play. There will also be a dryland combine the day before the game.
The coaches of the conference leaders, Colin Birkas of the Nanaimo Clippers (22-4) and Fred Harbinson of the Penticton Vees (24-2), will handle the bench duties for Team West and Team East, respectively.
Three Alberni Valley Bulldogs will play with forwards Raoul Boilard, Ethan Bono and defenceman Jax Wismer named. The Victoria Grizzlies have become known for their defensive approach this season and that is represented by blue-liner Hoyt Stanley and goaltender Oliver Auyeung-Ashton selected. Nanaimo will be represented by defenceman Ethan Mistry and forward Kai Daniells, the Cowichan Valley Capitals by blue-liner Aaron Brown and the Powell River Kings by forward Karter McNarland.
Grizzlies’ rearguard Stanley, with a 4.0 GPA at Belmont Secondary and committed to the NCAA Cornell Big Red, and Chilliwack Chiefs forward A.J. Lacroix, committed to the Michigan State Spartans, are the two Team West players on the initial Central Scouting watch list this fall for the 2023 NHL draft. Team East boasts seven players on the Central Scouting list, including Victoria-product defenceman and Shawnigan Lake School hockey academy graduate Dylan Compton of the Vernon Vipers, who is committed to Northeastern University in the NCAA.
ICE CHIPS: Stanley assisted on Nathan King’s overtime winner Sunday afternoon as the Grizzlies (12-11-4) defeated the Rivermen (8-16-3) by a 2-1 count in a BCHL game at Langley. Owen Bohn tied the game for the Grizzlies in the second period with his 14th goal of the season while Ansel Holt made 36 saves for the win. The Grizzlies close out the pre-Christmas portion of their season against McNarland and Powell River on Saturday night at The Q Centre.
