CHL ANNOUNCES PARTICIPANTS FOR SKILLS COMPETITION

Tomorrow at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, the 2011 edition of the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will hold its annual skills competition. The game will be played on Wednesday.

Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Nathan Beaulieu and forwards Zach Phillips, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Tomas Jurco will all participate in the two-day event that features the Canadian Hockey League’s best draft-eligible players showcasing their abilities in front of a plethora of scouts.

Beaulieu, playing with Team Orr, will take part in the fastest skater competition. Phillips, also with Team Orr, will play in the shooting accuracy competition. Joining Phillips in the competition, playing for Team Cherry, will be Drummondville Voltigeurs’ forward Sean Couturier.

Surely the most anticipated event of the evening will be the “Showdown Breakaway Contest.”

“The Showdown Breakaway Contest made its debut last season in Windsor and will again feature six players per team taking two attempts on goal before a panel of four judges that will score each attempt based on creativity, originality, degree of difficulty, execution, showmanship, and the ability to score,” states a CHL release.

Taking part in the event will be both Huberdeau and Jurco who will play for separate sides – Huberdeau with Team Orr and Jurco with Team Cherry. Anyone with an internet connection probably knows that the two have some slick moves by now. Huberdeau produces a highlight reel worthy play almost every week while Jurco is well known for his shootout move in Cape Breton last season.

After the events, a three-on-three game will take place featuring two 15-minute periods.

Here is a rundown of the point system:

The best individual score in each event receives a goal for their team, with another goal awarded for the best team average from each event for a total of eight available goals. The 3-on-3 game consists of two 15-minute periods with running time with all goals scored counting towards the overall competition score.

The 2011 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Skills Competition participants can be found below:

Skill 1 – Fastest Skater

Team Orr:
Dougie Hamilton, Niagara IceDogs
Shane McColgan, Kelowna Rockets
Nathan Beaulieu, Saint John Sea Dogs
Daniel Catenacci, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Team Cherry:
Ryan Murphy, Kitchener Rangers
Mark McNeill, Prince Albert Raiders
Tobias Rieder, Kitchener Rangers
Rickard Rakell, Plymouth Whalers

Skill 2 – Hardest Shot

Team Orr:
David Musil, Vancouver Giants
Stuart Percy, Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors
Vincent Trocheck, Saginaw Spirit
Reece Scarlett, Swift Current Broncos

Team Cherry:
Myles Bell, Regina Pats
Scott Harrington, London Knights
Duncan Siemens, Saskatoon Blades
Tyler Wotherspoon, Portland Winterhawks

Skill 3 – Shooting Accuracy


Team Orr:
Lucas Lessio, Oshawa Generals
Zack Phillips, Saint John Sea Dogs
Boone Jenner, Oshawa Generals
Colin Jacobs, Seattle Thunderbirds

Team Cherry:
Sean Couturier, Drummondville Voltigeurs
Matthew Puempel, Peterborough Petes
Shane Prince, Ottawa 67’s
Phillip Danault, Victoriaville Tigres

Skill 4 – Show-Down Breakaway Contest


Team Orr:
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Red Deer Rebels
Brandon Saad, Saginaw Spirit
Sven Bartschi, Portland Winterhawks
Vladislav Namestnikov, London Knights
Jonathan Huberdeau, Saint John Sea Dogs
Xavier Ouellet, Montreal Juniors

Team Cherry:
Ty Rattie, Portland Winterhawks
Tomas Jurco, Saint John Sea Dogs
Nicklas Jensen, Oshawa Generals
Ryan Strome, Niagara IceDogs
Mark Scheifele, Barrie Colts
Joe Morrow, Portland Winterhawks

Goaltenders:


Team Orr:
Jordan Binnington, Owen Sound Attack
Liam Liston, Brandon Wheat Kings

Team Cherry:
Christopher Gibson, Chicoutimi Sagueneens
David Honzik, Victoriaville Tigres

As far as we know – and despite it being the year 2011 - the skills competition will not televised or webcasted.

Last year, forward Stanislav Galiev was the lone Sea Dog to appear in the event. He participated in the breakaway challenge but lost to current Carolina Hurricane Jeff Skinner.