Three-of-the-four Saint John Sea Dogs participating in the game scored as Team Orr defeated Team Cherry 7-1 at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre.
Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist, Zack Phillips had a goal and two assists, and Nathan Beaulieu had a goal as well. Tomas Jurco, the lone Sea Dog on Team Cherry, had some good scoring opportunities in the first period but could not get on the board.
Mike Morreale of NHL.com knew what he was witnessing last night.
There's a reason the Saint John Sea Dogs happen to be one of the most revered teams in the Canadian Hockey League this season.Phillips, who gets the least amount of fanfare of the four prospects, assisted on the game winning goal as well as scoring one of his one.
There's a distinct possibility, in fact, that as many as four players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League franchise could be drafted in the opening round of 2011 NHL Entry Draft in St. Paul, Minn., on June 24. On Wednesday, three of those four skaters proved why when they scored goals to lead Team Orr to a 7-1 victory over Team Cherry during the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at Air Canada Centre.
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"There might be some NHL teams that don't see a lot of us but we're working hard and, hopefully, tonight we showed the scouts that there a lot of premier players out there," Phillips said. "We don't get as much exposure as maybe the Ontario Hockey League, but when we do, we want to make the best of it."
That they did.
"It's a pretty big stretch to think four guys will go in the first round, but we made a pretty good case for ourselves (Wednesday)," Phillips said. "Hopefully, the scouts noticed."
Huberdeau scored a nice goal in the second period.
Facing some pressure to produce going into the game, Huberdeau delivered with a solid performance. Many media tweeters as well as the Rogers Sportsnet crew noted that Huberdeau stood out – in a good way – during the tilt.
Defenseman Nathan Beaulieu scored on a solid wrist shot in the third period.
"It'll be something special to see all four of us go (in the first round), but it's a long ways away," Beaulieu said to NHL.com. "It's a process and we're not going to look that far ahead into it right now."
“One guy who stood out for positive reasons: Beaulieu, a defenceman with Saint John,” writes Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. “The son of London Knights assistant coach Jacques Beaulieu, the 18-year-old was smart defensively, using his stick to take away a scoring chance from Team Cherry, and had a big hit not long after the game started when he crunched the Barrie Colts’ Mark Scheifele. In the No. 9 spot on the mid-term rankings, Beaulieu scored on a wrist shot from the point in the third period.”
Huberdeau started the game on a line with Vladislav Namestnikov and Boone Jenner, Phillips on a line with Sven Bartschi and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Jurco played with Shane Prince and Sean Couturier. Beaulieu was paired with Montreal Juniors defenseman Xavier Ouellet.
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