PRE-GAME: 2011 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

GAME DAY
WHAT: 2011 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game
WHO: Team Orr vs Team Cherry
WHEN: Tonight, 8:00 pm
WHERE: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ont.

PREVIEW
The 40 best draft eligible players from the Canadian Hockey League will suit up tonight at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre for the 2011 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. Game time is 8:00 pm AST and can be viewed on Rogers Sportsnet or RDS.

Four members of the Saint John Sea Dogs will take part in the event. Forward Tomas Jurco will play for Team Cherry while forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Zack Phillips will join defenseman Nathan Beaulieu on Team Orr.

The four players all participated in the annual skills competition last night in front of a sparse ACC crowd. Phillips came second in the shooting accuracy challenge while Jurco took home the ‘Showdown Breakaway Challenge’ crown for his sick display of dangles and dekes.

All four of the Sea Dogs are projected, by the majority of scouting sites, to go within the first two rounds of the National Hockey League Entry Draft this summer. With lots of scouts in attendance, you now they, and the rest of the players in attendance, will be looking to make an impact. It isn’t your average all-star game.

One player in particular who will look to impress is Jonathan Huberdeau. His hot play of late and consistant play all season suddenly have him as an early first round pick. He’ll be wearing an alternate captain’s ‘A’ on his sweater this evening.

“Jonathan might be playing on the best line in junior hockey alongside Zack Phillips (ranked 12th by Central Scouting) and Tomas Jurco (ranked 24th),” said EJ McGuire, the director of NHL Central Scouting to the National Post today. “He’s a centreman who can dish to his left, dish to his right and shoot the puck in a fearsome way.”

According to the National Post’s Mark Masters, Jurco will play on a line with Shane Prince and Sean Couturier.

TEAM RED: Team Cherry

Goaltenders — Chris Gibson (Chicoutimi Sagueneens), David Honzik (Victoriaville Tigres)

Defenseman — Miles Bell (Regina Pats), Scott Harrington (London Knights), Joe Morrow (Portland Winterhawks), Ryan Murphy (Kitchener Rangers), Duncan Siemens (Saskatoon Blades), Tyler Wotherspoon (Portland Winterhawks)

Forwards — Sean Couturier (Drummondville Voltigeurs), Philip Danault (Victoriaville Tigres), Nicklas Jensen (Oshawa Generals), Tomas Jurco (Saint John Sea Dogs), Shane Prince (Ottawa 67’s), Mark McNeill (Prince Albert Raiders), Matthew Puempel (Peterborough Petes), Rickard Rakell (Plymouth Whalers), Ty Rattie (Portland Winterhawks), Tobias Reider (Kitchener Rangers), Mark Scheifele (Barrie Colts), Ryan Strome (Niagara Ice Dogs)

Head Coach – Don Cherry

TEAM WHITE: Team Orr

Goaltenders — Jordan Binnington (Owen Sound), Liam Liston (Brandon Wheat Kings)

Defenseman — Nathan Beaulieu (Saint John Sea Dogs), Dougie Hamilton (Niagara Ice Dogs), David Musil (Vancouver Giants), Xavier Ouellet (Montreal Juniors), Stuart Percy (Mississauga Majors), Reece Scarlett (Swift Current Broncos)

Forwards — Sven Bartschi (Portland Winterhawks), Daniel Catenacci (Soo Greyhounds), Jonathan Huberdeau (Saint John Sea Dogs), Colin Jacobs (Seattle Thunderbirds), Boone Jenner (Oshawa Generals), Lucas Lessio (Oshawa Generals), Shane McColgan (Kelowna Rockets), Vladislav Namestnikov (London Knights), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Red Deer Rebels), Zack Phillips (Saint John Sea Dogs), Brandon Saad(Saginaw Spirit), Vincent Trocheck (Saginaw Spirit)

Head Coach – Dog Gilmour

FLASHBACK
Past Sea Dogs to get an invite to the event include Martin Bartos (2006), David Stich (2007), Yann Sauve (2008), Robert Mayer (2008), Simon Despres (2009), and Stanislav Galiev (2010).

At the 2008 event in Edmonton, Sauve recorded an assist and seven penalty minutes in the match. The game will be remembered for the fight that took place between Sauve and eventual No. 1 overall pick Steven Stamkos.



Like Huberdeau tonight, Despres wore an ‘A’ on his sweater in the 2009 event.

TV COVERAGE
From a CHL release:

Rogers Sportsnet’s coverage begins 30 minutes before puck-drop at 6:30 pm Eastern with a pre-game show featuring Hockeycentral analyst Doug MacLean and host Daren Millard in addition to the live broadcast on the Rogers Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific channels at 7:00 pm Eastern. Watch in-depth analysis on many future NHL stars that will showcase their talents before hundreds of NHL scouts in attendance. At 7:00 pm Eastern the broadcast team of play-by-play man Peter Loubardias, analyst Sam Cosentino, and host Rob Faulds will provide all the action live from Air Canada Centre.

VENUE
Arena: Air Canada Centre
Tenant: Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)/Toronto Raptors (NBA)/Toronto Rock (NLL)/ Waffle Throwers
Capacity: 18,819
Arena Guide

MEDIA
Television: Rogers Sportsnet, RDS, NHL Network US (tape delay)
Radio: http://www.mediaontap.com/sports/hockey/CHL/index.php.
Post-Game Coverage: Just about everywhere
Post-Game Highlights: CHL.ca, Sportsnet Connected, TSN SportsCentre