TEAM ORR WINS SKILLS COMPETITION; JURCO DAZZLES

Nathan Beaulieu, Jonathan Huberdeau, Zach Phillips and the rest of Team Orr defeated Tomas Jurco and Team Cherry to claim the 2011 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Skills Competition Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre. Team Orr won the event 12-11.

Despite being on the losing end, Jurco scored an unreal goal (according to the few people in attendance) in the breakaway challenge. He won the contest, earning 39-of-a-possible-40 points for yet another daring move. What a shock.

Mike G. Morreale has more at NHL.com:

Jurco's amazing lacrosse-style scoop with his stick from between the circles was followed by some twisting and twirling of the puck before his wicked backhand found the back of the cage, earning an event-high 39 points for Team Cherry. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels had posted the highest score (37) in the opening round of the event prior to Jurco's crowd-pleaser. Nugent-Hopkins skated down the middle of the ice while maintaining control of the puck within his skates. At the last second, he kicked the puck to his forehand and deposited his shot to the long side to the delight of those in attendance.

When Jurco was asked earlier in the day what he had up his sleeve for the event, he shrugged without any hint of detail.

"I don't know what I'm going to use," he told NHL.com. "I have a few moves and I'll probably decide right before I go."

The Canadian Press also chimed in:

Tomas Jurco of the Saint John Sea Dogs won the breakaway event by scooping up the puck and whipping it into the net with a lacrosse-style shot while spinning around in the slot, earning a score of 39 out of 40 and a goal for Team Cherry.

We can only imagine what his coach, Don Cherry, thought of his moves.

Sault Ste. Marie forward Daniel Catenacci won the fastest skater competition with a time of 14.017 seconds to secure a goal for Team Orr. Sea Dogs defenseman Nathan Beaulieu finished the competition with a solid time of 14.695.

Forward Zach Phillips did very well in the accuracy shooting contest, going four-for-six. He finished second behind Matthew Puempel of the Peterborough Petes who went four-for-five. The highly touted Sean Couturier of the Drummondville Voltigeurs went a woeful zero-for-eight.

Regina Pats defenceman Myles Bell won the hardest shot contest for Team Cherry with a blast of 98.4 miles an hour.

The final event of the night was a 3-on-3 game, with two 15-minute periods of running time. Team Orr notched a 9-6 victory to clinch the win.

The Top Prospects Game will be played Wednesday night at 8:00 pm on Rogers Sportsnet and RDS.