Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Teams Set for USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

Press Release

The United States Hockey League announced the lineups for the two teams that will compete in the 2013 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game presented by CCM.  The 40 selected players have been divided into Team East and Team West that will faceoff on January 23rd in Muskegon, Michigan.

The two teams mostly represent a split of players competing in the Eastern and Western Conferences of the USHL.  Legendary college hockey coach Ron Mason and Dubuque Fighting Saints head coach Jim Montgomery will lead Team East that includes four members of the hometown Muskegon Lumberjacks.  Highly-ranked defensemen Michael Downing (Dubuque Fighting Saints) and Gustav Olofsson (Green Bay Gamblers), along with forward John Hayden (Team USA), highlight the Team East squad.  All three were recently among the top 60 North American skaters in the midterm rankings by NHL Central Scouting.

Another college hockey coaching legend in Doug Woog joins Sioux Falls Stampede head coach Cary Eades in leading Team West which has five members of the Waterloo Black Hawks, including defenseman Ian McCoshen, the second-highest rated USHL skater in the midterm rankings (#21 overall), and Cal Petersen, the highest rated USHL goaltender (#4 overall).  Team West also includes defenseman Blake Heinrich of the Sioux City Musketeers and forward Luke Johnson of the Lincoln Stars who were both among the top 80 North American skaters in the midterm rankings.

2013 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Lineups

TEAM WEST

Forwards

Luke Voltin – Des Moines Buccaneers

Luke Johnson – Lincoln Stars

Vinni Lettieri – Lincoln Stars

Drew Melanson – Omaha Lancers

Jake Guentzel – Sioux City Musketeers

Conor McGlynn – Sioux City Musketeers

Jake Montgomery – Sioux City Musketeers

Jason Cotton – Tri-City Storm

Garrett Gamez – Tri-City Storm

Trevor Moore – Tri-City Storm

Taylor Cammarata – Waterloo Black Hawks

Justin Kloos – Waterloo Black Hawks

Defensemen

Rinat Valiev – Indiana Ice

Justin Woods – Lincoln Stars

Tucker Poolman – Omaha Lancers

Blake Heinrich – Sioux City Musketeers

Ryan Ivey – Tri-City Storm

Ian McCoshen – Waterloo Black Hawks

Goaltenders

Eamon McAdam – Waterloo Black Hawks

Cal Petersen – Waterloo Black Hawks

TEAM EAST

Forwards

Ross Olsson – Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

Thomas Ebbing – Chicago Steel

Christian Heil – Chicago Steel

Peter Quenneville – Dubuque Fighting Saints

John Stevens – Dubuque Fighting Saints

Gabe Guertler – Fargo Force

Brendan Harms – Fargo Force

Alex Kile – Green Bay Gamblers

Cam Darcy – Muskegon Lumberjacks

Frederik Tiffels – Muskegon Lumberjacks

John Hayden – Team USA

Austin Cangelosi – Youngstown Phantoms

Defensemen

Ian Brady – Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

Michael Downing – Dubuque Fighting Saints

Jordan Gross – Green Bay Gamblers

Gustav Olofsson – Green Bay Gamblers

Michael Brodzinski – Muskegon Lumberjacks

Ben Storm – Muskegon Lumberjacks

Goaltenders

Arthur Brey – Dubuque Fighting Saints

Charlie Lindgren – Sioux Falls Stampede

It is the second season for the event which will showcase many of the top players in the USHL who are eligible for the 2013 NHL Draft.  A total of 27 players selected are in their first year of eligibility for the NHL Draft.

The selection process was completed in cooperation with USHL General Managers, NHL scouts and team personnel, and NHL Central Scouting.

All 16 USHL Member Clubs have at least one player selected to participate in the event.  The Waterloo Black Hawks lead with five players chosen while the Dubuque Fighting Saints, Muskegon Lumberjacks, Sioux City Musketeers, and Tri-City Storm each have four players from their organizations named to the roster.

The 2013 NHL Draft is scheduled to take place in June at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey – home of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.  A total of 28 players who spent the 2011-12 season in the USHL were selected in the 2012 NHL Draft, including a record six players in the first round.

 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

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