A trio of forwards with local ties are among 18 W-H-L players named to play in next month’s C-H-L/N-H-L Top Prospects Game in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Saskatoon product Berkly Catton, who plays for Spokane, Prince Albert native and Regina star Tanner Howe plus Raiders’ sniper Ryder Ritchie are among 40 players in total who will showcase themselves for hockey operations staff from all 32 N-H-L teams in advance of next June’s N-H-L Draft. Following are the news releases from the W-H-L and the C-H-L…..

18 WHL PLAYERS TO COMPETE AT 2024 KUBOTA CHL / NHL TOP PROSPECTS GAME IN MONCTON

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2023

Calgary, Alta. – A total of 18 Western Hockey League players have been selected to compete at the 2024 Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game, scheduled for Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at the Avenir Centre in Moncton, N.B.

The Canadian Hockey League announced the 40 players set to participate Tuesday morning.

Selected by the NHL’s 32 clubs, the 40 chosen players from across the WHL, Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) will compete before hundreds of NHL scouts and thousands of fans in Moncton in an effort to improve their draft stock ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft, which is scheduled for June 2024.

A total of 14 WHL Clubs will be represented at the annual event, led by the Medicine Hat Tigers, Spokane Chiefs, Tri-City Americans and Calgary Hitmen, each boasting two players. Also represented with one player each at the 2024 Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game are the Brandon Wheat Kings, Edmonton Oil Kings, Everett Silvertips, Kamloops Blazers, Kelowna Rockets, Prince Albert Raiders, Prince George Cougars, Red Deer Rebels, Regina Pats, and Vancouver Giants.

The WHL will be represented by 12 forwards, four defencemen, and two goaltenders.

Among the list of players, there are eight WHL players with an ‘A’ rating from NHL Central Scouting, including projected first-round forwards Andrew Basha (Medicine Hat Tigers), Berkly Catton (Spokane Chiefs), Tanner Howe (Regina Pats), Tij Iginla (Kelowna Rockets), Adam Jecho (Edmonton Oil Kings), Cayden Lindstrom (Medicine Hat Tigers), Ryder Ritchie (Prince Albert Raiders), and defenceman Carter Yakemchuk (Calgary Hitmen).

Note: Andrew Basha and Tij Iginla have been upgraded to ‘A’ rated prospects by NHL Central Scouting since October’s ‘Preliminary Players to Watch’ List.

2024 Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game – WHL Players

Last Name, First Name – Team – Hometown – Ht – Wt – Pos

Basha, Andrew – Medicine Hat Tigers – Calgary, Alta. – 5’11” – 184 – LW

Catton, Berkly – Spokane Chiefs – Saskatoon, Sask. – 5’11” – 170 – C

Curran, Maximilian – Tri-City Americans – Prague, Czechia – 6’3” – 179 – C

Howe, Tanner – Regina Pats – Prince Albert, Sask. – 5’10” – 182 – LW

Iginla, Tij – Kelowna Rockets – Lake Country, B.C. – 6’0” – 186 – C

Jecho, Adam – Edmonton Oil Kings – Zlin, Czechia – 6’5” – 201 – C

Josephson, Ollie – Red Deer Rebels – Victoria, B.C. – 6’0” – 185 C

Lindstrom, Cayden – Medicine Hat Tigers – Chetwynd, B.C. – 6’3” – 210 – C

Miettinen, Julius – Everett Silvertips – Helsinki, Finland – 6’3” – 205 – C

Parascak, Terik – Prince George Cougars – Lethbridge, Alta. – 6’0” – 176 – RW

Ritchie, Ryder – Prince Albert Raiders – Kelowna, B.C. – 6’0” – 175 – RW

Wetsch, Carson – Calgary Hitmen – Vancouver, B.C. – 6’0” – 187 – RW

Brunicke, Harrison – Kamloops Blazers – Calgary, Alta. – 6’2” – 185 – RD

Elick, Charlie – Brandon Wheat Kings – Calgary, Alta. – 6’3” – 200 – RD

Roberts, Colton – Vancouver Giants – Maple Ridge, B.C. – 6’4” – 198 – RD

Yakemchuk, Carter – Calgary Hitmen – Calgary, Alta. – 6’3” – 190 – RD

Cowan, Dawson – Spokane Chiefs – Warren, Man. – 6’2” – 185 – G

Matecha, Lukas – Tri-City Americans – Pardubice, Czechia – 6’3” – 194 – G

The 40 players will be assigned to either Team Red or Team White in the new year, while captains and alternates for both squads will also be announced in January.

The 2024 Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game will mark the 28th edition of this showcase and it will represent the first time that the event has taken place in the province of New Brunswick.

Of the 40 CHL players to compete at the 2023 Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game in Langley, B.C., 37 went on to be selected in the 2023 NHL Draft, including Connor Bedard (Regina Pats), who was chosen first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Since the event was first introduced in 1996, it has featured 16 players who were later selected first overall in the NHL Draft, including Bedard (2023), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011) and Chris Phillips (1996).

The 2024 Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game airs live on TSN, TSN.ca, the TSN app, and RDS on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 (4:30 p.m. MT). With a limited number of tickets available, fans are encouraged to act quickly to secure their seat for the 2024 Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game in Moncton by visiting ticketmaster.ca.