TORONTO, ON – The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to announce the full roster for Team CHL (see full roster below) ahead of the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge, which will see the top 2026 NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) face off against the U.S. National Under-18 Team in a two-game series hosted by the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes — Tuesday, November 25 at Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome and Wednesday, November 26 at Lethbridge’s VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
Announced in September, defenceman Ryan Lin (Vancouver Giants / WHL), forward Ryan Roobroeck (Niagara IceDogs / OHL), and defenceman Xavier Villeneuve (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada / QMJHL) were the first players named to Team CHL after being identified by NHL Central Scouting. They now join 19 additional top NHL Draft prospects from across the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL, who complete the roster representing the league’s next generation at this premier showcase.
The final 19 players were selected from a list of top 2026 NHL Draft prospects developed in consultation with all 32 NHL clubs. Leading the process was General Manager Yanick Lemay (Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL), working in collaboration with Head Coach Willie Desjardins (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL) and assistant coaches Jay McKee (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL), Sylvain Favreau (Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL), and Mike Johnston (Portland Winterhawks / WHL). Together, they assembled a roster featuring 13 forwards, seven defencemen, and two goaltenders selected to represent the CHL at this year’s event.
“The CHL USA Prospects Challenge is a tremendous opportunity for our top draft-eligible players to compete against elite competition from the U.S. National Under-18 Team while showcasing the strength of our player development system across the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL,” said Dan MacKenzie, President of the CHL. “We’re proud of each of these players for earning this opportunity and congratulate them on being selected to represent the CHL at this prestigious event, which shines a light on the next generation of NHL talent.”
“The Team CHL coaching staff is thrilled to have such a deep, talented roster for the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge,” stated Willie Desjardins, Head Coach of Team CHL and General Manager and Head Coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers. “We look forward to coaching the best of the best players from across the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.”
Among the forwards set to compete for Team CHL are JP Hurlbert (Kamloops Blazers / WHL), Ethan Belchetz (Windsor Spitfires / OHL), Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit / OHL), and Egor Shilov (Victoriaville Tigres / QMJHL). Hurlbert leads both the WHL and CHL in scoring with 28 points (11G-17A) through 14 games this season. In the OHL, Klepov ranks second in league scoring with 22 points (9G-13A) – the highest total among first-year players in the OHL – while Belchetz stands alone atop the OHL and ranks tied for second in the CHL with 12 goals. Meanwhile, Shilov continues to pace all QMJHL rookies with 21 points (7G-14A) in 12 games.
On the blueline, Lin and Villeneuve headline a defensive group that also includes Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL), Chase Reid (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds / OHL), and Charlie Morrison (Québec Remparts / QMJHL) among the seven defencemen named to Team CHL. Reid leads all first-year NHL Draft-eligible defencemen in the OHL with 14 points (2G-12A), ranking second only to Villeneuve (4G-18A-22 PTS) among that same group of blueliners across the CHL. Rudolph has tallied nine points (3G-6A) in 11 games while helping the Raiders climb to No. 8 in the CHL Top-10 Rankings with an unbeaten record in regulation. Meanwhile, Morrison, one of just six QMJHL players to earn a “B” rating from NHL Central Scouting on its preliminary rankings, has yet to appear in a game this season but is expected to be healthy in time for the event.
Between the pipes, Team CHL features Harrison Boettiger (Kelowna Rockets / WHL) and Zachary Jovanovski (Guelph Storm / OHL). Jovanovski has recorded five 30-plus save performances through his first ten starts (5-3-1-0) in 2025-26, while Boettiger has allowed two goals or fewer in two of his four starts this season, posting at least 28 saves in both those outings. Notably, Boettiger is the lone returning player from last year’s event – then representing the U.S. National Under-18 Team – when he made 35 saves and posted a .921 save percentage in a 3-2 loss to Team CHL in Game 2 of the 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge.
The 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge will be broadcast live across Canada on TSN and RDS, with Game 1 in Calgary on November 25 and Game 2 in Lethbridge on November 26. Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. MT / 8:00 p.m. ET both nights. Tickets are available now at chl.ca/prospectschallenge.
Quick Facts on Team CHL
Coaching & Support Staff
General Manager – Yanick Lemay (Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL)
Head Coach – Willie Desjardins (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL)
Assistant Coach – Jay McKee (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL)
Assistant Coach – Sylvain Favreau (Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL)
Third Assistant Coach – Mike Johnston (Portland Winterhawks / WHL)
Video Coach – Jayce Desjardins (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL)
Head Athletic Therapist (Both Games) – Mikki Lanuk (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL)
Athletic Therapist (Calgary Game Only) – Adam Leckie (Calgary Hitmen / WHL)
Equipment Manager (Calgary Game Only) – Robin McDonald (Calgary Hitmen / WHL)
Athletic Therapist (Lethbridge Game Only) – Marty Palechuk (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL)
Equipment Manager (Lethbridge Game Only) – Rhett White (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL)
About the CHL USA Prospects Challenge
First introduced in 2024, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge is a best-on-best, two-game series spotlighting the top NHL Draft-eligible players from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL facing off against the U.S. National Under-18 Team. The inaugural edition, held last November in London and Oshawa, proved a major success — 16 of 22 players on Team CHL were selected in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
The 2025 edition, hosted by the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes, will once again spotlight elite NHL prospects projected to headline the 2026 NHL Draft — including 15 players who earned an “A” rating (first-round candidate) on NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch List.
Fans can catch both games live in Canada on TSN and RDS on November 25 (Calgary) and November 26 (Lethbridge). Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. MT / 8:00 p.m. ET. Tickets for both games are available now at chl.ca/prospectschallenge.
The top 2026 NHL Draft-eligible prospects face off against the US National Under-18 Team in a two-game series hosted by…
Prince George Cougars Hockey Club
2187 Ospika Blvd S, Prince George, BC
V2N 6Z1
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