COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today the 42 players who will compete in the fifth annual CCM/USAHockey All-American Prospects Game set for Sept. 22 at Wells Fargo Center, home of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers.
“This event provides some of the best U.S. players eligible for next year’s NHL Draft the opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage,” said Jim Johannson, USA Hockey’s assistant executive director of hockey operations. “With input from NHL Central Scouting, this game will feature future stars of the NHL and we’re thrilled to be working with the Philadelphia Flyers to host this game as part of their 50th anniversary.”
Each year the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game assembles the top U.S. players who are eligible for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. Following last year’s game, 25 players that participated in the contest went on to be chosen in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, including a record 10 first-round selections.
Among the 24 forwards named are Casey Mittelstadt (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Kailer Yamamoto (Spokane, Wash.), who helped the U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team capture the bronze medal at the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s Under-18 World Championship in Grand Forks, North Dakota. In August, Sasha Chmelevski (Northville, Mich.), Mark Kastelic (Phoenix, Ariz.), Vanya Lodnia (Novi, Mich.), Brannon McManus (Newport Beach, Calif.), Mick Messner (Madison, Wis.), Matt Miller (Leo, Ind.), Michael Pastujov (Bradenton, Fla.), Ryan Poehling (Lakeville, Minn.) and Austin Pratt (Lakeville, Minn.) all helped the U.S. Under-18 Select Team place second at the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia.
The blue line corps includes Luke Martin (St. Louis, Mo.), who joined Mittelstadt and Yamamoto on the bronze medal-winning 2016 U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team, and seven defensemen from the 2016 U.S. Under-18 Select Team, including Mike Anderson (Roseville, Mich.), Ron Brickey (Burtchville, Mich.), Tyler Inamoto (Lake Barrington, Ill.), Tom Miller (West Bloomfield, Mich.), Ben Mirageas (Newburyport, Mass.), Clayton Phillips (Edina, Minn.), and Reilly Walsh (Andover, N.H.).
In net, three of the goaltenders have represented the United States internationally, including Jake Oettinger (Lakeville, Minn.), who skated on two U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Teams (2015 – gold; 2016 – bronze) and Keith Petruzzelli (Wilbraham, Mass.) and Cayden Primeau (Voorhees, N.J.), who served as the netminding duo for the 2016 U.S. Under-18 Select Team.
For the complete roster, click here. For more information or to purchase tickets to the event, visit AllAmericanProspectsGame.com.
NOTES: Collectively, 18 states are represented on the roster, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. Minnesota and Michigan both lead all states with eight players apiece … Thirty-one players have ties to the United States Hockey League, the top junior league in the U.S., including 20 players associated with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in Plymouth, Michigan … Players selected to compete in the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game were chosen by USA Hockey in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting … Thirty-five players appeared on the 2016-17 NHL Central Scouting Futures List, which highlights players that have potential to be selected in the first three rounds of the draft … Forwards Casey Mittelstadt and Kailer Yamamoto; defenseman Luke Martin; and goaltender Jake Oettinger attended USA Hockey’s National Junior Evaluation Camp at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, in early August … Mark Howe (Detroit, Mich.) and John LeClair (St. Albans, Vermont) were named head coaches for the 2016 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game on Aug. 22, 2016 … CCM-designed uniforms will be unveiled in mid-September … To date, 102 players who have participated in the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects have gone on to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft, including 25 first-round selections … Previous host sites for the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game include Buffalo, New York (2012, 2014, 2015) and Pittsburgh (2013).
