Five AJHL Players Selected for CJHL Prospects Event

The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada announced Monday the rosters for the 2011 CJHL Prospects Games, scheduled for November 12-13 at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C. Player selection for the seventh-annual CJHL Prospects Games is a joint initiative of the CJHL and NHL Central Scouting.

The CJHL Prospects Game was created to showcase the top 40 NHL draft-eligible players in the CJHL. The CJHL Prospects Games feature players from the CJHL’s five western leagues competing against the top prospects from the CJHL’S five eastern leagues in a two-game total goal series.

CJHL Prospects Game #1 will be played at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 4 p.m. PT, with CJHL Prospects Game #2 set for Sunday, Nov. 13 at noon PT.

Fans can watch all the action for free via webcast by following three steps:

STEP 1: Visit hockeycanada.fasthockey.com and sign up for a free FASTHockey account.
STEP 2: Like the World Junior A Challenge on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wjrac.
STEP 3: Just prior to the game, click the HC on FASTHockey link on the WJAC Facebook page to watch.

The 20-player roster for Team West includes five players each from the British Columbia Hockey League, Alberta Junior Hockey League and Manitoba Junior Hockey League, as well as four selections from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and one from the Superior International Junior Hockey League.

CLICK HERE FOR TEAM WEST ROSTER

Team East includes eight players from the Ontario Junior Hockey League, five from the Central Canada Hockey League, three from the Ligue de Hockey Junior AAA du Quebec and two each from the Maritime Hockey League and Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.

CLICK HERE FOR TEAM EAST ROSTER

Sheldon Keefe, head coach and general manager of the 2011 RBC Cup champion Pembroke Lumber Kings (CCHL), will be behind the bench of Team East, while Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL) head coach and GM Jason McKee will serve as Team West head coach.

For the first time, the CJHL Prospects Games will be held in conjunction with the World Junior A Challenge. The newly-combined event will be a unique opportunity for CJHL stars to showcase their talent on an international stage and will provide CJHL prospects an unprecedented audience of scouts from across North America.

“The participants in this year’s CJHL Prospects Games will have an unprecedented audience to impress as attendance from the NHL scouting community is expected to be at a new high,” said Canadian Junior Hockey League chairman Kirk Lamb. “CJHL players and alumni are consistently drafted into the NHL each year, and continue on to have great success in the Narional Hockey League. For many players, this event could be the opportunity that leads to fulfilling their goal of an NHL career. We are extremely proud to showcase the talent of our players to the NHL next weekend.”

Five alumni of the CJHL Prospects Game have been selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft, including Beau Bennett (BCHL), Joe Colborne (AJHL), Riley Nash (BCHL), Dylan Olsen (AJHL) and Kyle Turris (BCHL). Seven players from the Canadian Junior Hockey League were selected in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in Minnesota.

Full-tournament 15-game ticket packages are on sale, including tickets to all 13 games at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge, both CJHL Prospects Games and a free souvenir tournament program, for only $150, as well as single-game tickets and a flex package. Ticket information can be found HERE.

For more information on the 2011 World Junior A Challenge, please visit www.HockeyCanada.ca/wjac, or follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/wjrac or www.twitter.com/hc_wjac.