NHL Draft-eligible players from USHL featured in January showcase
The United States Hockey League today announced that the Dubuque Fighting Saints will host the 2015 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Tuesday, January 13th, 2015 at the Mystique Community Ice Center in Dubuque, Iowa.
It marks a return to the USHL schedule for the event which was first played in 2012 and 2013 in Muskegon, Michigan and features top NHL Draft-eligible players from the USHL competing in the contest. Scouts from nearly every NHL club have attended the event in prior years as it has become a valuable tool to further evaluate USHL talent at the midpoint of the regular season in preparation for the annual NHL Draft.
The announcement of the 2015 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game follows a record-setting year for the USHL as a total of 35 players that played in the League during the 2013-14 season were chosen during the 2014 NHL Draft, and a total of 112 USHL alumni appeared in the NHL during the 2013-14 season. Both numbers represent all-time highs for the USHL.
“The results from the recent NHL Draft validate the skill level of our league and speak volumes about the USHL’s position on the developmental landscape,” said Bob Fallen, USHL President and Commissioner. “We invite fans from across the region to join us in Dubuque this coming January for what will surely be a talent-rich showcase of junior hockey in America.”
The selection process for players, conducted later this season, is completed in cooperation with USHL General Managers, NHL scouts and team personnel, and NHL Central Scouting. A total of 40 players will be split into two teams for the 2015 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. Coaches for the two teams during the event will be determined at a later date.
A total of 30 players that have been selected to compete in the previous two USHL/NHL Top Prospects Games have gone on to be chosen in the NHL Draft, including a quartet of players from the 2015 host Dubuque Fighting Saints. Defenseman Michael Downing (Florida Panthers) and forward Peter Quenneville (Columbus Blue Jackets) participated in the 2013 event, while current NHL player Zemgus Girgensons (Buffalo Sabres) and Boston College defenseman Mike Matheson (Florida Panthers) were selected for the 2012 event, but were unable to compete due to injury. Both Girgensons and Matheson would be selected in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft.
“We are extremely proud to host this signature event and we look forward to showcasing the City of Dubuque, our outstanding facility, and our passionate fan base,” said Dan Lehv, President of the Dubuque Fighting Saints. “The game, and surrounding events, will add another chapter to the rich hockey history of the Key City. Our organization takes on the challenge of hosting a game of this magnitude knowing it’s something our community will embrace.”
Both MVP’s from the 2013 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game would be selected later that year in the 2013 NHL Draft. Waterloo Black Hawks goaltender Eamon McAdam, who earned the victory stopping all 11 shots he faced in the contest, was selected by the New York Islanders in the third round (70th overall), while Team USA forward John Hayden, who scored a goal in the game, was also picked in the third round as the Chicago Blackhawks chose him 74th overall.
Other notable players to compete in the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game include Waterloo Black Hawks forward Taylor Cammarata, who later became the 2012-13 USHL Player of the Year and was chosen by the New York Islanders (76th overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft; Kevin Roy of the Lincoln Stars participated in the 2012 contest and was later named 2011-12 USHL Player of the Year and picked by the Anaheim Ducks in the fourth round (97th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft; defenseman Jordan Schmaltz, who played in the 2012 event before helping the Green Bay Gamblers win the Clark Cup and going on to be selected by the St. Louis Blues in the first round (25th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft; and Robbie Baillargeon, MVP of the 2012 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game after scoring two goals in the contest, was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the 2012 NHL Draft following his season with the Indiana Ice.
Also revealed on Wednesday during the press conference in Dubuque was the official logo for the 2015 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. The logo, developed by Michael Minick of Minneapolis-based Minick Design, features a number of elements that pay homage to the host city of Dubuque, including images of the Julien Dubuque Monument and Julien Dubuque Bridge, both named in honor of the city’s founder.
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the USHL celebrates its 13th season as the nation’s only Tier I junior hockey league in 2014-15. A record 35 players were chosen in the 2014 NHL Draft and more than 300 players on team rosters last season have committed to NCAA Division I schools, further establishing the USHL as the world’s foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.USHL.com or visit the League’s social media platforms, including Facebook (www.facebook.com/ushlhockey), twitter (www.twitter.com/ushl), and YouTube (www.youtube.com/ushlinteractive). Fans can also watch USHL action all season long, live or on-demand via FASTHockey (ushl.fasthockey.com).
It’s not just hockey. It’s the USHL.
