Friday, January 14, 2011

Couturier and Nugent-Hopkins Named Captains for 2011 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

Press Release

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the Captains and Alternates that will compete for Team Cherry and Team Orr at the 2011 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game January 18-19 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON.

NHL Central Scouting’s number two ranked player Sean Couturier of the Drummondville Voltigeurs will Captain Team Cherry, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels who is ranked third overall among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting will serve as Captain for Head Coach Doug Gilmour on Team Orr.

Both players currently sit 10th overall in their respective league scoring races with Couturier, a member of Canada’s National Junior Team, producing 56 points through 34 QMJHL games scoring 17 goals and 39 assists. Nugent-Hopkins has 52 points in 40 WHL games so far this season including 11 goals and 41 assists to lead all 2011 NHL Entry Draft eligible WHL players in scoring.

Alternate Captains for Team Cherry include defenceman Ryan Murphy of the Kitchener Rangers and forward Ty Rattie of the Portland Winterhawks, with forward Jonathan Huberdeau of the Saint John Sea Dogs and defenceman Dougie Hamilton of the Niagara IceDogs serving as alternates on Team Orr.

Murphy, an Aurora native, is ranked 10th by NHL Central Scouting and is the reigning OHL Defenceman of the Month leading all blueliners in scoring with 51 points in 37 games. Rattie, who hails from Airdrie, AB, is just one point behind Nugent-Hopkins in WHL scoring as the 11th ranked prospect with 51 points in 43 games. Toronto’s Hamilton is the top ranked defenceman listed seventh overall and has 35 points in 39 games. Huberdeau, from St. Jerome, QC, leads all 2011 prospects offensively with 65 points in 41 games in the QMJHL and is the fourth ranked skater by NHL Central Scouting.

The 2011 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is supported by associate sponsors Bank of Montreal, Subway, and CCM. The game will be broadcast live to a national audience on Rogers Sportsnet and RDS beginning at 7:00 pm Eastern.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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