Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Halifax Mooseheads to Host 2013 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

Press Release

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League in association with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Halifax Mooseheads Hockey Club, and Home Hardware Stores Limited, today announced that the 2013 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will be held at the Halifax Metro Centre, home of the Mooseheads, on Wednesday January 16, 2013.
“The Canadian Hockey League is very excited to bring the 2013 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game to Atlantic Canada for the first time in the history of this prestigious event,” said CHL President David Branch.  “This event provides our players the opportunity to showcase their skills before hundreds of NHL scouts in a competitive best-on-best game in advance of the draft, while fans in Halifax and those watching across the country on Sportsnet and TVA Sports preview the next wave of NHL talent.”

The 2013 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will mark the 18th annual showcase of the CHL’s top-40 NHL draft eligible players featuring talent from the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

“On behalf of the Dealer-Owners of more than 1,080 Home Hardware stores across Canada, we look forward to heading east to the Maritimes for the 2013 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game,” said Paul Straus, President and CEO of Home Hardware Stores Limited.  “The game in Halifax will mark 14 straight years of title partnership and watching future NHL stars excite hockey fans across the country.”

Next season will mark the second time the game will be hosted by the QMJHL following the 2007 event in Quebec City.  Other past cities to host include Toronto (1996-98, 2000, 2011), Calgary (1999, 2001), Saskatoon (2002), Kitchener (2003), London (2004), Vancouver (2005), Ottawa (2006), Edmonton (2008), Oshawa (2009), Windsor (2010), and Kelowna (2012).

“The Halifax Mooseheads are very excited to host the 2013 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game,” stated Mooseheads Majority Owner Bobby Smith. “We look forward to welcoming 40 of the best NHL draft eligible players in the CHL to the Halifax Metro Centre next January. Our season ticket holders and fans will be really interested to watch the top young players from the QMJHL match up with the best prospects from the OHL and the WHL.”

The Mooseheads have been represented in this event by 11 players including 2012 NHL Entry Draft prospects Martin Frk and Andrew Ryan who competed for Team Cherry, coached by Mark Recchi and Ryan Huska last month in Kelowna.  Notable Mooseheads such as Alex Tanguay and Logan MacMillan also participated in this event before being first round NHL selections.  Tanguay picked up an assist for Team Cherry in a 4-2 win back in 1998 before going 12th overall to the Colorado Avalanche, while MacMillan scored a goal for Team Burns-Burgeron in 2007 as part of a 5-3 win before the Anaheim Ducks chose him 19th overall.

Since the event was first introduced in 1996 the game has featured 10 players that were selected with the first overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft including Chris Phillips, Joe Thornton, Vincent Lecavalier, Rick Nash, Marc-Andre Fleury, Patrick Kane, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, Taylor Hall, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who was one of 19 CHL players from the 2011 event that were selected among the record 21 CHL players chosen in the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Associate sponsors for the event include Bank of Montreal, Subway, and CCM.  The game will be broadcast nationally by Sportsnet and TVA Sports.

For more information please visit www.homehardwaretopprospectsgame.com

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

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