CHL Announces Events and Participants for the 2010 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Skills Competition

Press Release

Windsor, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the events and the participants from Team Cherry and Team Orr that will compete in the 2010 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Skills Competition on Tuesday night January 19, 2010, at 7:00 pm at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, ON.

40 of the CHL’s top prospects eligible for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft have been divided amongst four different events and all players competing in a 3-on-3 game to showcase their abilities before fans and a record number of scouts and NHL personnel in attendance. The skills events will include the Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot, Shooting Accuracy, and a brand new Showdown style Breakaway Contest.

The Showdown Breakaway Contest will feature six players per team taking two attempts on goal before a panel of four celebrity judges that will score each attempt based on creativity, originality, degree of difficulty, execution, showmanship, and the ability to score. Celebrity judges include Spitfires’ Vice-President and General Manager Warren Rychel and defenceman Ryan Ellis. Joining them will be former NHL enforcer and Windsor native Bob Probert, along with Rob Faulds from Rogers Sportsnet.

Headlining this new event will be Ryan Spooner and Austin Watson of the Peterborough Petes representing Team Cherry, with Jeff Skinner of the Kitchener Rangers and Tyler Seguin of the Plymouth Whalers representing Team Orr. Spooner is tied for the OHL-lead with four shootout goals this season on six attempts with three game-winners, while Watson is a former member of the Spitfires. Skinner and Seguin are the top two goal scorers in the OHL with 35 and 30 goals respectively.

Spitfires’ forward Taylor Hall and defenceman Cam Fowler will open the event for Team Cherry with the Fastest Skater competition.

The best individual score in each event receives a goal for their team, with another goal awarded for the best team average from each event for a total of eight available goals. The 3-on-3 game consists of two 15-minute periods with running time with all goals scored counting towards the overall score.

The Skills Competition will be broadcast live on TVCogeco Windsor beginning at 7:00 pm, with the game broadcast to a national audience live on Rogers Sportsnet Wednesday night at 7:00 pm.

Home Hardware continues as the title sponsor of the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game for the eleventh straight year. Associate sponsors include Bank of Montreal, Subway, and NeilMed.

Tickets for both events are still available by calling 519-254-5000 or online at www.windsorspitfires.com


2010 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Skills Competition Participants:


Skill # 1 – Fastest Skater:

Team Cherry:
Taylor Hall, Windsor Spitfires
Jordan Weal, Regina Pats
Cam Fowler, Windsor Spitfires
Alexander Petrovic, Red Deer Rebels

Team Orr:
Brandon Gormley, Moncton Wildcats
Stephen Silas, Belleville Bulls
Mark Pysyk, Edmonton Oil Kings
Alexander Burmistrov, Barrie Colts


Skill # 2 – Hardest Shot:

Team Cherry:
Brock Beukeboom, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Ryan Johansen, Portland Winterhawks
Brandon Archibald, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Brad Ross, Portland Winterhawks

Team Orr:
Michael Bournival, Shawinigan Cataractes
Dylan McIlrath, Moose Jaw Warriors
Matt MacKenzie, Calgary Hitmen
Jerome Gauthier, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies


Skill # 3 – Shooting Accuracy

Team Cherry:
Jakub Culek, Rimouski Oceanic
Troy Rutkowski, Portland Winterhawks
Austin Madaisky, Kamloops Blazers
Devante Smith-Pelly, Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors

Team Orr:
Steven Shipley, Owen Sound Attack
Ryan Martindale, Ottawa 67’s
Quinton Howden, Moose Jaw Warriors
Petr Straka, Rimouski Oceanic


Skill # 4 – Showdown Breakaway Contest:

Team Cherry:
Ryan Spooner, Peterborough Petes
Tyler Toffoli, Ottawa 67’s
Emerson Etem, Medicine Hat Tigers
Stanislav Galiev, Saint John Sea Dogs
Louis-Marc Aubry, Montreal Juniors
Austin Watson, Peterborough Petes
Andrew Yogan, Erie Otters

Team Orr:
Tyler Toffoli, Ottawa 67’s
Jeff Skinner, Kitchener Rangers
Nino Niederreiter, Portland Winterhawks
John McFarland, Sudbury Wolves
Joey Hishon, Owen Sound Attack
Tyler Seguin, Plymouth Whalers

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)