Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Pittsburgh Penguins, CONSOL Energy Center To Host of 2nd Annual CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game

Press Release

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The second annual CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game will be staged Thursday, Sept. 26, at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., home of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins, it was announced today by USA Hockey.

"We're excited to bring this game to Pittsburgh," said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. "We know fans will enjoy seeing the very best young hockey talent our country has to offer and we look forward to working with the Penguins and CONSOL Energy Center staff in what will be a terrific showcase for our game."

The game will include 40 of the top American-born prospects eligible for the 2014 NHL Entry Draft squaring off in a display of the top hockey talent from across the country. Players will be chosen by USA Hockey, in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting, with the final rosters expected to be announced in August.

"Pittsburgh is a city filled with passionate hockey fans and we're extremely pleased to work with USA Hockey in bringing the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game to the CONSOL Energy Center this fall," said David Morehouse, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Penguins. "It will be a unique opportunity for our fans to see the future American stars of the NHL -- some which will undoubtedly play in Pittsburgh -- all on the same sheet of ice."

Ticket information will be released at a later date.

NOTES: USA Hockey will unveil the CCM-designed uniforms for the game later this year. In addition, the coaches for the game are likely to be announced sometime prior to the 2013 NHL Entry Draft ... The first-ever CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game was hosted by the Buffalo Sabres at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, N.Y., on Sept. 29, 2012 ... Teams at the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game were coached by Rob McClanahan, a member of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team and Phil Housley, who led the U.S. National Junior Team to a gold medal at the 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia. Team McClanahan prevailed by a 5-2 count over Team Housley ... Ryan Fitzgerald (North Reading, Mass.) was named the Most Valuable Player of the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game … Of the 40 players that competed in the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game, 30 were from the United States Hockey League, the top junior league in America, including 21 from USA Hockey's National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. Players also came from NCAA Division I hockey as well as the Canadian Hockey League.


 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

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