NTDP vs CHL Prospects Challenge Announced

[William H Bonney]

USA Hockey's NTDP to Participate in CHL-USA Prospects Challenge

New event set to begin in November

www.usahockeyntdp.com

USA Hockey's National Team Development Program announced today that, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, it will take part in the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge, presented by Kubota, which is being added to the calendar for the next three seasons.

The CHL-USA Prospects Challenge is a two-game series that will have players from the NTDP competing against the top first-year NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL’s three-member leagues – Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

The first edition of this new event is set to take place in November 2024 with specific details on the date, location and event format to come at a later date. Over the next three years, each of the CHL's three leagues will have an opportunity to serve as host.

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[BKarchitect]

Rad.

 

[wingsfan17]

That’s going to be a blood bath.

 

[Ice9]

A great thing for NA hockey overall

 

[Mickey Marner]

Basically just replacing the Canada/Russia series

 

[Kevin Musto]

Oh hell yeah

 

[BigRangy]

Doesn’t sounds like USHLers or Junior A players get invited which is disappointing from a best vs best perspective but it should still be decent hockey.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Need one of the many bigger Michigan rinks to host this when it is in the States. Don't care if it's Yost (Ann Arbor), Munn (East Lansing), Dow (Saginaw), Dort (Flint), Lawson (Kalamazoo), or even Van Andel (Grand Rapids). Good location, solid areas with plenty of hockey fans within range, and on the border with Ontario, so easy for much of the Canadian hockey media & fans to get to as well.

 

[Kingpin794]

Need one of the many bigger Michigan rinks to host this when it is in the States. Don't care if it's Yost (Ann Arbor), Munn (East Lansing), Dow (Saginaw), Dort (Flint), Lawson (Kalamazoo), or even Van Andel (Grand Rapids). Good location, solid areas with plenty of hockey fans within range, and on the border with Ontario, so easy for much of the Canadian hockey media & fans to get to as well.

The Dow could. Just got done hosting memorial cup. The Dort probably no. its only like 4500. Van Andel would be interesting but getting time between Griffins and shows would be tough. Think the CHL would like it in a CHL rink though for one of the games. Plymouth and Windsor would probably be a good pairing. Saginaw/GR would be good too. Grand Forks/Brandon, Providence/Halifax. Lots of choices.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

The Dow could. Just got done hosting memorial cup. The Dort probably no. its only like 4500. Van Andel would be interesting but getting time between Griffins and shows would be tough. Think the CHL would like it in a CHL rink though for one of the games. Plymouth and Windsor would probably be a good pairing. Saginaw/GR would be good too. Grand Forks/Brandon, Providence/Halifax. Lots of choices.

Would love it in Windsor. And you'd think USA Hockey would like it at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth.

 

[bigdog16]

This will be fun

 

[Torts]

Amazing news! I could see a venue in Michigan and then potentially Windsor or London chosen as the Canada site.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

I like the November timing. No overlap with pre-WJC camps. No overlap with playoffs that would weaken the CHL team.

Both teams will have blood in their eyes. Can't wait.

 

[hohosaregood]

You'd think the USNTDP will have an advantage in these games. On one side, you got a team of great prospects, on the other side, you got a collection of great prospects.

 

[VictoriaJetsFan]

This is great

 

[Ovechkin962]

As of now, here is what I think could be the roster for the CHL:

Goaltenders
Jack Ivankovic (OHL - Mississauga)
Joshua Ravensbergen (WHL - Prince George)

Defensemen
Kashawn Aitcheson (OHL - Barrie)
Reese Hamilton (WHL - Calgary)
Alex Huang (QMJHL - Chicoutimi)
Cameron Reid (OHL - Kitchener)
Matthew Schaefer (OHL - Erie)
Jackson Smith (WHL - Tri-City)

Forwards
Justin Carbonneau (QMJHL - Blainville-Boisbriand)
Caleb Desnoyers (QMJHL - Moncton)
Jordan Gavin (WHL - Tri-City)
Émile Guité (QMJHL - Chicoutimi)
Porter Martone (OHL - Mississauga)
Roger McQueen (WHL - Brandon)
Michael Misa (OHL - Saginaw)
Jake O'Brien (OHL - Brantford)
Cole Reschny (WHL - Victoria)
Cameron Schmidt (WHL - Vancouver)
Malcolm Spence (OHL - Erie)
Bill Zonnon (QMJHL - Rouyn-Noranda)

 

[William H Bonney]

While I'm sure the bickering about the leagues and development routes will be unbearably annoying when this rolls around, the games should be fun and spirited.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Excellent news. Should be fun to see all these guys on the ice together.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Basically just replacing the Canada/Russia series

As far as I understand it's an U18 event not U20 like CHL-Russia was.

 

[Savard18]

You'd think the USNTDP will have an advantage in these games. On one side, you got a team of great prospects, on the other side, you got a collection of great prospects.

I agree. As a USAHockey fan who’s also a STH for an OHL team I think on average the roster talent will be fairly evenly matched. The difference being like you said, one is
a team. The other will be a collection of All-Stars. As far as bloodbath? I watch the NTDP boys in person a few times a year and roughly 40 or more OHL games. The OHL is far from a tough league anymore and USAHockey doesn’t exactly build their teams to run you over either. It’ll be as chippy as USA-Canada women’s game but that’s about it.

 

[BigRangy]

Will be interesting to see if either team is allowed to bring underagers to these matchups or if the NTDP will restrict themselves to only first-time eligible age players as well.

 

[Kraken Jokes]

You'd think the USNTDP will have an advantage in these games. On one side, you got a team of great prospects, on the other side, you got a collection of great prospects.

I was going to mention that the CHL might have the advantage of having late-2006-birthday players that are draft eligible, while the NTDP players would all be U18 (2007-born).

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

This is long overdue IMO. This is a great step towards tighter integration between the CHL and US junior hockey.

Next step: Invite the Clark Cup champions to compete for the Memorial Cup. A 5 team tournament makes a lot more sense from a logistical standpoint. Top 4 teams advance to semis, last place is out.

They'll likely be a big underdog most years, but the USHL style is much more conservative & defensive than typical CHL hockey. A stingy USHL team could prove a challenge. I think this year's Fargo could have been a worthy opponent - they were super well balanced with excellent goaltending, allowing 52 less goals against than the next best team.

It's hard to compare across different leagues, but their GA and goal differential numbers compare pretty favorably to the other 4 Mem cup contenders (albeit against weaker competition):

Team	GF	GA	GD
Fargo*	297	157	140
London	322	197	125
Drummondville	306	183	123
Saginaw	303	215	88
Moose	297	228	69

*Extrapolated to a 68 game pace (271 GF 143 GA in 62 GP)

Or if they want to maintain the "purity" of the Memorial Cup, maybe have the Mem Cup winner play the Clark Cup winner in a "North American Major Junior Challenge Cup".

But aside from Fargo in 2023-24 and the would-be champion 2019-20 Chicago Steel, the USHL champs of the last 5-10 years probably would be a heavy underdog in any tournament vs the CHL's best, but I think the gap has been closing and will probably continue to do so (especially with the potential NCAA rule changes)

 

[Steve Kournianos]

If the 2024 USHL season and WU17HC are indicators, the 2025 U18 NTDP is weak. Don’t recall a US entry struggling against Canada teams the way they did, and goaltending wasn’t the reason. They were outscored by 40 goals on the season; the 2006’s were +40 in 2022-23.

Still, it’s possible they get the chemistry issue out of the way and will look to rebound in their draft year. It’s a single game so anything can happen. If it comes after the U18 Five Nations, the NTDP should be in midseason form and humming on all cylinders, especially if they schedule tough D1 schools in October like they usually do.

 

[End on a Hinote]

Basically just replacing the Canada/Russia series

Good. Just trying to revive a dead rivalry.