Tyler Benson of the Vancouver Giants and Matthew Tkachuk of the London Knights will serve as captains at the BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.
The CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will be played at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver on Jan. 28.
Benson will captain Team Cherry. Jakob Chychrun of the Sarnia Sting and Julien Gauthier of the Val-d’Or Fureurs will serve as his alternates. Tkachuk will captain Team Orr with alternates Jake Bean of the Calgary Hitmen and Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.
Benson, 17, is also a captain for the host Giants and is playing in just his second full season after being the first overall pick in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft. he has 26 points in 28 games this season, including eight goals and 18 assists. Chychrun was chosen by the Sting first overall in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection. The 17-year-old has five goals and 19 assists for 24 points in 36 games. Gauthier, a member of Canada’s National Junior Team, has 37 points in 30 games playing in his third season with the Foreurs. He is tied for third in the QMJHL with 29 goals.
Tkachuk, 18, is currently tied for third in OHL scoring with 61 points in 30 games so far this season. He earned bronze with the U.S. National Junior Team at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship. Bean is third in WHL scoring among defencemen with 15 goals and 24 assists for 39 points in 42 games. Dubois is eighth in QMJHL scoring with 61 points in 41 games.
TEAM CHERRY
Goaltenders
Evan Fitzpatrick (Sherbrooke Phoenix)
Zach Sawchenko (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Defencemen
Jakob Chychrun (Sarnia Sting)
Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Sean Day (Mississauga Steelheads)
Samuel Girard (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Lucas Johansen (Kelowna Rockets)
Markus Niemelainen (Saginaw Spirit)
Forwards
Vitali Abramov (Gatineau Olympiques)
Tyler Benson (Vancouver Giants)
Logan Brown (Windsor Spitfires)
Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Dillon Dube (Kelowna Rockets)
Julien Gauthier (Val-d’Or Foreurs)
Tim Gettinger (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Noah Gregor (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Max Jones (London Knights)
Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Michael McLeod (Mississauga Steelheads)
Sam Steel (Regina Pats)
TEAM ORR
Goaltenders
Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Dylan Wells (Peterborough Petes)
Defencemen
Jake Bean (Calgary Hitmen)
Luke Green (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Libor Hajek (Saskatoon Blades)
Olli Juolevi (London Knights)
Mikhail Sergachev (Windsor Spitfires)
Logan Stanley (Windsor Spitfires)
Forwards
Nathan Bastian (Mississauga Steelheads)
Will Bitten (Flint Firebirds)
Pierre-Luc Dubois (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)
Brett Howden (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Boris Katchouk (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Jack Kopacka (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Pascal Laberge (Victoriaville Tigres)
Alexander Nylander (Mississauga Steelheads)
Taylor Raddysh (Erie Otters)
Otto Somppi (Halifax Mooseheads)
Simon Stransky (Prince Albert Raiders)
Matthew Tkachuk (London Knights)