USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

Game Notes

January 12, 2016 NHL DRAFT HISTORY: In the three-year history of the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, 46 players named to the roster have gone on to be later selected in the NHL Draft… Three first round draft picks have previously played in the game: Kyle Connor (), Brock Boeser () and Jordan Schmaltz (St. Louis Blues). Connor is the highest-ever drafted that played in the game, as he was selected 17th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft… 24 different NHL teams have selected players from the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in three NHL Drafts, including 12 teams with multiple players: (4), (4), (4), Detroit Red Wings (3), (3), (2), Calgary Flames (2), Senators (2), (2), Tampa Bay Lightning (2), Vancouver Canucks (2), Washington Capitals (2) and Winnipeg Jets (2)… Four USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game MVPs have later gone on to be NHL Draft picks: Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson (), John Hayden (Chicago Blackhawks), Eamon McAdam (New York Islanders), Robert Baillargeon (). All four went on to play college hockey.

USHL TEAMS: 15 USHL teams have at least one player selected from their roster… Teams with multiple players selected include (5), (5), (4), (4), (4), (3), (2), (2), (2), (2), Tri-City Storm (2) and (2).

COMMITTED TO COLLEGE: 35 players have already received college commitments… 11 players are committed to NCHC schools, 11 to Hockey East, six to Big Ten, five to ECAC and two to WCHA… Schools with multiple commits include University of North Dakota (4), University of Notre Dame (4), Cornell University (3), University of Minnesota (2), Miami University (2), Northeastern University (2), Western Michigan University (2) and Providence College (2).

LADDER OF DEVELOPMENT: 12 players played U.S. High School spanning from Minnesota and Wisconsin to Massachusetts, nine played for T1EHL programs, three played HPHL, three played AYHL, three played NAPHL and two played USPHL… Programs with two or more players include Chicago Mission, Colorado Thunderbirds, Elk River High School, Malden Catholic High School, New Jersey Rockets, North Jersey Avalanche, Omaha AAA and Selects Hockey Academy.

BOUND FOR THE HALL OF FAME: Beginning this year, the first scored in every USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will be forever enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, . The jersey, gloves, stick and puck will be packaged following the game and delivered to the Hall of Fame… Previous first-goal scorers in past years include Kevin Conley (Youngstown Phantoms) in 2015, Conor McGlynn (Sioux City Musketeers) in 2013 and A.J. Michaelson (Waterloo Black Hawks) in 2012.

ROOKIE SENSATION: Youngstown Phantoms forward Cameron Morrison is 17 years, four months and 16 days old, the youngest player in the Top Prospects Game. Morrison leads all rookies and the USHL with 34 points in 30 games this season.

SCORING DEPTH: Six players named to the roster have a 1.00 P/GP or better as of December 15, 2015: Rem Pitlick (1.52), Tanner Laczynski (1.29), Ross Colton (1.22), Morrison (1.13), and Ludvig Hoff (1.06).

STATELY ROSTER: 16 different states are represented in the Top Prospects Game including eight states with multiple players: Minnesota (5), Massachusetts (5), New Jersey (3), Colorado (2), Illinois (2), Michigan (2), New York (2) and Ohio (2)… Manitoba and Ontario are the two Canadian provinces with two or more players represented.

INTERNATIONAL TALENT: Nine players have roots outside the United States, with five natives from Canada. Other countries include Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden and Russia… Canadians Wade Allison (Tri-City Storm) and Michael O’Leary (Dubuque Fighting Saints) both played in American youth programs prior to the USHL, in addition to Russian Vladislav Dzhioshvili.

HOMECOMING: Lincoln Stars defenseman Christian Evers (Lincoln Stars) and Allison both played in Omaha, NE with the Omaha AAA program. Neither player has scored in Omaha during their USHL careers since their time in the NAPHL program.

FAMILIAR FACE: Chicago Steel forward Laczynski is the only player select to have played in the 2015 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Dubuque, IA. Laczynski was one of three players credited with two assists in the game… Laczynski won 2014-15 USHL All-Rookie Second Team honors last season after scoring 46 points in 57 games including 18 goals. This season the Ohio State University commit has 35 points in 27 games, including 10 goals.

JACKSON KEANE GOES FOR HISTORY: Sioux City’s Jackson Keane is going for his second consecutive MVP Top Prospects Game MVP honor after playing in the 2015 CJHL Top Prospects Game. Despite not scoring in the game, Keane was honored for his dominant play. If Keane wins MVP honors in tonight’s Top Prospects Game, he would become the first player ever to win top player recognition in two different leagues according to NHL Central Scouting.

SELECT AMERICANS: Nine different players named to the roster played in the with the U.S. Select Team: Andrew Peeke (Green Bay Gamblers), Colton (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders), Jozefek (Lincoln Stars), William Knierim (Dubuque Fighting Saints), Carson Meyer (Tri-City Storm), Collin Peters (Sioux Falls Stampede), Pitlick, Max Zimmer (Chicago Steel) and Laczynski.

EAST VERSUS WEST: Team East has an all-time 2-1-0 lead over Team West… Team East has a +4 all-time goal differential… The 2015 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game was a record high for both East and West for goals scored. Team East won 7-4… Team West has scored the game’s first goal twice… Team East scored a record six consecutive goals in 2015. Team East would also score a record five goals in one period… Team East has outshot Team West 99-86 all-time.

TOP SCORERS:

Stats as of January 12, 2016

Forwards:

1. Rem Pitlick (19-16-35) Tanner Laczynski (10-25-35) 3. Cameron Morrison (17-17-34) 4. Ross Colton (18-15-33) 5. Ludvig Hoff (10-22-32)

Defensemen:

1. Jacob Bryson (2-17-19) 2. Andrew Peeke (3-12-15) 3. Christian Evers (5-9-14) 4. Luke McInnis (2-11-13) 5. Jake Ryczek (2-7-9) Matt Kiersted (2-7-9)

Rookies:

1. Cam Morrison (17-17-34) 2. Matt Filipe (12-11-23) 3. Jacob Bryson (2-17-19) 4. Max Zimmer (4-11-15) Andrew Peeke (3-12-15)

Individual Game Records

Most Goals: 1. Kevin Conley (Team East – 2015) – 2 T2. 22 players tied with 1

Most Assists: T1. Luke Johnson (West – 2012), Nikita Pavlychev (West – 2015), Tanner Laczynski (East – 2015) and Adam Gaudette (East – 2015) – 2 T2. Several players tied with 1

Most Points: 1. Kevin Conley (East – 2015) – 3 2. 13 players tied with 2

Most Shots: T1. Chris Wilkie (West – 2015) and Robert Carpenter (West – 2015) – 7 3. Luke Johnson (West – 2012) – 6 T5. A.J. Michaelson (West – 2012), Nick Schilkey (East – 2012), Jake Henderson (West – 2015) and Christian Heil (East – 2013) – 5

Most PPG: T1. Alex Kile (East – 2012) and Chris Wilkie (West – 2015) - 1

Most SHG: None

Highest Rating: T1. Kevin Conley (East – 2015), Chase Pearson (East – 2015) and Tanner Laczynski (East – 2015) – +3 T4. 0 players with +2

Most Saves: T1. Cal Petersen (West – 2013) and (West – 2012) – 20 T3. Ryan Larkin (East – 2015) and Eric Schierhorn (East – 2015) – 18 T5. (East – 2013), Ben Blacker (West – 2015) and Jay Williams (West 2012) – 13

Highest SV%: T1. Ryan Larkin (East – 2015), Eamon McAdam (West – 2013), Alex Sakellaropoulos (East – 2013) and Chris Birdsall (West – 2015) – 1.00 5. Cal Petersen (West – 2013) - .952

Lowest GAA: T1. Ryan Larkin (East – 2015), Eamon McAdam (West – 2013), Alex Sakellaropoulos (East – 2013) and Chris Birdsall (West – 2015) – 0.00 5. Jon Gillies (East – 2012) – 2.01 Team Records

Most Goals (Game): 7 – Team East (2015)

Most Goals (Period): 5 – Team East (2015, 1st period)

Most Goals (Consecutive): 6 – Team East (2015)

All-Time Record: 2-1-0-0 – Team East

All-Time Shutouts: none

All-Time Goal Differential: +4 – Team East (13–9)

Miscellaneous Records

Fastest Goal from Start of Game: 3:39 1st Period – Kevin Conley (Team East – 2015)

Fastest Goal from Start of Period: 0:22 3rd Period – Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson (Team West – 2015)

Fastest Two Goals (Player): 10:21 apart (3:39 and 14:00 – 1st Period) – Kevin Conley (Team East – 2015)

Fastest Two Goals (Team): 0:45 apart (14:00 and 14:45 – 3rd Period) – Team East (2015)

Fastest Three Goals (Team): 4:03 apart (14:00, 14:45, 18:03 – 3rd Period) – Team East (2015)

Highest Attendance: 3,021 (2015 – Mystique Ice Center – Dubuque, )

Most NHL Draft Picks: 18 – 2013