Team Orr edges Team Cherry 2-1

Fans at Prospera Place expecting a high scoring affair were surely disappointed in Kelowna tonight, as the Home Hardware Top Prospects game turned into a pure defensive battle.

Team Orr pulled out a nail-biter, 2-1, thanks to a goal by Branden Troock with only 25 seconds left in the third.

Griffin Reinhart scored the other goal for Team Orr, while Rouyn-Noranda defenseman Dillon Fournier replied with the only goal for Team Cherry.

Here’s a quick run down of the players from the QMJHL in the game:

Team Cherry:

Dillon Fournier- Fournier looked very nervous early on, causing a couple turnovers. Fourniers’ weak upper body strength was exploited, after he was unable to move Troock from in front of the net, which caused a screen, leading to Reinhart’s goal from the point. He soon snapped out of it, and showed great hockey sense and poise, following a rebound in front of the net for his goal.

Martin Frk- Frk showed great creativity in this game, a big part of the reason he is ranked 25^th overall in the most recent CSS rankings. He battled very hard in front of the net, and never gave up. That kind of determination should do him well as he transitions to the NHL. All through the game, he showed just how strong he was, isolating the puck from his opponent. The one part of his game I could critique was his weak shot from the point on the powerplay.

Andrew Ryan- Ryan was virtually invisible throughout the entire game. His one big moment was a breakaway with 13 minutes left in the third, a nice backhand, which was denied by Francois Tremblay.

Brandon Whitney- The 6-5 Whitney reminded me so much of Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne in this one. He started off out of position, but had a series of very key saves early on. Whitney did great to take away his opponents angles. In his only goal against, he had zero chance, as he was screened by two players. Whitney made 10 saves in 30 minutes of play.

Team Orr:

Francois Beauvillier- Beauvillier was relentless on both ends of the ice. He was a big reason for the low score in this one. Beauvillier showed no fear in the corners, something scouts should have been very impressed with. He also used his speed very well.

Raphael Bussieres- Bussieres had an extremely strong game, maybe the strongest of all Q players in the game. He showed very solid stick handling skills, he picked his spots to pass. His shots were all very accurate, and his chemistry with Derrick Pouliot was special, given thy had never played together before. His best chance of the game was a breakaway but he was taken down by Matthew Dumba. Most (including I) thought that should have been a penalty. Bussieres got his retribution on Dumba in the third, stepping up to fight Dumba after a hit on Radek Faksa. He did have a couple bad decisions leading to turnovers as well, so he was not perfect.

Mikhail Grigorenko- It is common knowledge that Patrick Roy was not pleased with Grigorenko playing in this game, but I wonder if they had come to a mutual agreement. It did not seem like Grigorenko played as much as you’d expect the number two ranked prospect to play. When Grigorenko was on the ice though, it was magic. Grigorenko showed great vision and patience with the puck. When he was on the ice, he was heads above the rest of the competition.

Tomas Hyka- Hyka impressed me a lot too. He had very nice speed, conserving it as needed as well. Showed a lot of chemistry with Beauvillier, His vision set him apart in my opinion, seeing the game better than anyone. This did get him in trouble a couple times, as he seemed to see too far ahead, leading to a couple turnovers. Hyka showed great ability to lead an effective breakout, and had a couple very nice one-timers.

Francois Tremblay- Tremblay was thrown to the wolves seconds in to him coming into the game. He made a huge save against Danill Zharkov, and then denied Ryan with an even better save. Tremblay isn’t as big as Whitney, but he played just as big.

The QMJHL at the Home Hardware Top Prospects Game

Well, it’s that time of the year again.

The CHL’s finest draft-eligible prospects have gathered in Kelowna, B.C. to play in tonight’s Home Hardware Top Prospects Game. The game can be seen on Rogers Sportsnet beginning at 10 p.m. EST (11 p.m. Atlantic time.)

For all the invited prospects, it’s a chance for them to get noticed by scouts in the hopes of receiving an invitation to Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the participants from the QMJHL. A total of nine QMJHL prospects will be in Kelowna, with four on Team Cherry coached by Mark Recchi, and the remaining five will play for Team Orr, led by Pat Quinn.

Team Cherry
Dillon Fournier, D, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (9-20-29, 39 GP)
Even though Rouyn-Noranda is battling with P.E.I. to stay out of the QMJHL basement for the second consecutive year, Dillon Fournier has been a shining light on defence for the Huskies.

As the first pick in the Lewiston MAINEiacs Dispersal Draft in June and the sole QMJHL defender in the Top Prospects Game, the Montréal product is enjoying a breakout season, having already doubled his offensive output in just over half the number of games.

Fournier’s increased production projects similarly to what Sea Dogs defender and Canadiens first-round pick Nathan Beaulieu experienced in 2009-10, his 17-year-old season.

Central Scouting currently has Fournier listed 138th among North American skaters, but a solid showing in Kelowna could increase the attention he gets at the Entry Draft.

Martin Frk, RW, Halifax Mooseheads (8-6-14, 16 GP)
Trailing only Mikhail Grigorenko, Martin Frk is the highest-ranked QMJHL prospect playing in Kelowna tonight.
Currently ranked 25th among North American skaters by Central Scouting, the Czech forward’s draft season was derailed in the preseason by a concussion. He didn’t make his regular season debut until Dec. 9 against P.E.I., but he’s turned it around after a slow start.

Frk may have missed an opportunity to boost his stock by opting out of playing for the Czech Republic at the World Junior Hockey Championships, but he comes into Kelowna with a hot hand, having scored 11 points during his current six-game point streak.
A strong performance from Frk in the Top Prospects Game would do wonders to elevate him toward the place where scouts thought he should be ranked prior to getting injured.

Andrew Ryan, LW, Halifax Mooseheads (5-4-9, 25 GP)
Much like his teammate Frk, Andrew Ryan has also had to battle back from a pre-season injury to regain his form.
A broken ankle at the end of August cost him the first two months of the regular season, but he’ll have plenty of opportunities to impress scouts in Kelowna as he attempts to make up for lost time.

Ryan ranks 64th among North American skaters going into the game, and he’s scored just one point since the start of 2012. However, look for the St. John’s, N.L. native to come out with something to prove tonight as he looks to jump onto the radar of all scouts in attendance.

Brandon Whitney, G, Victoriaville Tigres (20-3-0-1, 2.95 GAA)
If possible, the Kentville, N.S. native has played bigger than his 6-5 stature for Victoriaville this season, which has him ranked third among all North American goaltenders in the most recent Central Scouting rankings.

He’s been a key component in Victoriaville’s efforts this season, having only lost three games while keeping his team within striking distance of Québec and Shawinigan in the TELUS East Division race.

His 20 victories are good enough to tie with Halifax’s Zachary Fucale for tops among rookie goaltenders (tied for fourth in the QMJHL), and he leads all rookie goaltenders with a 2.95 goals-against average (tied for eighth overall.)

With Central Scouting’s top-ranked North American goaltender Malcolm Subban out of the game with a groin injury, this may be Whitney’s shot to step up and put pressure on not only Subban, but also fellow Team Cherry goaltender Matt Murray, who ranks second among North American netminders.
A great performance tonight could strengthen Whitney’s argument for being the best goaltender available at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Team Orr
Francis Beauvillier, C, Rimouski Oceanic (17-7-24, 51 GP)
With teammates Jérôme Gauthier-Leduc and Alex Belzile commanding attention in Rimouski, St-Hyacinthe, Que. native Francis Beauvillier has quietly put together a solid season to date for the Oceanic.

Picked up by Rimouski in the Lewiston dispersal draft, Beauvillier ranks fourth on the team in goals (17) and sixth in points (24) through 51 games to help the Oceanic stay in the hunt for home-ice advantage in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs. His goal totals also eclipse his total from last season with the MAINEiacs, where he scored 11 times in 57 games.

Beauvillier ranks 62nd among North American skaters in the Central Scouting mid-season rankings, so this game is important if he wants to elevate his standing in the eyes of scouts.

Raphaël Bussières, LW, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (16-22-38, 43 GP)
A former first-round selection of the Moncton Wildcats in the 2009 QMJHL Draft, Raphaël Bussières has steadily continued to develop as a player after being traded to Baie-Comeau.
His point production has gone up in each of his three QMJHL seasons, and he’s averaging nearly a point per game in 2011-12. He sits tied for third on the Drakkar in goals (16) and tied for fourth in points (38).

Bussières currently sits just outside the top 50 among North American skaters in the Central Scouting rankings (57th), but a strong showing tonight in Kelowna could put him back into the top 50, and it may well put him on the minds of more NHL scouts as the Entry Draft draws closer.

Mikhail Grigorenko, RW, Québec Remparts (28-36-64, 41 GP)
With Sarnia’s Nail Yakupov out of the Top Prospects Game due to injury, the door may well be open for fellow Russian Mikhail Grigorenko to shine and further fuel debate over whose name should be called first in Pittsburgh this June.

An assistant captain for Team Orr, Grigorenko is ranked as the top prospect in the ISS mid-term rankings and second among North American skaters by Central Scouting. Grigorenko has scored in bunches since coming over to North America, producing at a rate of 1.56 points per game. The numbers could have been higher if he hadn’t played for Russia at the World Junior Hockey Championships over Christmas.

The scary part? He doesn’t turn 18 until the middle of May.

Grigorenko is a big reason why the Remparts are in the hunt in the TELUS East Division, and with a good showing in the Top Prospects Game, he may well stake his claim to the first overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Tomas Hyka, RW, Gatineau Olympiques (17-30-47, 40 GP)
If it weren’t for the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, Czech forward Tomas Hyka may have been in the Philadelphia Flyers system instead of this year’s Top Prospects Game.

The Gatineau Olympiques instead became the beneficiaries, selecting Hyka with the eighth selection in the CHL Import Draft this past summer.

Hyka must have taken some advice from Flyers star and Gatineau alumnus Claude Giroux during his time in Philadelphia’s camp, because he’s adjusted to the North American game very well. He’s scored over a point per game with the Olympiques this season compared to his 2010-11 season with his hometown under-20 team, BK Mlada Boleslav, where he tallied 31 points in 38 games.

Hyka finds himself ranked 65th among North American skaters according to Central Scouting, but if he can show flashes of the confidence he displayed in his lone exhibition game as a Flyer, or the brilliance he displays in Gatineau offensively and killing penalties, Hyka surely won’t be passed over in this year’s draft as he was last year.

François Tremblay, G, Val D’Or Foreurs (14-22-0-3, 3.78 GAA)
François Tremblay has been a workhorse for Val D’Or this season, ranking fourth among all Q goaltenders in minutes played (2,253) and saves (1,054).

In fact, his workload may well skew his other statistics toward the bottom end of the spectrum, as he doesn’t rank particularly high in save percentage (18th, .881) or goals-against average (20th, 3.78 GAA).

However, Tremblay is a technically-sound, big-bodied goaltender, which should make him a valuable commodity in Pittsburgh this June.

Tremblay currently ranks sixth among North American goaltenders, but with the aforementioned Malcolm Subban, Jon Gillies (Indiana in the USHL) and Saginaw’s Jake Paterson not playing in the game, Tremblay has a golden opportunity to shine and show scouts he’s ready to take the next step.

Rimouski's Beauvillier wins fastest skater

Rimouski Oceanic forward Francis Beauvillier can add an accomplishment to his hockey resume being the CHL's fastest skater.

Beauvillier, 18, in his third QMJHL season and first with Rimouski, posted a time of 14.132 seconds, narrowly edging out Branden Troock of the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds.
Gatineau Olympiques forward Tomas Hyka placed fifth out of eight skaters with a time of 14.674 seconds.

Other QMJHL players in the skills competition were:

Late addition to the Top Prospects Game, Dillon Fournier of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies hit four targets in eight attempts, finishing fifth out of eight in the accuracy shooting.

Number two ranked player in the CSS, Mikhail Grigorenko of the Quebec Remparts, hit three of eight targets, finishing sixth, and Halifax Mooseheads forward Andrew Ryan finished eighth out of eight, only hitting one target in eight attempts.

In the shootout competition, Baie-Comeau's Raphael Bussieres finished tied for fourth out of 12, and Halifax's Martin Frk finished eighth.

There has been no word yet whether Frk's agent Alan Walsh has scheduled a press conference to discuss Frk's poor showing.

Grigorenko, Frk named Top Prospect Game alternate captains

Remparts rookie Mikhail Grigorenko

Quebec Remparts super-rookie Mikhail Grigorenko and Halifax Mooseheads player Martin Frk have been named alternate captains for the 2012 Home Hardware NHL Top Prospects game.

Grigorenko, ranked second in the most recent Central Scouting Service rankings, has 60 points in 28 games this season.

Frk was ranked 25th overall in the same rankings and has 11 points in 15 contests, after missing the first half of the season with a head injury.

The top two draft eligible players from the QMJHL will be on opposite sides. Grigorenko will skate with Team Orr, while Frk will be coached by Don Cherry.

Other players from the QMJHL include Victoriaville goaltender Brandon Whitney, Chicoutimi's Charles Hudon and Halifax's Andrew Ryan.

The game takes place Feb. 1 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, B.C., home of the WHL's Kelowna Rockets.


jonathan@theqspot.ca

Rosters Announced For 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League in association with the three regional leagues, the Kelowna Rockets Hockey Club, and Home Hardware Stores Limited, today announced the 40 CHL players that will compete in the 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at Prospera Place in Kelowna, BC, on February 1, 2012.


“The Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game showcases 40 of the league’s top prospects eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft,” said CHL President David Branch. “Congratulations to all 40 players selected for this event representing the next wave of talent to the NHL, with the opportunity to showcase their skills before hundreds of NHL scouts in attendance and for fans in Kelowna and CHL fans watching live across Canada on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.”

30 of the CHL’s 59 member clubs are represented in this game including three players from the OHL’s Belleville Bulls. Eight other teams have two players competing in the event including the host Kelowna Rockets who will be represented by forward Colton Sissons and defenceman Damon Severson.

“The Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is an event that all NHL scouts look forward to attending,” said NHL Central Scouting Director Dan Marr. “The 40 players competing in this game were chosen by the 30 NHL clubs with the game being a unique opportunity to evaluate 40 of the top draft eligible prospects on a single stage in what has annually become an intense competition.”

The rosters include all three players that were ranked first overall in their regional league according to NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Draft Rankings including Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting, Mikhail Grigorenko of the Quebec Remparts, and Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips. Murray, along with Tanner Pearson of the Barrie Colts, will compete in this event after representing Canada at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship.

“It is a huge honour to be named to this event and to play alongside some of the best players in the 2012 NHL draft class,” said Murray. “I’ve had some great friends compete in this game including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins last season, and I am really looking forward to this opportunity.”

Both Russian-born top prospects were equally thrilled to be named to the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. “I am very excited to play in the Top Prospects Game,” said Yakupov, last year’s CHL Rookie of the Year who has 49 points in 24 games this season. “I am looking forward to playing against and meeting the other top draft eligible players from the CHL.” Grigorenko, who leads all QMJHL rookies with 56 points in 35 games also commented; “I am honoured to play among the best NHL prospects and it will be a great challenge for me.”

2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Rosters:

Team Orr (White):



Goaltenders:

Malcolm Subban (Belleville Bulls)

Francois Tremblay (Val d’Or Foreurs)



Defencemen:

Gianluca Curcuruto (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)

Matthew Finn (Guelph Storm)

Olli Maatta (London Knights)

Adam Pelech (Erie Otters)

Derrick Pouliot (Portland Winterhawks)

Griffin Reinhart (Edmonton Oil Kings)



Forwards:

Andreas Athanasiou (London Knights)

Francis Beauvillier (Rimouski Oceanic)

Raphael Bussieres (Baie-Comeau Drakkar)

Radek Faksa (Kitchener Rangers)

Mikhail Grigorenko (Quebec Remparts)

Tomas Hyka (Gatineau Olympiques)

Scott Kosmachuk (Guelph Storm)

Matia Marcantuoni (Kitchener Rangers)

Tanner Pearson (Barrie Colts)

Colton Sissons (Kelowna Rockets)

Chandler Stephenson (Regina Pats)

Lukas Sutter (Saskatoon Blades)



Team Cherry (Red):



Goaltenders:

Matthew Murray (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)

Brandon Whitney (Victoriaville Tigres)



Defencemen:

Cody Ceci (Ottawa 67’s)

Mathew Dumba (Red Deer Rebels)

Nick Ebert (Windsor Spitfires)

Slater Koekkoek (Peterborough Petes)

Ryan Murray (Everett Silvertips)

Damon Severson (Kelowna Rockets)



Forwards:

Martin Frk (Halifax Mooseheads)

Brendan Gaunce (Belleville Bulls)

Coda Gordon (Swift Current Broncos)

Charles Hudon (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)

Scott Laughton (Oshawa Generals)

Jarrod Maidens (Owen Sound Attack)

Andrew Ryan (Halifax Mooseheads)

Gemel Smith (Owen Sound Attack)

Dominik Volek (Regina Pats)

Thomas Wilson (Plymouth Whalers)

Nail Yakupov (Sarnia Sting)

Daniil Zharkov (Belleville Bulls)


Source: Canadian Hockey League