LONDON, Ontario – After years of handwringing over whether or not Top Prospects games matter, the Canadian Hockey League and USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program are delivering a unique opportunity to add a heavy dose of competitiveness to the concept.

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Tuesday night will mark the first ever CHL-USA Prospects Challenge game, which will be the first of two this season. The opening contest in London will pit top Canadian (and one American) draft-eligible players from the CHL against the U.S. National Under-18 Team from the National Team Development Program.

The players are treating this like far more than an NHL Draft showcase. 

“Obviously it’s kind of like a Canada-U.S. rivalry game, so you always get up for those games,” said Porter Martone, captain of Team CHL and a candidate to be the top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. “It should be a very high-paced game and I think we just want to go out there and prove to everyone how good the CHL is and we want to go win those games."

The game won’t get anyone points in the standings, but there is a competitive series element to this contest. On top of that, there’s a lot of pride on the line on both sides.

"It’s something that’s been circled on our calendar since it was announced in the summer," said Team USA forward Cole McKinney. "It’s super exciting for all of us. From our time playing together [at the NTDP], I think it really prepares us for this."

Here's what else you need to know about the matchup.

CHL USA Prospects Challenge Rosters

• Team USA led by Will Moore, Charlie Trethewey
• Team CHL led by Porter Martone, Michael Misa

CHL USA Prospects Challenge Schedule

Game 1: Tuesday, Nov. 26 at Canada Life Place, London, Ont., 7 p.m. ET

Game 2: Wednesday, Nov. 27 at Tribute Communities Centre, Oshawa, Ont., 7 p.m. ET

CHL USA Prospects Challenge Format

The two-game series will start in London Tuesday night before shifting to Oshawa on Wednesday.

A winner of the challenge will be declared based on a round-robin format. Each win is worth two points, regardless of if it goes to a shootout or overtime. Two points for a win, zero points for a loss. 

Should the teams split the series, a 20-minute 3-on-3 overtime period will be played until a goal is scored to declare a winner. And let’s be honest, that’s what everyone is secretly rooting for.

How Will The CHL-USA Series Shake Out?

Team CHL has a clear talent advantage with 15 players boasting an “A” rating from NHL Central Scouting, which projects those players to be first-round draft picks. It was 14 players, but Everett Silvertips forward Carter Bear just got bumped up to an A before the event.

The CHL squad also has a number of late-birthdate 2006-born players who remain draft eligible this year led by the likes of Martone and Malcolm Spence. Even though the age differences can be a matter of months in some cases, these players are a year ahead in their hockey development, which is advantageous to be sure.

Team USA, conversely, has two A-rated players and all players are 2007-born. The advantage the U.S. squad has is that, save for two players, they’ve been with each other for the better part of two years and have familiarity and chemistry on their side.

Talking to scouts around the event, they believe the talent will win out, but there’s certainly some motivation from the NTDP squad to prove themselves.

It creates a unique dynamic in a showcase tournament where there are some real stakes for both sides.

That said, I’ve been watching a lot of these players and also was able to catch Team CHL’s practice yesterday. They’ll be trotting out a line that features Porter Martone, CHL Exceptional Status player Michael Misa and Caleb Desnoyers, each of whom could be top-10 picks in the next NHL Draft. 

CHL will also have a decisive advantage in goal, as Prince George’s Joshua Ravensbergen will get the nod in Game 1, with Brampton Steelheads netminder Jack Ivankovic getting the net in Game 2. Both are going to be draft picks with Ravensbergen very likely going in the first round. 

The CHL blue line will also have some big-time prospects led by Matthew Schaefer who is starting to get some buzz as a serious challenger to be the No. 1 overall pick. Also among CHL blueliners is American Blake Fiddler, who is a dual citizen but stated that he intends to play for the U.S. internationally if given the chance.

USA’s counterattack will need a lot from top-rated player Will Moore, who was raised in Canada by his American father and Brazilian mother. He was a top player in Ontario as a youngster and now gets a chance to come back in a unique setting. Additionally, Moore was drafted by the London Knights two years ago, but says he remains committed to the NTDP and heading to Boston College next year. Still, an interesting place for him to compete eith Game 1 in the Knights’ home arena.

The Americans will also expect big things out of defenseman Charlie Trethewey, who is a projected first-rounder that can provide offense from the back end. Additionally, Team USA brought in two players from USHL teams in Ben Kevan (Des Moines Buccaneers) and Matthew Lansing (Waterloo Black Hawks) to help fill some holes left by injury.

Team USA's depth is where there may be some concerns as this has been a bit of a weaker year for the NTDP. The U18s have struggled in games against USHL and NCAA opponents this year, but did just have a more successful showing at a recent U18 Five Nations Cup that should give them some confidence heading into this series.

As big of a gap in talent as there may be between the two rosters, there's plenty of ways for the Americans to try to even things up with how they play. It should be a fascinating couple of days.

Why The CHL USA Prospects Challenge Matters

It’s not just that these games are important for the players, because they are. Another part of what makes this game special is that there’s a collaboration between the CHL and USA Hockey. These are programs that had long been at odds with each other, competing for players in recruiting battles and also the CHL is such an important part of Hockey Canada’s umbrella, which is a rivalry on its own on the ice.

This agreement predated the recent ruling that the NCAA was going to allow CHL players to retain eligibility to compete in men’s Division I college hockey. That is going to create a lot of change in the landscape going forward.

That said, cooperation and collaboration may be the path towards smoothing some of the rockiness that is expected to come from the NCAA’s decision.  

It has been one of the biggest topics here in London as everyone on both sides still don’t quite know how everything will shake out. There will be some battles for players still, there will also probably be some tension at times as well.

That said, the NHL’s developmental ecosystem is incredibly important for the health of the future of the game. More events like these that are done in cooperation, especially ones that benefit the players, are going to make a difference in bridging some of the gaps that are sure to exist in the coming years across the U.S.-Canadian border when it comes to player movement and development.

If nothing else, this is a good first step.

CHL USA Prospects Challenge Interviews

• Porter Martone, Brampton Steelheads
• Matthew Schaefer, Erie Otters
• Blake Fiddler, Edmonton Oil Kings
• Michal Misa, Saginaw Spirit
• Will Moore, Team USA
• Cole McKinney, Team USA (coming soon)
• Charlie Trethewey, Team USA (coming soon)
• Ben Kevan, Des Moines Buccaneers (coming soon)

How To Watch The CHL USA Prospects Challenge Games

In Canada, TSN will broadcast both games across its family of networks. RDS will also carry the games in French.

In the United States, NHL Network is set to broadcast both games.

CHLTV will also be streaming both games.

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