The CHL roster includes four American-born players, including A-rated right wing Nikita Klepov (Windsor, OHL; Deerfield Beach, Florida), who won gold at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The other U.S.-born players skating for Team CHL are B-rated goalie Harrison Boettiger (Kelowna, WHL; Wheat Ridge, Colorado), A-rated defenseman Chase Reid (Sault Ste. Marie, OHL; Chesterfield, Michigan), and A-rated forward J.P. Hurlbert (Kamloops, WHL; Allen, Texas).
“I’m excited to meet the U.S. guys playing for Team CHL,” Lin said. “I’m hoping they want to win this game as bad as all the Canadians do, and I know they will. It’s the CHL, so we want to show that we’re the better league. I’m excited to meet all those Americans and the European guys, too.”
The NTDP U-18 team has one player listed as an A skater on Central Scouting’s preliminary players to watch list: defenseman Luke Schairer (6-3, 195). Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, the right-handed shot has five assists in 21 games this season. He’s committed to BU in 2026-27.
“Luke skates really well and moves the puck very effectively, but I’d like him to do that more consistently,” Central Scouting associate director David Gregory said. “I think he has all the tools because he skates well, he’s strong and can move the puck in transition.”
Victor Plante (5-9, 163), who leads the NTDP with 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) and four power-play goals in 21 games, enters the event as one of seven B-rated U-18 players, or a potential second- or third-round pick. He’s committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
The format of the games will see teams earn two points for a win and none for a loss, regardless of whether a game ends in regulation, overtime or a shootout. If a game is tied after regulation, teams will play a five-minute 3-on-3 overtime period, followed by a three-round shootout if necessary. If either game is still tied after three players have shot for each team, the shootout will continue in a sudden-death fashion using different players until a team wins the game.
If, after the completion of the second game of the series, the teams are tied at two points each, the teams will play a 3-on-3 20-minute period(s) until a goal is scored to determine the winner of the series.
Team CHL won the inaugural CHL USA Prospects Challenge last season, sweeping the two-game series after a 6-1 win in London, Ontario, and 3-2 victory in Oshawa, Ontario.
