The Canadian Hockey League’s team will have more of an international flare when they take on the U.S. National Under-18 Team at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge this week in Calgary and Lethbridge, Alta.
In the inaugural event last season, American defenceman Blake Fiddler was the only player on Team CHL who didn’t represent Canada on the international stage.
This year’s edition will have seven non-Canadians representing the CHL which includes five players from the United States, one from Czechia, and another from Russia.
Watch the games LIVE Tuesday and Wednesday, with Game 1 at 8pm ET/5pm PT on TSN3 and Game 2 at the same time airing on TSN1.
For goaltender Harrison Boettiger and forward JP Hurlbert, it will be even more of a unique situation because they will be facing members their former organization in the United States National Team Development Program.
Boettiger, 17, was a member of the U.S. National Under-18 Team last year and represented the United States at the prospects challenge in the second game of the series.
The 6-foot-3 netminder allowed three goals on 38 shots as Team CHL beat the United States 3-2 in that game to sweep the two-game set.
Now a member of the Kelowna Rockets, Boettiger looks to get on the winning side in this year’s prospects challenge.
“I’m really excited to be a part of it again,” Boettiger told TSN.ca? leading up to the event. “Last year was the most competitive hockey games I’ve ever been in, and it was an honour to play in it.
“This year will be really cool because I got to know a lot of those guys last year and I have some good buddies on that team. So, it’s going to be really fun to play against some good friends and coaches.”
For Hurlbert, he will see a lot of familiar faces as he was a member of the U.S. National Under-17 Team last season, and he’ll be taking on a leadership role on Team CHL after he was named one of the alternate captains.
The 6-foot winger recorded 19 goals and 37 points in 56 games with the Under-17 team last season and this year he leads the Western Hockey League in scoring with 18 goals and 44 points in 25 games as a member of the Kamloops Blazers.
“I’m excited to be playing in these games,” said Hurlbert. “I have a lot of friends there and a lot of memories on that team, so I’m just going to enjoy it. I’m excited to see the guys, hear a laugh or two, but once the game comes, it’s about playing with the guys you’re with, enjoying the experience and looking for a win.
“I’m just excited to represent the CHL and I’m going there for two wins.”
The decision for both players to leave the USNTDP was not an easy one, but it became more accessible when the NCAA made a rule change to make former CHL players eligible to play in the college ranks last year.
Hurlbert was drafted 20th overall by the Blazers in the 2023 WHL Draft and made the decision to join the WHL in order to prepare for the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Allen, Texas, native also committed to the University of Michigan next season.
“The opportunity in Kamloops was [really enticing]” said Hurlbert. “[Head coach] Shawn Clouston, his staff, and the team were heading in a great trajectory. I have dreams of playing in the NHL, so Kamloops was a great fit for me and the league is such a great spot to play.
Kamloops had a down season in 2024-25, finishing in fourth place in the B.C. Division with a 24-39-5 record.
The addition of Hurlbert along with the continued development of players like Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nathan Behm and Edmonton Oilers draft pick Tommy Lafreniere has helped lift the team to fifth in the Western Conference with a 11-10-4 record
“We’re a really confident group, and we believe we can achieve big things this year,” said Hurlbert. “It’s obviously a long season, there’s bumps in the road and nobody expects it to be a straight line. We’re a really hard-working group that believes in each other and what we can accomplish.
“Our main goal is to make a run and focus on a WHL championship.”
Boettiger was drafted fourth overall in the 2022 WHL U.S. Priority Draft by the Lethbridge Hurricanes and his rights were dealt to Kelowna as part of a package that sent Seattle Kraken prospect Caden Price the other way last season.
The Wheat Ridge, Col., native is a key piece to the Rockets this season as they are preparing to host the Memorial Cup.
The 17-year-old says he’s adjusted well after moving to Canada and really appreciates what the CHL does to develop prospects as he gets set for the NHL Draft in June.
“The schedule and development in the CHL are unreal,” Boettiger said about his reasoning to join the Rockets. The [NCAA] rule change is something big for players like me because if we want to play in college, we have a whole new path and option. Playing in a really good league with a lot of good players and teams [helps my development].”
Boettiger has committed to play at the University of Denver next season, but his eyes are still focused on Kelowna and making sure they’re ready to compete in the WHL playoffs and the Memorial Cup.
The Rockets sit in seventh place in the Western Conference with a 9-7-4 record and Boettiger has gone 5-2-2 with a .921 save percentage and 2.37 goals-against average this year.
Along with Boettiger, the Rockets also brought in Montreal Canadiens prospect Hayden Paupanekis, San Jose Sharks draft pick Carson Wetsch, and Los Angeles Kings prospect Will Sharpe prior to the CHL trade deadline last season and acquired two more veteran presences in defenceman Peyton Kettles and forward Tomas Poletin this season.
Combined with core players like Tij Iginla and Hiroki Gojsic, Kelowna is not satisfied with just hosting the Memorial Cup.
“I think we’ve got one of the most talented teams in the league,” said Boettiger. “We had kind of a slow start, but there are growing pains with a lot of new players. As the season gets going, I think we’re going to start taking a lot more wins.
“We obviously know, no matter what we do this season, we’ll be [at the Memorial Cup]. But I think a big part of our motivation is just showing everybody that we’ve earned it and deserve to be there. We’re going to be a really good team and have a really good chance, if not the best chance, to win it.”
