The Canadian Hockey League is getting set to send their best NHL Draft eligible players to do battle with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in the CHL USA Prospects Challenge.
This event is a two-game series set to be held on Nov. 25 and 26 and hosted by the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes, respectively.
Led by top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Casey Mutryn, the U.S. National Under-18 Team is a squad that plays together all season in the United States Hockey League and the vast majority of the team represents the United States at the IIHF U18 World Championship in April.
The CHL team will be made up of players from across the major junior teams in Canada. To help select the squad, NHL Central Scouting polls the 32 NHL teams about which prospects they would like to see and using that information, CHL management, and a coaching staff led by Willie Desjardins of the Medicine Hat Tigers will select the team.
As part of this process, Vancouver Giants defenceman Ryan Lin, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada blueliner Xavier Villeneuve, and Niagara IceDogs forward Ryan Roobroeck have already cemented their spots on Team CHL
With the rest of the team still undecided, TSN’s Director of Scouting Craig Button took a crack at what he believes the CHL roster should look like.
Like Team USA, Button’s roster has a bunch of players who have played with each other before on the international scene.
Eleven players on Button’s CHL team played for Canada’s bronze medal squad at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. His team also features seven players that helped Canada to a gold medal at the 2025 Under-18 World Hockey Championship in May.
The forward group is highlighted by Ethan Belchetz of the Windsor Spitfires, Mathis Preston of the Spokane Chiefs, to go along with Roobroeck.
Belchetz has been one of the premier scorers in the Ontario Hockey League this season, recording 12 goals and 19 points through 15 games. He has helped the Spitfires to a league-best 12-2-2 record to begin the season.
The 6-foot-5 winger had 17 goals and 38 points in his rookie season last year and registered four goals and seven points in a third-place finish at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
“Ethan’s a hell of a player,” said Button. “He just knows how to play the game, and I think he’s just tapping into his potential. He’s always had the ability, he can skate, and he can handle the puck, but he’s still learning and is just growing into more of a force.”
Belchetz was listed at No. 6 on TSN’s pre-season draft rankings while Button ranked him at No. 8 on his first list of the season.
Preston was a key factor for Spokane in their run to the Western Hockey League Championship Series last season.
The 5-foot-11 forward had 23 goals and 45 points in 54 games during his rookie year, but exploded for nine goals and 16 points in the playoffs as the Chiefs won the Western Conference.
The Penticton, B.C. native registered four goals and seven points in Canada’s bronze medal performance at the Hlinka Gretzky and put up six goals and 12 points in 13 games in the WHL this season.
Preston was the CHL’s highest ranked player on Button’s list at No. 6 and was listed at No. 13 in TSN’s pre-season rankings.
Button believes his CHL defensive corps is strong and highlighted Carson Carels of the Prince George Cougars, Daxon Rudolph of the Prince Albert Raiders, and Chase Reid of the Soo Greyhounds, to go along with Lin and Villeneuve.
Lin had chemistry with Carels at the Under-18 World Hockey Championship and Button sees his game similar to Seattle Kraken defenceman Brandon Montour.
“Ryan is a good, smart player who plays the game with initiative,” said Button. “I think he found out that his game doesn’t have to be just offence, it can include defence and he did a really good job at the U18s. I think he’s a lot like Montour with his calling card being his mind.”
Lin is leading all WHL defencemen this season with three goals and 19 points in 15 games.
Button also had high praise for Villeneuve, who he compares to 2025 Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson.
Villeneuve enters Monday’s action third in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League in scoring with four goals and 22 points leading his team to the second-best record in the league at 9-3-2.
He also had 12 goals and 50 points last year, leading him to be named the QMJHL Defenceman of the Year.
The 5-foot-11 left-shot defenceman registered four goals and eight points at the Under-18 World Hockey Championship in a gold-medal performance.
“He has a brilliant mind, ” said Button. “He’s got a solid game just like Hutson and he’s deceptive. He’s got a confidence where he’ll play right to the edge of the crease offensively. Villeneuve processes the game so quickly and he makes that puck dance.”
Button has Lin and Villeneuve ranked at No. 11 and 25, respectively, while Lin was also listed at No. 7 on TSN’s pre-season rankings.
In net, Button turned to Kingston Frontenacs goaltender Gavin Betts. The 5-foot-11 netminder has a 4-4-1 record in his rookie season with a 2.98 goals-against average and .899 save percentage.
The Toronto native started in net for the majority of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup for Canada, going 3-0-1 with a 1.44 GAA and .942 save percentage. His only loss was a 4-3 shootout loss to the United States in the semifinals.
“Gavin is what I would call a really good, smart, and steady goaltender,” said Button. “There’s not an obvious Canadian goaltender [this year] but he’s a good solid goaltender.”
Last year, there was only one non-Canadian as part of Team CHL in Blake Fiddler. This year Button has six players who don’t represent Canada on the international stage, including WHL-leading scorer JP Hurlbert, who played within the USA National Team Development Program last year.
Hurlbert has 11 goals and 28 points in 13 games with the Kamloops Blazers this season and registered 19 goals and 37 points with the U.S. National Under-17 Team last year.
If Hurlbert is selected to Team CHL, he could potentially be playing against his teammates from last season.
“You don’t come into the [WHL] at 17-year-old and lead the league in scoring by accident,” said Button. “Hurlbert has been just a well-rounded player. He’s shifty, smart, he knows how to get open in and around the net, and he knows how to take advantage of his chances.”
Other non-Canadians on Button’s roster includes Czechia’s Adam Novotny, Switzerland’s Lars Steiner, Russia’s Egor Shilov, and Americans Nikita Klepov and Chase Reid.
Button’s full Team CHL Roster:
Goaltenders:
Gavin Betts – Kingston Frontenacs
Zach Jovanovski – Guelph Storm
William Lacelle – Rimouski Oceanic
Defence:
Xavier Villeneuve – Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
Ryan Lin – Vancouver Giants
Carson Carels – Prince George Cougars
Daxon Rudolph – Prince Albert Raiders
Chase Reid – Soo Greyhounds
Giorgos Pantelas – Brandon Wheat Kings
Charlie Morrison – Quebec Remparts
Forwards:
Ethan Belchetz – Windsor Spitfires
Ryan Roobroeck – Niagara IceDogs
Adam Novotny – Peterborough Petes
Beckham Edwards – Sarnia Sting
Nikita Klepov – Saginaw Spirit
Caleb Malhotra – Brantford Bulldogs
Mathis Preston – Spokane Chiefs
Egor Shilov – Victoriaville Tigres
J.P. Hurlbert – Kamloops Blazers
Lars Steiner – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Colin Fitzgerald – Peterborough Petes
Alessandro Di Iorio (injured) – Sarnia Sting
Liam Ruck – Medicine Hat Tigers
Thomas Vandenberg – Ottawa 67’s
