Yakemchuk, projected 1st-round pick in 2024 Draft, set for CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

MONCTON, New Brunswick -- Carter Yakemchuk is one of 20 players projected to be chosen in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft who will participate in the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at Avenir Centre on Wednesday (6:30 p.m. ET; TSN, RDS, NHLN).

Yakemchuk (6-foot-3, 190 pounds), a right-shot defenseman with Calgary of the Western Hockey League, is No. 6 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters. The 18-year-old leads WHL defensemen with 18 goals and is sixth with 42 points in 40 games.

"He's got some very good qualities to be a very good NHL defenseman," Central Scouting's John Williams said. "He's got good size and reach to go with an excellent puck game. He's very good at reading the play inside the offensive zone, pinches down very well and has the skill and shot to score in a number of ways."

The game will include 19 players from the Ontario Hockey League, 15 from the WHL and six from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

The first round of the NHL draft will be June 28 and Rounds 2-7 on June 29. The NHL Draft Lottery to determine the first 16 picks will be held in April.

"The 2024 CHL Top Prospects Game will showcase some very talented draft-eligible prospects who will be able to display their skills and attributes to scouts and fans alike," NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. "The 2024 CHL draft class has a lot of depth for the first couple rounds and at this point of the season, the player rankings remain a work in progress. The Top Prospects Game will afford some players the unique opportunity to improve their standing by having a strong game."

In addition to Yakemchuk, the highest-rated skater, there are 18 others among the top 32 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters looking to make an impact: Defenseman Sam Dickinson (No. 7) of London (OHL); center Berkly Catton (No. 9) of Spokane (WHL); defenseman Zayne Parekh (No. 10) of Saginaw (OHL); center Tij Iginla (No. 11) of Kelowna (WHL); right wing Liam Greentree (No. 12) of Windsor (OHL); center Adam Jecho (No. 13) of Edmonton (WHL); right wing Terik Parascak (No. 14) of Prince George (WHL); right wing Beckett Sennecke (No. 15) of Oshawa (OHL); left wing Andrew Basha (No. 18) of Medicine Hat (WHL); center Jett Luchanko (No. 21) of Guelph (OHL); right wing Maxime Masse (No. 23) of Chicoutimi (QMJHL); defenseman Colton Roberts (No. 24) of Vancouver (WHL); left wing Marek Vanacker (No. 25) of Brantford (OHL); defenseman Henry Mews (No. 27) of Ottawa (OHL); defenseman Charlie Elick (No. 28) of Brandon (WHL); left wing Tanner Howe (No. 29) of Regina (WHL); center Cole Beaudoin (No. 31) of Barrie (OHL); and defenseman Ben Danford (No. 32) of Oshawa (OHL).

Forwards Cayden Lindstrom (No. 3) of Medicine Hat (WHL), Ryder Ritchie (No. 16) of Prince Albert (WHL) and forward Maximilian Curran (No. 26) of Tri-City (WHL) were each invited but are unable to play because of injury.

Carter George of Owen Sound (OHL) is No. 1 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American goalies and will play for Team White. Ryerson Leenders of Mississauga (OHL) is No. 3 and will play for Team Red.

Since its reintroduction as the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in 1996, the event has featured 16 players who were later selected No. 1 in the NHL Draft, including Connor Bedard (2023), Alexis Lafreniere (2020), Nico Hischier (2017), Connor McDavid (2015), Aaron Ekblad (2014) and Nathan MacKinnon (2013).

Coaching the teams will be Daniel Lacroix (Red), head coach of Moncton (QMJHL), and Jim Hulton (White), head coach of Charlottetown (QMJHL). The honorary coaches are former Saint John (QMJHL) and NHL head coach Gerard Gallant (Red), and Mike Kelly (White), who has more than 30 years of coaching experience in the NHL, American Hockey League, and CHL.

The players competing in the game were chosen by the 32 NHL teams in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting.

2024 CHL/NHL TOP PROSPECTS GAME

Team Red

GOALIES: Ryerson Leenders, Mississauga (OHL); Lukas Matecha, Tri-City (WHL)

DEFENSEMEN: Harrison Brunicke, Kamloops (WHL); Ben Danford, Oshawa (OHL); Sam Dickinson, London (OHL); Charlie Elick, Brandon (WHL); Zayne Parekh, Saginaw (OHL); Colton Roberts, Vancouver (WHL)

FORWARDS: Andrew Basha, Medicine Hat (WHL); Cole Beaudoin, Barrie (OHL); Raoul Boilard, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL); Tanner Howe, Regina (WHL); Adam Jecho, Edmonton (WHL); Ollie Josephson, Red Deer (WHL); ^Cayden Lindstrom, Medicine Hat (WHL); Eriks Mateiko, Saint John (QMJHL); Maxim Masse, Chicoutimi (QMJHL); Julius Miettinen, Everett (WHL); Ethan Procyszyn, North Bay (OHL); ^Ryder Ritchie, Prince Albert (WHL); Marek Vanacker, Brantford (OHL); Nathan Villeneuve, Sudbury (OHL)

Team White

GOALIES: Carter George, Owen Sound (OHL); Dawson Cowan, Spokane (WHL)

DEFENSEMEN: Lukas Fischer, Sarnia (OHL); Spencer Gill, Rimouski (QMJHL); Tomas Lavoie, Cape Breton (QMJHL); Luca Marrelli, Oshawa (OHL); Henry Mews, Ottawa (OHL); Carter Yakemchuk, Calgary (WHL)

FORWARDS: Alexandre Blais, Rmouski (QMJHL); Berkly Catton, Spokane (WHL); ^Maximilian Curran, Tri-City (WHL); Gabrial Frasca, Kingston (OHL); Liam Greentree, Windsor (OHL); Tij Iginla, Kelowna (WHL); Jett Luchanko, Guelph (OHL); Luke Misa, Mississauga (OHL); Sam O'Reilly, London (OHL); Terik Parascak, Prince George (WHL); Beckett Sennecke, Oshawa (OHL); Kieron Walton, Sudbury (OHL); Carson Wetsch, Calgary (WHL)

^ - Denotes player was invited but cannot play because of injury