The first-ever CHL/USA Prospects Challenge is just around the corner, and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) has announced the roster for the two-game challenge. There are 22 players on the CHL roster, headlined by some big-name players who are in their draft year. So, who are a few names for fans to watch?
C/W Carter Bear – Everett Silvertips (Western Hockey League)
While listed as both a winger and centreman, Carter Bear has played more at the wing spot this season for the Everett Silvertips. He does possess the skillset and play to handle either position and has been able to do so well when asked to by his coaching staff. What has stood out about Bear’s play this season has been his playmaking abilities. Not only does he have high-level puck-handling skills, but he also pairs that with speed that allows him to get himself and his teammates into position in the offensive zone. His all-around play on offence has made him a lethal threat on the powerplay this season, with a third of his goals coming on the man advantage (three of his nine goals have been powerplay goals).
Speaking of his all-around game, Bear possesses the same drive and motor on the defensive side of the puck as well. He has been more than reliable in his end of the ice, helping him further bounce back and forth from the wing and center positions. He has played both on the powerplay and the penalty kill, scoring one shorthanded goal on the young season (11 games played). After earning a B-grade from NHL Central Scouting (second-round grade) in the Preliminary Watch List for the 2025 Draft, Bear could easily find himself earning an A-grade come the end of the season.
RW Justin Carbonneau – Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League)
Justin Carbonneau is a big forward who stands at 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds and plays more of a power forward style of game. However, he is not the typical power forward who can use his size to his advantage (he’s not necessarily known as a physical player); he can also beat opponents with his speed. Carbonneau has the skill set to go along with his size, which helps him create time and space in the offensive zone to slow the play down and give himself a chance to find a teammate for a scoring opportunity. His size and skating ability are at a high level as well.
Carbonneau has been viewed as a “shoot first” type of forward with a top-notch shot in his arsenal, but his playmaking has truly stood out this season so far for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Along with his shot and skating, he also possesses high hockey IQ and vision with the puck on his stick. This has helped him tally 16 points (11 games played) while not registering a powerplay goal after tallying 12 last season. Even with earning an A-grade from NHL Central Scouting, if he can get even more involved offensively, particularly on the powerplay, Carbonneau could continue to boost his draft stock.
RW Porter Martone – Brampton Steelheads (Ontario Hockey League)
Another physically gifted player in the Prospect Challenge, Porter Martone, uses his body more in the physical part of the game. He has stated that he models his game after Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and truly plays like it. He is a non-stop pest for his opponents. Whether it is on a forecheck where he causes defencemen to look over their shoulder and have to anticipate a hit or when he does have the puck on his stick and can generate offense, he does resemble the Tkachuk brothers in many ways.
When it comes to his offensive game, Martone possesses the hockey IQ and skills to be a goal-scorer and a true playmaker. This has shown through on the man advantage, as he has chipped in strictly in the assist column of the box score. He does have a shot to be able to take over a game but has shown a strong willingness to be a playmaker instead and that balances his offensive game. The ability to take over a game was evident when he met up with fellow Team CHL teammate Michael Misa and the Saginaw Spirit on Oct. 19. Only five goals were scored between the two teams, and four came from Martone and Misa (two goals apiece). A projected top-three pick in the 2025 Draft, he will be someone who has plenty of eyes on him not only in the two games of the challenge but also the rest of the season.
C Michael Misa – Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Since being granted exceptional player status before the 2022-23 season, Michael Misa has had a lot of eyes throughout the hockey world watching him. After two solid seasons to start his junior career (including a Memorial Cup victory in 2024), he has been tasked with carrying more of the offensive load this season due to players graduating from the junior ranks (Owen Beck, Matyas Sapovaliv, among others). He has done this more than admirably. Like Martone, Misa has the skillset to take over a game instantly and has done just that so far. There is not a game where he has not been a difference-maker in all three zones of the ice. Through 11 games, he has tallied at least one point in each game and sits second behind Los Angeles Kings 2024 first-round pick Liam Greentree in points in the OHL.
Related: 2025 NHL Draft Rankings – Horn’s Early Top 50
Misa showed a willingness to get involved physically in the past two seasons but seems to be taking it to another level after showing up for the season looking a bit stouter and more filled in frame-wise. This has helped him immensely on the forecheck and plays in the dirty areas of the ice. He has shown he can play in all situations and has been one of the Spirit’s best players in all three aspects of the game (five-on-five, powerplay, and penalty kill). The shot he possesses has the chance to be elite, as well as his playmaking. After not playing in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer, thanks in part to a long season with the Spirit, this will be the first time this season that he will be highlighted on more of a bigger stage. If he can continue how he has played to begin the season, he could easily challenge for a top-three spot in the 2025 Draft.
RW Cameron Schmidt – Vancouver Giants (WHL)
Easily the smallest player on the ice on any given night (5-foot-7), Cameron Schmidt is anything but a small player. He has been one of the strongest players to start the season in the WHL, leading the league in points (19 points in 11 games). After a standout Hlinka Gretzky Cup (four points in the tournament), he has translated his strong offensive game into his time with the Vancouver Giants and has been purely dominant with the puck on his stick. His biggest asset as a smaller player is his speed, which leaves defencemen on their heels as he is coming towards them. Once he beats the defenceman, Schmidt has a shot-first mentality that includes an elite-level shot. But while he has that shoot-first mentality, he does have strong playmaking abilities, including great vision of the ice when he has the puck.
Cameron Schmidt opens the scoring with his 12th of the season 👨🍳
— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) October 20, 2024
1:32 | 1st@TheWHL pic.twitter.com/QL1J9GKHjI
Even with being the smallest guy on the ice, Schmidt will surely be a player to watch not only in the two-game challenge but also as the season progresses and we get near the draft. Earning a B-grade from NHL Central Scouting might motivate him to prove people wrong and that he deserves an A-grade.
Prospects Challenge Will Be a Show
The five mentioned above are just a few of the players who will be watched carefully at the challenge. Players like Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters (OHL), Blake Fiddler of the Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), and others will be looking to put their stamp on the first-ever CHL/USA Prospects Challenge as well. With Steven Stamkos, Shane Wright, and Taylor Hall playing in previous editions of CHL-related prospect challenges, it very well could be the first step for many players participating this year. The two-game challenge will certainly be a spectacle.