Well, it looks like the OHL’s London Knights will have a second representative at the Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game as Liam Foudy was named a replacement for Vancouver Giants’ Milos Roman who will miss the game due to injury.
While Knights’ captain Evan Bouchard will be an alternate captain for Team Cherry, Foudy will be sporting another jersey as he will suit up for Team Orr (coached by Eric Lindros).
The announcement came down on Friday, January 19, prior to the Knights taking on the Niagara IceDogs in London. Foudy, a 17-year-old Scarborough, Ontario, native, saw a lot of ice time following the announcement – adding a goal in a Knights winning effort.
The Other Milos
The game will lack the skill of 18-year-old Roman – projected to go somewhere in the second round of the upcoming NHL Draft – but the Slovak will still be recognized as one of the top 40 prospects from the CHL going into the selection process.
In his first year with the Vancouver Giants, Roman has eight goals and 29 points in 34 games. He’s tied for fifth in WHL rookie scoring and sits just 10 points back for Dylan Cozens for the lead – having played six fewer games.
Roman also represented his country at the U20 World Junior Championships in December where he had two goals in five games for Slovakia.
Some Foudy for Thought
Entering the game, is Foudy who has taken on more responsibility with the Knights since their big moves at the trade deadline when they shipped out four of their top players.
So what will he bring to the Top Prospects Game?
“I’m going to look to bring my speed and some grit to the game,” said the 17-year-old following the win over Niagara. “It obviously means a lot to me. It gives me a lot of confidence and it shows that I’m one of the better players in this draft class which means a lot.”
Foudy was taken 18th overall by the Knights in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection and is playing in his second season with London. He had just 15 points in 58 games during his rookie season in 2016-17, but has stepped up his play with the Knights’ recent moves.
In 43 games this season, he has eight goals and 13 points – both closing in on career highs for the young forward.
Foudy was given a ‘B’ rating by the NHL’s Central Scouting in November and could use this game as an opportunity to showcase his skills further for the scouts.
As for Foudy, he’s going to listen to the advice of players who’ve already gone through the process of the NHL Draft.
“They said play your game. Don’t think about the extra stuff so much, just go out there and do what you’ve done your whole life which is play hockey and have fun,” he said.
As for the actual Top Prospects Game, it goes January 25 in Guelph when Team Orr will take to the ice against Team Cherry for the 23rd annual event.