Hockey is finally just around the corner.
Now that the calendar has turned to September, we can get excited about the start of training camps all around the league. Before that gets going though, various rookie tournaments will take center stage.
Starting on September 11th, and continuing through September 15th, 23 teams will take part in different prospects tournaments, while another four teams will play in rookie games. As of this writing, the only three teams not scheduled to take part in games or tournaments are the Islanders, Flyers and Avalanche.
So when and where is your team playing? Which prospects were invited to play? What is the setup of the tournaments? Will the games be televised anywhere? This guide will help you answer those questions and more.
Traverse City Tournament
Where: Centre Ice Arena, Traverse City, Michigan.
Host Team: Detroit Red Wings
When: September 11-September 15
Background: This is the 17th season that Traverse City has hosted this tournament. Almost 500 NHL players have played in this tournament, with more than 80,000 games of experience. This season, the Red Wings are honoring the late Matthew Wuest, the creator of Cap Geek, by renaming the tournament trophy the Matthew Wuest Memorial Cup. Wuest was an important part of the Red Wings organization. He developed and maintained RedWingsCentral.com, which was a comprehensive site dedicated to Red Wings prospects. He also provided statistical data on the players and teams that participated in this tournament before an online system was implemented. Wuest lost his battle with colon cancer in March 2015.
Tournament Setup: Eight teams are split into two divisions, with four teams in each division. The two divisions are the “Gordie Howe Division” and the “Ted Lindsey Division.” Teams will play against the teams in their own division. Then on the last day, teams will play against the team in the other division who finished with the same rank. The two division champions play each other in the finals with the winner becoming the tournament champion. Last season, the Columbus Blue Jackets won the tournament.
Teams/Rosters: (Click on the team to see their tournament roster)
Gordie Howe Division
Ted Lindsey Division
Schedule: (All times are Eastern)
September 11th
- New York Rangers vs. Minnesota Wild recap
- Columbus Blue Jackets vs. St. Louis Blues recap
- Dallas Stars vs. Chicago Blackhawks recap
- Detroit Red Wings vs. Carolina Hurricanes recap
September 12th
- Hurricanes vs. Stars recap
- Blackhawks vs. Red Wings recap
- Wild vs. Blue Jackets recap
- Rangers vs. Blues Recap
September 14th
- Blues vs. Wild Recap
- Blue Jackets vs. Rangers Recap
- Blackhawks vs. Hurricanes Recap
- Red Wings vs. Stars Recap
September 15th
- Blackhawks vs. Rangers Recap
- Stars vs. Wild Recap
- Blues vs. Hurricanes Recap
- Blue Jackets vs. Red Wings
Players To Watch
The Hurricanes will unfortunately not have Noah Hanifin with them, as he is recovering from an injury. They will have last year’s first rounder Haydn Fleury there. The Blackhawks will feature Ryan Hartman and Graham Knott. The Stars will have three first-round picks there in Radek Faksa, Jason Dickinson, and Julius Honka. The Red Wings will feature Anthony Mantha, Dylan Larkin, and this year’s first rounder in Evgeny Svechnikov. The defending champion Blue Jackets bring a loaded roster that will feature Kerby Rychel, Sonny Milano, and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Wild will feature newly signed free-agent Mike Reilly and former second-round pick Gustav Olofsson. The Blues will feature former first rounders Robby Fabbri and Jordan Schmaltz. The Rangers will have former first rounder Brady Skjei along with Traverse City native Brandon Halverson.
Under The Radar Names To Watch
- Carolina: Sergey Tolchinsky
- Chicago: Vincent Hinostroza
- Dallas: Stephen Johns
- Detroit: Tyler Bertuzzi
- Columbus: Dillon Heatherington
- Minnesota: Chase Lang
- St. Louis: Vince Dunn
- NY Rangers: Adam Tambellini
Are The Games Streamed?
Unfortunately, the games of this tournament aren’t generally streamed. Although there have been active discussions about changing this, the setup is such that streaming is difficult to pull-off. However, the Rangers did stream their games from this tournament in 2013. So ultimately, the decision comes down to the individual teams as to if they will stream their games.
Something that might happen though is the use of periscope. Although this hasn’t been confirmed officially by any teams yet, sources have mentioned that if possible, teams might try to periscope the games for fans to watch. Stay tuned for any updates on this as it becomes available.
Buffalo Prospects Challenge
Where: First Niagara Center and HARBORCENTER, Buffalo, New York.
Host Team: Buffalo Sabres
When: September 12th-September 14th
Background: This is the inaugural Prospects Challenge. The Sabres took part in the Traverse City tournament for the last four seasons. They opted out this season to host this challenge. Harborcenter is a thing of beauty. It sits next to the arena, and is the centerpiece of hockey life in downtown Buffalo. This tournament gives them another chance to showcase their vibrant downtown.
Tournament Setup: Each team will play two games, one game against each opponent. It is a round-robin tournament. The champion is the team with the best record.
Teams/Rosters
Schedule (All times are Eastern)
- September 12th: Devils vs. Sabres Recap
- September 13th: Bruins vs. Devils Recap
- September 14th: Bruins vs. Sabres Recap
Players To Watch
As expected, this will be the first set of games for this year’s second overall pick Jack Eichel. He along with last year’s second pick Sam Reinhart will lead the Sabres in this tournament. The Devils will feature their first-round pick from this year Pavel Zacha. Memorial Cup winning goalie Ken Appleby will also play for the Devils in this round-robin. The Bruins will have all of their first-round picks from this season there, which include Jakub Zboril, Jake DeBrusk, and Zachary Senyshyn.
Under The Radar Names To Watch
- Boston: Jesse Gabrielle
- Buffalo: Nick Baptiste
- New Jersey: Connor Chatham
Are The Games Streamed?
The Sabres have indicated that as of now, streaming is not available. According to their social media team, it could change. It’s something they have looked into, but it’s not expected to happen this year. Like Traverse City, Periscope could be an option. Stay tuned for further updates from the Sabres if something does change.
London Rookie Tournament
Where: Budweiser Gardens, London, Ontario.
Host Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
When: September 11th-September 13th
Background: This is the third year in a row that this tournament has been hosted by London. London’s proximity to Toronto makes them a perfect candidate to host these games. Given that Montreal and Ottawa are in the tournament, it’s sure to make for some juicy games.
Tournament Setup: Each team will play each other once in a round-robin format. The team with the best record is the champion.
Teams/Rosters
Schedule (All times are Eastern)
September 11th
September 12th
September 13th
Players To Watch
The Maple Leafs will have four former first-round picks on their roster, including Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Kasperi Kapanen and Frederik Gauthier. Thomas Chabot and Matt Puempel, both former first-round picks, will lead the Senators. The Penguins roster includes three players that saw time in the NHL, including Derrick Pouliot, Bryan Rust, and Scott Wilson. The Canadiens will have goalie Zach Fucale there, along with this season’s first-round pick Noah Juulsen.
Under The Radar Names To Watch
- Montreal: Tim Bozon
- Ottawa: Tobias Lindberg
- Pittsburgh: Matthew Murray
- Toronto: Connor Brown
Are The Games Streamed?
We reached out to Leafs TV and they are checking into it. TSN 690 radio in Montreal tweeted that they will broadcast the Canadiens’ games during the tournament. If you have a smart phone, download the TSN GO app, and you’ll be able to pick the radio broadcast up. The Penguins will announce their broadcast plans in the near future.
Estero Rookie Tournament
Where: Germain Arena, Estero, Florida.
Host Team: Tampa Bay Lightning
When: September 12th-September 15th
Background: This is the first time that the Lightning have been a host of this kind of tournament. They’ve previously participated in Traverse City, as well as in Nashville and Coral Springs.
Tournament Setup: Teams will play each other once in a round-robin format. The team with the best record is the tournament champion.
Teams/Rosters
Schedule (All times are Eastern)
September 12th
September 13th
September 15th
Players To Watch
The Panthers will have a pair of first rounders in Lawson Crouse and Michael Matheson, as well as second rounder Rocco Grimaldi. The Predators will feature 2014 first-round pick Kevin Fiala as well as goaltender Juuse Saros. The Lightning will feature Slater Koekkoek, Anthony DeAngelo, and Adam Erne. The Capitals will have 2014 first rounder Jakub Vrana and this year’s second rounder Jonas Siegenthaler.
Under The Radar Names To Watch
- Florida: Connor Brickley
- Nashville: Jack Dougherty
- Tampa Bay: Adam Wilcox
- Washington: Connor Hobbs
Are The Games Streamed?
The Capitals will stream their games on both the Monumental Network and washingtoncapitals.com. If other teams announce anything, we will update you here.
2015 Young Stars Classic
Where: South Okanagan Events Center, Penticton, British Columbia
Host Team: Vancouver Canucks
When: September 11th-September 14th
Background: This is the fifth year of the Young Stars Classic. The event was also held in Penticton in 2014. This event helps celebrate the history of Penticton, while bringing NHL exposure to the area.
Tournament Setup: Teams will play each other once in a round-robin format. The team with the best record is the tournament champion.
Teams/Rosters
Schedule (All times are Eastern/Mountain)
September 11th
Players To Watch
The Flames will have three first-rounds picks with them, including Sam Bennett, Emile Poirier, and Morgan Klimchuk. The Oilers will have the top overall pick in this past draft in Connor McDavid, as well as previous first rounders in Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl. The Canucks will have four first rounders with them in Jake Virtanen, Jared McCann, Hunter Shinkaruk, and Brendan Gaunce. The Jets will feature two first rounders in Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey.
Under The Radar Names To Watch
- Calgary: Andrew Mangiapane
- Edmonton: Ethan Bear
- Vancouver: Cole Cassels
- Winnipeg: Andrew Copp
Are The Games Streamed?
The Oilers have announced that their games will be streamed on edmontonoilers.com. The Jets will have their games streamed on winnipegjets.com. They will also have their games heard live on TSN 1290 radio. The Flames will stream their games as well on calgaryflames.com.
California Rookie Games
Where: SAP Center, San Jose, California and Toyota Sports Center, El Segundo, California
Host Teams: San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings
When: San Jose – September 12th-13th. El Segundo – September 15th-16th
Setup: The Ducks and Sharks will play a two-game series as part of Sharks Fest. The Coyotes and Kings will also play a two-game series.
Teams/Rosters
Schedule (All times are Eastern/Pacific)
September 12th
September 13th
September 15th
Coyotes vs. Kings (9:00pm eastern/6:00pm pacific) at Toyota Sports Center
September 16th
Coyotes vs. Kings (5:00pm eastern/2:00pm pacific) at Toyota Sports Center
Players To Watch
The Ducks will feature former first rounders in Shea Theodore and Nick Ritchie. The Sharks are expected to have both Nikolay Goldobin and Timo Meier, their last two first-round picks. The Sharks are expected to announce their roster in the next couple of days. The Coyotes will feature both Dylan Strome and Nick Merkley, both first rounders from this year’s draft. The Kings are expected to have both Adrian Kempe and Erik Cernak on their roster. The Kings will formally announce their roster within the next couple of days.
Under The Radar Names To Watch
- Anaheim: Brandon Montour
- San Jose: Dylan Sadowy
- Arizona: Kyle Capobianco
- LA Kings: Kurtis MacDermid
Are The Games Streamed?
As of this writing, the Sharks and Kings have not announced anything about streaming of the games. If something changes, we will let you know.
And there you have it. Every rookie tournament and game all on one page. Keep checking back here for updates if anything changes. We will update them as we get them. Enjoy the games everyone.
I am a fully credentialed writer who covers the Columbus Blue Jackets, Cleveland Monsters and Erie Otters as well as the Ontario Hockey League and NHL Draft. The 2021-22 season will mark eight seasons with the Hockey Writers. I am also the site’s Credentials Manager.
