SURREY — The 2016 CJHL Prospects Game will be played at South Surrey Arena on Jan. 26.
The announcement was made Wednesday (Sept. 30) by the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), in partnership with Hockey Canada, NHL Central Scouting and the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL).
The arena is home to Surrey Eagles of the BCHL.
The CJHL Prospects Game is one of the premier Junior A hockey events in the country and provides exposure for the top CJHL prospects to play in front of scouts from across the hockey world, including the NHL, NCAA, CHL and Canadian universities and colleges.
The event will consist of player testing as well as the 11th Annual CJHL Prospects Game.
“We are extremely proud and excited to partner with the British Columbia Hockey League and the Surrey Eagles and are extremely thankful for the continued support of the NHL and NHL Central Scouting,” said Kirk Lamb, President of the CJHL.
“The great fans in Surrey and the BCHL will see the top prospects from across the country competing in front of scouts from all over the hockey world, including the NHL, NCAA, CIS and CHL.”
The rosters for the CJHL Prospects Game are chosen in partnership with NHL Central Scouting and are made up of players recommended by NHL Central Scouting. Team East is comprised of prospects from the five eastern CJHL leagues, which includes the NOJHL, OJHL, CCHL, LHJQ and MHL, while Team West consists of prospects from the five western CJHL leagues, which includes the BCHL, AJHL, SJHL, MJHL and SIJHL.
The winning team is awarded the President’s Cup. Since its inception in 2005, Team West has slight edge with six wins while Team East has won the cup four times.
Last year’s winner, Team West, won a “highly spirited and very competitive contest in dramatic fashion” in overtime in Oakville, Ontario, according to CJHL officials.
“There is a great history of Junior A hockey in Surrey and with this being the 25th anniversary season of the Surrey Eagles, it’s the perfect time for them to host a special event like the 2016 CJHL Prospects Game,” said BCHL Commissioner John Grisdale.
“For fans and scouts, I’m sure they’ll be interested to see how the prospects handle the Olympic-sized ice surface at South Surrey Arena. The Eagles organization has embraced the responsibility of staging this event so we eagerly anticipate it returning to our region.”
Game and ticket information for the 2016 CJHL Prospects Game will be announced in the coming days.
