ST. CATHARINES, Ontario -- What happens when the top two scorers in the Ontario Hockey League and another consistent point producer from the Western Hockey League are called into duty by Don Cherry to work the top line for his team at the 2015 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game?
We'll soon find out since Dylan Strome (28 goals, 80 points) of the Erie Otters will center left wing Jake DeBrusk (23 goals, 43 points) of the Swift Current Broncos and right wing Mitchell Marner (34 goals, 90 points) of the London Knights for Team Cherry at Meridian Centre on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN-US, SN, TVA Sports). They have combined for 87 goals and 216 points this season.
"I've never played with Jake before but he seems to be a pretty good player, good around the net and in the offensive zone," Strome said. "I love playing with Mitch so I'm looking forward to doing that [Thursday]."
Marner leads all players in the Canadian Hockey League in scoring.
"Our line is pretty special out there," Marner said. "We have a lot of skill. But if we want to be good we have to keep our game simple."
Shawinigan Cataractes forward Anthony Beauvillier (31 goals, 66 points), who will serve as captain for Team Cherry, likely will center Cape Breton Screaming Eagles left wing Evgeny Svechnikov (17 goals, 47 points) and Charlottetown Islanders right wing Daniel Sprong (22 goals, 51 points) on an all-Quebec Major Junior Hockey League line.
Team Bobby Orr is led by Erie Otters center Connor McDavid, No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings of the top North American skaters eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft. McDavid (21 goals, 60 points), who will serve as captain for Team Orr, likely will open the game on a line with Halifax Mooseheads left wing Timo Meier (25 goals, 56 points) and Ottawa 67's right wing Travis Konecny (19 goals, 41 points).
"It's going to be fun playing with Connor and Timo; there's a lot of skill there," Konecny said.
New York Islanders forward Ryan Strome, brother of Team Cherry center Dylan Strome, will drop the ceremonial puck.
Here are the projected lineups:
TEAM CHERRY
Jake DeBrusk - Dylan Strome - Mitchell Marner
Evgeny Svechnikov - Anthony Beauvillier - Daniel Sprong
Graham Knott - Filip Chlapik - Dennis Yan
Yakov Trenin - Mitchell Stephens - Adam Musil
Vince Dunn - Matthew Spencer
Brandon Carlo - Noah Juulsen
Brendan Guhle - Rasmus Andersson
Samuel Montembeault
Michael McNiven
TEAM ORR
Timo Meier - Connor McDavid - Travis Konecny
Paul Bittner - Jansen Harkins - Glenn Gawdin
Ryan Gropp - Nicolas Roy - Nathan Noel
Lawson Crouse - Nicholas Merkley - Blake Speers
Thomas Chabot - Jeremy Roy
Guillaume Brisebois - Nicolas Meloche
Ivan Provorov - Ryan Pilon
Nick McBride
Liam Herbst
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