The 2009 Memorial Cup tournament, the premier showcase for some of the best talent in Canadian Junior hockey, will air in its entirety on the NHL Network in the United States and all games broadcast will be in high definition.

The tournament includes the playoff champions from each of the three major Canadian junior leagues -- Drummondville of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League, and Kelowna of the Western Hockey League. The field also includes the host team, Rimouski (QMJHL).

The round robin stage begins on Friday, May 15 and the tournament concludes with the championship on Sunday, May 24. Before the action begins, the NHL Network will kick off its coverage with a preview show to break down the field and identify the top players, some of whom have already been drafted and others you are likely to hear more about in the weeks leading to the Entry Draft in June.

The brass from the Buffalo Sabres and Calgary Flames will have their eyes on defenseman Tyler Myers and center Mikael Backlund, respectively, of Kelowna. Both were first-round picks -- Myers No. 11 in 2008, and Backlund No. 24 in 2007. The Flames will also be watching Windsor center Greg Nemisz, their first-rounder (No. 25) in 2008.

The 2009 draft-eligible prospect ranked highest by NHL Central Scouting is Drummondville's Russian-born defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, the No. 11 North American skater.

Highly ranked defensemen are abundant in the 2009 Memorial Cup. Windsor features Ryan Ellis and Jesse Blacker, ranked as the Nos. 16 and 47 North American skaters, respectively. Tyson Barrie of Kelowna is the No. 52 North American skater, and Gleason Fournier of Rimouski is No. 62.

The top-ranked offensive player is Rimouski right wing Jordan Caron, No. 21 among North American skaters.