40 players named for USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

Sioux City right wing Eeli Tolvanen, Waterloo center Shane Bowers and Green Bay goaltender Maksim Zhukov, three players projected to be selected in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft, were among 40 players invited to participate in the 2017 United States Hockey League/NHL Top Prospects Game at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Jan. 10, 2017.
The USHL released the list of invitees on Tuesday in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting. The players will be split between two teams and revealed at a later date, along with the coaching staff.

This year marks the fifth USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. In all, 45 players with USHL ties were selected at the 2016 NHL Draft. The 2017 draft will be held in Chicago on June 23-24.
"The USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game provides a unique opportunity for the management and scouts of the 31 NHL teams to view the top USHL talent available for the 2017 draft," director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr said. "The prospects are encouraged to showcase their skills and abilities among their peers in this competitive and entertaining environment that brings out their best."
The two-day USHL event begins with a luncheon featuring a keynote speaker, as well as on- and off-ice testing conducted by HockeyTech and NHL Central Scouting on Jan. 9. A skills competition will also be held prior to the game.
"There's a lot of buzz surrounding the USHL's NHL draft class of 2017, and we believe that the Denny Sanford, a premier center, the crown jewel of American junior hockey, along with the city of Sioux Falls, and Stampede organization is the best way to display that talent to NHL talent evaluators and fans alike," USHL president and commissioner Bob Fallen said.
Tolvanen, Bowers and Zhukov are A-rated skaters or projected first-round picks on NHL Central Scouting's players to watch list.
Tolvanen (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) is tied for the USHL lead with 27 points (16 goals, 11 assists), is tied for second with four game-winning goals, and leads the league with 126 shots on goal in 23 games for Sioux City. Bowers (6-1, 178) has nine goals and 18 points in 23 games for the Black Hawks.
"Tolvanen and Bowers both bring a little something different, to the table but they both have a compete instinct with excellent hockey sense," Marr said. "Combine that with their skill and speed, and they're going to be impact players and they are certainly going to be first-round considerations. We'll just have to see how it plays out."
Zhukov (6-2, 188) is 8-5-0 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .896 save percentage in 13 matches for the Gamblers.

"[Zhukov] reads and reacts to situations so well; he's very strong physically in all areas of the game," said NHL Central Scouting's Al Jensen. "He has excellent net coverage and offers very quick lateral skills; he has excellent post-to-post coverage."
The game will also feature seven B rated players, or potential second- and third-round picks in the NHL Draft: defensemen Jakub Sirota of Cedar Rapids, Clayton Phillips of Fargo, Alexis Binner of Green Bay, and Michael Anderson of Waterloo, and goaltenders Cayden Primeau of Lincoln, Keith Petruzzelli of Muskegon and Dayton Rasmussen of Tri-City.
Primeau (6-2, 177) is the son of former Philadelphia Flyers captain Keith Primeau. He started his season helping the United States win the silver medal at the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in August, and is 6-5-2 with a 3.13 GAA, .893 save percentage and one shutout in 13 games for the Stars.
"He's got the calm and relaxed style about him," Jensen said. "He plays big in the net in all situations. I like his coolness and calmness. He always gives himself a chance to stop the puck. He has great net coverage and is a positional-style goalie who isn't very flashy but has great rebound control and very focused and concentrated in there."

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USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game roster

Goaltenders: Maksim Zhukov, Green Bay; Cayden Primeau, Lincoln; Keith Petruzzelli, Muskegon; Dayton Rasmussen, Tri-City
Defensemen: Ben Mirageas, Bloomington; Jakub Sirota, Cedar Rapids; Mario Ferraro, Des Moines; Clayton Phillips, Fargo; Alexis Binner, Green Bay; Eero Teravainen, Lincoln; Ronald Brickey, Muskegon; Matthew Hellickson, Sioux City; Kasper Kotkansalo, Sioux Falls; John St. Ivany, Sioux Falls; Michael Anderson, Waterloo; Michael Karow, Youngstown
Forwards: Marc McLaughlin, Cedar Rapids; Robert Arrak, Cedar Rapids; Brannon McManus, Chicago; Walker Duehr, Chicago; Isaac Johnson, Des Moines; Zach Solow, Dubuque; Santeri Virtanen, Dubuque; Jack Adams, Fargo; Charlie Dovorany, Fargo; Joshua Dunne, Green Bay; Nolan Moyle, Green Bay; Mick Messnere, Madison; Keeghan Howdeshell, Muskegon; Jordan Timmons, Muskegon; Gregory Printz, Omaha; Eeli Tolvanen, Sioux City; Matthew Quercia, Sioux Falls; Adam Goodsir, Tri-City; Paul Washe, Tri-City; Alex Limoges, Tri-City; Wyatt Bongiovanni, Tri-City; Shane Bowers, Waterloo; Nick Swaney, Waterloo; Nicolas Werbik, Youngstown