CHL Top Prospect's Game Rosters Released

NHL Central Scouting released the rosters for the 2011 CHL Top Prospect's Game today. 18 OHL players are scheduled to take part (which is nearly 50% of those participating).

For those unfamiliar with the selection process, from my understanding it works as follows. NHL Central Scouting sends out a recommendation list (or simply a list with names on it), to which all GM's vote on the players they want to see in the game (voted players can be ones from the list or outside the list). Central Scouting tabulates the results and creates the rosters.

The game is set to take place at the ACC this year on January 19th, so keep that one open on your calendar!

Here are 18 participants from the OHL:

Goaltender
Jordan Binnington - Owen Sound

Defense
Scott Harrington - London
Stuart Percy - Mississauga
Dougie Hamilton - Niagara
Ryan Murphy - Kitchener

Forwards (13 of the 24 forwards = over 54%)
Nicklas Jensen - Oshawa
Gabriel Landeskog - Kitchener
Matt Puempel - Peterborough
Rickard Rakell - Plymouth
Tobias Rieder - Kitchener
Mark Scheifele - Barrie
Ryan Strome - Niagara
Daniel Catenacci - Sault Ste. Marie
Boone Jenner - Oshawa
Lucas Lessio - Oshawa
Vladislav Namestnikov - London
Brandon Saad - Saginaw
Vincent Trocheck - Saginaw

The full rosters, as well as the set teams, can be found here

Just a few generals comments about the rosters

- Everyone seems to be talking about the absence of Alex Khokhlachev, Shane Prince, and Stefan Noesen. The hard thing about an event like this, is not everyone can be invited. And just because you're not invited, doesn't mean you can't be a high NHL draft pick. I'm obviously surprised these guys didn't get an invite (especially Khokhlachev), but such is life. They still have the opportunity to be named as injury replacements, when the inevitable happens and players off this list get injured before the event in roughly one month's time.

- Happy to see Stuart Percy make the cut. After seeing him absent from CSS's preliminary rankings, I thought I might be taking crazy pills after being high on him. But it seems he's certainly made an impression on NHL scouts.