The inaugural CHL USA Prospects Challenge is in the books. A very common misconception I have seen is that the CHL Prospects team was a collection of the CHL’s best players, regardless of age. However, this team consisted only of players in their first year of eligibility for the 2025 draft (players who are 18 years old at the time of the draft, or who will be 18 years old by September 15 next year). Therefore, the team was limited to players born in 2007, as well as several 2006 players born after September 15 (forwards Carter Bear, Justin Carbonneu, Lynden Lakovic, Porter Martone, Malcolm Spence, defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson, and goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen).
The US sent the United States National Team Development Program team to compete at this Challenge. This team consists of players born in 2007, most of whom also are 2025 draft-eligible. However, the USNTDP has several players who are too young to be eligible for the draft this summer as they were born later than September 15 (defenseman Lincoln Keuhne, forward Landon Hafele, and goaltender Harrison Boettiger). In order to be a true prospects game, USA Hockey would have had to replace these 2026 draft-eligibles with players eligible in 2025. Presumably, the top candidates would have been projected first-round forwards James Hagens & Cullen Potter, projected first-round defenseman Logan Hensler, and projected fourth/fifth round goaltender Bjorn Bronas (because Hagens [Boston College], Potter [Arizona State University], and Hensler [University of Wiscosin] are college players, their schools would have had to permit them to attend this event). As it looks as though Hagens and Martone will be engaged in a season-long battle for the first overall pick, these adjustments would have added to the intrigue of this Challenge.
From a team perspective, I believe these adjustments would not have changed the end result. Due to the sheer number of projected first-rounders throughout its lineup, the CHL Prospects had much more depth at its disposal this season.