Moncton Wildcats to host top NHL prospects game next year

The top junior hockey players in Canada are set to compete in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Moncton, N.B., next year.

The announcement was made at the Avenir Centre in front of a large crowd of season ticketholders, the mayor and city councillors. The Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) will host the game on Jan. 24, 2024, at the Avenir Centre.

Robert K. Irving, president of the Moncton Wildcats, says hosting the game gives him a sense of pride.

"We know we have a great facility here for hosting hockey events,” said Irving after the announcement Friday.

“The Avenir Centre is the best in the CHL as far as we're concerned. And the Wildcats organization, we have great people that are involved in running the organization and to be able to bring in the best players in the world is fantastic.”

The game is a chance for top NHL prospects to boost their stock ahead of the entry draft.

The game will see the best draft-eligible players from the Ontario Hockey League, QMJHL and Western Hockey League compete before hundreds of NHL scouts. It’s the 28th time this game has been played. Halifax hosted it in 2013, and Vancouver hosted it last year.

Some notable players who competed in the match-up over the years include Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Taylor Hall and John Tavares.

Irving was asked if Moncton will submit a bid for the 2025 Memorial Cup the next time the QMJHL hosts the event, though Saint John played host last year.

"Oh yes, for sure. I think we will be there every time it comes back to the Quebec league because we've got the best arena in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to host the Memorial Cup. There's no doubt about it, no doubt about it in our mind," said Irving.

Dan MacKenzie, president of the CHL, says the league is “thrilled” to bring the game to Moncton for the first time.

“With a surplus of CHL talent eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft, we look forward to bringing the stars of tomorrow to the Maritimes,” said MacKenzie in a Friday News release.

ANOTHER MAJOR HOCKEY EVENT FOR MONCTON

Moncton's coming out party was the 2023 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.

The downtown arena was filled to or near capacity for every game during the holiday tournament.

Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton CEO John Wishart believes Friday’s announcement could be a stepping-stone for bigger events.

“You know, it was a slam dunk both in Halifax and in Moncton,” said Wishart. “So the Top Prospects Game is the next step up. I think you'll probably see Moncton bid for the QMJHL draft probably the year after and then the Memorial Cup.”

Wishart said Moncton is definitely on Canada’s hockey map right now.

“I wasn’t privy to the negotiations with the CHL, but I suspect it wasn’t a hard sell to bring the Top Prospects Game here after what the league and Hockey Canada saw during the World Juniors,” said Wishart.

Craig Eagles, a QMJHL scout for Neutral Zone, believes more than just a state-of-the-art arena was needed in order to bring the Top Prospects Game to Moncton.

“When you attract major events and you have a facility like the Avenir Centre, you're going to attract more of those events. But it's the city, it's the community that supports these events that really leave a lasting impression and a lasting impact,” said Eagles.

Eagles said the players will be in the city for three days, a huge opportunity for scouts to get more familiar with them.

“Obviously, it’s a one-off event, but it’s a great opportunity for all NHL scouts and scouting institutions to come evaluate players,” said Eagles.

“The testing that they do for the days leading up to the event is really intriguing. Plus, you get to see what those players are like behind the scenes, off the ice as well as on the ice.”