2025 CHL USA Prospects Problem: 4 issues discovered in Recreation 1 – NHL.com

Boettiger, Hurlbert see sequence from different facet; Cullen rising into prospect to observe
© Jenn Pierce, CHL
CALGARY — Wyatt Cullen, a C rated skater on NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary gamers to observe record, had a objective and an help for USA Hockey’s Nationwide Crew Growth Program Beneath-18 Crew in a 4-2 win in opposition to the Canadian Hockey League in Recreation 1 of the CHL USA Prospects Problem at Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday.
The win was the first-ever for the NTDP within the occasion, which started final season. Crew CHL swept the two-game sequence in 2024, 6-1 and 3-2.
Cullen, the son of former NHL ahead Matt Cullen, scored a power-play objective on a wrist shot from the excessive slot at 6:46 of the third interval for a 3-1 lead.
“He is an attention-grabbing one, as a result of he is grown like 9 inches since our Beneath-17 tryout camp,” NTDP coach Nick Fohr mentioned of Cullen. “He was 5-foot-3 or 5-foot-4 at our tryout camp, and he was 120-some kilos, and now he is nearly 6-1 and 170 in like 18 months. What a metamorphosis. And he is nonetheless simply scratching the floor of the kind of participant he’ll be.”
Brady Knowling (B rated), who’s dedicated to Boston College in 2027-28, made 42 saves and was named participant of the sport.
“I believe the staff performed very well in entrance of me,” Knowling mentioned. “Quite a lot of blocked photographs. I am unable to take all of the credit score. As quickly as they performed final yr, we talked about it, and we mentioned we did not need that to occur to us. We have been going to come back out representing Crew USA, and that is what we did tonight.”
Dayne Beuker (B rated), Sammy Nelson (2027 NHL Draft eligible) and Jamie Look (2027 draft eligible) every scored for the NTDP, which had only one A rated skater on the roster in defenseman Luke Schairer.
Mathis Preston (A rated), a ahead from Spokane within the Western Hockey League, had a objective and an help for Crew CHL. Chase Reid (A rated) of Sault Ste. Marie within the Ontario Hockey League scored, and Harrison Boettiger (B rated) of Kelowna (WHL) made 22 saves.
Crew CHL had 13 A-rated skaters on the roster.
“I hate to lose, and I hate them from the underside of my coronary heart,” CHL defenseman Xavier Villeneuve (A rated) mentioned. “Dropping tonight hurts.”
CHL held a 44-26 shot benefit and was 0-for-5 on the ability play. The U.S. was 1-for-2 on the ability play.
The Prospects Problem sequence will conclude at VisitLethbridge.com Area in Lethbridge, Alberta, on Wednesday.
“I believe we have been too informal going into this recreation,” CHL captain Caleb Malhotra (Brantford, OHL) mentioned. “In the end, we thought we had it within the bag to begin and no one in there put their finest foot ahead and we all know that. We’ll come higher [Wednesday].”
Listed here are 4 issues discovered from the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Problem:
CHL goalie Boettiger (6-2, 189) and ahead J.P. Hurlbert have every had the distinctive distinction of representing either side of the CHL USA Prospects Problem.
Boettiger, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, was a member of the NTDP eventually yr’s occasion, stopping 35 photographs in a 3-2 loss in opposition to Crew CHL within the second recreation of the two-game CHL sweep. He performs for Kelowna (WHL) this season. He’s dedicated to the College of Denver subsequent season.
“I performed with a bunch of them on the U-18 staff final yr,” Boettiger mentioned. “It was identical to apply final yr, going at one another, chirping.”
Hurlbert (6-0, 182) of Allen, Texas, performed for the NTDP final yr, however served as an alternate captain for Crew CHL this season. He had 37 factors (19 objectives, 18 assists) in 56 video games with the NTDP Beneath-17 Crew in 2024-25 and this yr leads the WHL with 18 objectives and 44 factors in 25 video games as a rookie with Kamloops. The College of Michigan commit had six photographs on objective and was 4-for-14 on face-offs.
“I’ve a variety of nice buddies over there and individuals who I performed with and in opposition to for a really very long time,” Hurlbert mentioned. “I used to be excited to play for the CHL, make new buddies and study the sport from different folks.”
Cullen, who not too long ago returned from damage and has 5 factors (one objective, 4 assists) in 5 video games with the NTDP this season, actually made an impression in his first large take a look at.
“It was a extremely cool expertise for me scoring a objective like that in a giant recreation,” Cullen mentioned. “I obtained placed on the ability play immediately, and that is big for me. I believe I am a extremely proficient participant. It was good to showcase on the market what I can do.”
Fohr is happy with how far Cullen has come since Beneath-17 tryout camp. Cullen is dedicated to the College of Minnesota in 2027-28.
“The [NHL scouts] are going to see him now, and get to expertise him,” Fohr mentioned. “He is such a artful hockey participant. He is nonetheless not one hundred pc as much as full velocity. He is solely performed 5 video games and he is preventing it a bit bit nonetheless, digging via the damage that he had at the start of the yr. However he is coming and he is nonetheless getting his legs beneath him.”
Ethan Belchetz, one of many extra extremely touted A rated skaters collaborating within the recreation, was upset together with his efficiency and is set to make amends in Recreation 2 on Wednesday.
“I did not assume I performed very nicely tonight,” mentioned Belchetz, who took seven photographs and had a plus-1 score. “I am going to speak to the coach later to seek out out what he was pondering. However from a private standpoint, I wasn’t very pleased with the best way I performed.”
Belchetz leads Windsor (OHL) with 16 objectives and is second with 28 factors in 23 video games this season.
“I simply did not assume I used to be very engaged, and I wasn’t shifting my ft,” he mentioned. “All of the issues that I often convey to the desk, I wasn’t actually doing. Hopefully, tomorrow will probably be a greater evening for me.”
© Jenn Pierce, CHL
NHL Corridor of Fame ahead Lanny McDonald made a shock look throughout the morning skate for Crew CHL to supply phrases of encouragement and a Calgary custom forward of Recreation 1.
“We’ve got a white hat custom in Calgary to welcome newcomers to town and we’re very happy with that,” McDonald advised the group. “However earlier than that, keep in mind, you bought right here by being one of the best of one of the best, however you can’t win when you play as a person. You may solely win when you play as a staff. Sure, you bought all types of scouts up within the stands. They’re in search of what sort of staff participant you’re.”
McDonald, whose 10-year time period as Hockey Corridor of Fame chairman resulted in June, then offered the primary white cowboy hat to Malhotra (A rated).
“Cowboy hats aren’t widespread in Europe in any respect, so that is my first,” mentioned A rated left wing Adam Novotny (Peterborough, OHL), who was born in Czechia. “I used to be watching some highlights from his video games with the Calgary Flames prior to now. It was nice to have him with us on the ice.”
McDonald, whose No. 9 uniform was retired by the Flames in 1990, was launched to the staff by CHL coach Willie Desjardins (Drugs Hat, WHL).
“He is completed so many issues; he is one among three within the rafters in order that’s fairly spectacular,” Desjardins mentioned. “It is so nice the best way he offers again to the sport; I believe that is one thing all of us can study from. It is vital that all of us do this.”
NHL.com deputy managing editor Adam Kimelman contributed to this report.

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