young stars tournament – CanucksBanter

Olli Juolevi Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

by Ben Dooley Sept 16, 2016

The Vancouver Canucks have a fairly deep prospect pool, and those prospects get a chance to prove themselves at prospect camp.

The first sign every year that hockey season is just around the corner is when prospects start to head to prospect camps to try and get an invite to main camp. The Vancouver Canucks are holding their rookie camp in Penticton at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

The camp started Thursday with a first on-ice session and will conclude on September 19. Interesting for fans is the included Young Stars Classic, a four-day tournament featuring the top prospects from the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets.

The tournament will give the Canucks their first look at Jesse Puljujarvi, Matthew Tkachuk and Patrik Laine, all top-five picks in this year’s NHL draft.

More importantly, however, it will give them a first look at their own prospects, including 2016 fifth-overall pick Olli Juolevi, as well as some new signings and invitees.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five players that will be exciting to watch in the future and might even have a chance to crack the Vancouver Canucks this year.

To read more, click on the link: Vancouver Canucks: 5 Players to Watch at Prospects Camp

By Aaron Vickers Sept 14, 2016

Ahead of the 2016 Young Stars Classic in Penticton, BC (Sept. 16-19), CalgaryFlames.com has highlighted five players from the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets to keep an eye on at the tournament.

Here are five Canucks prospects to keep tabs on when the Calgary Flames close out the tournament against their divisional rival on Monday (4:00 PM MT, CalgaryFlames.com, Flames app).

THATCHER DEMKO

Thatcher Demko has blossomed into one of hockey’s top goaltending prospects since being selected 36th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. The 20-year-old went 62-26-10 with a 2.08 GAA and .928 save percentage in 98 games over three seasons at Boston College, and signed an entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks in April. Demko received the Mike Richter Award as the top goaltender in college hockey, and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as top player after going 27-8-4 with a 1.88 GAA and .935 save percentage to cap his collegiate career.

OLLI JUOLEVI

As one of the top defencemen in the Canadian Hockey League last season, Olli Juolevi saw his draft stock rise to the point he was selected as the first blueliner in the 2016 NHL Draft in June. At fifth overall, he was drafted one pick ahead of Calgary Flames prospect Matthew Tkachuk. Juolevi’s resume backs up the selection. As a rookie, he had 33 assists and 42 points with the London Knights of the OHL, and along with his gold medal from the World Juniors as a member of Team Finland, he also helped London to the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions, and the Memorial Cup as CHL champions.

TROY STECHER

Though he was passed over in each of the 2012, 2013 and 2014 NHL Drafts, Troy Stecher shows plenty of promise. The late-blooming defenceman from the University of North Dakota had had eight goals and 29 points in 43 games, and served as an assistant captain as a junior. He finished since in the NCAA among defencemen in scoring, and helped North Dakota to a National title before signing a two-year entry-level contract with the Canucks in April.

GUILLAUME BRISEBOIS

Selected with the first of two draft picks in 2015 acquired in the trade that sent goaltender Eddie Lack to the Carolina Hurricanes, Guillaume Brisebois is a highly regarded defenceman with promising two-way upside. Brisebois, who has served as captain of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the past two seasons, had 10 goals and 26 points in 52 games in 2015-16. He also has an impressive international resume, helping Canada to gold at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial in 2014, and bronze at the 2015 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

MICHAEL GARTEIG

Though he went undrafted, Michael Garteig used a strong senior season at Quinnipiac University to land himself a contract with the Canucks in April. Garteig, 24, went 32-4-7 with 1.91 GAA and .924 save percentage. He was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award, and helped Quinnipiac to an ECAC title. He was also named the BCHL’s top goaltender in 2011 and 2012.

Source: Young Stars Scouting Report: Vancouver Canucks – Calgary Flames – News