LETHBRIDGE, Alberta – The CHL USA Prospects Challenge provided some great moments and plenty of additional points of reference when it comes to looking at the top prospects for the 2026 NHL Draft. 

Coming into this week, the talk was that Team CHL would roll over the U.S. National Under-18 Team that had picked up just five wins in its schedule so far this season. Game 1 disproved that notion pretty quickly with Team USA winning 4-2 behind the efforts of goalie Brady Knowling and a strong performance from Wyatt Cullen, who had a goal and an assist in the contest.

In Game 2, Team CHL found their legs a bit more and despite not having its best showing, they found a way to win. Xavier Villeneuve scored with under five minutes to play in regulation on a net-front tip on the power play. 

Team CHL’s Game 2 win forced the Super Overtime to decide a series winner. That set the stage for a thrilling three-on-three that saw good chances on both sides. In the end, Team USA’s Victor Plante snuck a shot in Super OT to give the Americans the surprising win against a CHL team many thought would roll them. 

What We Learned At The CHL USA Prospects Challenge

There’s always a desire to have sweeping takeaways from competitions like this, but this year made it difficult. In a year where the consensus top pick is struggling to gain a stronger hold on his status, no one pulled off what Matthew Schaefer did last season in helping solidify his rise to the eventual No. 1 pick. I don’t know that I expected anyone to do that, but I expected a number of top prospects to play better than they did this week.

It was a good week for a much-maligned U.S. team that had struggled through a mixed schedule of international, USHL and collegiate opponents. They appeared a bit more motivated, more disciplined and – unsurprisingly, as a regular team that plays together all year – more connected.

In end, it wasn’t necessarily an event that was particularly illuminating in any one way. The games lacked some of the intensity that we saw last year, even though there were some moments of tension and physicality. Last year seemed a little meaner and Team CHL seemed a lot better. 

You have to give a lot of credit to Team USA for how they showed up for this event after last year’s squad got rolled, particularly in Game 1. They were committed to not letting that happen and they accomplished that goal.

Top Performers From The CHL USA Prospects Challenge

Here’s a look at the players that I thought had some standout moments this week and may have helped themselves a bit more than others.

Luke Schairer, D, Team USA

Team USA’s defense as a whole deserves a ton of credit for the way they played and how committed they were to protecting the middle of the ice. Schairer was a two-way force and looked like the top defenseman on the team that scouts believe him to be. He’s 6-foot-3, mobile and sure-handed with the puck. He had a commitment to defending and using his feet to get pucks out of trouble. His steadiness was an asset through the series.

Caleb Malhotra, C, Team CHL

Malhotra was one of CHL’s most consistent players throughout the entire event. He made some big plays including an unassisted shorthanded goal in Game 2 and was creating both with skill and with some extra work. He’s getting stronger and his confidence is clear. He took the leadership of Team CHL very seriously. It showed on the ice an off.

Brady Knowling, G, Team USA

A 42-save performance for the same goalie that helped Team USA claim its first Hlinka-Gretzky Cup title in more than 20 years was another key moment for Knowling this season. He is a 6-foot-5 netminder who takes up a lot of net and played super composed. He didn’t face a ton of Grade A chances, but he made many of the stops look easy and never wavered between the pipes.

Wyatt Cullen, LW, Team USA

Unfortunately, Cullen left Game 2 early with an apparent injury. He had a goal and an assist in the first game and was USA’s best forward in that. He has been injured for a chunk of the season which has made it tough to get looks at him. Cullen grew more than three inches over the summer and has grown about nine since his U16 season. His hands are outstanding and his hockey sense looks to be high end. If he can stay healthy, keep an eye on where teams start slotting him. 

Xavier Villeneuve, D, Team CHL

You have to take the good with the bad with Villeneuve at times. He may be prone to the big mistake, but what he does on the ice is not common. His skill is a difference maker, but I think his compete is underrated. He was involved in so many of his shifts in positive ways. He played physically, with a reverse hit that led to a goal in Game 2, and got under the skin of the U.S. players often. His defense will always be overshadowed by his offense, but I thought he showed a lot of jam.

Ryan Lin, D, Team CHL

Lin wasn’t perfect, but he was pretty good. In a class with a lot of WHL defensemen in the mix to be picked high, I thought Lin was the most consistent over the course of the event. He made good reads, defended well and played with some strength both on and off the puck. He is comfortable with the puck on his stick and has some clear skill, but he also takes care of his own end well.

Alessandro Di Iorio, C, Team CHL

Di Iorio scored a goal in Game 2, but beyond that he was playing with pace and fitting a role for Team CHL. He killed penalties, made some plays and put a lot of pressure on the opposing defense. He’s a well-rounded forward who is only just coming back from an injury and made sure to give NHL teams more reasons to come see him in Sarnia this season.

Maddox Dagenais, C/W, Team CHL

As he did at the QMJHL Prospects Game last month, Dagenais showed flashes of higher-end skill and playmaking ability while also showing some additional aggression and physicality. His season numbers have not reflected what he’s fully capable of this season, but he’s really put on a good show in multiple showcase events.

Carson Carels, D, Team CHL

I thought Carels had a lot of strong moments, not the least of which was his assist on the Game 2 winner by Villeneuve. He moved pucks more efficiently than most of the other CHL blueliners and made good decisions. His skating looked good and his ability to defend was impressive for most of the event. He probably didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know about him as a player, but he was among the players that played most to his own high standard.

Victor Plante, LW, Team USA

It’s been a great year for the Plante family. With Zam and Max Plante among the NCAA leaders in scoring this year, their younger brother Victor got to have a moment of his own. Victor scored in regulation and the Super OT winner to give USA the series win. The happy-go-lucky Victor Plante said he was trying to channel his inner Patrick Kane for the OT heroics. He has a high motor and showed some really solid skill throughout the game, showing that the bloodlines are still flowing pretty well through him.

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