On Saturday, Sept. 29 at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, 40 of the top prospects in the United States will participate in the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game.
While the game will feature serveral of Central Scouting’s “A List” prospects for the 2013 NHL Draft, most eyes will be fixated on one in particular -- Seth Jones.
Jones, the son of former NBA forward Popeye Jones, is considered to be the best defenseman available in 2013 and one of the top two eligible players, along with QMHJL Halifax sniper Nathan MacKinnon.
“If there’s a defenseman better than him next season, I’m looking forward to seeing him,” NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards told NHL.com. “He’s a solid, big guy, who handles the puck very well. He’s also very smart.”
Danton Cole, the former NHLer that coached Jones with the under-18 national development team, echoed those sentiments.
“There’s an amazing feel for the game of hockey within him” Cole said. “He has that sixth sense where to go. He knows how to create space and, defensively, knows when to jump in and when not to go.”
Other A-Listers scheduled to play in the prospects game include Ross Olsson (RW, Williston Northampton), Ryan Hartman (RW, Plymouth), Adam Erne (LW, Quebec), J.T. Compher (LW, USA U-18), Michael Downing (D, Dubuque), Luke Johnson (C, Lincoln) and Ian McCoshen (D, Waterloo).