What We Learned From Game 1 Of The CHL USA Prospects Challenge

The CHL USA Prospects Challenge already lived up to the hype in its second year, and we still have one game to go.

Game 1 in Calgary Tuesday night saw the USA Hockey National Team Development Program avenge its two losses from last year’s inaugural event. They beat Team CHL 4-2 in a hard-fought game that went right down to the wire.

It was a fantastic showcase of some of the top NHL draft talent in North America. After the CHL squad dominated last year, the NTDP fought back, despite being outshot 44-26. The Americans were opportunistic, and they found ways to score dirty, ugly goals, which helped put them ahead early, and they maintained their lead throughout the game thanks to some big performances from their netminder and the depth scorers throughout the lineup.

Game 2 will go down in Lethbridge on Wednesday night, where the CHL will look to tie the two-game series and force some overtime action to decide the series winner. Before we look ahead to Game 2, let’s look at what we learned from Game 1 of the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge.

Depth Delivered For The NTDP

With four different goal-scorers, the American U-18 squad saw contributions from up and down its lineup.

Dayne Beuker scored the game’s opening goal, firing the puck in from the slot after a mess around the net allowed him to get open in the low slot. Sammy Nelson added another ugly one, banging in a bouncing puck in the crease. Wyatt Cullen scored a bardown laser on the power play. Jamie Glance added an empty-netter.

This was exactly the kind of performance the NTDP needed to get a win. They saw some outstanding plays from their high-end guys like Mikey Berchild, who assisted on the first goal and had many other nice plays throughout the night as well. Captain Casey Mutryn played a very solid two-way game.

Brady Knowling Stood Tall in Net

The Americans were always going to need strong goaltending to have a chance against a loaded CHL roster. Brady Knowling did exactly that with a 42-save performance, standing on his head at times and showing he understands how to battle through high-pressure situations.

Knowling has been a goalie that many have wondered about during the early-season evaluations, and this game will give scouts and analysts another reason to circle back. He proved he can have a big game when it matters most.

Knowling was the first star of the game for a reason, and although he won’t be in the net on Wednesday, he’s given this team plenty of confidence going into Game 2.

10 Things To Watch At The 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge Junior hockey and NHL draft fans will be tuning in to the second edition of the CHL USA Prospect Challenge. Can the NTDP avenge last year's sweep? Who will be Team CHL's top D-man?

CHL's Top Line Looked Good, Need More From Depth

The CHL squad looked good overall, outshooting and outchancing the NTDP throughout the night.

Ethan Belchetz, Caleb Malhotra and Mathis Preston stood out as the biggest drivers of play throughout the night for the CHL. Belchetz was a physical beast who got involved in every facet of the game. Malhotra was all over the ice, playing a significant role at both ends of the ice. Preston showed off his high-paced attacking game at various points throughout the night, winding up with two points, including a goal that pulled the CHL within one in the third period.

There were few standouts throughout the forward core outside of those players. Adam Novotny had a few really notable rushes up ice, getting a few decent chances on net. JP Hurlbert had some nice offensive moments but was unable to convert. If even one of their chances got in the net, this game was likely to go into overtime.

Game 2 goes down at 8 p.m. ET in Lethbridge on Wednesday.

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