SYDNEY, N.S. — There will be a Cape Breton Eagle on the ice Thursday at the 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Hamilton, Ont.
Forward Ryan Francis will be among the top draft-eligible players in the Canadian Hockey League showcasing their skills in front of professional scouts ahead of the NHL Entry Draft in June.
Game time is 8 p.m. Atlantic time.
The 18-year-old Beaver Bank native was added to Team White’s roster for the game as a replacement for Hendrix Lapierre of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, who is currently out of action with an injury.
In total, 40 players from across the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League will participate in the contest.
BIO
RYAN FRANCIS
- Hometown: Beaver Bank, N.S.
- Age: 18
- Position: Right Wing
- Height: 5’9”
- Weight: 168
- QMJHL Draft: Second-round pick, No. 21 overall, at the 2017 draft
- NHL Draft: Eligible for the 2020 Draft
Francis, a second-round pick at the 2017 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft, is having a stellar season with the Eagles. He’s already set career-highs in goals (17), assists (37) and points (54) in 40 games to date.
Francis has played the majority of the season on the Eagles’ top line with Egor Sokolov and Shawn Boudrias. The three have combined for 70 goals and 92 assists for 164 points this season.
Eagles' general manager Jacques Carrière said prior to this season, he and president Gerard Shaw met with Francis and discussed last season and what they expected from him this year.
“We put a greater focus on what was coming up for him and what we thought he could deliver,” said Carrière. “It was a question what the Eagles could do for Ryan Francis and I returned the question right back and asked what Ryan Francis can do for the Eagles — I think Ryan has brilliantly answered that question.”
As of Tuesday, Francis was second in the QMJHL in assists, behind only star forward Alexis Lafrenière of the Rimouski Océanic, who is projected to be the top pick at this year’s NHL Entry Draft.
“Ryan is another one of our players who is making the NHL scouts turn their heads,” said Carrière. “The fact that he’s now invited to the top prospects game speaks volumes about his achievement this season and how he should take credit for turning the table around.”
CHL/NHL TOP PROSPECTS GAME INFORMATION:
- When: Thursday
- Where: FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton, Ont.
- Time: 8 p.m. Atlantic Time
- How To Watch: Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360, TVA Sports and NHL Network
Francis joins an elite class of Eagles players to have played in the top prospects game since its beginning in 1996.
Along with Francis, Randy Copley (1998), Daniel Boisclair (2001), Marc-Andre Fleury (2003), James Sheppard (2006), Olivier Roy (2009), Clark Bishop (2014), Evgeny Svechnikov (2015), Pierre-Luc Dubois (2016), Kevin Mandolese (2018) and Egor Sokolov (2018) have also participated in the game.
Nine of the 10 Cape Breton players who played in the game were later drafted by respective NHL teams. Sokolov was the lone player not drafted on the list.
In November, Francis was a member of Team QMJHL for the CIBC Canada/Russia Series. He appeared in one of two games and had no points.
The Cape Breton Post was unable to reach Francis prior to his departure for Ontario.
The 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will be broadcast live on Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360, TVA Sports and the NHL Network.
Team White
Goaltenders:
- Dylan Garand – Kamloops (WHL)
- Samuel Hlavaj – Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
Defencemen:
- Kaiden Guhle – Prince Albert (WHL)
- Ryan O’Rourke – Soo Greyounds (OHL)
- Luke Prokop – Calgary (WHL)
- Braden Schneider – Brandon (WHL)
- Christoffer Sedoff – Red Deer (WHL)
- Jack Thompson – Sudbury (OHL)
Forwards:
- Mavrik Bourque – Shawinigan (QMJHL)
- Brandon Coe – North Bay (OHL)
- Will Cuylle – Windsor (OHL)
- Tyson Foerster – Barrie (OHL)
- Ryan Francis – Cape Breton (QMJHL)
- Ridly Greig – Brandon (WHL)
- Seth Jarvis – Portland (WHL)
- Alexis Lafrenière – Rimouski (QMJHL)
- Cole Perfetti – Saginaw (OHL)
- Vasily Ponomarev – Shawinigan (QMJHL)
- Jaromir Pytlik – Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
- Connor Zary – Kamloops (WHL)
Staff:
- Head Coach – George Burnett – Guelph (OHL)
- Assistant Coach – Trevor Letowski – Windsor (OHL)
- Athletic Therapist – Amy Mausser – Sarnia (OHL)
- Equipment Manager – J.R. Grant – Windsor (OHL)
Team Red
Goaltenders:
- Nico Daws – Guelph (OHL)
- Brock Gould – Victoria (WHL)
Defencemen:
- Lukas Cormier – Charlottetown (QMJHL)
- Jamie Drysdale – Erie (OHL)
- Thimo Nickl – Drummondville (QMJHL)
- Jérémie Poirier – Saint John (QMJHL)
- Kasper Puutio – Swift Current (WHL)
- Donovan Sebrango – Kitchener (OHL)
Forwards:
- Quinton Byfield – Sudbury (OHL)
- Luke Evangelista – London (OHL)
- Jack Finley – Spokane (WHL)
- Jean-Luc Foudy – Windsor (OHL)
- Dawson Mercer – Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
- Jake Neighbours – Edmonton (WHL)
- Jacob Perreault – Sarnia (OHL)
- Jack Quinn – Ottawa (OHL)
- Marco Rossi – Ottawa (OHL)
- Justin Sourdif – Vancouver (WHL)
- Antonio Stranges – London (OHL)
- Ozzy Wiesblatt – Prince Albert (WHL)
Staff:
- Head Coach – Rob Wilson (Peterborough)
- Assistant Coach – Vince Laise (Hamilton)
- Athletic Therapist – JP Laciak (Hamilton)
- Equipment Manager – Kasey LeMorre (Hamilton)
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