2025 NHL Draft: Top five players from CHL USA Prospects Challenge

Credit: Chris Young/CHL

The first-ever CHL USA Prospects Challenge had its ups and downs – but it was definitely an event most will look back fondly on.

The Canadian Hockey League skated to a 6-1 victory in the first game in London, with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program struggling to find any momentum. The series shifted to Oshawa on Wednesday, and while the CHL dominated the shot count, the game only ended with the CHL winning 3-2.

It was an interesting showcase, and many participants are expected to be selected in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft next summer. With it being just a pair of games, it’s not enough to skyrocket someone up the standings. But for some players, a good showing could be enough to get scouts to keep a closer eye on you the rest of the way.

Here’s a look at five players who stood out over the two days in Ontario:

Matthew Schaefer, D (CHL)

Many scouts wanted to see Schaefer steal the show and help cement himself as the top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft. After the first game, it felt like many were convinced because of how simply ahead of the pack he looked when playing against the top talent in his age group. Granted, it was one game, and he was a bit quieter on Wednesday, but we still saw the elusive, heads-up play that makes him one of the most exciting prospects in the game today. Schaefer can hold his own physically, and he’s got the hockey IQ that teams crave.

Kashawn Aitcheson, D (CHL)

Aitcheson was an absolute menace out there. He scored a goal in Game 1 and then seemingly hit every single player on the ice at some point or another the rest of the way. Aitcheson was already projected to be a first-rounder – but his play this week had to excite scouts for how physically engaged he was. He did an excellent job of drawing players to him, laying them out and taking them out of their headspace. You don’t want to overvalue players too much because of a game or two, but Aitcheson played some of his most punishing hockey of the year this week.

Caleb Desnoyers, C (CHL)

Desnoyers was named player of the game on Wednesday after scoring a goal and an assist. His goal was a re-direction, but he was in the right spot at the right time – as he often is. Desnoyers is a smart forward who does a lot of things right out there – he’ll crash and bang around the crease, he’ll battle hard in his own zone and he’s exceptionally smart, too. Talking to scouts, nobody sees him as a top-line center. Instead, they think he’ll be a dependable, two-way middleman who can also play the wing, but should be able to put up around 50 points on the second line instead. And he’ll be damn good at it, too.

Jack Murtagh, LW (USA)

Murtagh was one of the few USA players who came to play in Game 1 and then he scored the big 2-2 goal to get the Americans back in it during the second game. His work ethic was incredible – he looked determined to get the puck on net any way possible, even if, for the most part, it was rarely possible. Murtagh is a creative forward who missed some time at the start of the season and has had to make up for lost time – but the results have been really promising. The Boston University commit is willing to take a beating physically to make a play, and that’s what he did plenty of times this week. Scouts were impressed with what they saw.

Harrison Boettiger, G (USA)

Boettiger was outstanding in the second game. He played just one game, but he made 35 saves in a game that was lopsided from the get-go. Especially late in the game, he was peppered with quality looks but he stood tall. Boettiger was the only goalie of the four that played over the two days who isn’t eligible for the draft this year, but he might be the best they have. He’s athletic, tracks pucks well and has very active foot work. There’s a lot of scouts that think he’s one of the more skilled goalie prospects in recent USNTDP history. We’ll see how the rest of the year goes.

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