Lafreniere, Byfield to captain CHL Top Prospects Game

Quinton Byfield of the Sudbury Wolves and Alexis Lafreniere of the Rimouski Oceanic have been named captains for the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Lafreniere will lead Team White with alternate captains Ryan O’Rourke of the Soo Greyhounds and Braden Schneider of the Brandon Wheat Kings; Byfield will lead Team Red with alternates Dawson Mercer of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens and Ozzy Wiesblatt of the Prince Albert Raiders.

“It is an honor for me to be named captain of my team for the Top Prospects Game,” Lafreniere said in a release. “I have been looking forward to participating in this event since I started my junior career and I look forward to stepping on the ice next week with all the other great players attending.”

Both Byfield and Lafreniere won gold with Canada at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.

“It’s definitely a huge honour to be a part of such a great game that includes the best NHL Draft prospects from across the Canadian Hockey League,” Byfield said. “To be named captain of one of the teams is something really special. Lots of great players have been named captain for this game and to know I’m following in their footsteps is huge. It means you are doing something right, and that’s very humbling.”

Byfield, second in Future Considerations’ Fall ranking for the 2020 NHL Draft, is currently 12th in CHL scoring with 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 30 games. The 17-year-old was the first overall pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection and was named OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year in 2018-19.

Lafrienere, ranked first, leads the CHL in scoring with 70 points (23 goals, 47 assists). The 18-year-old, who was the first overall pick in the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft, had 10 points (four goals, six assists) for Canada and was named most valuable player at the World Juniors. He was also CHL Player of the Year in 2018-19, and CHL Rookie of the Year in 2017-18.