Team LeClair Defeats Team Howe in 5th Annual USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game

PHILADELPHIA, PA

Philadelphia got its first taste of hockey action on Thursday night, September 22^nd, as “the City of Brotherly Love” played host to the fifth annual CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game. The event featured forty-two of the best U.S. born players who will be eligible for next year’s NHL Draft. Both teams’ coaches were NHL and former Flyers greats, John LeClair, and Mark Howe, son of the late Gordie Howe (Mr. Hockey). The group of young men were fighting for their future in the NHL in front of approximately 150 NHL scouts.

The first five minutes of play featured high paced back and forth action, including three goals in a span of four minutes. Grant Mismash, left winger for Team LeClair, would light the lamp first just 1:45 into regulation. Team Howe would respond just a little under two minutes later, as right winger Logan Hutsko set up center Casey Mittelstadt, who went forehand, backhand to tie it up. The shooting gallery continued as team LeClair’s defenseman Nate Knoepke sniped a shot top shelf from the point to break the 1-1 tie just 50 seconds later.

The second period was quite similar to the first as both teams combined for three more goals, this time in favor of team Howe. After the first two goals were scored a minute apart in the opening minutes by team LeClair’s Sasha Chmelevski and team Howe’s Jason Robertson, Casey Mittelstadt would tally his second goal of the night, tying the game up at two with just seventeen seconds left in the period.

It was all team LeClair in the third period as they took command of time on attack and wound up scoring three more goals. The team would go on to win by a final score of 6-4. The MVP of the contest was given to Team Howe’s multi-goal scorer Casey Mittelstadt.

Scoring Summary:

Team Howe: Casey Mittelstadt, Jason Robertson, Logan Cockerill

Team LeClair: Grant Mismash, Nate Knoepke, Sasha Chmelevski, Vanya Lodnia, Logan Hutsko, Brannon McManus

Penalty Summary:

1^st Period: Team LeClair – Kyle McLean 2 minutes – Hooking

2^nd Period: Team LeClair – Vanya Lodnia 2 minutes – Tripping

Post-Game Interviews:

Goaltender Cayden Primeau

httpss://youtu.be/WGe9VNyAjVA

Mark Howe

httpss://youtu.be/0FW3sQNzwUg

John LeClair

httpss://youtu.be/FjMSfDIIiBM

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