The United States Hockey League and NHL Central Scouting announced the players selected to compete in the 2016 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game that will take place on Jan. 12 in Omaha, Neb., at Ralston Arena, home of the USHL’s Omaha Lancers.
Thirty-six of the players have already committed to Division I programs, with a remarkable 22 NCAA teams represented - more than one-third of all of Division I. Minnesota has five recruits on the roster, with North Dakota and Notre Dame tied for second at four each. Cornell, Miami, Northeastern and Western Michigan all have a pair of recruits on the list.
The selection process for players competing in the game was completed in cooperation with NHL general managers and scouts, NHL Central Scouting and USHL general managers. All 40 players chosen are eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft, including 27 players that are in their first year of eligibility for the NHL Draft.
“After a record-breaking NHL Draft in 2015 in which no junior league in the world had more draft picks than the USHL this should be a momentous year for the league and the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game,” said Bob Fallen, USHL President and Commissioner. “By being selected for the event, these players have already captured the attention of NHL scouts, and the game provides them another opportunity to be evaluated among the best talent in their age group.”
The 40 players will be split into two 20-man teams – Team East and Team West – for the 2016 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, and the teams mostly will represent a split of players currently competing in the USHL’s Eastern Conference and Western Conference. The final rosters, along with coaches and support staff will be announced at a later date.
“The USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game provides a unique opportunity for the management and scouts of the 30 NHL teams to view the top USHL talent available for the 2016 NHL Draft. The prospects are encouraged to showcase their skills and abilities amongst their peers in this competitive and entertaining environment that brings out their best,” said Dan Marr, Director of NHL Central Scouting.
2016 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Participants
| Pos. | Name | USHL Team | NCAA Team |
| F | Jack Adams | Fargo | Princeton |
| F | Wade Allison | Tri-City | Western Michigan |
| F | Ross Colton | Cedar Rapids | Vermont |
| F | CJ Dodero | Sioux City | |
| F | William Fallstrom | Omaha | Minnesota |
| F | Matt Filipe | Cedar Rapids | Northeastern |
| F | Matt Gosiewski | Cedar Rapids | Harvard |
| F | Ludvig Hoff | Lincoln | North Dakota |
| F | Jacob Jaremko | Chicago | Minnesota State |
| F | Grant Jozefek | Lincoln | Northeastern |
| F | Jackson Keane | Sioux City | North Dakota |
| F | Willie Knierim | Dubuque | Miami |
| F | Tanner Laczynski | Chicago | Ohio State |
| F | John Leonard | Green Bay |
Massachusetts |
| F | Carson Meyer | Tri-City | Miami |
| F | Cam Morrison | Youngstown | Notre Dame |
| F | Michael O'Leary | Dubuque | Cornell |
| F | Collin Peters | Sioux Falls | Northern Michigan |
| F | Rem Pitlick | Muskegon | Minnesota |
| F | Matt Steeves | Siouux City | Notre Dame |
| F | Sam Sternschein | Cedar Rapids | Cornell |
| F | Garrett Wait | Waterloo | Minnesota |
| F | John Wojciechowski | Omaha | |
| F | Max Zimmer | Chicago | Wisconsin |
| D | Zachary Berzolla | Muskegon | Colorado College |
| D | Michael Boyle | Sioux City | Denver |
| D | Derek Daschke | Muskegon | Western Michigan |
| D | Mitch Eliot | Muskegon | Michigan State |
| D | Christian Evers | Lincoln | North Dakota |
| D | Bo Hanson | Muskegon | |
| D | Matthew Kiersted | Chicago | North Dakota |
| D | Luke McInnis | Youngstown | Boston College |
| D | Andrew Peeke | Green Bay | Notre Dame |
| D | Sam Rossini | Waterloo | Minnesota |
| D | Jake Ryczek | Sioux City | Providence |
| D | Justin Wells | Sioux Falls | Bowling Green |
| G | Ryan Edquist | Madison | Minnesota |
| G | Peyton Jones | Lincoln | Penn State |
| G | Cale Morris | Waterloo | Notre Dame |
| G | Zackarias Skog | Omaha |