Burnaby hockey will be represented at what's considered one of the most highly anticipated events on the men's junior hockey calendar.
Colton Roberts and Carson Wetsch are two of 40 athletes selected to participate in the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, an annual showcase of the country's most eligible potential draft picks.
Roberts, a defenceman for the Vancouver Giants, and Wetsch, a forward for the Calgary Hitmen, were teammates with Burnaby winter Club's U15 prep squad during the shortened and altered 2020-21 campaign.
They could possibly be reunited if named to the same squad at the Top Prospects Game, set to take place Jan. 24, 2024, in Moncton, N.B.
Roberts
Roberts, originally from Maple Ridge, is currently second among Giants blue-liners, fifth among all skaters, in scoring at the holiday break for the WHL.
The 17-year-old has tallied 18 points in 33 games in the 2023-24 campaign, including 11 assists and nearly doubling his rookie season of 11 total points in 62 games.
With Burnaby Winter Club, Roberts mustered 25 points in 24 games spanning two seasons in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL).
He added three goals and five points in five playoff games in 2019-20.
Roberts was a "B" rated player by NHL Central Scouting in its Preliminary Players to Watch List in October, meaning he's projected to be a second- or third-round candidate at the 2024 NHL Draft.
Wetsch
Wetsch, in Calgary, is fifth in Hitmen scoring with 21 points in 32 games to date, including 10 goals, and has generated 106 shots on net.
The North Vancouver-born athlete registered 60 points in 36 regular season games with Burnaby Winter Club's U15 and U18 prep squads in 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively.
He added eight points in five playoff games en route to the 2022 CSSHL U18 prep championship.
Wetsch has represented Team Canada twice: the World Under-17 Challenge in 2022 and the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup back in July.
Prior to the new season, like Roberts, Wetsch also received a "B" rating by NHL Central Scouting.
Last summer, 37 of the 40 CHL players who competed at the 2023 Top Prospects Game were selected at the NHL Draft.
