Top 40 Minor Midget Players to Participate in Showcase Event

TORONTO, Dec. 19, 2011 /CNW/ - The Greater Toronto Hockey League today announced the details of the 3^rd Annual Scotiabank GTHL Top Prospects Game.

The third edition of this annual event will take place on Wednesday January 11, 2012 at 7:30 pm EST at Herbert Carnegie Centennial Centre and will see the top 40 Minor Midget aged players participating in a showcase game.

The game will be broadcast on Rogers TV cable 10/63 in Toronto and will air on Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 8:00 pm.

Celebrity Head Coaches for this season's event will be former Toronto Maple Leaf captain Wendel Clark, who is returning for his third appearance, versus former Toronto Maple Leaf and current Sportsnet hockey analyst Nick Kypreos.

Wendel Clark is indisputably one of the most popular players to ever wear Maple Leafs blue. The former Leafs captain played 13 of his 15 NHL seasons with Toronto and was idolized by thousands of hockey fans. Selected first overall in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft by the Leafs, Clark also spent time playing for the Quebec Nordiques, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lighting, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. One of Clark's biggest accomplishments however was in his teen years when he helped Canada's national team take the gold medal at the 1985 World Junior Hockey Championships. Clark played 793 games of NHL hockey, scoring 330 goals and 563 points with 1,690 penalty minutes.

Born in Toronto, Nick Kypreos played four years with the North Bay Centennials of the OHL. Always a hard-nosed competitor, Kypreos scored 152 goals during his last 3 years of junior.  Kypreos played in 442 games for the Washington Capitals, the Hartford Whalers, the New York Rangers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The highlight of Kypreos' career was winning the Stanley Cup as a Ranger in 1994.  He would finish his NHL career with 46 goals, 44 assists, 90 points, and 1,210 penalty minutes in 442 regular season games.  Following his NHL playing career, Kypreos joined Sportsnet as an NHL analyst and is the co-host of Hockey Central on Sportsnet and Sportsnet Radio The FAN 590.

The head coaches from the top 4 GTHL teams as of December 23, 2011 in the GTHL standings will participate in the game as Associate Head Coaches.  A GTHL selection committee will choose the 40 players for this event based on evaluation throughout the season thus far.  The player selection will be announced in the first week of January.

Also returning to present the Most Valuable Player awards is Hockey Night in Canada Coach's Corner star Don Cherry, who is a strong and long-time supporter of the GTHL.

David Branch, President of the Canadian Hockey League and Commissioner of the Ontario Hockey League, will return once again to take part in the ceremonial puck drop.

"We are looking forward to this year's event," said GTHL President John Gardner.  "We are very pleased to have Wendel Clark returning as a head coach and we are thrilled to welcome Nick Kypreos to the program as his counterpart.  We anticipate an exciting game as we have seen for the past two seasons, and this will be a great opportunity for these players to display their talent against the other top players in their age group. Of course, this event wouldn't be possible without the commitment from Scotiabank as title sponsor.  Their continued support has allowed this event to grow and become a fixture on the GTHL calendar."

"We are continually looking for ways to ensure the growth of Canadian hockey, from supporting minor league hockey teams to NHL athletes," said Gerry Bergin, Scotiabank Branch Manager, Brampton. "Scotiabank is excited to once again be a part of what we are sure is going to be a fantastic game showcasing the tremendous talents of these players. We can't wait to see the future stars of Canadian hockey in action."

Tickets went on sale to the public on December 16, 2011 at 9:00 am. 

Tickets can be purchased by contacting the GTHL Office at (416) 636-6845 or in person at 265 Rimrock Rd., Toronto, ON, M3J 3C6 from Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm or Saturday from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (noon).

Tickets will be $5 in advance or $6 at the gate.

About GTHL

Founded in 1911, the Greater Toronto Hockey League is a non-profit organization and is the largest amateur minor hockey league in the World.  There are over 40,000 participants registered annually in the GTHL.  GTHL jurisdiction spans Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Vaughan, and Markham and includes players ranging from the ages of 4-20.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is very proud to be Canada's Hockey Bank and is the Official Bank of the NHL®, NHLPA®, NHL Alumni™, CWHL, Winnipeg Jets®, Toronto Maple Leafs®, Calgary Flames® whose home arena is the Scotiabank Saddledome, and the Ottawa Senators® whose home arena is Scotiabank Place. The Bank also has a partnership with the Montreal Canadiens®. Scotiabank has a long tradition of supporting hockey in Canada from local teams and minor hockey associations to professional players and leagues.  To find out more about Scotiabank's hockey programs, please visit www.scotiahockeyclub.com.