Knowling makes 42 saves, USA holds off CHL in Game 1 of Prospects Challenge

CALGARY -- The USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team arrived here for Game 1 of the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge on Sunday, but the preparation for their 4-2 win against Team CHL at Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday started a year ago.

In Game 1 of the 2024 event, Team CHL routed Team NTDP 6-1 in London, Ontario.

Team NTDP coach Nick Fohr, who coached the program's Under-17 team last season, asked his players about their thoughts on the game at practice the next day.

"I said, 'Guys, what do you think about the game?'" he said. "And they were like, 'Wow, that game was intense last year, big time.' The way that thing went about, the biggest message I took away is they were like, 'Coach, it's not going to happen to us. It's not going to happen to us. We're going to be ready.'

"We've talked about that over this last couple of days as well. I told them, it's your guys' words, it's not going to happen to us.'"

Defenseman Lincoln Kuehne was a vivid reminder of what happened last year. The Arizona State freshman was the only returning player from last year's two games, which also saw Team NTDP lose 3-2 in Game 2 of the event.

"There was definitely anger," said Kuehne, a C-rated prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft in NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list. "We talked about it. We wanted to change what happened last year. We didn't want to repeat that again. So there was definitely anger, and we wanted to do better than what we did last year."

Scoring the game's first goal got them started. Wyatt Cullen, a C-rated forward, made a strong cut through the slot but lost the puck. Michael Berchild, a B-rated forward, got it below the goal line and sent it back in front to Dayne Beuker, a B-rated prospect, for a goal at 7:29 of the first period.

"Obviously it was really good to get the first goal," said defenseman Luke Schairer, the only A-rated player for Team NTDP. "It was a great play by Mikey and Beuker scored it. We always knew that we were capable of playing at this level."

They doubled the lead when Sammy Nelson, a prospect for the 2027 NHL Draft, won a face-off in the CHL end back to Schairer, drove to the net and outmuscled A-rated CHL forward Egor Shilov to shovel the puck under goalie Harrison Boettiger at 3:31 of the second.

"I think that second period, we popped one in and I think that really helped us get above and that really opened the floodgates," Kuehne said. "That just really helped us seal the game off."

Team CHL got a goal back when Chase Reid scored at 13:53 of the second. But Cullen snapped a wrist shot past Boettiger for a power-play goal at 6:46 of the third to make it 3-1.

After Mathis Preston scored at 13:17 of the third, Jamie Glance, a 2027 draft prospect, closed the scoring with an empty-net goal at 18:21.

Goalie Brady Knowling made the lead stand up, making 42 saves. The B-rated prospect admitted there was extra motivation from what happened to Team NTDP last year, but also from some familiar faces on Team CHL. Boettiger, a B-rated goalie now with Kelowna in the Western Hockey League, played for the NTDP at last year's event. And A-rated forward JP Hurlbert, a teammate with the NTDP U-17 team last season, now is with Kamloops in the WHL.

"They're no longer with us, and obviously 'Bot,' I was friends with him last year, and it was cool to play against him," Knowling said. "And 100 percent, JP over there, there's no bad blood, we obviously love them all. But it was definitely a little extra."

As much as Team NTDP wanted to celebrate its victory, it was tempered knowing Game 2 of the event is at VisitLethbridge.com Arena in Lethbridge, Alberta on Wednesday (6 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN).

They certainly know what an angry team feels like.

"Obviously tomorrow's a new day, can't get too high because they're going to be coming out ready tomorrow too," Schairer said.