By Aaron Bell
It won't take Taylor Hall or Cam Fowler long to get used to their surroundings at the 2010 Home Hardware CHL-NHL Top Prospects Game.
The two Windsor Spitfires' stars are among the top rated prospects for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and will likely get the privilege of competing in the annual showcase game on home ice.
The Canadian Hockey League announced on Wednesday that the Top Prospects Game will be held at the Windsor Family Credit Union Centre on January 19 and 20.
Spitfires' sophomore forward Austin Watson is also projected as a top end prospect for the draft and may also find himself in the lineup for the game at the WFCU Centre in Windsor.
"Fans at the WFCU Centre will have to elbow their way to get seats because the NHL scouts muscle their way in and really enjoy a highly competitive game," said E.J. McGuire, head scout for the National Hockey League. "The City of Windsor and their brand spanking new building will be a great host. We're all excited about that."
Hall has been projected as the possible first overall pick ever since his standout campaign as a rookie with the Spitfires two seasons ago. He scored 45 goals and 84 points in 63 games and was named the OHL and CHL rookie of the year for his efforts. Last season, Hall took his game to another level. He scored 38 goals and 90 points in 63 regular season games but then added 16 goals and 36 points in 20 playoff games to lead the Spitfires to the OHL championship. He won the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the Most Valuable Player in the OHL playoffs and then capped his season by winning the MVP award at the MasterCard Memorial Cup.
Hall was a key component to Windsor becoming the first team in history to win the Memorial Cup after dropping the first two games of the tournament. They won four straight games while facing elimination on their way to the first national championship in franchise history.
Fowler has taken a different path to his draft year. He was originally drafted in the first round of the OHL Priority Selection by the Kitchener Rangers in 2007 but decided to stay in the U.S. Development Program while waiting to accept an NCAA scholarship. Fowler went back into the draft and the Spitfires used their first round pick in 2008 to select the highly skilled defenceman. Fowler decided late last season to join the Spitfires for his draft year and has enjoyed a lot of success in his first month in the OHL.
Fowler picked up four assists in his OHL debut in September and leads all OHL defencemen with 17 points (two goals, 15 assists) in 11 games this season.
Fowler is also projected as a high pick in the NHL Draft and the pair could make history as the first teammates to be selected with the first two picks in the draft.
"There is a lot of tension for the both of them," said Spitfires' coach Bob Boughner, the Windsor native who was a second round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 1989. "As coaches we try to do our best to keep them grounded and focused on the Windsor Spitfires. But sometimes it's easier said than done."
NHL scouts won't have much trouble finding the WFCU Centre for the Top Prospects Game. The building routinely hosts dozens of scouts who have been keeping close tabs on Hall and Fowler throughout the young season.
"Scouts are up there with pencils in hand taking notes," McGuire said. "The kids who are playing and the coaches who are coaching know that. We're happy to be a little part of it and we're excited that it's so competitive and exciting for the fans."
Boughner said that the extra attention hasn't had any effect on Hall or Fowler.
"These guys have both handled it well," Boughner said. "They are both humble kids that are just trying to help their team win. We always preach here in Windsor that if you are a good teammate and you have success and do well in the playoffs, you get rewarded with the draft and things like that. So it's team first."
Fowler said that despite the extra attention that he has received since arriving in Windsor, he is focused on the team goal of winning another championship.
"My main goal is to try to help the team win another Memorial Cup," Fowler said. "I think if we do that then the personal goals will come along with that. Obviously I'd like to try to be drafted high into the NHL but I understand that I've still got a lot of work to do to do that. I've just got see how things play out."
