TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – 737 days. To say that is a massive drought without hockey is an understatement. It’s been 737 days since the last Traverse City Prospects Tournament ended and left the confines of Centre Ice Arena in Traverse City.
That tournament concluded with the Detroit Red Wings emerging victorious over the Dallas Stars, 6-5. The Columbus Blue Jackets have won the tournament title on five occasions, capturing the Matthew Wuest Memorial Cup in 2005, 2006, 2014, 2015, and 2018. While a champion will not be crowned this year, the energy around the tournament still resonates just as large.
For many, this is the official start of the hockey season. For others, it is a glimpse of the future of their favorite franchise. For teams, it is an opportunity to see what they have in their new draft picks and a chance to start forming their rosters for the season.
So, who all is participating? Which potential Cleveland Monsters should we be looking out for? Where can you watch the tournament? Keep reading and you’ll find out!
The Roster
A total of five teams will be participating in the 2021 Traverse City Propsects Tournament: the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the hosting Detroit Red Wings.
The Blue Jackets roster features several familiar faces to Monsters fans, new draftees, and high-level prospects making their way to North America for a shot at the NHL.
| Forwards | ||
| 39 – Tyler Angle | 5-10 | 172 |
| 56 – Ben Boyd | 6-3 | 205 |
| 59 – Yegor Chinakhov | 6-0 | 179 |
| 21 – Josh Dunne | 6-4 | 209 |
| 49 – Cole Fonstad | 5-10 | 176 |
| 63 – Jake Gaudet | 6-2 | 201 |
| 83 – Kaleb Lawrence | 6-6 | 225 |
| 73 – James Malatesta | 5-9 | 179 |
| 55 – Carson Meyer | 5-11 | 181 |
| 65 – Tristan Mullin | 6-2 | 196 |
| 85 – Navrin Mutter | 6-5 | 198 |
| 84 – Peter Reynolds | 5-10 | 168 |
| 77 – Martin Rysavy | 6-3 | 209 |
| 34 – Cole Sillinger | 6-0 | 201 |
| Defense | ||
| 75 – Tim Berni | 6-0 | 183 |
| 94 – Ole Julian Bjorgvik-Holm | 6-3 | 207 |
| 32 – Jake Christiansen | 6-1 | 194 |
| 68 – Cole Clayton | 6-2 | 209 |
| 82 – Gerard Keane | 5-10 | 174 |
| 81 – Stanislav Svozil | 6-0 | 172 |
| 88 – Mark Woolley | 6-4 | 214 |
| Goaltenders | ||
| 31 – Emerik Despatie | 6-1 | 176 |
| 60 – Jet Greaves | 6-0 | 170 |
Goaltender Daniil Tarasov may join the club towards the end of the tournament. He recently received his COVID-19 vaccination but is not yet cleared to participate.
The Schedule
| TIME | HOME | VISITOR | RINK |
| Thursday September 16 | |||
| 3:00pm | Columbus Blue Jackets | Toronto Maple Leafs | CI – West Rink |
| 7:00pm | Detroit Red Wings | Dallas Stars | CI – West Rink |
| Friday September 17 | |||
| 3:00pm | St. Louis Blues | Toronto Maple Leafs | CI – West Rink |
| 7:00pm | Dallas Stars | Columbus Blue Jackets | CI – West Rink |
| Saturday September 18 | |||
| 7:00pm | St. Louis Blues | Detroit Red Wings | CI – West Rink |
| Sunday September 19 | |||
| 2:00pm | Toronto Maple Leafs | Dallas Stars | CI – West Rink |
| 6:00pm | Columbus Blue Jackets | Detroit Red Wings | CI – West Rink |
| Monday September 20 | |||
| 12:00pm | Dallas Stars | St. Louis Blues | CI – West Rink |
| 1:00pm | Toronto Maple Leafs | Columbus Blue Jackets | CI – Davids Rink |
The Chance
The players participating in this tournament are no strangers to the grind associated with hockey. However, this will be unlike anything some of these players have experienced before. Let’s look at the lineup as it stood at the last practice back in Columbus:
If you’re @CBJProspects, this tweet is for you. First #CBJ lines ahead of the trip to Traverse.
Angle-Sillinger-Chinakhov
Rysavy-Dunne-Meyer
Fonstad-Malatesta-Mullin
Boyd-Gaudet-Mutter
Clayton-Berni
Christiansen-Svozil
Woolley-Holm— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) September 15, 2021
That top line will be the one to watch. Angle, a former seventh-round selection by the Blue Jackets, just six picks from the final selection, hit the ground running with the Monsters last season. In fact, his play was so good that he walked away with a three-year entry-level contract from the Blue Jackets.
Sillinger and Chinakhov, first-round selections for the Blue Jackets in the last two NHL Entry Drafts, are making their debut in their first pro seasons here in North America. The hype around these two players right now is, in some cases, unlike anything I’ve seen around this organization for quite a while. Putting all three of them together could be magic in the making.
Led by Monsters head coach Mike Eaves, you know he will be scouting potential lines and pairings out of this group. If the Blue Jackets decide to keep all of their top eligible prospects in Cleveland, you could definitely see the makings of a strong Monsters lineup in this tournament.
Keep an eye out on that second line too. Both Dunne and Meyer spent considerable time on the ice at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and had strong debuts to their pro career. So, is that another line in the making?
The Fans
We get it. Work/family/life calls. You can’t make it up to Traverse City. So, how can you catch the action live? Well, the Red Wings have your back! All games will be streamed on DetroitRedWings.com. Additional channel streaming updates will be provided on the social media platforms of the participating teams.
For those that can make it, tickets are available online and will also be sold first-come, first-served at the arena entrance on the day of each event.
The Coverage
I will be covering games live over on my Twitter account and also here at Field Pass Hockey. Please give me a follow and let me know which players you are most excited to see. Hockey is back, everyone!
