The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) has announced the coaching staff that will lead Team CHL at the 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada.
It includes Ryan Oulahen of the North Bay Battalion.
It is a new event that will see the top first-year NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL face off against USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP) Under-18 Team in a two-game series on November 26 in London, Ont., and November 27 in Oshawa.
Kris Mallette (Kelowna Rockets / WHL) will lead Team CHL as its head coach, while Gordie Dwyer (Acadie-Bathurst Titan / QMJHL) and Oulahen will join him on the bench as assistant coaches. All three recently helped Team Canada to a third consecutive gold medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup this past August, and they will reprise the roles they served in Edmonton but this time for the CHL at its newest event.
"Building off of one of hockey’s greatest rivalries between Canada and the United States, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge will see the top prospects from the CHL’s Member Leagues – Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) – compete against those from the U.S. National Under-18 Team."
Fans interested in buying tickets for either game can do so online (Game 1 – London; Game 2 – Oshawa). The first game will take place on Tuesday, November 26 at Budweiser Gardens in London while the second contest will be held the following night on Wednesday, November 27 at the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa.
“We are excited to be bringing on board three coaches with the level of experience Kris, Gordie, and Ryan have to lead our Team CHL at this first-ever CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada,” said Dan MacKenzie, President of the CHL. “All three have extensive experience coaching in the CHL and internationally. Having recently worked with a number of our 2025 NHL Draft prospects at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where they captured gold as part of that team’s coaching staff, Kris, Gordie, and Ryan will be excellent coaches to lead the talented group of players from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL who will represent the CHL at this new event.”
Players for the CHL team will be provided by NHL Central Scouting as selected by the NHL’s 32 clubs with the CHL’s coaching staff playing a role in identifying the final 13 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goaltenders who will be chosen to compete for Team CHL at the 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge. The roster for Team CHL is expected to be announced by the end of October.
Oulahen is in his sixth season as head coach of the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Before that, he spent three seasons as head coach of the Flint Firebirds and six seasons as an assistant coach with the Battalion (2010-16). Alongside Mallette and Dwyer, Oulahen helped Canada to a third straight gold medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton. Additionally, on the international stage, Oulahen was also behind the bench at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2014 (assistant coach, Canada Red), 2015 (assistant coach, Canada Black), and 2017 (head coach, Canada White). He also served as an assistant at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, winning gold. A former captain during his playing days in the OHL with the Battalion, Oulahen played three seasons as a forward for the franchise he now coaches. He was later drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the fifth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and played four seasons with their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Set to be a part of the calendar over the next three seasons, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge will see players from the CHL and NTDP’s U18 team compete before hundreds of NHL scouts and thousands of fans in an effort to improve their draft stock ahead of the upcoming NHL Draft. Much like other national events in the CHL, the hosting duties of the CHL USA Prospects Challenge will rotate between the CHL’s Member League markets each year.
