Four forwards on the 2027 NHL Draft radar have been named to Team CHL for December’s CHL USA Prospects Challenge, a two-game measuring stick against the United States National Team Development Program Under-18 squad. Seattle Thunderbirds winger Brock England, Saginaw Spirit scorer Dima Zhilkin, Saint John Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph and Quebec Remparts forward Carter Meyer are the first players selected for the 2026 event.
The series opens Dec. 1 at the Georges-Vezina Centre in Chicoutimi, Quebec, then moves to Quebec City’s Videotron Centre on Dec. 2. It will put four projected first-round picks under a brighter spotlight early in their draft seasons.
Four different looks for Team CHL
England has been deployed on the left side for Seattle, though he has also moved to center when the Thunderbirds needed a spark. The 5-foot-10, 160-pound forward has two goals and two assists through six WHL games, but his shot volume has been eye-catching at nearly six per game.
His game is built around burst, quick feet and high-end puck handling. England can create separation on the rush and get defenders turned toward their own net. He has not received much finish around the crease early, but he competes in traffic and does not shy away from the post-whistle work despite his frame.
Joseph brings the largest body of the four at 6-foot-5, along with an increasingly important offensive role in Saint John. He owns four goals and five assists in nine QMJHL contests this season after posting 24 goals, 36 assists and 60 points in 54 games as a rookie in 2025-26.
The Sea Dogs forward has used his reach and strength effectively, but his offensive awareness may be his most NHL-projectable feature. Joseph has shown he can find plays, produce around the net and contribute through all three zones with greater regularity.
Meyer has opened the season on the left wing for Quebec rather than at his customary center position, a switch that has underlined his versatility. He has two goals and eight assists in eight QMJHL games, and the expectation remains that his skating and hockey sense could ultimately carry him back to the middle.
He has the chance to skate on a Remparts line with Philadelphia Flyers prospect Nathan Quinn at center and St. Louis Blues prospect Maddox Dagenais on the right side. Meyer can make plays under pressure, handle tough matchups and drive offense with pace and puck skill. He also will close the Challenge in a familiar setting when Team CHL reaches Quebec City, where his brother Freddy is a Remparts teammate.
Zhilkin has supplied the loudest early offensive numbers. The Saginaw forward has nine goals and seven assists for 16 points in eight OHL games, and his projection rests heavily on a release and scoring instinct that can damage opponents in several ways.
He can strike off the rush, work off the cycle or find space on the power play. There is already a lengthy scouting track record on Zhilkin, and his ability to finish from different areas has made him one of the premier offensive names in the 2027 class. A 70-goal season has been suggested as a realistic possibility if his start continues.
After the horn
The Challenge has rapidly become a notable stop on the draft calendar. Across its first two editions, 42 of the 44 players who suited up for Team CHL were eventually selected in the NHL Draft, with 27 going in the first round.
That record adds weight to the December games. England will be looking to turn strong process and shot creation into production; Joseph can show how his size and playmaking translate against elite peers; Meyer gets another chance to demonstrate position flexibility and big-game confidence; and Zhilkin will arrive as one of junior hockey’s most dangerous young finishers.
Next puck drop
Team CHL faces the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team on Dec. 1 at the Georges-Vezina Centre in Chicoutimi, Quebec. The second game is Dec. 2 at Videotron Centre in Quebec City.
