Newmarket hockey player Denver Barkey got his chance to showcase his talents at the Canadian Hockey League top prospects game last night.
The 17-year-old was named to the game this week, taking place in Langley, British Columbia. Barkey competed in the contest meant to spotlight the CHL's top NHL-draft-eligible prospects.
He was held off the scoresheet at his Team Red lost to Team White 4-2, but he had two shots on goal.
NHL Central Scouting released scouting reports ahead of the game and called Barkey a “very good skater with speed and quickness.”
“Two-way player that plays a responsible game with a strong work ethic,” the report said. “Good skill and creative offensive ability.”
Barkey replaced an injured Kelowna Rockets forward Andrew Cristall on the team. Barkey cracked the roster with 37 points in 41 games, third in scoring for his London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League.
The 5 feet nine inches, 154-pound centre also represented Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer, recording four points in five games to help the team capture gold. He was NHL Central Scouting’s 84th-ranked North American skater in mid-season rankings this month and is eligible for the 2023 NHL draft in June.
Stouffville's Coulson Pitre, a right wing with the Flint Firebirds, played alongside Barkey. Pitre has 38 points in 39 games this season.
