Red Deer's Brock England headlines first four named to Team CHL for Prospects Challenge

Graphic by Provectus Media

TORONTO — Red Deer, Alta., product Brock England headlines the first four players named to Team CHL for the 2026 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Primaris, the Canadian Hockey League announced Wednesday.

England, a centre with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, will be joined by Saginaw Spirit left winger Dima Zhilkin of the OHL, Saint John Sea Dogs centre Alexis Joseph of the QMJHL and Québec Remparts centre Carter Meyer of the QMJHL for the two-game series against the U.S. National Under-18 Team on Dec. 1 in Chicoutimi and Dec. 2 in Québec City. All four are considered top prospects for the 2027 NHL Draft.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound England led all 2009-born WHL skaters with 21 goals and 51 points in 64 games during his first full season, the most goals by a 16-year-old Thunderbirds rookie since Patrick Marleau scored 32 in 1995-96. Internationally, he won gold with Canada at the 2025 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scoring twice in an 8-1 gold-medal victory over the United States.

England is set to become the 27th Thunderbird to participate in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game or the CHL USA Prospects Challenge. Seattle's previous representatives include Marleau, Thomas Hickey, Shea Theodore and Kevin Korchinski, with Braeden Cootes skating for Team CHL at the inaugural event in 2024.

Zhilkin, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound left winger from Windsor, Ont., served as Saginaw's 27th captain while setting career highs with 36 goals, 39 assists and 75 points in 59 games last season. He led Canada with five goals and seven points in five games at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship. The Spirit are the only CHL club represented in each of the event's first three editions, following Michael Misa in 2024 and Nikita Klepov in 2025.

Joseph, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound centre from Lachenaie, Que., led all QMJHL 16-year-olds with 24 goals and 60 points in 54 games after Saint John selected him first overall in the 2025 QMJHL Draft. He captained Canada Red to gold at the 2025 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, leading the tournament with 13 points in five games.

Meyer, a 6-foot-1, 178-pound centre from Winchester, Mass., was selected 17th overall in the 2025 QMJHL Draft and joined the Remparts this season after a year with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, where he posted 15 goals and 37 points in 42 USHL games. His selection gives host-city Québec a local player to cheer for at the Vidéotron Centre.

"Brock, Dima, Alexis and Carter have distinguished themselves through their performances for their clubs and on the international stage, and they provide an exciting first look at the talent that will represent Team CHL this December," said CHL president Dan MacKenzie.

"Brock England and Dima Zhilkin are two dynamic, skilled forwards who generate offence," said Karl Stewart, NHL Central Scouting's vice-president and director. "England is poised to have a breakout season after winning gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, while Zhilkin is poised to be a top scorer in the OHL. Alexis Joseph is that big, playmaking centre capable of being the difference-maker that all NHL teams covet, and Carter Meyer is a speedy centre with elite skills who is off to a great start in his first year in the CHL."

The two-game series has quickly become a proven NHL Draft showcase. Across the first two editions, 42 of the 44 Team CHL players were subsequently selected in the NHL Draft, including 27 in the first round. The inaugural 2024 roster produced first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer, fourth-overall Caleb Desnoyers and 15th-overall Braeden Cootes in 2025, while last year's event featured third-overall Caleb Malhotra, fourth-overall Daxon Rudolph of the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders and 16th-overall Maddox Dagenais in 2026.

That track record mirrors the CHL's broader standing as hockey's top development league: 106 CHL-developed players were selected at the 2026 NHL Draft, the most of any league and the CHL's highest total since 2010.

Tickets for both games are on sale now at CHL.ca/ProspectsChallenge. The remainder of Team CHL's roster will be announced in October.