The Brick Invitational is a long-standing tournament that has existed since 1990. Open to 10-year-olds from around the World, the historic tournament that takes place at the West Edmonton Mall has featured plenty of players who have gone on to have long NHL careers, including Steven Stamkos, Blake Wheeler, Auston Matthews and Mark Stone. The 2015 tournament was particularly very historic as it featured 39 players that were drafted in the 2023 NHL Entry, including 10 from the first round with names like Connor Bedard, Will Smith and Tom Willander participating in the tournament.
Overall, this is a great opportunity to showcase just how talented some of these players are at a young age. Some standouts from the 2022 tournament include Jack Allgood, Flavio DiPlacido and Jackson Zinner, who entertained the crowd game after game at the historic event. With all this in mind, here are the top 10 performances since 2009 by current NHLers from the Brick Invitational.
Note: In order for a player to qualify for this list, they must have participated in a tournament since 2009 due to available data, played in an NHL game during the 2022-23 season and are projected to be on an NHL roster for the 2023-24 season.
10. Matty Beniers: 2012
Before he became a Calder Trophy winner, Matty Beniers led the Boston Jr. Bruins in scoring at the 2012 tournament. In six games, he led the Bruins with six points and finished tied for in the tournament with five. The Seattle Kraken forward also got a chance to face a future teammate as Logan Morrison led the tournament with 14 points en route to helping the Toronto Bulldogs to a championship.
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While his team did not make it to the playoffs, it featured a couple of others that would go on to be drafted into the NHL. Goaltender Drew Commesso was a 2020 second-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, while Ian Moore and Brett Berard also heard their names called during the year’s draft. A rising star for Seattle, Beniers was able to show that even at a young age, he was one of the top American players for his age group.
9. Wyatt Johnston: 2013
The 2013 Brick Invitational was full of exciting prospects, including Dallas Stars’ Wyatt Johnston. Playing for the Toronto Pro Hockey team, he finished the tournament tied for seventh in scoring, with eight points in six games, while helping his team finish second in their division, going 5-1 in the round-robin. This was a successful tournament from a Dallas perspective as it would feature three other future prospects, including Logan Stankoven, who was playing for the BC Junior Canucks at the time.
While they did not win the tournament, Toronto Pro Hockey was one of the few teams to feature multiple future first-round picks in their lineup. On top of Johnston, who was the 23rd-overall pick in 2021, Brandt Clark was selected eighth overall that year by the Los Angeles Kings. In total, six other draft picks were part of the team, including Ethan Del Mastro, Dylan Duke, Francesco Pinelli and Liam Arnsby.
8. Jason Robertson: 2009
While he wasn’t a “Star” for the California 99’s, Jason Robertson was very impressive during the 2009 tournament. He finished tied for ninth in tournament scoring, recording six points, which included a game-winning goal. A special event that included players like Brady Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, Robert Thomas, Cody Glass, and Owen Tippett, the Dallas superstar can say he had a front-row seat to watching these talented NHLers from back before they were teenagers.
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As for the California 99’s, they had a couple of other players who were drafted into the NHL. Outside of Robertson, the highest pick was Ivan Lodnia, who was selected in the third round in 2017 by the Minnesota Wild. Others included Alexander Chmelevski, who led the tournament in points, and Jake McGrew, who was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the sixth round of the 2017 Draft, while Cole Guttman was also a sixth-round pick that year but went to the Tampa Bay Lightning. While they did not win the tournament, there was plenty of talent on the roster that went on to have successful careers.
7. Shane Wright: 2014
During the 2014 tournament, Shane Wright helped lead the Toronto Pro Hockey team to a championship, recording eight points in six round-robin games. They defeated the Toronto Bulldogs 2-1 in the final, with fellow Kraken prospect Ty Nelson scoring the tournament-winning goal. A stacked team that included 2023 third-overall pick Adam Fantilli, they were one of two teams to allow fewer than 10 goals during the round-robin while never losing a game in regulation.
While Wright’s team had some impressive players, including Domenic DiVincentiis, Tristan Bertucci, Paul Ludwinski, and Patrick Thomas, the tournament itself featured some exciting prospects that should be making their NHL debuts very soon. This includes names like Rutger McGroarty, Matthew Savoie, Conor Geekie and Lane Hutson. An impressive tournament that featured 47 drafted players so far, it is one of the most successful events when it comes to NHL Draft success.
6. Oliver Wahlstrom: 2010
Looking back to the 2010 tournament, Oliver Wahlstrom was a goal-scoring machine. He finished the tournament in second place with seven, recording hat tricks in back-to-back games for the Bulldogs. A critical part of their offence, he recorded points on 64 percent of his teams’ goals, finishing with nine points over the six games.
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While the 2010 tournament may not be as prolific as others, it produced some strong talent. Whether that was Akil Thomas, Kaedan Korczak, Ty Smith or Calen Addison, the players from this tournament are making an impact at the pro level. While his Bulldogs ultimately did not make it out of the group stage, it was an impressive tournament for Wahlstrom, who was later drafted by the New York Islanders 11th overall in 2018.
5. Cole Perfetti: 2012
Cole Perfetti put on an impressive performance in 2012 for the Bulldogs, recording nine points in six round-robin games before helping his team capture the championship. While he was impressive throughout the tournament, his best game came in the Final when he recorded three assists as the Bulldogs defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 4-0. A dynamic player even at 10, he helped his team finish with a perfect record as they went 8-0 during the round-robin and playoffs.
Looking back, the 2012 tournament featured some of the league’s top young stars. Whether that was Seth Jarvis, Jamie Drysdale or Beniers, 47 players from this event were drafted into the NHL. A first-rounder himself, Perfetti will be looking for similar success with the Winnipeg Jets over his career.
4. Jack Hughes: 2011
Despite his American roots, Jack Hughes was a member of the Bulldogs when he participated in the 2011 tournament. The decision proved to be the right one as he helped Toronto capture a championship after a 2-1 victory in quadruple overtime against the Saskatchewan Junior Pats. Even before he became a teenager, he was showing just how special a player he is, finishing fourth in scoring at the tournament with 11 points during the round-robin.
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The 2011 tournament was massive from a United States perspective as all but one player out of the top 12 either played for an American team or was American themselves. This translated years later to the 2019 NHL Draft when nine Americans were drafted in the first round, including Hughes, who went first overall to the New Jersey Devils. One of the league’s brightest young stars, he did something his brother Quinn was unable to do, win the Brick Invitational.
3. Alex Turcotte: 2011
A member of the Chicago Jr. Blackhawks, Alex Turcotte was virtually unstoppable with the man advantage, leading the tournament with four power-play goals. He also finished tied for second in points with 13 and tied with Hughes for third with seven assists during the round-robin. One of two top-five picks from this team, he was eventually drafted fifth overall by the Kings during the 2019 NHL Draft.
The Jr. Blackhawks had one of the most dominant trios in recent memory, as all three members recorded 13 or more points. With Cole Caufield, who will be mentioned later, and Pierce Stastney, they looked unstoppable. While their tournament came to an end in the semi-finals against Hughes’ Bulldogs, it was a special tournament and one that helped start the careers of two of the top American U23 players in the NHL.
2. Trevor Zegras: 2011
Playing for the Connecticut Yankees, Trevor Zegras put on a show at the 2011 tournament, recording eight goals and 13 points during the six-game round-robin. On a team that produced eight NHL draft picks, including goaltender Spencer Knight, he had as many goals as the second-highest point producer on his team. It is safe to say he was a one-man wrecking crew out there, as he posted at least one point in each game and found the back of the net in three of the six games he played.
Overall, Zegras was the Yankees’ offence, as he recorded a point on 13 of their 19 goals throughout the tournament. It is safe to say he has continued that love of goal-scoring all the way to the NHL, as the former ninth-overall pick from 2019 is already up to 139 points in just 180 career games. One of the USA’s top players, it seems the 2011 tournament was just a sign of things to come.
1. Cole Caufield: 2011
Few players in the history of the Brick Invitational have had a better round-robin than Caufield. Playing for the Blackhawks, he led the 2011 tournament with 18 points, producing nine goals and nine assists. He also led the event with five power-play assists, as he and Turcotte created one of the best power plays in tournament history.
Based on the data that is available, Caufield sits tied for the top three in all-time points at the tournament. He was tied with 2025 NHL Draft prospect Michael Misa until this year when Cameron Coombe and Liam Tep both eclipsed the 20-point mark. A dynamic goal-scorer for the Montreal Canadians, his performance at the 2011 Brick Invitational was one for the record books.
A Fun & Exciting Tournament
While this is a competitive tournament, it is also a great opportunity for players from around the globe to get to know the players they may be competing with and against in the future. It is fantastic to see how popular this tournament has become, as for some, it may be the highlight of their hockey careers. Overall, it is a fun environment and an opportunity for young players to show just how skilled they are.