The Columbus Blue Jackets will participate in their first-ever Prospects Challenge in Buffalo this week.
The dates for the tournament are set for Friday, Sept. 13-16.
In previous years, Blue Jackets prospects made 21 appearances in the Traverse City, Michigan event, winning the Matthew Wuest Memorial Cup on five occasions as tournament champions in 2005, 2006, 2014, 2015, and 2018.
Among those prospects looking to make their mark is 2022 draftee Denton Mateychuk, who was selected with the 12th overall pick.
We're heading to Buffalo this week to take part in the Prospects Challenge!
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) September 11, 2024
Our tournament roster is set, and you can catch all the action on https://t.co/UTWCVgdR4M.
Full schedule and details: https://t.co/0yVhTG3D3e pic.twitter.com/nUc4umDqH7
Upon being drafted, the 20-year-old from Winnipeg has played for the WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors, whom he captained each of the last two years. Mateychuk scored 65 points (eight goals, 57 assists) in 63 games in 2022-23, and 75 points (17 goals, 58 assists) in 52 games in 2023-24.
In the playoffs last year for Moose Jaw, he scored 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 20 games, leading in assists, and was second in points on his way to being named 2024 WHL Playoffs MVP.
A total of 132 WHL players are set to compete in NHL Training Camps starting this week!
— The WHL (@TheWHL) September 11, 2024
| https://t.co/e1ecWd087O pic.twitter.com/64I9Rjz4WZ
Mateychuk debuted for the Cleveland Monsters in the playoffs last season, scoring three assists in four games. He also appeared in his first World Juniors, where he notched four assists in five games for Team Canada.
In last year's prospects tournament in Traverse City, Mateychuk had seven assists as the Blue Jackets finished in a three-way tie for first with the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs (2-1), but Columbus had the goal differential at plus-4.
As Mateychuk eyes a spot on the Blue Jackets blue line this season, he'll look to join regular defensemen Zach Werenski, Damon Severson, Ivan Provorov, Erik Gudbranson, Jordan Harris, and Jack Johnson. Gone are Adam Boqvist and Jake Bean.
Jake Christiansen spent most of last season in Cleveland but has 44 career NHL games to his credit. David Jiricek was drafted just ahead of Mateychuk in the same 2022 draft and debuted two seasons ago, playing in 43 games last year and scoring 10 points (one goal, nine assists).
This will be a fun weekend to see how Mateychuk and the rest of the prospects play with the games starting for real in a month.
