Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1196874
B ack when the idea of staging an all- star game for the top draft eligible American players was little more than a glimmer in the eye of USA Ho c k e y 's Ji m Jo h a n n s o n , h e knew that beyond the hype and hoopla the basic premise of the event was quite simple. "This game is about celebrating the American player," Johannson said prior to each of the six All-American Prospects Games he organized. E v e n a f t e r h i s p a s s i n g i n 2 0 1 8 , Johannson's vision for the game carries on. Despite a change in the name and for- mat for this year 's event, the BioSteel All-American Game, slated for Jan. 20 a t U S A H o c k e y A r e n a i n P l y m o u t h , Mich., will once again showcase the top American-born prospects eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft. The new format this season will pit play- ers from USA Hockey 's National Team Development Program against a group of the best American-born players from the United States Hockey League, the lone Tier I Junior league in the country. A n d w h e t h e r t h e e v e n t i s h e l d i n Buffalo, N.Y., as it has been on four occa- sions, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or St. Paul, Minn., the stars always come out to play before an appreciative crowd of rabid hockey fans and hundreds of NHL scouts looking for the next Seth Jones, Jack Eichel or another member of the Tkachuk and Hughes family tree. It's no surprise that so many talent- ed prospects have used the game as a launching pad to their collegiate and NHL careers. "This is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these kids and you really never know who's going to shine or stand out," said Dan Marr, the NHL's director of central scouting. Not only do scouts love the convenience of seeing so many top prospects on the same ice, the format also creates a melting pot of players from such diverse playing Annual Showcase Shines Spotlight On Continued Growth Of The American Game PHOTOS BY USA Hockey Magazine Archive By Alyssa Hertel 24 // JANUARY 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM