CALGARY, Alta. – A glance at the rosters of National Hockey League clubs you’ll find a multitude of Canadian Junior Hockey League alumni among them.
Under the criteria of those that played 10, or more, games in the CJHL during their Jr. A career, you’ll find 69 former CJHLers on lineups that make up NHL teams.
Each of the nine leagues that comprise the CJHL has at least one alumnus on a NHL roster, while eight boast multiple alums competing.
Headlining this CJHL alumni list is Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar, who starred for the Brooks Bandits (AJHL) from 2015 through 2017.
In his time with Brooks, he was named the CJHL’s Top Rookie, Top Defenceman and Player of the Year while twice being named MVP at the National Jr. A Championship, as well as earning a pair of best defenceman laurels.
He was also a two-time World Junior A Challenge All-Star Team honouree and helped Canada West win a gold medal at the 2015 event in Cobourg, Ont.
Makar, the 2019-20 recipient of the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Top Rookie, currently tops all league defencemen in goals with 15 and sits fifth in points with 30.
Meanwhile back in 2018-19, he was named the recipient of the annual Hobey Baker Award, emblematic of being selected the top player in all of U.S. College hockey that season.
The following are the names of those, who competed in at least 10 CJHL games, who are presently on a NHL roster:
| CJHL Alumni – NHL | |||||
| (10, or more, GP in CJHL) | |||||
| PLAYER | NAME | POS | NHL TEAM | CJHL TEAM(S) | LEAGUE |
| Brandon | Baddock | LW | Montreal Canadiens | Lloydminster Bobcats | AJHL |
| Drake | Batherson | RW | Ottawa Senators | Valley Wildcats | MHL |
| Jay | Beagle | C | Arizona Coyotes | Calgary Royals | AJHL |
| Alex | Belzile | RW | Montreal Canadiens | Cougars du Collège Champlain | LHJAAAQ |
| Matt | Benning | D | Nashville Predators | Spruce Grove Saints | AJHL |
| Jacob | Bernard-Docker | D | Ottawa Senators | Okotoks Oilers | AJHL |
| Mark | Borowiecki | D | Nashville Predators | Smiths Falls Bears | CCHL |
| Robert | Bortuzzo | D | St. Louis Blues | Fort William North Stars | SIJHL |
| Josh | Brown | D | Ottawa Senators | Whitby Fury | OJHL |
| Connor | Brown | RW | Ottawa Senators | St. Michael’s Buzzers | OJHL |
| Brent | Burns | D | San Jose Sharks | Couchiching Terriers | OJHL |
| Drake | Caggiula | C | Buffalo Sabres | Stouffville Spirit | OJHL |
| Andrew | Cogliano | C | San Jose Sharks | St. Michael’s Buzzers | OJHL |
| Kevin | Connauton | D | Philadelphia Flyers | Spruce Grove Saints | AJHL |
| Fort Saskatchewan Traders | AJHL | ||||
| Justin | Danforth | RW | Columbus Blue Jackets | Cobourg Cougars | OJHL |
| Calvin | de Haan | D | Chicago Blackhawks | Kemptville 73s | CCHL |
| Dylan | DeMelo | D | Winnipeg Jets | Mississauga Chargers | OJHL |
| Travis | Dermott | D | Toronto Maple Leafs | Newmarket Hurricanes | OJHL |
| Phil | Di Guiseppe | LW | Vancouver Canucks | Villanova Knights | OJHL |
| Brian | Elliott | G | Tampa Bay Lightning | Ajax Axemen | OJHL |
| Jake | Evans | C | Montreal Canadiens | St. Michael’s Buzzers | OJHL |
| Mario | Ferraro | D | San Jose Sharks | Toronto Patriots | OJHL |
| Alex | Formenton | LW | Ottawa Senators | Aurora Tigers | OJHL |
| Mark | Friedman | D | Pittsburgh Penguins | North York Rangers | OJHL |
| Sam | Gagner | C | Detroit Red Wings | Milton Icehawks | OJHL |
| Mark | Giordano | D | Seattle Kraken | Brampton Capitals | OJHL |
| Claude | Giroux | C | Philadelphia Flyers | Cumberland Grads | CCHL |
| Brandon | Hagel | LW | Chicago Blackhawks | Whitecourt Wolverines | AJHL |
| Travis | Hamonic | D | Vancouver Canucks | Winnipeg Saints | MJHL |
| Joel | Hanley | D | Dallas Stars | Newmarket Hurricanes | OJHL |
| Scott | Harrington | D | Columbus Blue Jackets | Kingston Voyageurs | OJHL |
| Nick | Holden | D | Ottawa Senators | Camrose Kodiaks | AJHL |
| Sherwood Park Crusaders | AJHL | ||||
| Carter | Hutton | G | Arizona Coyotes | Fort William North Stars | SIJHL |
| K&A Golden Hawks | SIJHL | ||||
| Ben | Hutton | D | Vegas Golden Knights | Kemptville 73s | CCHL |
| Nepean Raiders | CCHL | ||||
| Zach | Hyman | LW | Edmonton Oilers | Hamilton Red Wings | OJHL |
| Ross | Johnston | LW | New York Islanders | Summerside Western Capitals | MHL |
| Boris | Katchouk | LW | Tampa Bay Lightning | Soo Thunderbirds | NOJHL |
| Brady | Keeper | D | Vancouver Canucks | OCN Blizzard | MJHL |
| Zach | MacEwen | RW | Philadelphia Flyers | Amherst Ramblers | MHL |
| Cale | Makar | D | Colorado Avalanche | Brooks Bandits | AJHL |
| Mason | Marchment | LW | Florida Panthers | Cobourg Cougars | OJHL |
| Mitchell | Marner | RW | Toronto Maple Leafs | St. Michael’s Buzzers | OJHL |
| Jordan | Martinook | LW | Carolina Hurricanes | Drayton Valley Thunder | AJHL |
| Colin | Miller | D | Buffalo Sabres | Soo Thunderbirds | NOJHL |
| Brett | Murray | LW | Buffalo Sabres | Carleton Place Canadians | CCHL |
| James | Neal | RW | St. Louis Blues | Bowmanville Eagles | OJHL |
| Colton | Parayko | D | St. Louis Blues | Fort McMurray Oil Barons | AJHL |
| Matthew | Peca | C | St. Louis Blues | Pembroke Lumber Kings | OJHL |
| David | Perron | RW | St. Louis Blues | Panthères de St-Jérôme | LHJAAAQ |
| Buddy | Robinson | RW | Anaheim Ducks | Hamilton Red Wings | OJHL |
| Nepean Raiders | CCHL | ||||
| Evan | Rodriques | C | Pittsburgh Penguins | Georgetown Raiders | OJHL |
| Carter | Rowney | RW | Detroit Red Wings | Grande Prairie Storm | AJHL |
| Jaden | Schwartz | LW | Seattle Kraken | Notre Dame Hounds | SJHL |
| Devin | Shore | C | Edmonton Oilers | Whitby Fury | OJHL |
| Wayne | Simmonds | RW | Toronto Maple Leafs | Brockville Braves | CCHL |
| Brendan | Smith | D | Carolina Hurricanes | St. Michael’s Buzzers | OJHL |
| Mike | Smith | G | Edmonton Oilers | Kingston Voyageurs | OJHL |
| Reilly | Smith | RW | Vegas Golden Knights | St. Michael’s Buzzers | OJHL |
| Carson | Soucy | D | Seattle Kraken | Spruce Grove Saints | AJHL |
| Riley | Stillman | D | Chicago Blackhawks | Cobourg Cougars | OJHL |
| Cam | Talbot | G | Minnesota Wild | Hamilton Red Wings | OJHL |
| Chris | Tanev | D | Calgary Flames | Markham Waxers | OJHL |
| Durham Fury | OJHL | ||||
| Stouffville Spirit | OJHL | ||||
| Brandon | Tanev | LW | Seattle Kraken | Markham Waxers | OJHL |
| John | Tavares | C | Toronto Maple Leafs | Milton Icehawks | OJHL |
| Logan | Thompson | G | Vegas Golden Knights | Grande Prairie Storm | AJHL |
| Sean | Walker | D | Los Angeles Kings | Newmarket Hurricanes | OJHL |
| Jake | Walman | D | St. Louis Blues | Toronto Jr. Canadiens | OJHL |
| MacKenzie | Weegar | D | Florida Panthers | Nepean Raiders | CCHL |
| Zach | Whitecloud | D | Vegas Golden Knights | Virden Oil Capitals | MJHL |
| Portage Terriers | MJHL | ||||