CALGARY, Alta. – With the National Hockey League season now underway, you’ll find a solid contingent of Canadian Junior Hockey League alumni solidifying clubs there to begin the 2022-23 campaign.
Presently there are 65 players on NHL rosters, who played in 10, or more, CJHL contests in their respective junior careers.
Highlighting that group is former CJHL standout Cale Makar, of the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.
Makar, the 2022 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as NHL Playoff MVP, starred for the Brooks Bandits (AJHL) from 2015-17 and went on to capture multiple CJHL accolades such as Most Valuable Player, Top Defenceman and Top Rookie.
Of the number of CJHL alums currently in the NHL, each of its nine-member leagues has at least one alumnus competing.
Also, among the 32 NHL clubs, 26 of them have a former CJHLer on their squad.
The Ottawa Senators and Vegas Golden Knights boast the highest number of CJHL alumni on the their teams with five apiece.
Listed below are the CJHL alumni currently on NHL team rosters:
| (10, or more, games played in the CJHL) | |||||
| PLAYER | NAME | POS. | NHL TEAM | CJHL TEAM(S) | LEAGUE |
| Drake | Batherson | F | Ottawa Senators | Valley Wildcats | MHL |
| Matt | Benning | D | San Jose Sharks | Spruce Grove Saints | AJHL |
| Nick | Blankenburg | D | Columbus Blue Jackets | 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 | Arizona Coyotes | Whitby Fury | OJHL |
| Connor | Brown | F | Washington Capitals | St. Michael’s Buzzers | OJHL |
| Brent | Burns | D | Carolina Hurricanes | Couchiching Terriers | OJHL |
| Andrew | Cogliano | F | Colorado Avalanche | St. Michael’s Buzzers | OJHL |
| Justin | Danforth | F | Columbus Blue Jackets | Cobourg Cougars | OJHL |
| Calvin | de Haan | D | Carolina Hurricanes | Kemptville 73’s | CCHL |
| Dylan | DeMelo | D | Winnipeg Jets | Mississauga Chargers | OJHL |
| Travis | Dermott | D | Vancouver Canucks | Newmarket Hurricanes | OJHL |
| Brian | Elliott | G | Tampa Bay Lightning | Ajax Axemen | OJHL |
| Jake | Evans | F | Montreal Canadiens | St. Michael’s Buzzers | OJHL |
| Mario | Ferraro | D | San Jose Sharks | Toronto Patriots | OJHL |
| Sam | Gagner | F | Winnipeg Jets | Milton Icehawks | OJHL |
| Mark | Giordano | D | Toronto Maple Leafs | Brampton Capitals | OJHL |
| Claude | Giroux | F | Ottawa Senators | Cumberland Grads | CCHL |
| Brandon | Hagel | F | Tampa Bay Lightning | Whitecourt Wolverines | AJHL |
| Travis | Hamonic | D | Ottawa Senators | Winnipeg Saints | MJHL |
| Joel | Hanley | D | Dallas Stars | Newmarket Hurricanes | OJHL |
| Scott | Harrington | D | San Jose Sharks | Kingston Voyageurs | OJHL |
| Adin | Hill | G | Vegas Golden Knights | Calgary Canucks | AJHL |
| Nick | Holden | D | Ottawa Senators | Camrose Kodiaks | AJHL |
| Sherwood Park Crusaders | AJHL | ||||
| Dylan | Holloway | F | Edmonton Oilers | Okotoks Oilers | AJHL |
| Ben | Hutton | D | Vegas Golden Knights | Kemptville 73’s | CCHL |
| Nepean Raiders | CCHL | ||||
| Zach | Hyman | F | Edmonton Oilers | Hamilton Red Wings | OJHL |
| Ross | Johnston | F | New York Islanders | Summerside Western Capitals | MHL |
| Boris | Katchouk | F | Chicago Blackhawks | Soo Thunderbirds | NOJHL |
| Johnny | Kovacevic | D | Montreal Canadiens | Ottawa Jr. A Senators | CCHL |
| Hawkesbury Hawks | CCHL | ||||
| Zack | MacEwen | F | Philadelphia Flyers | Amherst Ramblers | MHL |
| Cale | Makar | D | Colorado Avalanche | Brooks Bandits | AJHL |
| Mason | Marchment | F | Dallas Stars | Cobourg Cougars | OJHL |
| Mitchell | Marner | F | Toronto Maple Leafs | St. Michael’s Buzzers | OJHL |
| Jordan | Martinook | F | Carolina Hurricanes | Drayton Valley Thunder | AJHL |
| Jack | McBain | F | Arizona Coyotes | Toronto Jr. Canadiens | OJHL |
| Colin | Miller | D | Dallas Stars | Soo Thunderbirds | NOJHL |
| Ian | Mitchell | D | Chicago Blackhawks | Spruce Grove Saints | AJHL |
| Colton | Parayko | D | St. Louis Blues | Fort McMurray Oil Barons | AJHL |
| David | Perron | F | Detroit Red Wings | Panthères de St-Jérôme | LHJAAAQ |
| Jack | Quinn | F | Buffalo Sabres | Kanata Lasers | CCHL |
| Evan | Rodriques | F | Colorado Avalanche | Georgetown Raiders | OJHL |
| Jaden | Schwartz | F | Seattle Kraken | Notre Dame Hounds | SJHL |
| Devin | Shore | F | Edmonton Oilers | Whitby Fury | OJHL |
| Wayne | Simmonds | F | Toronto Maple Leafs | Brockville Braves | CCHL |
| Mike | Smith | G | Edmonton Oilers | Kingston Voyageurs | OJHL |
| Cole | Smith | F | Nashville Predators | Steinbach Pistons | MJHL |
| Brendan | Smith | D | New Jersey Devils | St. Michael’s Buzzers | OJHL |
| Reilly | Smith | F | Vegas Golden Knights | St. Michael’s Buzzers | OJHL |
| Carson | Soucy | D | Seattle Kraken | Spruce Grove Saints | AJHL |
| Riley | Stillman | D | Vancouver Canucks | Cobourg Cougars | OJHL |
| Cam | Talbot | G | Ottawa Senators | Hamilton Red Wings | OJHL |
| Chris | Tanev | D | Calgary Flames | Markham Waxers | OJHL |
| Chris | Tanev | D | Calgary Flames | Stouffville Spirit | OJHL |
| Durham Fury | OJHL | ||||
| Brandon | Tanev | F | Seattle Kraken | Markham Waxers | OJHL |
| John | Tavares | F | 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 | Detroit Red Wings | Toronto Jr. Canadiens | OJHL |
| MacKenzie | Weegar | D | Calgary Flames | Nepean Raiders | CCHL |
| Zach | Whitecloud | D | Vegas Golden Knights | Virden Oil Capitals | MJHL |
Photo credit: NHL.com