Rasmussen, Välimäki chosen to play in Top Prospects Game
Tri-City Americans forward Michael Rasmussen and defenseman Juuso Välimäki were chosen to play in the 2017 Top Prospects Game on Jan. 30 at Centre Vidéotron in Quebec City.
They are among 40 Canadian Hockey League players, representing 28 teams, to play in the 22nd annual event. Both will play on Team Orr.
Rasmussen leads the Americans with 22 goals and is tied for second on the team with 38 points. Välimäki is tops among Tri-City defensemen in scoring with 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists), and ranks third among defensemen in scoring in the Western Hockey League.
Rasmussen and Välimäki are among 10 WHL players who received an A rating from NHL Central Scouting on the November Players to Watch list.
While Välimäki is the third Tri-City defenseman to be selected for the game, Rasmussen is just the second forward.
Players who have represented the Americans in the Top Prospects Game include forward Scott Gomez (1998), defensemen Shawn Belle (2003) and Brandon Carlo (2015), and goalies Carey Price (2005), Chet Pickard (2008) and Eric Comrie (2012).
This story was originally published December 14, 2016 at 6:39 PM with the headline "Rasmussen, Välimäki chosen to play in Top Prospects Game."