Malik L'Italien Among New Names Added To 2026 CHL USA Prospects Challenge Roster

As we creep closer and closer to this year's edition of the CHL USA Prospects Challenge, a few more names are being officially added to the roster.

On Thursday, it was announced Halifax Mooseheads star defenceman Malik L'Italien is among nine new names added to Team CHL's roster, becoming the third QMJHLer to represent the league at the event this year.

Previously, Quebec's Carter Meyer and Saint John's Alexis Joseph were parts of the first four names added to the team sheet ahead of the games in Chicoutimi and Québec City on the first two days of December.

Those three will be joined by OHL representatives Vilmer Salen Forsberg, Levi Harper, Cooper McAslan, Ryerson Edgar, Aleks Kulemin, Jaakko Wycisk and Dima Zhilkin, as well as WHL representatives Brock Cripps, Brock England and Kayden Stroeder.

The remainder of the roster is expected to be released in early-November, with some other QMJHL hopefuls such as James Scantlebury, Patrick Deniger, Jamie Glance, Ilya Kolmakov and others hoping to see their names added to the team.

L'Italien, 17, is having a real breakout year as a sophomore blueliner for Halifax. The third overall pick in the 2025 QMJHL draft started the year off with a great showing at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, before settling into a competitive Mooseheads team with a goal and nine assists in his first 10 games of the year.

The 6-foot-4 blueliner has a ton of tools and a lot of things going for him. He's a fantastic skater, especially for someone his size, and has the ability to impact the game all over the ice. He's a good passer, and has good offensive zone instincts, while still being able to play a consistent defensive game.

L'Italien has a legitimate chance of going in the top 15 of next summer's NHL draft, and with the lack of other elite blue line talent available this year, he could potentially push even higher than that. 

A strong showing at this event could further prove to scouts why he's just scratching the surface of his potential.

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