By Kevin Forbes / www.hockeysfuture.com

World Junior silver medalist Mikhail Grigorenko of the Quebec Remparts is the top rated QMJHL skater in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings and will compete against the best draft eligible players from across the Canadian Hockey League at the annual Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game this week in Kelowna.

Grigorenko, ranked second overall, is considered by many to be neck-and-neck with fellow Russian Nail Yakupov when it comes to who might be selected first overall at this year's NHL Entry Draft.

The Top Prospects Game is not just important for the battle for first overall. Many other CHL prospects are looking to use the opportunity in Kelowna to make a good impression and hopefully raise their stock in the eyes of attending scouts.

Martin Frk and Andrew Ryan, teammates with the Halifax Mooseheads, are both looking to make an impact, especially after both players missed the majority of the first half of the season due to injuries.

In Frk's case, the second-year Czech forward didn't get his start in Halifax until December after a concussion suffered in the preseason left him on the sidelines.

As Frk describes it, "I was very mad and sad and everything. For me, this is a big season, so I didn't want to be injured. It was a big loss for me." Returning to the Halifax line-up, the hard shooting right-winger has five goals and ten points in 14 games.

Currently ranked 25th by Central Scouting among North American skaters, Frk understands that missing such a significant part of his draft year makes the remainder of the season so important.

"It's a big year for me and for my team," says Frk, "I hope I don't have another injury in the second half of the season. I just want to show the people I can play hockey."

His teammate Andrew Ryan has similar goals. Ryan suffered a broken ankle in practice prior to the beginning of the regular season and so he didn't make his debut until the middle of November.

"It was frustrating at first, I was really let down by it because I had such high expectations for the season coming in and then to break my ankle, it was a tough time. Once I settled in that there's nothing I could do about it, I just kept working hard while I was injured and did what I could to keep going," explains Ryan.

In 23 games so far this year, Ryan, a sophomore left-winger, has already tied his rookie mark of five goals and has a total of eight points on the season. He's looking forward to the Top Prospects Game as an opportunity to show what he's made of.

"It gives me a chance to show everybody that I can play."

Frk and Ryan will be teammates on Team Cherry, where they will be joined by Brandon Whitney, a 17-year-old net minder who is a huge reason why the Victoriaville Tigres are one of the QMJHL's top teams.

They were also set to play alongside Chicoutimi Sagueneens forward Charles Hudon who unfortunately had to withdraw due to a wrist injury, however former first overall QMJHL pick Dillon Fournier of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies will suit up for Team Cherry on defence as a late injury replacement.

QMJHL players on Team Orr are headlined by the aforementioned Mikhail Grigorenko and he'll be joined by goaltender Francois Tremblay, who has seen plenty of time between the pipes with the Val-d'Or Foreurs. Raphael Bussieres, a rough and tumble forward from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and the speedy Francis Beauvillier of the Rimouski Oceanic will join Grigorenko up front. Tomas Hyka, a forward from the Czech Republic, was passed over after being eligible to be drafted last year. Now in his first season in the QMJHL, the 18-year-old leads the Gatineau Olympiques in scoring and has earned the invitation to Kelowna.

The Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Skills Competition will be played Tuesday night with the game set for Wednesday night live at 10:00 pm Eastern on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.