KELOWNA, B.C. — Branden Troock, who knows better than most 17-year-olds how big moments can be fleeting, owned the final moments in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Ironically, a game marked by the absence of several banged-up junior stars was decided by the Edmonton native who many thought might never play in major junior due to damage to the occipital nerve in his neck that set him back a full season. A game that was fiercely played but offensive fireworks free seemed headed toward a deserved desultory finish, a 1-all tie and shootout. But Troock, a rare confluence of size and speed, hopped off Team Orr's bench, took a pass, beat his defender wide and finished off the play with a deke with 24.5 seconds left for a 2-1 win. It was pretty much the ending one would script to dramatize his long road back from the blindside hit in late 2009. It also was a classic example of someone heeding his own advice.

"Probably the main thing I learned while I was out is take every second you're on the ice and make the most of it," the 6-foot-3, 203-pound Seattle Thunderbirds forward said prior to the game when asked about the impact of his missing year. "Because you can never know when it might be taken away from you. I know some guys will complain, 'oh, do I have to practise today,' but you really have to cherish every moment you're on the ice. Because one freak accident, you can never play again.

"I was told a couple times I might have to look for a different career but that never crossed my mind. I want to be a hockey player."

The son of a coach — helping with his dad Wayne's minor hockey team while physically up to it was one way Troock satisfied his hockey craving last year — was one in full on Wednesday in front of a lively crowd of 5,022 at Prospera Place. Troock was in on both Team Orr goals in the lowest-scoring game in the event's history. He also responded well to being challenged before the third period by Team Orr coach Pat Quinn after a missed opportunity earlier in the game.

"In between the second and third period after I missed that net when I was going top right [corner] he pulled me into the hallway and said ... what did he say?" Troock told the postgame press conference. "He said, 'you had a hole the size that you can fit in a rocket in there.' I just wanted to get one in there after that."

"When I came off the bench I knew there was only about 30 seconds I left. I saw [Team Orr defenceman Derrick] Pouliot coming up the middle with the puck and I just had to get my feet moving and start calling for the puck, I knew I could beat the D-man to the outside. I just had to get it to the net and get a greasy one."

Kitchener Rangers centre Radek FaksaOne will see Radek Faksa in full effect once he has the build to back up his game.

The past two NHL drafts have seen lanky centres such as current Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Ryan Johansen and the Barrie Colts' Mark Scheifele, who had a NHL stint in October with the Winnipeg Jets, jump into the top 10 picks. In each case, teams were projecting what both players could do once they physically mature. Faksa is not a carbon copy of either, but the 18-year-old Kitchener Rangers standout seems like he could be a fairly complete package once his body fills out. He's scratched the surface quite extensively in his first North American season with the Rangers, as he's ranked fourth in NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings.

"I think I'm a big, strong centre, good puck protection," says the 6-foot-3, 202-pound native of the Czech Republic, who went pointless in Wednesday's CHL/NHL Top Prospects Games but generated some threatening chances that always seemed an inch or two off from producing a

KELOWNA, B.C. — Three stars from Wednesday's CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, won by Team Orr 2-1:

No. 1 star: Branden Troock, Team Orr (Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL)

Troock showed why he's considered such a promising power forward, as he used his speed to beat a defender wide, then cut in on goal and deke Matt Murray for the game-winning goal with 24.5 seconds left. He factored in both Orr goals in the lowest-scoring contest in the event's history, also getting the second assist on Griffin Reinhart's opening goal in the second stanza.

The game-winner was presaged by Team Orr coach Pat Quinn pulling Troock aside during the second intermission after the big forward missed a chance during that period.

"In between the second and third period after I missed that net when I was going top right [corner] he pulled me into the hallway and said ... what did he say?" Troock said. "He said, 'you had a hole the size that you can fit in a rocket in there.' I just wanted to get one in there after that."

The Edmonton native missed a season and a half with nerve damage in his neck resulting from a blindside hit he suffered as a 15-year-old in the fall of 2009, so one can only imagine what a load it was off his mind to shine tonight. Troock's line, which typically featured him with captain Colton Sissons of the host Kelowna Rockets and Rimouski Océanic speedster Francis Beauvillier, generated most of Team Orr's chances. The Edmonton native also not only helped set up Reinhart's goal but set a great screen in front of goalie Brandon Whitney.

No. 2 star: Matt Murray, Team Cherry (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, OHL)

The rangy Thunder Bay native was the main reason Team Cherry had a chance to win the game with two minutes left, making a game-high 17 saves on 18 shots. The 6-foot-4 goalie came in cold off the bench and made a good save almost immediately. In the third period, Murray stoned Raphael Bussières from point-blank range and also made successive saves on the OHL's second-leading scorer, Tanner Pearson, to preserve the 1-1 tie. He did not have much of a chance on Troock's game-winner, as the forward came in unmolested and had time to use his reach to complete the play and bring the crowd of 5,022 to its feet. Murray was easily the most tested and most impressive of the four goaltenders.

Rimouski Oceanic forward Francis BeauvillierKELOWNA, B.C. — Francis Beauvillier and Dillon Fournier are bonded by a team that doesn't exist — although they'll set that aside tonight.

It's hardly unusual, in the transient realm of junior hockey, for a player in his draft year to already be on his second team. Teams are always making moves in service of the future. Yet Beauvillier, a speedy Rimouski Océanic forward who won the fastest skater competition on Tuesday, and Fournier, a steady defenceman, are on their second teams because their first one folded. Both were first-round picks of the late and lamented Lewiston Maineiacs, the former U.S.-based team the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League bought out last summer after years of heavy financial losses.

"I think it means a lot that we're both here," says Fournier, 17, who is on Team Cherry for tonight's contest.. "Me and Beauvy, we were both two of the younger guys on the team, it was a real good mix of guys. But we've each found new roles with our new teams and he's having a good year and I'm having a good year, so it's worked out."

In some alternate timeline where losing money was no object, both might have been part of a contender this season instead of taking on extra duties with rebuilding squads. The Maineiacs' diaspora attests to what might have been. Each of the next two MasterCard Memorial Cup host teams boast Lewiston alumni. Michael Chaput is one of the team leaders of the Shawinigan Cataractes, who also boast colourful New York Islanders prospect Kirill Kabanov. Goalie, Andrey Makarov won a world junior silver medal for Russia and is starting for the WHL's Saskatoon Blades, who'll host the 2013 Cup. Matthew Bissonnette is fourth in the QMJHL in points. Coach Jean-François Houle has helped the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada be respectable in their first season since relocating.

KELOWNA, B.C. — The Buzzing The Net CHL Chatravaganza returns on a special day, convening on Wednesday at noon ET/1 p.m. AT/9 a.m. PT ahead of the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Please join Neate Sager, Sunaya Sapurji and a cast of many for the blogetariat's most-attended, widest-ranging approximately one-hour long livechat dedicated to major junior hockey. The Top Prospects Game will be a hot topic, along with the playoff races in all three CHL leagues. Does there still need to be a reminder this is BYOP — bring your own peanuts? See you Wednesday.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.

Red Deer Rebels star Mathew DumbaKELOWNA, B.C. — Consider tonight's CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game a show that needs to be stolen.

Consenus No. 1 draft prospect Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting scratching out thanks to organizational edict means the game has defied the easy build-up of a showdown between two top players. Hindsight, which recalls how the game was once hyped as a who's-best East-West showdown between Sidney Crosby and Gilbert Brule, might tell us that's for the best. Most of the hockey-watching nation knows a fair bit already about Yakupov, even though the Russian has only a fraction of the attention that another Sarnia star, Steven Stamkos, drew four seasons ago in the same city. (That neared Bieber levels.)

Last season, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins dominated as expected. This game has more potential for someone to surprise. Perhaps it could be someone such as Mathew Dumba, the Red Deer Rebels offensive defenceman who can make plays off the rush and lay a big bodycheck.

"It will be a really fun night to do that, show off your individual skill," Dumba says. "Just work hard and let your talents show to everyone. I think for me I'll go out there and play my hardest and move the puck well. I'm going to keep it simple to start off and see how the game progresses and if the opportunities are there to take chances, I'll take them."

Along with Dumba, who's on Team Cherry for tonight's tilt (Sportsnet/TVA Sports, 10 p.m ET/7 p.m. PT), here are five others who could be the game's breakout offensive star.

KELOWNA, B.C. — It turns out Tim Bozon is as fluent at defying gravity with a hockey puck as he is in any of four languages.

The breakaway challenge at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Tuesday night ended up being a goaltenders' duel. Unlike their NHL counterparts, this wasn't played as straight entertainment. As the victor, Kitchener Rangers centre Radek Faksa, explained, "The coach was telling us to score goals, the scouts don't really want to see fancy stuff, then the judges were telling us they were only going on fancy stuff. It was a bit of mixed emotions." Bozon, though, remembered (a) it's only a game (b) the people who paid good money to see an exhibition want some flair and (c) the scouts have an entire regular season plus playoffs to build a profile on him by draft day. So Bozon aimed high and the result was the highlight of the shootout, even though he did not score.

As Adam Kimelman explained, Bozon was paying homage to another Swiss-trained star, current New York Islanders rookie Nino Niederreiter. Niedereiter, then with the Portland Winterhawks, scored one-handed during the skills competition of the 2010 Top Prospects.

Scooping the puck up on the blade of his stick, Bozon kept the puck in place as he held his stick high over his head while he skated in on net. He finished with a spin-o-rama, but when he tried to score lacrosse-style, the puck landed in the crease and bounced wide of the net.

"Everyone remembers his one-hand goal, so I tried to do a different one with one hand," Bozon told NHL.com. "I didn't score — almost scored — but I tried the creativity he (Niederreiter) had two years ago." (NHL.com)

Emerson EtemSpinoff! Buzzing the Net will feature a column at the start of each month that entails Kelly Friesen's seven thoughts on the Western Hockey League's previous month.

The month of January is one of the Western Hockey League's busiest months. It entails players returning from the world junior, NHL Central Scouting releasing its mid-term rankings, players being named to the CHL's Top Prospects Game, and of course, the trade deadline.

Without further ado, here's a look at seven thoughts on the previous month.

Warriors add Braes and Henry. Are they now the odds on favourites out of the East? — The Moose Jaw Warriors were built for this season. So it only made sense for them to load up at the trade deadline. Sure they didn't get a top NHL prospect that non-junior hockey gurus know off by heart, but they did add two impact forwards with great leadership in Cam Braes and James Henry.

Teams such as the Brandon Wheat Kings and Kootenay Ice could make for an interesting series, but it seems only the Edmonton Oil Kings could be considered a slight favouriteagainst the Warriors.  Talent wise, one has to give the edge the Oil Kings. But the Warriors leadership and experience in the dressing room could trump Edmonton's skillful team.

What could separate these two teams is the play of the men between the pipes. By the numbers, it's nearly dead even. Oil Kings' Laurent Brossoit has maintained a .914 save percentage and a 2.46 goals-against average. The Warriors' Luke Siemens boasts a .913 save percentage and a 2.47 GAA. A bad game by either goaltender could ultimately cost his team the series if these two clubs do indeed meet in the post-season.

Hurricanes' Brody Sutter asks for a trade, but instead made team captain — Usually when a player asks for a trade he's told to pack his bags; however, that wasn't the case for Lethbridge Hurricanes forward Brody Sutter. Instead of cleaning out his locker, the Carolina Hurricanes prospect stitched a C to his sweater after former captain Cam Braes was traded to Moose Jaw.

According to Global's Paul Kingsmith, Hurricanes GM Rich Preston decided to keep Sutter after not receiving any adequate offers. It's impossible to know Preston's definition of an adequate offer. Nevertheless, one has to be skeptical on how bad the offers really were. After all, the Seattle Thunderbirds fetched two first-round picks and a young player from the Portland Winterhawks for Marcel Noebels. It's debatable whether Noebels is much better than Sutter.