Who will be looked upon in the dying minutes of a tie game? Who will be counted upon to provide leadership on the road to a gold medal? Who will make the key pass? Score the big goal? Make the huge save?

NHL Central Scouting has selected three players from each of the five teams competing in Dawson Creek, B.C., that it believes are players to watch at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge.

Who made the list?

CANADA EAST

RYAN ALEXANDER
hard-working two-way centre … processes the game well … relentless in puck pursuit … determined to win battles … uses wide base effectively … plays in all situations

DAVID LAFRANCE
dynamic two-way defenceman … smooth and fluid skater … plays with poise and confidence … good hockey IQ … positionally sound … makes responsible decisions

DEVON LEVI
athletic goaltender … very confident … technically sound and balanced … reads the game extremely well … good net presence … very solid stance … quick puck retrieval

CANADA WEST

MICHAEL BENNING
dynamic defenceman … very good speed and mobility … doesn’t get rattled under pressure … good hockey sense … stops the rush and transitions quickly … high-end skills

KENT JOHNSON
creative player … sees the ice exceptionally well … elite passer … controls the tempo of the game … natural ability to create time and space … loves to have the puck

CARTER SAVOIE
excellent skater … exceptional vision, hockey sense and acceleration … makes plays at top speed … hard to defend … quick release and good finishing touch … no-quit effort

CZECH REPUBLIC

DANIEL KOWALCZYK
skillful defenceman … used in all situations … solid skater for his size … good defensive awareness … comfortable to join the rush … distributes the puck effectively

ONDREJ PSENICKA
big-bodied forward … strong skater with good mobility … good hands … handles the puck well in traffic … good two-way effort … effective forechecker … good one-on-one

JAKUB RYCHLOVSKY
skilled winger … very good acceleration and balance … effective on the forecheck … always first on loose pucks … good work ethic … quick hands … plays bigger than size

RUSSIA

MARAT KHUSNUTDINOV
200-foot centre … very good hockey sense … quick and effective decision making … good speed and balance … drives hard to the net … consistent high-energy game

SHAKIR MUKHMADULLIN
two-way defenceman … plays tough in his zone … skates well for his size … good hands … efficient passer … powerful shot from the point … able to stay with checks

ALEXANDER PASHIN
diminutive winger … quick and explosive skater … creates scoring chances on the fly … aggressive on the puck … drives hard to the net … uses speed to read and react

UNITED STATES

ETHAN HAIDER
good understanding of position … technically sound … good quickness and balance … challenges shooters well … good concentration … plays a confident game

MICHAEL KOSTER
diminutive defenceman … dictates play from the back end … finds ways to create offence … good positioning and stick work … complete player in all situations

RYDER ROLSTON
dynamic winger … plays at a high pace in all zones … very good skater … beats defenders to the outside … hard and accurate shot … competes hard every shift