2025 No. 2 draft pick Michael Misa is set to skate for the San Jose Sharks at the upcoming Golden State Rookie Faceoff. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

When the calendar flips to September, hockey season isn’t far off. Team training camps will open around Sept. 18 but before that, the next generation will hit the ice for a variety of NHL rookie tournaments.

This fall, however, one longstanding event is off the calendar, while others have been reimagined.

Most notably, the seven Western teams that gathered in Southern California for the 2024 Rookie Faceoff have splintered into three separate groups, while the four Western Canadian teams that met for the Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C. are also re-aligning.

We won’t be seeing the league’s latest first-overall pick in game action until pre-season begins, either. Continuing a trend from recent years, Matthew Schaefer’s New York Islanders are not scheduled to take part in any of the rookie tournaments.

Once again, the prospect-rich Washington Capitals will also be holding their rookie camp on their own, from Sept. 12-15 at McMullen Arena in Annapolis, Md.

Here’s where the other 30 teams will be playing next week:

2025 Prospects Challenge – Sept. 11-15 at LECOM Harborcenter, Buffalo, N.Y.

This year’s largest rookie tournament has dropped from six teams to five for 2025, with the Ottawa Senators electing to stay closer to home.

Still in the mix: the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins, who will play a total of seven games. The Bruins will play two games, and the other four teams will each play three.

Of this group, the Blue Jackets have the most intriguing overall prospect pool, but NCAA commits like Cayden Lindstrom and Jackson Smith are not eligible to play in rookie tournaments. The top-ranked player from the 2025 draft who should be participating will be defenseman Radim Mrtka from the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, who was selected ninth overall by the host Sabres in June.

2025 Prospect Tournament – Sept. 12-15 at Advent Health Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, Fla.

The Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning will hit the ice in a Tampa suburb this year after playing their 2024 tournament in Nashville.

Each team will play three games in the six-game event.

Keep an eye out for Predators power forward Brady Martin, the buzzsaw from the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds who climbed the rankings to be picked fifth in 2025. The Lightning roster includes newly acquired center Sam O’Reilly of the London Knights and WHL champion goaltender Harrison Meneghin.

2025 Prospect Showdown – Sept. 13-14 at Bell Centre in Montreal, Que.

One of two rookie events taking place in NHL arenas, Montreal’s Prospect Showdown has expanded from two teams to four this year. The Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets have joined the Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs for four games over two days, with each team playing twice.

2025 Tom Kurvers Showcase – Sept 12-14 at TRIA Rink in Saint Paul, Minn.

Once again, this Central Division event will feature the Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues, but the scene will shift from St. Louis to the Twin Cities for 2025.

Each team will play two games.

Don’t expect to see Blackhawks first-rounder Mason West on the ice in his home state — he’s busy throwing touchdown passes as the Edina Hornets seek a state high-school football championship. After turning pro late last season, Minnesota defenseman Zeev Buium and St. Louis forward Jimmy Snuggerud are both likely participants.

2025 Golden State Rookie Faceoff – Sept. 12-14 at GreatPark Ice in Irvine, Calif.

With a scene shift from El Segundo to Irvine, California’s rookie tournament is down to just the three in-state teams this year.

The Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks will each play two games at the Ducks’ practice facility.

All three teams have announced their tournament rosters. The Ducks’ will include 2024’s third-overall pick, forward Beckett Sennecke of the Oshawa Generals. The Sharks will have their top three picks from 2025 — Michael Misa, Joshua Ravensbergen and Haoxi (Simon) Wang as well as 2024 first-rounder Sam Dickinson, and the Kings will have first-round picks Liam Greentree and Henry Brzustewicz as well as goaltending prospect Carter George.

2025 Rookie Showcase – Sept 12-14 at South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch, Colo.

After joining the California tournament last year, the Colorado Avalanche, Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights are holding their own event in suburban Denver this time around.

The three-game series will feature two games for each team.

The prospect-rich Mammoth have announced a roster that includes six first-round picks including 2025 No. 4 Caleb Desnoyers, while the Avalanche will feature newly acquired Gavin Brindley and former University of Denver star Sean Behrens.

2025 Rookie Series – Sept. 12-13 at PPL Center in Allentown, Pa.

Like in recent years, the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers will square off for a pair of rookie games.

The Flyers will be without their No. 6 pick from 2025, Porter Martone, who committed to Michigan State. They should have No. 12 selection Jack Nesbitt from the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires.

2025 Prospects Games – Sept. 12-13 at Comerica Center in Frisco, Tex.

Last year, the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars met up for a pair of games in Traverse City, Mich., where the NHL’s first prospects tournament was held back in 1997. This fall, the scene shifts to the Stars’ practice facility in Texas for a two-game set.

2025 NHL Prospects Showcase – Sept. 13 in Everett, Wash.

After many years of hosting the Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C., the Vancouver Canucks have formed a new partnership with their closest neighbor, the Seattle Kraken.

The teams will take turns hosting from year to year. For 2025, a single game is set for the home arena of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, just north of Seattle.

The Kraken have a deep prospect pool. Their roster should include the No. 8 picks from the last two drafts, Jake O’Brien and Berkly Catton, as well as Silvertips defender Julius Miettinen. Vancouver’s roster should include first-rounders Tom Willander and Braeden Cootes along with former Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman Sawyer Mynio.

2025 Rookie Camp Battle of Alberta – Sept. 12 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alta. and Sept. 14 at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alta.

After being part of Penticton’s Young Stars for the last few years, the Battle of Alberta will be a standalone affair this year. The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames will play a home-and-home affair, each hosting one game in their NHL barn.

Taking a fresh approach to NHL rookie tournaments with an opportunity for both teams’ fans to see the latest crop of prospects, Edmonton’s lineup will include homegrown Matt Savoie and newly acquired Isaac Howard. The Flames’ roster is headlined by 2024 first-round picks Zayne Parekh and Matvei Gridin, as well as 2023 first-rounder Samuel Honzek.