In honour of this week's Ivan Hlinka Memorial, which features many of the top U18 players in the world including many from Champions Hockey league clubs, we highlight some of the talented young players on CHL rosters.

by Vilja Päätalo

They haven't reached the age of 20 yet but they have talent, and they are ready to show it to the CHL spectators across Europe.

Lukáš Doudera, Oceláři Třinec

Doudera is just 16 years old but it is widely believed that he has the potential to be a first-round draft pick in a couple of years. He and his older brother Milan transferred from his youth team HC Kladno to Oceláři Třinec this summer, and the young defenseman is also participating in the Ivan Hlinka memorial tournament this August.

Kevin Fiala, HV71 Jönköping

Fiala is not the biggest or most defensive player but he is a brilliant forward with exceptional skills. The Swiss player, who last season represented his country not only at Under 18 World Championship but the World Junior Championship and even the World Championship too, knows how to score. This combined with excellent skating and great stickhandling skills make him one of the most talented Swiss players ever. Last season Fiala played with both the junior and men's team of HV71 in Sweden. The 18-year-old was drafted as number 11 overall in this summer's draft.

Oliver Kylington, Färjestad Karlstad

The 17-year-old already played his first 32 SHL games last season. Born to a Swedish father and Eritrean mother, he is a first-round prospect for the 2015 NHL draft and already played in the SHL finals last spring. The two-way defenceman is known as a great skater with a good hockey sense.

Patrik Laine, Tappara Tampere

Laine is not as hyped about as fellow 16-year-old Finn Jesse Puljujärvi, but he is nevertheless also a top prospect for the 2016 NHL draft. Laine has developed recently as a player in great manner and he played for Tappara in the team's first pre-season games this August. Before heading to the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament he scored four points in a friendly game against Espoo, the Finnish U20 champion. He is a big forward who isn't afraid of the physical side of the game, which gives him an edge compared to many other young players who are still lacking in strength.

Artturi Lehkonen, Frölunda Gothenburg

After playing for two Finnish CHL teams, TPS Turku and KalPa Kuopio, 19-year-old Artturi Lehkonen is heading to Sweden for the upcoming season. He was one of the top forwards when Finland won the World Junior Championships last year. As is the case with many young players, Lehkonen still needs to work with the physical side of his game. He does, however, have the potential to score some highlight goals and win over the fans of his Swedish team.

Marcus Pettersson, Skellefteå AIK

Pettersson signed a three-year contract extension with his club in May. The love for the Northern Swedish team runs in his family as his father Daniel also played for Skellefteå for an impressive 14 seasons. The younger Pettersson used to play as a forward, but he became a defenceman at the age of 16. Because of this he still needs to practice some aspects of his game, especially as he is not a particularly physical player. Having a great hockey sense and good skating skills will help him with his career, though.

Jesse Puljujärvi, Kärpät Oulu

Puljujärvi is just 16 years old. He did, however, recently play his first game with the Oulu team in a pre-season game against KalPa and immediately scored a goal and assisted another. He has stated that he intends to play in Liiga this season, and it actually seems like he might get a chance to show his skills despite the Oulu team having one of the strongest rosters in CHL. Puljujärvi is a big forward and he is exceptionally good with the puck and has a great shot.

Martin Réway, Sparta Prague

Slovakia's number one young talent played in QMJHL in Canada for two seasons but now he is back in Europe. Réway's new team is the prestigious Czech team Sparta Prague. He was brilliant in the 2014 World Junior Championship, scoring 10 points in five games despite Slovakia's rather disappointing performance. This earned him a spot in Slovakia's World Championships roster and made the 2013 4th round draftee well-known among hockey fans.

Jakub Vrána, Linköping HC

Vrána took a different kind of road for his career when he moved at the age of 14 from his native Czech republic to Sweden to play hockey. Aged 18, he is still playing in the same city and last summer fulfilled one of his dreams when he was drafter to NHL as number 13 overall. Vrána is a hard-working forward with skills to match his motivation. He has already played twice in the World Junior Championships, and, still aged just 18, he can play twice more.