Month: February 2016

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced details for the third annual OHL Coaches Conference scheduled forSaturday June 4, 2016, at UOIT in Oshawa, ON.

“For the third straight season the OHL is excited to offer a program that brings together coaches from across Ontario,” said Joe Birch, OHL Senior Director of Hockey Development and Special Events. “This is a great opportunity for OHL coaches along with our special guests from the AHL and NHL to share best practices with minor hockey coaches in an interactive professional development day.”

The Minor Hockey Coaches Program will cover several topic areas such as:

• Player Evaluation & Selection (Roger Hunt, General Manager, Oshawa Generals)
• Effective Season & Practice Planning (Bob Jones, Head Coach, Oshawa Generals)
• Goaltender Development in Practices (Rick Wamsley, Ottawa Senators / OHL Goaltending Consultant)
• Face-Off Plays (Steve Spott, Assistant Coach, San Jose Sharks)
• Developing Forwards (Paul McFarland, Head Coach, Kingston Frontenacs)
• In Season Training Programs (Mark Fitzgerald, Anaheim Ducks / OHL Nutrition and Training Consultant)

The program will also include a ‘Coaching Pathways’ panel hosted by Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek who will facilitate discussion between Toronto Maple Leafs Assistant Coach DJ Smith, San Jose Barracuda Assistant Coach Ryan Mougenel, and Hamilton Bulldogs Associate Coach Troy Smith.

Registration is now open for the Minor Hockey Coaches Program with space for 90 delegates.  The conference is open to any coach registered within the OHF, OHA, OWHA, HEO, or HNO, coaching Pee-Wee ‘AAA’, Minor Bantam and Major Bantam ‘AE to AAA’, Minor Midget and Midget ‘AE to AAA’.  Cost of the OHL Coaches Conference is $200 that includes an OHL welcome gift, all presented materials, and lunch.  The one-day program will also provide attending coaches with three certification points towards their Hockey Canada coaching levels.

Interested applicants can complete the online registration for the third annual OHL Coaches Conference here.

For more information please contact:

Joe Birch

OHL Senior Director of Hockey Development & Special Events

Phone: 416-299-8700 ext. 228

jbirch@chl.ca

Toronto – The Ontario League takes the health and well being of our players very seriously.  The recent actions by the owner of the Flint Firebirds Rolf Nilsen and his representatives on the management team and coaching staff is of great concern as they pose a serious threat to our commitment to our players and their families.

The league announces the following sanctions effective immediately:

• Mr Nilsen and his appointees on the management and coaching staff including Sergei Kharin are suspended from Flint Firebirds’ hockey operations until further notice;
• The Flint Firebirds at their cost, under the direction of the League, shall provide counselling services for players;
• Rolf Nilsen and representatives of the Flint Firebirds shall co-operate with the Commissioner and the League in investigations into the conduct and actions of the Flint Firebirds and its representatives, employees, officers and directors;

In addition, the League will continue to investigate the actions of Rolf Nilsen and other representatives of the Flint Firebirds and will take any action and impose any sanctions that are deemed appropriate by the Commissioner.

Later today, the League will be meeting with the players in Flint to further discuss the situation, and to ensure that they are provided the appropriate supports.  These discussions and supports will be ongoing for the players and their families.

Toronto, ON – It has come to the league’s attention that the Flint Firebirds ownership has once again made significant changes to their coaching staff.  This change, the manner in which it occurred and the way it was communicated to the players and to the league is of great concern.

We have been in contact with the team captain and it is our intention to meet and communicate with all players and families in short order.  The players and their playing experience is of the utmost importance to the league and we will continue to work to ensure that they are treated with respect.

It is the league’s intention to immediately review the actions of the Flint Firebirds before we determine the next steps we will take to address this situation.

GTHL’s Toronto Jr. Canadiens officially qualify for 2016 OHL Cup

 

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the twelfth edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2016 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting Staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament which takes place March 15-21, 2016.  All games will be played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 21.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2016 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament – Week 12

RANK	TEAM	LEAGUE	LAST WEEK	WEEKS RANKED
1	Mississauga Rebels	GTHL	1	12
2	York Simcoe Express	OMHA	2	12
3	Toronto Marlies	GTHL	3	12
4	Toronto Jr. Canadiens	GTHL	4	12
5	Toronto Red Wings	GTHL	5	12
6	Barrie Jr. Colts	OMHA	6	11
7	Waterloo Wolves	ALLIANCE	8	10
8	Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs	OMHA	9	12
9	Don Mills Flyers	GTHL	7	10
10	Kingston Frontenacs	OMHA	10	5
	Honourable Mention
	London Jr. Knights	ALLIANCE	–	1
	Southern Tier Admirals	OMHA	–	–
	Kitchener Jr. Rangers	ALLIANCE	–	–
	North Central Predators	OMHA	–	3

Four teams from the GTHL have now officially qualified for the 2016 OHL Cup by advancing to their league Semi-Finals including the Mississauga Rebels, Toronto Marlies, Toronto Red Wings, and Toronto Jr. Canadiens who most recently defeated the Don Mills Flyers in the final Quarter-Final matchup.  The Jr. Canadiens will face the Marlies, and the Rebels will face the Red Wings in the league’s Semi-Finals set to begin later this month.  Also beginning later this month is the GTHL Wild Card Series featuring the four teams eliminated from the first round of playoffs including the Flyers who will face the Vaughan Kings, and the Mississauga Senators who will face the Markham Majors for the opportunity to keep their hopes alive with a Wild Card tournament entry.

Semi-Finals are underway in the ALLIANCE featuring the Waterloo Wolves against the Kitchener Jr. Rangers, and the London Jr. Knights against the Windsor Jr. Spitfires.  Both series winners will earn automatic entry into the 2016 OHL Cup, with the losing teams competing in a Semi-Final Wild Card Series with the winner also granted a berth in the tournament.  The fourth place team will be eligible for an OHL Cup Wild Card Play-In Game.

The OHL Cup continues to showcase 20 participating teams from across Ontario and the United States, but as of February, 2016, 15 of the 20 spots are now guaranteed through league competition.  The 15 guaranteed spots include all four GTHL Semi-Finalists, and the top four teams that place at the OMHA Championship.  Three teams from the ALLIANCE will still be guaranteed a spot in the tournament including the Champion and Finalist, along with the winner of a best-of-three Semi-Final Wild Card Series to be played between the losers of the two league Semi-Finals.  Two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition, while both an HNO and NOHA representative will also compete.

Also announced in February, 2016, is the addition of one Wild Card Play-In Game whereupon the final five entries at the 2016 OHL Cup will now be Wild Cards determined among 10 teams that will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario.  The 10 competing teams aiming for the final five tournament spots will now include five teams named by the Tournament Selection Committee based on regular season, playoff, and tournament play.  The other Wild Card Play-In Game spots will continue to include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship, and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series.  Two spots in Wild Card games are also reserved for GTHL teams.  The two competing GTHL teams will be determined through a pair of Wild Card Play-In Series matchups involving the four GTHL teams who qualified for the playoffs but lost in the first round.  The final spot in a Wild Card will be reserved for the winner of an OMHA SCTA Consolation Game that features both teams who lost in the SCTA Tournament Semi-Final.  The OMHA teams eligible for this matchup will be determined annually based on the league not hosting the OMHA Championship.  All five Wild Card games will take place on Tuesday March 15 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the 10 competing teams on Monday March 14.

Last season the Toronto Marlboros captured their fifth OHL Cup title in 11 years with a 3-2 overtime win over the Don Mills Flyers. Marlies forward and OHL Cup MVP Ryan McLeod followed up older brother Michael McLeod’s MVP effort in 2014 with three goals and four assists in the tournament.

McLeod was one of 12 first round draft selections from 2015 OHL Cup teams, including six of the top ten picks. Those names include David Levin (Don Mills Flyers – 1st overall to the Sudbury Wolves), Ryan McLeod (Toronto Marlboros – 3rd overall to the Flint Firebirds), Brady Gilmour (Quinte Red Devils – 6th overall to the Saginaw Spirit), Ben Jones (Toronto Marlboros – 7th overall to the Niagara IceDogs), Matthew Strome (Toronto Marlboros – 8th overall to the Hamilton Bulldogs) and Markus Phillips (Toronto Titans – 9th overall to the Owen Sound Attack).

Five first round selections in the 2015 NHL Draft are also OHL Cup graduates including Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Dylan Strome (Toronto Marlboros/Arizona Coyotes), Mitch Marner (Don Mills Flyers/Toronto Maple Leafs), Lawson Crouse (Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs/Florida Panthers) and Travis Konecny (Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs/Philadelphia Flyers).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/Edmonton Oilers), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), 2013 Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban (Markham Islanders/Montreal Canadiens) and 2010 OHL Cup MVP Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames).

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

David Branch, Geraldine Heaney, Mario Lemieux, Bob Nicholson to be honoured as part of 13th annual Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic

 HALIFAX, N.S. – The Order of Hockey in Canada welcomes two players and two executives to its ranks of distinguished honourees who have made outstanding contributions or service to the growth and development of the sport of hockey in Canada.

 The Distinguished Honourees of the Order of Hockey in Canada were announced in Halifax, host-city of the 2016 Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic gala and golf tournament, where David Branch, Geraldine Heaney, Mario Lemieux, and Bob Nicholson will be formally celebrated.

 David Branch – As president of the Canadian Hockey League since 1996 and commissioner of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) since 1979, Branch oversees the world’s largest development league encompassing the OHL, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Hockey League. He has been instrumental in leading a number of player-safety campaigns on topics that include anti-violence and mental health.

Geraldine Heaney – A two-time Olympic medallist and seven-time world champion in women’s hockey, Heaney has been inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame (2008), Hockey Hall of Fame (2013), and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (2014). Heaney helped put women’s hockey on the map with her gold medal-winning goal at the inaugural IIHF World Women’s Championship in 1990, and her impact on the next crop of female hockey talent continues through her coaching activity in her hometown.

Mario Lemieux – Co-owner and chairman of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Lemieux’s NHL and international successes have left their mark on hockey in Canada and around the world. As a member of Team Canada, Lemieux recorded 49 points in 36 games, and he served as captain for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey-winning team and the golden 2002 Olympic Winter Games team. Other international successes include winning the 1987 Canada Cup, a silver medal at the 1985 IIHF World Championship, and a bronze at the 1983 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Bob Nicholson – CEO and vice-chair of the Oilers Entertainment Group, Nicholson served as president and CEO of Hockey Canada from 1998-2014, overseeing the nation’s gold-medal performances at seven Olympic Winter Games, 12 IIHF World Junior Championships, five IIHF World Championships, 10 IIHF World Women’s Championships, four IIHF World Women’s U18 Championships, three IIHF World U18 Championships, two IPC Sledge Hockey World Championships, and one Paralympic Winter Games. In addition to the high-performance wins, Nicholson continues to dedicate himself to the growth and development of the sport through his work as chairman of the IIHF Development & Coaching Committee.

 “Between David, Geraldine, Mario, and Bob, they have impacted millions of people in Canada and around the world through their work within the sport of hockey,” said Tom Renney, president and chief executive officer, Hockey Canada. “I congratulate them all, on behalf of my colleagues at Hockey Canada and the Order of Hockey in Canada selection committee, as well as our board of directors, volunteers, and the 750,000 registered members from coast-to-coast-to-coast, on this well-deserved recognition.”

 The addition of this year’s class brings the total number of honourees to 18 since the Order of Hockey in Canada’s inception in 2012, including: Jean Béliveau (2012); Cassie Campbell-Pascall (2012); Clare Drake (2014); Jim Gregory (2015); Wayne Gretzky (2012); Paul Henderson (2013); Gordie Howe (2012); Dave King (2013); Mark Messier (2013); Pat Quinn (2015); Gordon Renwick (2012); France St-Louis (2014); Serge Savard (2015); and Steve Yzerman (2014).

 A selection committee of 12 members – appointed by the Order of Hockey in Canada executive committee, established by Hockey Canada – is tasked with nominating and selecting, via secret ballot, the annual recipients of the Order of Hockey in Canada. The committee members represent a cross-section of individuals with great and varied experience around the game of hockey in Canada.

 This year’s honourees will be celebrated as part of the 2016 Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic, June 20 and 21 in Halifax.

 Nova Scotia legacy plans unveiled

 Halifax is the first city without an NHL team to host the prestigious event. Half of the proceeds from the 2016 Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic will support a provincial legacy plan as selected by the local steering committee for the event.

 Daniel Gallivan, Q.C., chair of the steering committee, announced Tuesday that Hockey Nova Scotia, the Sidney Crosby Foundation, and the Long Pond Hockey Arena Building Society will share the proceeds that will remain locally, to be used for programs and projects that support the growth and development of the sport in the province.

 “We have seen tremendous support from the community to-date, and I believe that is in large part because of the knowledge that the Celebrity Classic benefits our region directly, and in a very meaningful way,” said Gallivan. “Our committee considered several options. We ultimately agreed to support these three because we believe that, together, they will have a lasting and positive effect on hockey and those who play the game in Nova Scotia.”

 The remaining proceeds from the 2016 Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic will go to the Foundation to support the future development and delivery of Hockey Canada programs, projects, and activities across the country.

 Visit the Hockey Canada website for more information on the Hockey Canada Foundation, the 2016 Celebrity Classic, and the Order of Hockey in Canada.

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that San Jose Sharks prospect Kevin Labanc of the Barrie Colts is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending February 14 after leading the league with 11 points in three games scoring four goals and seven assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-6.

Labanc became the first player to eclipse the century mark in points this season producing three multi-point performances that helped the Colts extend their winning-streak to eight games.  The OHL’s top scorer had back-to-back four point efforts includingWednesday night where he collected his third hat-trick of the season plus an assist as first star of a 5-0 victory over the Owen Sound Attack, then scored once with three assists on Thursday as second star of a 7-6 triumph over the Hamilton Bulldogs.  Labanc reached then surpassed the 100-point milestone on Saturday with three assists as second star of a 5-1 victory over the Guelph Storm.  His performance marks the 11th time the Colts have had a 100-point scorer in franchise history and third time a player has reached the milestone in consecutive seasons joining Bryan Little (2005-07) and Sheldon Keefe (1998-2000) in the record books.

A 20-year-old from Staten Island, New York, Labanc has now captured Player of the Week honours four times this season.  With 101 points (33 goals and 68 assists) through 50 games, the three-year Colt has totaled 243 points in 183 career regular season games and currently sits fifth in all-time franchise scoring behind Little (342), Daniel Tkaczuk (334), Hunter Tremblay (274), and Michael Henrich (244).  The overage forward was a sixth round pick of the Sharks in the 2014 NHL Draft.

Watch video highlights of Labanc and the Colts against the Attack, Bulldogs, and Storm.

Also considered for the award this week was Labanc’s fellow Colt Andrew Mangiapane.  The Calgary Flames prospect picked up five goals including his league-best fifth hat-trick of the season along with four assists for nine points in three games.  Los Angeles Kings prospect Mike Amadio of the North Bay Battalion recorded seven points in three games including a franchise record five goals on Saturday against the Kingston Frontenacs.  In goal, Leo Lazarev of the Ottawa 67’s went 2-0-0-0 including a shutout victory while posting a goals-against-average of 0.50 and save percentage of .983.

2015-16 Pioneer Energy OHL Players of the Week:

Feb. 8 – Feb. 14: Kevin Labanc (Barrie Colts)
Feb. 1 – Feb. 7: Spencer Watson (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan. 25 – Jan. 31: Jonah Gadjovich (Owen Sound Attack)
Jan. 18 – Jan. 24: Matthew Mancina (Peterborough Petes)
Jan. 11 – Jan. 17: Michael Giugovaz (Guelph Storm)
Jan. 4 – Jan. 10: Kevin Labanc (Barrie Colts)
Dec. 28 – Jan. 3: Kevin Labanc (Barrie Colts)
Dec. 14 – Dec. 20: Jake Smith (North Bay Battalion)
Dec. 7 – Dec. 13: Christian Dvorak (London Knights)
Nov. 30 – Dec. 6: Mitchell Marner (London Knights)
Nov. 23 – Nov. 29: Christian Dvorak (London Knights)
Nov. 16 – Nov. 22: Pavel Zacha (Sarnia Sting)
Nov. 9 – Nov. 15: Devin Williams (Erie Otters)
Nov. 2 – Nov. 8: Dylan Strome (Erie Otters)
Oct. 26 – Nov. 1: Tyler Parsons (London Knights)
Oct. 19 – Oct. 25: Kevin Labanc (Barrie Colts)
Oct. 12 – Oct. 18: Zach Bratina (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 5 – Oct. 11: Hunter Garlent (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 28 – Oct. 4: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 27: Zack Bowman (Flint Firebirds)