Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for regular season games played in March 2016, including Barrie Colts forward Andrew Mangiapane, Windsor Spitfires defenceman Mikhail Sergachev, Hamilton Bulldogs rookie Matthew Strome, and London Knights goaltender Tyler Parsons.
OHL Player of the Month – Andrew Mangiapane (Barrie Colts):
Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Mangiapane has been named the OHL Player of the Month for March, leading all players with 22 points, including seven goals and 15 assists in nine contests. Signed to an NHL contract by the Flames on Wednesday, Mangiapane’s magnificent March was headlined by a run of seven straight multi-point performances, including back-to-back four point nights. The speedy winger had a goal and three assists in an 8-1 win over the Owen Sound Attack on March 9th before duplicating that stat line two nights later in a 7-3 win over the Sudbury Wolves on March 11th. Mangiapane closed out the season with a goal and three assists in an 11-4 triumph over Sudbury on March 19th. In total, Mangiapane received star of the game recognition four times, being honoured as first star on three occasions for the Central Division champs.
A native of Bolton, ON, Mangiapane became the fourth player in Colts history to record back-to-back 100 point seasons this past month, also scoring his 50th of the campaign in a win over the Peterborough Petes on March 12th. Formerly signed by the Colts as a free agent at the start of the 2013 season, Mangiapane has points in 30 of his 33 games since January 1st. He was Calgary’s sixth round (166th overall) pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.
OHL Defenceman of the Month – Mikhail Sergachev (Windsor Spitfires):
Draft eligible Windsor Spitfires blueliner Mikhail Sergachev is the OHL’s Defenceman of the Month for March after recording three goals, seven assists and 10 points in eight contests along with a plus/minus rating of plus-6. The 17-year-old finished the regular season on a seven game point streak, one that includes a pair of multi-point efforts in wins on March 17th and 18th. Sergachev recorded a goal and two assists in a 6-4 win over the Kitchener Rangers on the 17th before following that up with a pair of helpers in a 6-1 win over the Saginaw Spirit on the 18th. Two of the 6’3″, 206Ib. blueliner’s three goals on the month came on the powerplay as the Spitfires wrapped up the season with a record of 40-21-6-1, collecting points in their final four contests.
A native of Nizhnekamsk, Russia, Sergachev led OHL defencemen with 17 goals on the season, adding 40 assists for 57 points, good for third amongst OHL rearguards. Sergachev scored eight powerplay goals, helping Windsor finish the season with the league’s third-best man advantage at 23.6%. He was the 10th ranked skater in NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Draft Rankings released in mid-January before competing in the 2016 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Vancouver.
OHL Rookie of the Month – Matthew Strome (Hamilton Bulldogs):
Rookie Hamilton Bulldogs winger Matthew Strome is the OHL’s Rookie of the Month for March after he recorded four goals, four assists and eight points in seven games. Strome’s month was headlined by a two goal, one assist performance in a 5-3 win over the Guelph Storm on March 5th. The 6’3″, 187Ib. left-winger had points in six of his seven March contests, including goals on March 3rd against Peterborough and March 19th against Kingston.
A native of Mississauga, ON, Strome led Bulldogs rookies in scoring with 16 goals, 22 assists and 38 points in 61 games. His 38 points are the most by a 16-year-old rookie in Bulldogs all-time franchise history since Mike Roelefsen’s 40 in 2003-04. Strome will be eligible for the 2017 NHL Draft and was Hamilton’s first round (8th overall) pick in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection.
Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month – Tyler Parsons (London Knights):
Draft eligible London Knights goaltender Tyler Parsons has been named the OHL’s Goaltender of the Month for March, going 6-1-0-0 with a 1.69 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage over seven appearances. The 18-year-old strung together six straight wins to start the month as part of an 11-game trend dating back to February 15th. Parsons scored three straight wins over Midwest Division opponents in Erie and Kitchener (twice) from March 3-8, turning aside 77 of the 81 shots he faced over those contests. He has played to a record of 13-3-0-0 since February 1st, helping the Knights finish the season with a record of 51-14-2-1 for second in the division.
A native of Chesterfield, MI, Parsons led all OHL goaltenders with a 2.33 goals-against average and helped earn the club the Dave Pinkney Trophy as the Knights allowed the league’s fewest goals against with 182. Parsons played to a 37-9-2-1 record with four shutouts and finished tied for first with a .921 save percentage to help the Knights record at least 50 wins for the third time in the last 10 years. Eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft, Parsons was signed by the Knights as a free agent at the beginning of the 2014 season.
2015-16 OHL Top Performers of the Month:
Player of the Month:
March – Andrew Mangiapane (Barrie Colts)
February – Mitchell Marner (London Knights)
January – Kevin Labanc (Barrie Colts)
December – Brendan Lemieux (Windsor Spitfires)
November – Dylan Strome (Erie Otters)
October – Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Defenceman of the Month:
March – Mikhail Sergachev (Windsor Spitfires)
February – Jakob Chychrun (Sarnia Sting)
January – Rasmus Andersson (Barrie Colts)
December – Cam Dineen (North Bay Battalion)
November – Travis Dermott (Erie Otters)
October – Vili Saarijarvi (Flint Firebirds)
Rookie of the Month:
March – Matthew Strome (Hamilton Bulldogs)
February – Alexander Nylander (Mississauga Steelheads)
January – Cam Dineen (North Bay Battalion)
December – Cam Dineen (North Bay Battalion)
November – Alexander Nylander (Mississauga Steelheads)
October – Alexander Nylander (Mississauga Steelheads)
Vaughn Goaltender of the Month:
March – Tyler Parsons (London Knights)
February – Jeremy Helvig (Kingston Frontenacs)
January – Michael Giugovaz (Guelph Storm)
December – Devin Williams (Erie Otters)
November – Mackenzie Blackwood (Barrie Colts)
October – Lucas Peressini (Kingston Frontenacs)
OHL Writers 