Month: May 2017

ERIE, PA – Anthony Cirelli has developed a reputation for scoring big goals over the course of his OHL career.

The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect delivered when it mattered most once again on Friday, scoring 2:41 into overtime to crown the Erie Otters OHL Champions for the second time in franchise history.

Down 3-2 inside the final two minutes of the third period fellow Lightning draft selection Taylor Raddysh scored with 1:15 remaining, completing a hat-trick to send the game to overtime.

Cirelli took a Dylan Strome pass early in the extra frame to lift the Otters to a 4-3 win over the Mississauga Steelheads in Game 5 of the Rogers OHL Championship Series.

“It was all Stromer,” said Cirelli of the winner, “He got the puck low and fed it in front there and I banged it in.”

Acquired by the Otters midway through the season, Cirelli’s impact was immediate as the 19-year-old who is also remembered for being the hero of the 2015 Mastercard Memorial Cup with the Oshawa Generals came through in the clutch once again.

“I don’t know,” he reflected. “I just come to work every day and I just want to help the team to win. Everyone has been great to me here in Erie and I’m playing with unbelievable players. It makes my job easy.”

The J. Ross Robertson Cup title adds another impressive accomplishment to a decorated past few seasons of Otters hockey in Erie. Having made CHL history with their fourth consecutive 50-win season in 2016-17, the Otters advanced to their fourth consecutive Western Conference Final and are now OHL Champions for the first time in 15 years.

“I’m beyond words,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch. “It’s been a long time and I’m just kind of relieved that it’s come to this. I’m so proud of my guys.

“You look at what happened throughout these playoffs. Coming from behind in Game 7 against London and tonight being down two goals a couple times and then pulling it off in overtime, it’s pretty dramatic.”

Carolina Hurricanes prospect Warren Foegele had an assist in the win and received the Wayne Gretzky ’99’ Award as OHL Playoff MVP. Foegele finished the postseason with 13 goals, 13 assists and 26 points in 22 games including eight points in the Rogers OHL Championship Series. The Markham, Ont. native scored a number of big goals throughout Erie’s playoff run including a second round Game 7 overtime winner against the London Knights.

While Foegele was named OHL Playoff MVP, Otters forward Alex DeBrincat led the OHL Playoffs in scoring, finishing with 38 points including 13 goals and 25 assists in 22 games.

The Otters overcame a pair of two goal deficits in the championship-clinching win and trailed 3-2 for much of the third before Raddysh completed his hat-trick, blowing the lid off Erie Insurance Arena with just 1:15 to go on assists from Strome and Warren Foegele.

Strome set up Cirelli for the overtime winner on the power play as the capacity crowd of 6,781 at Erie Insurance Arena erupted in celebration.

The Otters outshot the Steelheads 43-26 as Mississauga netminder Matthew Mancina made 39 saves.

Spencer Watson (15) and Michael McLeod (11) powered the Steelheads to a 2-0 lead in the first period before 2017 NHL Draft prospect Owen Tippett (10) scored to reinstate a two-goal cushion with 5:51 remaining in the second frame.

Raddysh’s hat-trick is the Otters’ fifth of the 2017 OHL Playoffs as he led the Otters comeback on an unforgettable night in the Flagship City.

Erie’s title marks the fourth time an American team has won an OHL Championship as the 2017 Otters join the 1995 Detroit Jr. Red Wings, 2002 Erie Otters and 2007 Plymouth Whalers in hoisting the Robertson Cup.

The Otters join the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs as the second champion from across the Canadian Hockey League to advance to the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup in Windsor. They open their schedule on Saturday May 20th against the champions from the Western Hockey League.

GAME CENTRE

HIGHLIGHTS

WAYNE GRETZKY 99 AWARD PRESENTATION

POST-GAME WITH ANTHONY CIRELLI, TAYLOR RADDYSH

 POST-GAME WITH DYLAN STROME, KRIS KNOBLAUCH

2017 Rogers OHL Championship Series:
Game 1 – MISS 1 @ ER 2
Game 2 – MISS 2 @ ER 3
Game 3 – ER 3 @ MISS 4
Game 4 – ER 5 @ MISS 2
Game 5 – MISS 3 @ ER 4 OT

2017 OHL PLAYOFF BRACKETS

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that defenceman Garrett McFadden of the Guelph Storm is the 2016-17 recipient of the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy awarded annually to the OHL’s Humanitarian of the Year.

In September, 2016, the Storm captain introduced ‘McFadden’s Movement’; a mental health campaign that strives to change, help, and develop mental health among athletes.

“It’s an honour to win the Humanitarian of the Year award, and to be recognized under Dan Snyder’s name,” McFadden said. “I want to thank everyone from the Guelph Storm and Steph Coratti, as well as the Canadian Mental Health Association, Wes for Youth, and everyone else who has done anything to make this foundation possible. It’s been an amazing experience and I have got to meet a lot of special people who share the same goals of making mental health something that is talked about. It’s hard to take full credit for everything that McFadden’s Movement has become because so many people are involved in allowing me to help others who need it.”

Directly affected by the loss of a close family friend, Wes Cameron, to suicide in 2011, McFadden has drawn on his own challenges when connecting with youth.  This season McFadden has been hosted by 15 different minor hockey teams and local schools highlighting the pressures of sport and the importance of talking about mental health and eliminating the stigma.  McFadden’s Movement was designed and launched in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association with all youth presentations accompanied by a CMHA professional and paired with McFadden’s own SafeTalk training received through the league’s Talk Today initiative.  The Movement has also included a strong awareness campaign powered through social media, the sale and distribution of over 1,500 program wristbands, as well as fundraising for mental health resources supporting Wes for Youth Online – a free counselling service created in memory of Wes Cameron, and the CMHA Waterloo-Wellington branch.  To date, the Movement has raised over $7,000 with future events like a June 17 road hockey tournament designed with the goal of keeping the conversation going.

“Garrett McFadden has become a mental health advocate in the Guelph community,” said Megan Brady, Communications Specialist for CMHA Waterloo-Wellington. “By sharing his personal story about his struggles and the loss of a close family friend to suicide he has helped to shed light on the topic of mental illness. CMHA Waterloo-Wellington has enjoyed partnering with Garrett and providing assistance during his McFadden’s Movement presentations. The combination of hearing Garrett’s story and being able to share CMHA resources with young people has had a great impact on our community. As a leader on the Guelph Storm and a recognizable athlete in the community, he is using his position to help share important messages with young athletes.”

A 19-year-old from Kincardine, Ont., McFadden joined the Storm as the club’s first round pick in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection.  The four-year OHL veteran was part of the Storm’s 2014 championship squad, has been named twice to Team OHL competing in both the 2015 and 2016 CIBC Canada Russia Series, and has recorded 103 points in 224 career games to date which ranks sixth among all time defencemen.  In 2016-17 his 12 goals were a new career-high finishing the season with 37 points in 58 games and was named the Storm’s Most Valuable Player.  In addition to his commitment to McFadden’s Movement, he led the Storm’s Champions for Education program visiting schools up to three times per week, while also representing the club as a Booster Juice Ambassador practicing regularly with local teams.  The University of Guelph student was also a 2017 recipient of the ‘Be the Change’ Award presented by the school’s Student Life association.

“It’s been remarkable to watch Garrett become such an incredible leader in the conversation surrounding mental health, and in the community overall,” said Storm Governor Rick Gaetz. “Our entire organization congratulates him on this honour. Garrett is one of the most genuine and humble individuals anyone would have the pleasure to come across, and this is more than evident in everything he does. Whether he’s standing in front of a young hockey team, in front of a gym full of students, or one-on-one, Garrett has an outstanding passion for making a difference in the lives of others, always leaving a lasting impression just by being who he is. Everyone within the Storm, from management to staff to teammates, and so many others, are very proud of Garrett, and can’t wait to continue supporting him in his goal of not only changing the conversation around mental health, but in everything else that lies ahead.”

Each year the OHL awards a player that has demonstrated outstanding qualities as a positive role model in the community with the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy.  The Ontario Hockey League Board of Governors announced in 2004 that the OHL Humanitarian of the Year award would be renamed in recognition of the former Owen Sound Platers captain, who was twice named his team’s Humanitarian of the Year in recognition of his tremendous efforts in supporting community activities.

McFadden becomes the first member of the Storm to earn the award.  Past recipients include Chris Terry and Ryan Hayes who represented the Plymouth Whalers with back-to-back awards in 2009 and 2010 respectively, before Jack Walchessen and Andrew D’Agostini of the Peterborough Petes won in 2011 and 2012.  Ben Fanelli (Kitchener 2013), Scott Simmonds (Belleville 2014), Nick Paul (North Bay 2015), and Will Petschenig (Saginaw 2016) are the most recent award recipients.

The 2017 OHL Awards Ceremony takes place on Thursday June 8 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto where McFadden will be formally presented with the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy.  He will also be the OHL’s nominee for Humanitarian of the Year at the annual CHL Awards presented on Saturday May 27 at the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup in Windsor.

For more information you can follow @McFaddensMvmnt or visit www.mcfaddensmovement.com to support the cause.

2016-17 Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy Nominees:
Barrie Colts – Chris Cameron
Erie Otters – Troy Timpano
Flint Firebirds – Alex Peters*
Guelph Storm – Garrett McFadden
Hamilton Bulldogs – Jack Hanley
Kingston Frontenacs – Liam Murray
Kitchener Rangers – Dylan Di Perna
London Knights – Robert Thomas
Mississauga Steelheads – Stefan LeBlanc*
Niagara IceDogs – Ben Jones
North Bay Battalion – Zach Shankar
Oshawa Generals – Jack Studnicka
Ottawa 67’s – Olivier Lafreniere
Owen Sound Attack – Matt Schmalz
Peterborough Petes – Steven Lorentz
Saginaw Spirit – Kris Bennett
Sarnia Sting – Nick Grima
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds – Zachary Senyshyn*
Sudbury Wolves – Reagan O’Grady
Windsor Spitfires – Michael DiPietro
*repeat nominee

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Mathieu Joseph of the Saint John Sea Dogs is the CHL Player of the Week for the playoff week ending May 7 after scoring twice with three assists for five points in two games.

Joseph’s back-to-back multi-point performances helped the Sea Dogs take advantage of home ice to open the QMJHL Championship Series seizing a 2-0 series lead against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.  In Game 1 on Friday he scored an insurance marker and added two assists in the 6-3 victory, then picked up another insurance tally plus an assist as third star of a 4-0 triumph in Game 2 on Saturday before a Sportsnet and TVA Sports national broadcast audience.  The series for the President Cup shifts to Blainville-Boisbriand for Game 3 on Tuesday followed by Game 4 on Wednesday in another contest available from coast-to-coast on Sportsnet 360 and TVA Sports 2.

A 20-year-old from Chambly, Que., Joseph is playing in his fourth season with the Sea Dogs who selected him in the third round of the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft.  This season he delivered career-high offensive numbers with 36 goals and 44 assists for 80 points in 54 games for the first place Sea Dogs and currently ranks second in playoff scoring with 27 points including 13 goals and 14 assists through 16 games.  The fourth round pick of the Lightning in the 2015 NHL Draft represented Canada at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Also considered for the award this week was Edmonton Oilers prospect Ethan Bear of the Seattle Thunderbirds with a goal and two assists for three points in two games of the WHL Championship Series earning a 1-1 split with the Regina Pats.  In the OHL Championship Series, Carolina Hurricanes prospect Warren Foegele of the Erie Otters scored twice in two games against the Mississauga Steelheads helping his club grab a pair of wins on home ice to open the final.

2016-17 CHL Post-Season Players of the Week:
May 1 – May 7: Mathieu Joseph (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Apr. 24 – Apr. 30: Anthony Cirelli (Erie Otters)
Apr. 17 – Apr. 23: Alex Barré-Boulet (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Apr. 10 – Apr. 16: Reid Gardiner (Kelowna Rockets)
Apr. 3 – Apr. 9: Giorgio Estephan (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
Mar. 27 – Apr. 2: Ethan Bear (Seattle Thunderbirds)
Mar. 20 – Mar. 26: Sam Steel (Regina Pats)

2016-17 CHL Regular Season Players of the Week:

Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Brandon Hagel (Red Deer Rebels)
Mar. 6 – Mar. 12: Daniel Sprong (Charlottetown Islanders)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Gabriel Vilardi (Windsor Spitfires)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Michael McLeod (Mississauga Steelheads)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Christophe Boivin (Acadie-Bathurst Titan)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Mathew Barzal (Seattle Thunderbirds)
Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Tyler Boland (Rimouski Oceanic)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: Alexis D’Aoust (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Kole Sherwood (Flint Firebirds)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Brayden Burke (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Adam Brooks (Regina Pats)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Vitalii Abramov (Gatineau Olympiques)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Hayden Hodgson (Saginaw Spirit)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Sergey Zborovskiy (Regina Pats)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Jayden Halbgewachs (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Alexander Katerinakis (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Nico Hischier (Halifax Mooseheads)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Bobby MacIntyre (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Jeremy Bracco (Kitchener Rangers)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Cameron Askew (Moncton Wildcats)
Sept. 26 – Oct. 2: Sam Steel (Regina Pats)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 25: Kameron Kielly (Charlottetown Islanders)

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Carolina Hurricanes prospect Callum Booth of the Saint John Sea Dogs is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the playoff week ending May 7 after recording a 2-0 victory including one shutout with a goals-against-average of 1.50 and save percentage of .944.

Booth made 51 saves in the opening two games of the QMJHL Championship Series backstopping the top ranked Sea Dogs to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven final against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.  In Friday’s Game 1 he turned aside 24 shots as part of the Sea Dogs’ 6-3 triumph on home ice, then earned second star honours before a national Sportsnet and TVA Sports broadcast audience in Game 2 on Saturday in Saint John with 27 saves in the 3-0 win setting a team record with his third shutout of the post-season.  The series for the President Cup shifts to Blainville-Boisbriand for Game 3 on Tuesday followed by Game 4 on Wednesday in another contest available from coast-to-coast on Sportsnet 360 and TVA Sports 2.

A 19-year-old from Montreal, Que., Booth is playing in his fourth QMJHL season and first with the Sea Dogs after being acquired from the Quebec Remparts in December.  So far in the 2017 QMJHL Playoffs the fourth round pick of the Hurricanes in the 2015 NHL Draft carries a 14-2 record with the league’s best goals-against-average with a mark of 1.81 along with the second best save percentage at .917.

Also considered for the award this week was Tyler Brown of the Regina Pats who posted a 1-1 record after a pair of overtime decisions to open the WHL Championship Series against the Seattle Thunderbirds making 51 saves and carrying a goals-against-average of 2.39 and save percentage of .911.  Back-to-back award recipient Matthew Mancina of the Mississauga Steelheads continued his stellar play between-the-pipes in the OHL Championship Series making 57 saves despite a pair of losses to the Erie Otters while posting a goals-against-average of 2.04 and save percentage of .934.

2016-17 Vaughn CHL Playoff Goaltenders of the Week:

May 1 – May 7: Callum Booth (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Apr. 24 – Apr. 30: Matthew Mancina (Mississauga Steelheads)
Apr. 17 – Apr. 23: Matthew Mancina (Mississauga Steelheads)
Apr. 10 – Apr. 16: Dylan Wells (Peterborough Petes)
Apr. 3 – Apr. 9: Joseph Raaymakers (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Mar. 27 – Apr. 2: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Mar. 20 – Mar. 26: Kyle Jessiman (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)

2016-17 Vaughn CHL Regular Season Goaltenders of the Week:
Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Cole Kehler (Portland Winterhawks)
Mar. 6 – Mar. 12: Callum Booth (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Matthew Villalta (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Zach Sawchenko (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Zach Sawchenko (Moose Jaw Warriors)

Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Brodan Salmond (Kelowna Rockets)
Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Stuart Skinner (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Jeremy Helvig (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: Matthew Welsh (Charlottetown Islanders)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Francis Leclerc (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Griffen Outhouse (Victoria Royals)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Dylan Wells (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Connor Ingram (Kamloops Blazers)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Matthew Villalta (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Patrick Dea (Edmonton Oil Kings)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Zach Sawchenko (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Troy Timpano (Erie Otters)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Reilly Pickard (Acadie-Bathurst Titan)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Ryan Kubic (Vancouver Giants)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Logan Flodell (Saskatoon Blades)
Sept. 26 – Oct. 2: Samuel Harvey (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 25: Liam Herbst (Guelph Storm)

Everyone tries to be perfect, and yours truly is no different. As you can see by my three previous rounds of predictions and outcomes, I’m far from it. But here I am to face my “embarrassment” and look at the Ontario Hockey League battle for the J. Ross Robertson Cup between the Erie Otters and the Mississauga Steelheads and the opportunity to join the Windsor Spitfires at the Memorial Cup.

But first, here’s a look back at the previous three rounds predictions and results:

The Otters swept the season series 4 games to none and have a decided edge head-to-head over the past 5 seasons with a 15-3 record. As most are aware by now, the Steelheads didn’t get off to the start that everyone (including themselves) expected this season and that two lopsided Otters victories came before the Steelheads righted the ship.

On November 4, the Otters skated to a 7-4 victory in Mississauga. On November 29, they totally dominated the Steelheads in the rematch in Erie 9-2. On back-to-back nights beginning February 17, the results were the same, but not as dominating. The Otters would go into the Hershey Center and take the first game of the double-header 4-1. Back at the Erie Insurance Arena, the Steelheads were blanked 3-0.

Many believe that the Steelheads, being in the Eastern Conference, had the easier path to the finals. To some extent, there is some truth to that. Even with their 12-3 record heading into the finals, the Steelheads made things easier for themselves then they should have been.

A first-round victory over the Ottawa 67’s went pretty much as expected. But series victories over the Oshawa Generals and Peterborough Petes were completed in quick fashion. I don’t think many expected a sweep of the Petes in the Eastern Conference Finals. Many, including myself, were predicting a Petes win.

The Otters enter the finals with a 12-5 record. After dismantling the Sarnia Sting in 4 games, as they should have, things got tough for Erie. It took 7 games to dispose of the London Knights in a hard fought and entertaining series.

In an equally entertaining series, Erie had a 3-2 series lead over the Owen Sound Attack and then dominated in game 6 in Owen Sound to close out the series.

The winner will take home the J. Ross Robertson Cup and join the host Windsor Spitfires at the Memorial Cup.

Here’s how the two teams stack up (regular season – playoff stats):

	Erie	Mississauga
Overall Record	50-15-2-1	34-21-6-7
Head-to-Head	4-0-0-0	0-4-0-0
Home Record	30-2-1-1	16-11-4-3
Away Record	20-13-1-0	18-10-2-4
Goals For	319 – 78	240 – 62
Goals Against	182 – 47	219 – 35
Powerplay	27.2% – 26.3%	19.7% – 22.9%
Penalty Kill	83.4% – 80.4%	80.6% – 79.0%
Draft Eligible Players to Watch	Ivan Lodnia (C)	Nicolas Hague (D)
		Owen Tippett (RW)
		Shaw Boomhower (C)

 

Prediction: Erie in 6 games