CHL Announces Top 10 Rankings

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Top 10

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week 11 edition of the CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2017-18 season.  The weekly rankings of the CHL’s Top-10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 11

 

Rank: Team: Last Week Rank: Number of Weeks Ranked:
1 Sarnia Sting (21-4-1-0) 1 8
2 Portland Winterhawks (19-4-0-1) 4 11
3 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (20-3-2-0) 3 11
4 Moose Jaw Warriors (20-5-0-1) 2 9
5 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (17-5-2-0) 5 11
6 Swift Current Broncos (17-5-2-0) 6 8
7 Drummondville Voltigeurs (18-7-1-1) – 3
8 Hamilton Bulldogs (14-6-2-3) – 1
9 Rimouski Oceanic (15-6-4-0) – 3
10 Brandon Wheat Kings (16-7-0-1) 10 2
Honourable Mention:
Barrie Colts (14-7-2-1) – 1
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (14-6-4-2) 9 3
Victoria Royals (18-9-1-0) – 6

OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour Minor Midget Top-10 Rankings

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the second edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2018 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour and hosted by the GTHL is scheduled for March 13-19 and will feature 20 teams from across Ontario and the United States showcasing many of the top players eligible for the 2018 OHL Priority Selection.  All games will be played at Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 19 where it will be broadcasted nationally on Sportsnet.

OHL Cup

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.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 2

RANK TEAM LEAGUE LAST WEEK WEEKS RANKED
1 Toronto Marlboros GTHL 1 2
2 Oakville Rangers OMHA 2 2
3 Vaughan Kings GTHL 3 2
4 Barrie Colts OMHA 6 2
5 Mississauga Reps GTHL 5 2
6 Don Mills Flyers GTHL 7 2
7 Cambridge Hawks ALLIANCE 10 2
8 Guelph Gryphons OMHA – 1
9 York-Simcoe Express OMHA 4 2
10 Detroit Little Caesars U15 USA 8 2
   
  Honourable Mention  
  Peterborough Petes OMHA – –
  Toronto Jr. Canadiens GTHL – –
  Niagara North Stars OMHA 9 1

The top ranked Toronto Marlboros were crowned 2017 Minor Midget AAA Silver Stick Champions erasing a 3-0 deficit on Sunday to defeat the number two ranked Oakville Rangers by a 4-3 score.  The Marlboros defeated the Guelph Gryphons 4-0 while the Rangers beat the Cambridge Hawks 2-1 in Semi-Final action.  Also performing well in Whitby were the Barrie Colts, Detroit Little Caesars, Don Mills Flyers, and Mississauga Rebels who all qualified for Quarter-Final games, and the Mississauga Reps, Niagara North Stars, and Vaughan Kings each finishing divisional play with six points in four games.  Video recap.

Tournament Structure:

16 of the 20 spots in the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour are guaranteed through league competition.  The 16 guaranteed spots continue to 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.  Also as in past years, two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition, while both an HNO and NOHA representative will also compete.  For the second straight season the final guaranteed spot will be awarded to HEO but represented by their previous year Bantam Championship team who will be reassembled for tournament competition.  This season, HEO’s entry will be members of the 2017 Bantam Champion Ottawa Jr. 67’s.

Wild Card Games:

The final four entries at the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour will be Wild Cards determined among eight teams that will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario.  The eight competing teams aiming for the final four tournament spots will continue to include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship, and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series.  As introduced in 2016, two spots in Wild Card games will be 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.  As introduced in 2017, one spot in a Wild Card will also 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.  Finally, the three remaining teams who will compete in the Wild Card matchups will be named by the Tournament Selection Committee.  The Committee will evaluate and review a team’s post-season success as the first criteria for selection, with additional criteria to include regular season play and tournament play.  All four Wild Card games will take place on Tuesday March 13 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the eight competing teams on Tuesday March 6.

History:

Last season the Mississauga Reps captured their first OHL Cup title, defeating the Toronto Nationals 3-2 on Dennis Golovatchev’s late game winner with nine seconds remaining in the third period.  Current Kitchener Rangers forward Mike Petizian led the showcase with 13 points (5-8—13) in seven games to earn the Tim Adams Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP.

The 2017 OHL Priority Selection featured 15 players chosen in the first round who competed for the OHL Cup including Ryan Suzuki (London Jr. Knights – 1st overall Barrie Colts), Tag Bertuzzi (TPH Hockey – 2nd overall Guelph Storm), Brandon Coe (Toronto Nationals – 3rd overall North Bay Battalion), Nicholas Porco (Vaughan Kings – 4th overall Saginaw Spirit), Philip Tomasino (Mississauga Rebels – 5th overall Niagara IceDogs), Graeme Clarke (Toronto Marlboros – 6th overall Ottawa 67’s), Blake Murray (Whitby Wildcats – 7th overall Sudbury Wolves), Jack Hughes (Toronto Marlboros – 8th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Jamieson Rees (Mississauga Reps – 9th overall Sarnia Sting), Ethan Keppen (Toronto Nationals – 10th overall Flint Firebirds), Connor McMichael (Ajax-Pickering Raiders – 11th overall Hamilton Bulldogs), Cody Morgan (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 12th overall Kingston Frontenacs), Thomas Harley (Vaughan Kings – 14th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Nathan Staios (Vaughan Kings – 17th overall Windsor Spitfires) and Lucas Rowe (Mississauga Reps – 18th overall London Knights).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Travis Konecny (Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs/Philadelphia Flyers), Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Arizona Coyotes), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/New Jersey Devils), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/Nashville Predators), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

2018 marks the second season of a three-year partnership between the OHL and GTHL with Under Armour that includes title sponsorship of the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament.  The OHL and GTHL are also in the second season of a five-year partnership extension announced in 2017 that ensures the event will continue to be hosted by the GTHL through 2021.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

CHL Announces Weekly Award Winners

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

WHL’s U.S. Division sweeps weekly awards led by Glass and Hart

Winterhawks’ Cody Glass named CHL Player of the Week 

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Vegas Golden Knights prospect Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 26 after recording 12 points in four games including five goals and seven assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-7.

Glass produced four three-point performances last week for the Winterhawks who won all four games to open their Central Division road trip extending their winning-streak to 10 where they maintain second place in the WHL’s overall standings with a 19-4-0-0 record.  He was named second star of three straight games including Tuesday with three assists in a 5-2 victory over the Kootenay ICE, Wednesday with a goal and two assists in a 7-3 win over the Calgary Hitmen, and Friday with two goals and one assist in a 6-2 win against the Red Deer Rebels.  He finished his weekly efforts with another two-goal and one assist outing on Saturday in Edmonton where he earned first star recognition in the 3-0 triumph against the Oil Kings.

An 18-year-old from Winnipeg, MB, Glass is playing in his third season with the Winterhawks who chose him in the first round of the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft.  He is currently sixth overall in WHL scoring with 16 goals and 28 assists for 44 points in 23 games and is riding a 10-game point-streak that coincides with the club’s win-streak.  Glass was the first ever pick by the NHL’s Golden Knights at sixth overall and represented Team WHL at the 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series this month recording a goal and an assist in two games.

Also considered for the award this week was 2018 NHL Draft prospect Serron Noel of the Oshawa Generals who scored four goals and four assists for eight points in three games, and defenceman Thomas Gregoire of the Sherbrooke Phoenix who scored three goals including two overtime winners plus three assists for six points in three games. 

2017-18 CHL Players of the Week:

Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Cody Glass (Portland Winterhawks)

Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)

Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Aleksi Heponiemi (Swift Current Broncos)

Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)

Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)

Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Drake Batherson (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)

Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Tyler Soy (Victoria Royals)

Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings)

Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Tyler Steenbergen (Swift Current Broncos)

Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Kole Lind (Kelowna Rockets)

Silvertips’ Carter Hart named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Philadelphia Flyers prospect Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending November 26 after posting a 3-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .971.

Hart turned aside 99 shots last week in a trio of victories for the Silvertips who raised their record above the .500 mark for the first time since September holding a mark of 13-12-1-1 to keep pace in the WHL’s competitive U.S Division.  His week began in record fashion stopping all 43 shots faced in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over the Tri-City Americans earning first star honours and establishing a new franchise mark with the 22nd shutout of his career surpassing Leland Irving (2004-08).  Hart would also produce a 34-save performance on Friday in a 4-1 win over the Spokane Chiefs, and a 22-save effort on Saturday as part of a 5-2 win against the Vancouver Giants.

A 19-year-old from Sherwood Park, AB, Hart is playing in his fourth season with the Silvertips who selected him in the eighth round of the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.  He currently carries a record of 8-3-0-1 and is tied for the league-lead with three shutouts while holding the WHL’s best goals-against-average and save percentage with marks of 1.63 and .951 respectively.  The second round pick of the Flyers in the 2016 NHL Draft represented Team WHL in the 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series and earned a shutout victory with 20 saves in the series opener.

Also considered for the award this week was Etienne Montpetit of the Val-d’Or Foreurs who posted a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory with 76 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.50 and save percentage of .962, and Edmonton Oilers prospect Dylan Wells of the Peterborough Petes who also posted a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory but made 59 saves for a goals-against-average of 0.96 and save percentage of .967.

2017-18 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week:

Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)

Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Anthony Morrone (Victoriaville Tigres)

Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Justin Fazio (Sarnia Sting)

Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Cole Kehler (Portland Winterhawks)

Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Dustin Wolf (Everett Silvertips)

Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Samuel Harvey (Rouyn-Noranada Huskies)

Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Logan Flodell (Swift Current Broncos)

Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Cole Kehler (Portland Winterhawks)

Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Dereck Baribeau (Quebec Remparts)

Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

Generals’ Serron Noel named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that 2018 NHL Draft prospect Serron Noel of the Oshawa Generals is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending November 26 after scoring four goals and four assists for eight points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-5.

Serron Noel of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Serron Noel of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Noel recorded three-straight multi-point performances for the first time in his career last week as the Generals wrapped up a tough November schedule with two-straight victories to maintain seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings.  Noel’s week began on Friday night scoring two goals including one by penalty shot and adding one assist despite a 6-5 loss to the Hamilton Bulldogs.  On the winning side, Noel earned first star honours Saturday with a goal and two assists in a 7-3 road victory over the Barrie Colts, then wrapped up the three-in-three Sunday with a goal and an assist as second star of a 6-0 shutout against the Mississauga Steelheads.

A 17-year-old from Ottawa, Ont., Noel is playing in his second season with the Generals who chose him in the second round of the 2016 OHL Priority Selection.  The sophomore forward now has 14 goals and 22 points in 22 games this season surpassing his rookie total of 21 points produced in 63 games played in 2016-17.  Noel captured gold as a member of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at August’s Ivan Hlinka Memorial, and was one of eight OHL skaters assigned an ‘A’ rating by NHL Central Scouting in their November ‘Players to Watch’ list for the 2018 NHL Draft.

Watch video highlights of Noel and the Generals against the Bulldogs, Colts, and Steelheads.

Also considered for the award this week was fellow NHL Draft prospect Nathan Dunkley of the Kingston Frontenacs with two goals and six assists for eight points in three games, and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds with a goal and seven assists for eight points in three games.  In goal, Edmonton Oilers prospect Dylan Wells of the Peterborough Petes posted a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory making 59 saves for a goals-against-average of 0.96 and save percentage of .967.

2017-18 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week:

Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals)

Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)

Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)

Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)

Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)

Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)

Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)

Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)

Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)

Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

OHL Announces Disciplinary Action

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Press Release

The Ontario Hockey League today announced the results of a review of an incident which took place in a game played in Mississauga on the 19th of November, 2017, involving the Steelheads and the visiting Niagara IceDogs Hockey Club. 

The incident reviewed was a game misconduct for checking to the head assessed to player Adrian Carbonara of the Niagara IceDogs Hockey Club

Based on a review of the incident, it is the position of the League that player Adrian Carbonara shall be suspended for eight (8) games effective immediately. 

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO AND RATIONALE FOR THE CARBONARA SUSPENSION.

OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour Minor Midget Top-10 Rankings

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the debut edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2018 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

OHL Cup

The 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour and hosted by the GTHL is scheduled for March 13-19 and will feature 20 teams from across Ontario and the United States showcasing many of the top players eligible for the 2018 OHL Priority Selection.  All games will be played at Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 19 where it will be broadcasted nationally on Sportsnet.

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.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 1

RANK TEAM LEAGUE
1 Toronto Marlboros GTHL
2 Oakville Rangers OMHA
3 Vaughan Kings GTHL
4 York-Simcoe Express OMHA
5 Mississauga Reps GTHL
6 Barrie Colts OMHA
7 Don Mills Flyers GTHL
8 Detroit Little Caesars U15 USA
9 Niagara North Stars OMHA
10 Cambridge Hawks ALLIANCE
Honourable Mention
Toronto Jr. Canadiens GTHL
Peterborough Petes OMHA
Guelph Gryphons OMHA

Tournament Structure:

16 of the 20 spots in the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour are guaranteed through league competition.  The 16 guaranteed spots continue to 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.  Also as in past years, two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition, while both an HNO and NOHA representative will also compete.  For the second straight season the final guaranteed spot will be awarded to HEO but represented by their previous year Bantam Championship team who will be reassembled for tournament competition.  This season, HEO’s entry will be members of the 2017 Bantam Champion Ottawa Jr. 67’s.

Wild Card Games:

The final four entries at the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour will be Wild Cards determined among eight teams that will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario.  The eight competing teams aiming for the final four tournament spots will continue to include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship, and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series.  As introduced in 2016, two spots in Wild Card games will be 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.  As introduced in 2017, one spot in a Wild Card will also 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.  Finally, the three remaining teams who will compete in the Wild Card matchups will be named by the Tournament Selection Committee.  The Committee will evaluate and review a team’s post-season success as the first criteria for selection, with additional criteria to include regular season play and tournament play.  All four Wild Card games will take place on Tuesday March 13 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the eight competing teams on Tuesday March 6.

History:

Last season the Mississauga Reps captured their first OHL Cup title, defeating the Toronto Nationals 3-2 on Dennis Golovatchev’s late game winner with nine seconds remaining in the third period.  Current Kitchener Rangers forward Mike Petizian led the showcase with 13 points (5-8—13) in seven games to earn the Tim Adams Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP.

The 2017 OHL Priority Selection featured 15 players chosen in the first round who competed for the OHL Cup including Ryan Suzuki (London Jr. Knights – 1st overall Barrie Colts), Tag Bertuzzi (TPH Hockey – 2nd overall Guelph Storm), Brandon Coe (Toronto Nationals – 3rd overall North Bay Battalion), Nicholas Porco (Vaughan Kings – 4th overall Saginaw Spirit), Philip Tomasino (Mississauga Rebels – 5th overall Niagara IceDogs), Graeme Clarke (Toronto Marlboros – 6th overall Ottawa 67’s), Blake Murray (Whitby Wildcats – 7th overall Sudbury Wolves), Jack Hughes (Toronto Marlboros – 8th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Jamieson Rees (Mississauga Reps – 9th overall Sarnia Sting), Ethan Keppen (Toronto Nationals – 10th overall Flint Firebirds), Connor McMichael (Ajax-Pickering Raiders – 11th overall Hamilton Bulldogs), Cody Morgan (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 12th overall Kingston Frontenacs), Thomas Harley (Vaughan Kings – 14th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Nathan Staios (Vaughan Kings – 17th overall Windsor Spitfires) and Lucas Rowe (Mississauga Reps – 18th overall London Knights).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Travis Konecny (Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs/Philadelphia Flyers), Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Arizona Coyotes), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/New Jersey Devils), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/Nashville Predators), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

2018 marks the second season of a three-year partnership between the OHL and GTHL with Under Armour that includes title sponsorship of the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament.  The OHL and GTHL are also in the second season of a five-year partnership extension announced in 2017 that ensures the event will continue to be hosted by the GTHL through 2021.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

CHL Announces Top 10 Rankings

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Top 10

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week 10 edition of the CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2017-18 season.  The weekly rankings of the CHL’s Top-10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts. 

CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 10

Rank: Team: Last Week Rank: Number of Weeks Ranked:
1 Sarnia Sting (18-4-1-0) 1 7
2 Moose Jaw Warriors (19-5-0-0) 2 8
3 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (17-3-2-0) 4 10
4 Portland Winterhawks (16-4-0-0) 5 10
5 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (15-4-2-0) 3 10
6 Swift Current Broncos (15-5-1-0) 6 7
7 Kitchener Rangers (15-6-2-0) – 1
8 Quebec Remparts (16-7-1-0) 8 8
9 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (14-5-3-2) – 3
10 Brandon Wheat Kings (14-6-0-1) – 1
Honourable Mention:
Barrie Colts (13-6-1-1) 7 1
Medicine Hat Tigers (14-7-0-0) 10 1
Drummondville Voltigeurs (14-7-1-1) – 2

 

Serron Noel – Oshawa Generals – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 203 pounds

Date of birth: August 8, 2000

Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario

Position: Right Wing

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 2, 25th overall, 2016 Priority Selection

When National Hockey League Central Scouting released it’s players to watch list in October, there were some in the hockey circle that questioned Oshawa Generals’ power forward Serron Noel appearing on the list as a B prospect – defined by Central Scouting as a 2nd or 3rd round candidate.

Many of those same people, including yours truly, were happy to see that Central Scouting then upgraded him to an A prospect – a 1st round candidate – on their November players to watch list.

Noel played his minor midget hockey for the Brockville Braves during the 2015 – 2016 season in which he recorded 17 goals and 11 assists in 45 games and earned the league’s top prospect award and appearing in that season’s all-star game. Prior to that season, the Braves had made Noel the first overall pick at the CCHL Bantam Draft.

Serron Noel of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Serron Noel of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Noel also played in the OHL Gold Cup (winning bronze) scoring 2 goals and 2 assists in the tournament. The Generals would select Noel in the second round, 25th overall at the 2016 draft.

Last season, Noel made the Generals’ roster appearing in 63 of the Genies’ 68 regular season games. He would score 8 times to go along with 13 assists, and add a goal and 2 assists in 9 playoff games. He also represented Canada at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17 producing a goal and 3 assists in 5 games.

This season began with Noel representing Team Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial where Canada captured yet another gold medal. He would score once in Canada’s 5 games.

As of today, Noel has appeared in 19 games and is second among Generals in goals (10) and fourth in points (14). The stat that sticks out the most however is that his 10 goals have come on just 31 shots on goal (tenth among Generals) for a whopping 32.2% shooting percentage, which puts him second in the OHL in that category.

So, what exactly does Serron Noel bring to the table?

Well, at 6’5” and tipping the scales at just a hair above 200 pounds, he has NHL size. He’s improved his skating so much, that it is very noticeable. He moves so well for a player of his size. His long strides allow him to put separation between himself and an opponent. He has the agility of a much smaller player. Combined with his stickhandling abilities, he can beat defenders one-on-one. In fact, Noel has been known to go on end-to-end rushes and when he does, he brings Generals’ fans to the edge of their seats.

Noel is still learning how much he can impact the offense. With the skillset I’ve already mentioned, once he learns how to utilize his teammates more, he will help improve the Generals offense. It’s not that he lacks playmaking abilities, he possesses them as well. And even though we’d like to see it utilized more, how can you argue about a player who is scoring on 32% of his attempts? He has a pretty good shot with a deceptively quick release.

One of the things that stands out is his work ethic. We would like to see more consistency however. When he’s on, he is an extremely efficient forechecker who gets on top of pucks, uses his size and strength to win battles in the corners and along the wall, and can be an immoveable force in front of the opposition net. We believe that consistency will come as he gains more confidence and experience.

Noel has shown the willingness to play both sides of the puck. He works extremely hard to get back on the backcheck, puts himself in good position in the defensive zone whether it’s with the body or his stick. He uses his long reach and stick to get into passing and shooting lanes. It is and will continue to be a work in progress, but you can’t underestimate the value of watching and learning from Jack Studnicka has on him.

I often get asked by Oshawa fans if I would choose Noel or the Generals’ other top-flight prospect Allan McShane. (Admittedly, I am surprised McShane wasn’t upgraded to an A prospect by Central Scouting, but that’s a story for another day). There’s a long way to go until June 2018 in Dallas. But Noel’s combination of size, skillset and potential is very appealing.

Serron Noel

Eliteprospects.com stat page of Serron Noel,

CHL Announces Weekly Award Winners

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Big weeks for rising clubs as Pu and Morrone lead Knights and Tigres 

Knights’ Cliff Pu named CHL Player of the Week 

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Buffalo Sabres prospect Cliff Pu of the London Knights is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 19 after recording 12 points in four games including four goals and eight assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-6.

Pu delivered four multi-point performances last week for the Knights who picked up three straight wins to improve their record to 10-10-2-0 which ranks seventh in the OHL’s Western Conference.  His week began with two assists despite a 4-2 loss to the Kitchener Rangers on Tuesday before producing a career-high four points on Thursday with a goal and three assists as second star of a 7-4 win against the Guelph Storm.  Pu continued his strong play over the weekend with a goal and two assists on Friday as second star of a 4-3 overtime win against the Saginaw Spirit, and Sunday with two goals and one assist as second star of a 4-0 win against the Windsor Spitfires.

A 19-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., Pu is playing in his fourth OHL season after being a first round choice of the Oshawa Generals in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection.  He joined the Knights during his rookie campaign and helped the club to Robertson Cup and Mastercard Memorial Cup titles the following season.  He is currently tied for 15th in league scoring with nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points in 21 games following a 2016-17 campaign where he generated 86 points in 63 games.  The third round pick of the Sabres in the 2016 NHL Draft was recently signed to an entry-level contract and represented Team OHL in the 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series.

Also considered for the award this week was Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors who scored six goals and five assists for 11 points in four games, and defenceman Olivier Galipeau of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens who scored three goals and two assists for five points in three games. 

2017-18 CHL Players of the Week:

Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)

Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Aleksi Heponiemi (Swift Current Broncos)

Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)

Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)

Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Drake Batherson (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)

Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Tyler Soy (Victoria Royals)

Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings)

Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Tyler Steenbergen (Swift Current Broncos)

Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Kole Lind (Kelowna Rockets)

Tigres’ Anthony Morrone named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that rookie Anthony Morrone of the Victoriaville Tigres is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending November 19 after posting back-to-back shutouts for a 2-0-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 0.00 and save percentage of 1.000.

Morrone was perfect between-the-pipes last week for the Tigres turning aside all 61 shots he faced helping the club improve their record to 11-10-1-0 where they rank 12th overall in the QMJHL standings.  The shutouts were the first two of his career and earned him first star honours both games including Friday night with 27 saves in a 4-0 road win against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, and Sunday at home with a 34-save performance in a 2-0 win over the Rimouski Oceanic.

An 18-year-old from Montreal, Morrone has made eight appearances in goal for the Tigres during his first season playing to a 3-4-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 3.01 and save percentage of .906.  His shutout streak currently stands at 134 minutes and 21 seconds approaching the club record of 137 minutes and 46 seconds set last year by James Povall.

Also considered for the award this week was Philadelphia Flyers prospect Carter Hart of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips who posted a 2-1-0-0 record including a shutout victory with 104 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.34 and save percentage of .963.  In the OHL, Joseph Raaymakers of the London Knights posted a 3-1-0-0 record including a shutout victory stopping 123 shots for a goals-against-average of 2.74 and save percentage of .918.

2017-18 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week:

Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Anthony Morrone (Victoriaville Tigres)

Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Justin Fazio (Sarnia Sting)

Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Cole Kehler (Portland Winterhawks)

Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Dustin Wolf (Everett Silvertips)

Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Samuel Harvey (Rouyn-Noranada Huskies)

Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Logan Flodell (Swift Current Broncos)

Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Cole Kehler (Portland Winterhawks)

Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Dereck Baribeau (Quebec Remparts)

Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

Knights’ Cliff Pu named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Buffalo Sabres prospect Cliff Pu of the London Knights is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending November 19 after leading the league with 12 points in four games scoring four goals and eight assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-6.

Cliff Pu of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Cliff Pu of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Pu recorded four multi-point performances last week helping the Knights win three straight games to improve their record to 10-10-2-0 where they rank seventh in the Western Conference standings.  After collecting two assists despite a 4-2 loss to the Kitchener Rangers on Tuesday, Pu delivered a career-high four points on Thursday with a goal and three assists earning second star honours in a 7-4 win over the Guelph Storm.  Pu was also named second star of both weekend wins for the Knights including Friday with a goal and two assists in a 4-3 overtime triumph against the Saginaw Spirit, and Sunday with two goals and one assist contributing to a 4-0 victory over the Windsor Spitfires.  Pu’s eventful week also included the CIBC Canada Russia Series where he helped Team OHL to a 4-2 victory on Monday night in Sudbury.

A 19-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., Pu is playing in his fourth OHL season after being a first round choice of the Oshawa Generals in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection.  He joined the Knights during his rookie campaign and helped the club to Robertson Cup and Mastercard Memorial Cup titles the following season.  Last year he recorded a career-high 86 points in 63 games and currently ranks tied for 15th in league scoring with nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points in 21 games.  Pu was a third round pick by the Sabres in the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo and last month was signed to a three-year entry-level contract.

Watch video highlights of Pu and the Knights against the Storm, Spirit, and Spitfires.

Also considered for the award this week was Florida Panthers prospect Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads who scored three goals and four assists for seven points in three games, and forward Cole Coskey of the Saginaw Spirit with two goals and five assists for seven points in three games.  In goal, the Knights’ Joseph Raaymakers posted a 3-1-0-0 record including a shutout victory stopping 123 shots for a goals-against-average of 2.74 and save percentage of .918.

2017-18 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week:

Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)

Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)

Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)

Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)

Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)

Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)

Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)

Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)

Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)