OHL Academic Players of the Month for November

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

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Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the OHL Academic Players of the Month for November 2017, including Chad Denault of the Peterborough Petes, Isaac Walker of the Mississauga Steelheads, Aidan Dudas of the Owen Sound Attack and Chris Playfair of the Windsor Spitfires

East Division: Peterborough Petes forward Chad Denault is the OHL East Division Academic Player of the Month for November. A 17-year-old native of Iroquois Falls, Ont., Denault has attained an 80% average over his grade 12 studies at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School. He is currently studying in English, International Business Fundamentals and Data Management courses. “Chad is a conscientious young man in the class room and on the ice,” said Petes academic advisor Kim Driscoll. “He is a disciplined student who shows good academic insight and is well liked by his teachers and fellow students.” A 6-foot-1, 186Ib., right-winger, Denault was a third round pick of the Petes in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection. He has one assist over 16 games this season.

Central Division: Mississauga Steelheads rookie defenceman Isaac Walker is the OHL Central Division Academic Player of the Month for November. A 17-year-old native of London, Ont., Walker holds an 88.3% average in his grade 12 studies at Philip Pocock Catholic Secondary School. He is currently taking university level Philosophy, Biology and Chemistry courses while competing in his first OHL season with the Steelheads. The 6-foot-1, 192Ib. defenceman helped guide the London Nationals Jr. B club to a GOJHL Western Conference championship last spring and has one assist in 19 games with the Steelheads this season. He was a ninth round pick by the club in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection.

Midwest Division: Draft eligible Owen Sound Attack sophomore forward Aidan Dudas is the OHL Midwest Division Academic Player of the Month for November. A 17-year-old native of Parry Sound, Ont., Dudas has achieved an overall overage of 86.5% in grade 12 university level courses at Owen Sound District Secondary School. “Aidan balances the demands of hockey and school with ease,” said Attack academic advisor Sarah Rowe. “He is an incredibly positive role model for his teammates both on and off the ice and always has something nice to say and is quick to lend a hand.” Dudas had a strong month of November, recording 14 points (5-9–14) over 11 games with the Attack for a season total of 31 points (14-17–31) through 27 contests. He was Owen Sound’s first round (10th overall) pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection.

West Division: Windsor Spitfires forward Chris Playfair is the OHL West Division Academic Player of the Month for November. The 17-year-old from Waterloo, Ont. has an 86% average in grade 12 university level Business, Data, and Biology courses at St. Anne Catholic Secondary School. “Chris is extremely well-liked by his teachers and fellow students,” said Spitfires academic advisor Danielle Chevalier. “He is a mature young man who recognizes the importance of an education and works diligently to achieve success in the classroom.” A former fourth round pick by the club in 2016, Playfair has two goals and an assist in 26 games this season.

2017-18 OHL Academic Players of the Month:

 East Division:
November – Chad Denault (Peterborough Petes)
October – Kevin Bahl (Ottawa 67’s)

Central Division:
November – Isaac Walker (Mississauga Steelheads)
October – Blake McConville (Sudbury Wolves)

Midwest Division:
November – Aidan Dudas (Owen Sound Attack)
October – Billy Moskal (London Knights)

West Division:
November – Chris Playfair (Windsor Spitfires)
October – Brett Jacklin (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)

Last season, the OHL Centrally Administered Scholarship Program facilitated scholarships for 301 OHL Alumni with a total scholarship payment in excess of $3.17 million.  Since the 2007-08 season, OHL Scholarship payments have totaled more than $18.8 million.

Click here for more information about ‘OHL Players First’ programs.

Rangers’ Joseph Garreffa named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Joseph Garreffa of the Kitchener Rangers is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending December 3 after leading the league with eight points, all assists, in three games while recording a plus-minus rating of plus-3. 

Joseph Garreffa of the Kitchener Rangers. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Joseph Garreffa of the Kitchener Rangers. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Garreffa helped the Rangers collect three comeback wins last week delivering back-to-back four-assist performances against the Owen Sound Attack.  The forward turned defenceman earned first star honours on Wednesday night in Owen Sound as the Rangers erased a 4-2 deficit with a trio of third period tallies skating to a 5-4 victory.  On home ice Friday, the third year blue shirt was recognized as the game’s second star as the Rangers once again battled back from a 4-2 third period hole this time emerging triumphant in overtime with Garreffa intercepting a clearing attempt and feeding Kole Sherwood for his second straight game-winner.  Kitchener improved their first place Midwest Division record to 18-9-2-0 on Sunday following a 3-2 overtime road win against the Erie Otters after trailing 2-0 early in the first period. 

An 18-year-old from Toronto, Ont., the 5’6’’, 167lb Garreffa was a third round pick by the Rangers in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection.  He is currently second in team scoring with 28 points in 29 games powered by five goals and 23 assists after scoring 25 times in 2016-17 with 35 assists for 60 points in 68 games.  His 23 helpers are tied for 11th overall among league leaders with 13 of them coming with the man advantage good enough for a fifth place tie in the power play assist category.

Watch video highlights of Garreffa and the Rangers on the road against the Attack, at home against the Attack, and on the road against the Otters. 

Also considered for the award this week was Dallas Stars prospect Jason Robertson of the Kingston Frontenacs with seven assists in three games, and Colorado Avalanche prospect Conor Timmins with three goals and three assists for six points in three games helping the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds extend their winning-streak to a team record 14-straight.  In goal, Vancouver Canucks prospect Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires made 69 saves in a pair of victories including one by shutout posting a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .972.

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

Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Joseph Garreffa (Kitchener Rangers)
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)

Jack McBain – Toronto Jr Canadiens – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 196 pounds

Date of birth: January 6, 2000

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 20th overall (Barrie Colts) 2016 Priority Selection; Round 7, 107th overall (Lincoln Stars) USHL Futures Draft.

Coming into the season, Jack McBain was considered one of the top prospects playing in Ontario for the 2018 National Hockey League Entry Draft, and rightfully so. While listed on NHL Central Scouting’s players to watch list as a B prospect (2nd or 3rd round candidate) to start the year, and again on their updated list in November, one can’t imagine him not moving up. He’s already ranked in the first round on most independent scouting services and has been for some time.

Jack McBain
Jack McBain, Toronto Jr Canadiens. Photo courtesy of OJHL Images

McBain is the son of former NHL’er Andrew McBain, who was a former first round pick, 8th overall, by the Winnipeg Jets in 1983. The elder McBain played in 608 NHL games scoring 129 goals and 172 assists with the Jets, Canucks, Penguins and Senators.

McBain has always had his eye on playing in the NCAA. In this article with the Barrie Examiner, McBain spoke openly about considering the Ontario Hockey League and the Barrie Colts. But if the NCAA was going to be his route to the NHL, then the OHL was out of the question. (The NCAA considers Major Junior players professionals and therefore, ineligible).

To keep his NCAA eligibility, McBain had two realistic choices: The Ontario Junior Hockey League or the United States Hockey League – where he was drafted by the Lincoln Stars. He chose the OJHL and his hometown Toronto Jr Canadiens.

In March of this year, McBain stayed true to his heart and committed to Boston College for 2018. Thus, McBain was left with another decision to make coming into this season: return to the Jr Canadiens and the OJHL or jump to the Stars and the USHL. Once again, he chose Toronto.

During the 2015 – 2016 season, McBain played his Minor Midget hockey for the Don Mills Flyers where he was captain of his squad and his father was an assistant coach. He would appear in 45 games and score 25 goals while adding 48 assists. In 6 games for the Flyers at the OHL Cup, he would add 8 assists. He would also represent Team GTHL Red at the OHL Gold Cup where he scored 5 goals and 3 assists in 5 games.

Last season McBain broke onto the OJHL scene and appeared in 42 games notching 13 goals and 28 assists in 42 games. He would add 4 goals and 8 assists in 11 playoff games and was named OJHL First Team All-Prospect. He also got a taste of international hockey with Canada at the World Junior A Challenge Under-19.

This season began in August for McBain by representing Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial. In helping Canada capture gold, he scored 3 goals and added 2 assists. He saved his best performance for the gold medal game as he scored once and set up two others in a 4-1 victory over the defending champion Czech Republic.

This season, McBain is well on his way to surpassing his totals from a year ago. He has 12 goals and 26 assists through 31 games. His 38 points puts him second among the Jr Canadiens as does his goals while he leads his squad in assists.

McBain has got size and he has strength. Just imagine how much stronger he can be once he fills out his 6’3” frame. He’s already tough to play against and even harder to control. Speed is not an asset he possesses, or more accurately, explosiveness on his first steps. Improving on his first few strides can be crucial to him and by all accounts, he knows this and continues to work on it. Once he gets going however, his speed is more than adequate.

McBain has a lot of assets that benefit a hockey player, but it’s hard to pick out which may be his best asset. Perhaps it is his work ethic and his will to be the best he can be every time he’s on the ice. And he puts that devotion in at both ends of the ice.

Maybe it’s McBain’s vision. He sees the ice extremely well and can read and react quickly. He has an uncanny ability to slow the pace down and the patience to let the play develop and then strike with either a crisp tape-to-tape pass or fire a deceptive, accurate and hard shot with a purpose. And he’s willing to drive the net with or without the puck.

Or could it be McBain’s impressive two-way game? We are already aware of his offensive prowess, but his defensive game is somewhat underrated in some circles. He uses his smarts defensively as he does on the offense. His stick is almost always on the ice and in passing lanes. He reads and anticipates so well that he outthinks the opposition. He uses his big frame to take opponents out along the wall and to win one-on-one battles.

If that isn’t enough, then it might be McBain’s elite puck skills. He handles the puck extremely well even at top speed. He strong at keeping possession, can dangle one-on-one or find open areas or lanes to move into with possession.

McBain is currently at Team Canada East’s camp along with 39 other prospects vying for a spot at the World Junior A Challenge.

Jack McBain

Eliteprospects.com stat page profile of Jack McBain

 

OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders: November

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

A pair of premier Ontario Hockey League defencemen lead the way among players eligible for the 2018 National Hockey League Draft.

Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm and Evan Bouchard of the London Knights sit one-two among draft eligible players in points with 31 and 30 respectively. They are followed by Aidan Dudas of the Owen Sound Attack and Allan McShane of the Oshawa Generals with 27 apiece. A trio comes next with 26 points followed by another trio at 22 points apiece in what is shaping up to be a tight race.

Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

The Dynamic Duo blueliners also lead draft eligible players in assists with Merkley leading the way with 24 while Bouchard has 22 helpers on the season. Naturally, the pair lead all draft eligible defencemen in scoring with each having more goals, assists and points than any other two defencemen combined.

Interesting in the goal scoring department is that consensus top two pick in the draft, Andrei Svechnikov of the Barrie Colts, is still in the top ten despite having played in just 10 games because of a wrist injury. Svechnikov had 10 goals in 10 games before the injury and trails leader Serron Noel of the Oshawa Generals by just 4 goals.

Listed are the leaders in a variety of statistical categories and include players eligible for the NHL Draft for the first time only. Always refer to the OHL website for official stats.

Points Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 25 7 24 31
Evan Bouchard London Knights 25 8 22 30
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 25 14 13 27
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 26 10 17 27
Nathan Dunkley Kingston Frontenacs 21 9 17 26
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 26 7 19 26
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 25 6 20 26
Serron Noel Oshawa Generals 22 14 8 22
Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 25 11 11 22
Damien Giroux Saginaw Spirit 25 9 13 22
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player Team GP G GPG
Serron Noel Oshawa Generals 22 14 0.64
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 25 14 0.56
Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 25 11 0.44
Brady Hinz Sarnia Sting 25 11 0.44
Blade Jenkins Saginaw Spirit 25 11 0.44
Kody Clark Ottawa 67’s 25 10 0.40
Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 25 10 0.40
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 26 10 0.38
Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 10 10 1.00
Nathan Dunkley Kingston Frontenacs 21 9 0.43
Assist Leaders
Player Team GP A APG
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 25 24 0.96
Evan Bouchard London Knights 25 22 0.88
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 25 20 0.80
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 26 19 0.73
Nathan Dunkley Kingston Frontenacs 21 17 0.81
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 26 17 0.65
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev Peterborough Petes 28 15 0.54
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 25 13 0.52
Damien Giroux Saginaw Spirit 25 13 0.52
Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 25 11 0.44
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 25 7 24 31
Evan Bouchard London Knights 25 8 22 30
Declan Chisholm Peterborough Petes 28 2 11 13
Rasmus Sandin Soo Greyhounds 13 2 10 12
Kevin Bahl Ottawa 67’s 27 1 10 11
Givanni Vallati Kitchener Rangers 25 2 9 11
Caleb Everett Saginaw Spirit 21 3 8 11
Merrick Rippon Mississauga Steelheads 26 0 8 8
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player Team GP +/-
Rasmus Sandin Soo Greyhounds 13 +11
Carter Robertson Ottawa 67’s 16 +9
Alec Regula London Knights 25 +9
Tyler Tucker Barrie Colts 18 +7
Evan Bouchard London Knights 25 +7
Caleb Everett Saginaw Spirit 21 +6
Wale Holden Soo Greyhounds 15 +5
William Ennis Oshawa Generals 26 +4
Aidan Timmermans Erie Otters 5 +3
Givanni Vallati Kitchener Rangers 25 +3
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player Team GP PIM M/G
Kevin Bahl Ottawa 67’s 27 46 1.70
Merrick Rippon Mississauga Steelheads 26 33 1.27
Tyler Tucker Barrie Colts 18 28 1.56
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 25 28 1.12
Kurtis Henry Erie Otters 14 23 1.64
Nico Gross Oshawa Generals 23 20 0.87
Caleb Everett Saginaw Spirit 21 18 0.857
Faceoff Leaders  – minimum 150 faceoffs
Player Team GP FOA FOW %
David Levin Sudbury Wolves 15 151 88 58.3
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 26 599 327 54.6
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 25 382 205 53.7
Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 25 411 219 53.3
Nathan Dunkley Kingston Frontenacs 21 229 122 53.3
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 26 411 216 52.6
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 25 337 177 52.5
Ty Dellandria Flint Firebirds 25 453 237 52.3
Matthew Struthers Owen Sound Attack 22 270 137 50.7
Liam Foudy London Knights 23 166 84 50.6
Longest Goal Scoring Streak
Player Team From To Gms Goals
Brady Hinz Sarnia Sting 10/9 10/19 5 7
Kody Clark Ottawa 67’s 10/12 10/21 5 6
Blade Jenkins Saginaw Spirit 10/29 11/4 4 6
Serron Noel Oshawa Generals 11/24 – 3 4
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 9/29 10/1 3 4
Longest Assist Streak
Player Team From To Gms Assts
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 10/22 11/16 9 13
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 9/30 10/19 8 10
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 10/27 11/5 6 9
Curtis Douglas Barrie Colts 10/14 10/26 4 4
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 10/14 10/20 4 5
Longest Point Streak
Player Team From To Gms Pts
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 10/22 11/16 9 17
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 9/30 10/19 8 14
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 10/27 11/5 6 9
Curtis Douglas Barrie Colts 10/14 10/26 4 5
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 10/14 10/20 4 6
Shooting Percentage
Player Team GP G S %
Serron Noel Oshawa Generals 23 14 41 34.1
Brady Hinz Sarnia Sting 25 11 41 26.8
Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 26 12 46 26.1
Blade Jenkins Saginaw Spirit 25 11 45 24.4
Nathan Dunkley Kingston Frontenacs 22 9 38 23.7
Shots On Goal Leaders
Player Team GP SOG
Evan Bouchard London Knights 26 95
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 26 93
Ty Dellandria Flint Firebirds 26 89
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 25 73
Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 26 72
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average – min 6 games
Player Team GP Min GA Avg
Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 6 321 12 2.24
Jacob Ingham Mississauga Steelheads 18 1029 63 3.67
Mario Peccia Oshawa Generals 6 330 20 3.64
Jordan Kooy London Knights 6 306 20 3.92
Marshall Frappier Sudbury Wolves 9 446 36 4.84
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player Team GP SH  SVS SV%
Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 6 160 148 0.925
Mario Peccia Oshawa Generals 6 172 152 0.884
Jacob Ingham Mississauga Steelheads 18 512 449 0.877
Jordan Kooy London Knights 6 157 137 0.873
Marshall Frappier Sudbury Wolves 9 283 247 0.873
Goaltending Leaders – Wins
Player Team GP W L OL
Jacob Ingham Mississauga Steelheads 18 6 10 1
Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 6 4 0 2
Kai Edmonds Barrie Colts 4 2 1 0
Cameron Lamour Saginaw Spirit 4 2 2 0
Mario Peccia Oshawa Generals 6 2 3 0
Goaltending Leaders – Shutouts
Player Team GP SO
Mario Peccia Oshawa Generals 6 1
Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 7 1

OHL Writers Draft Eligible Player of the Month: November

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Not an easy month to pick just one player as there is a trio of players who you could pick and not be wrong with your choice.

It all came down to Nathan Dunkley of the Kingston Frontenacs, Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm and Evan Bouchard of the London Knights.

Dunkley led the way with 8 goals and 11 assists in 12 games for the Frontenacs. Bouchard followed with 5 goals and 13 assists in 10 games and Merkley with 3 goals and 13 assists in 10 games. As good a month as Dunkley had in November however, I must go with one of the defencemen.

The difference came down to the plus/minus for the pair of blueliners. Bouchard finished the month with a plus-11 while Merkley finished with a minus-1, thus Bouchard gets the nod for draft eligible player of the month.

Evan Bouchard of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Evan Bouchard of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Bouchard had points in 8 of his 10 games in November with 6 of those games in which he recorded a point being multi-point games. He finished with a negative plus/minus just twice in November. He was named a games’ first star once and third star twice. The first star honours came in a head-to-head matchup with Merkley in which Bouchard recorded a goal and two assists.

Bouchard now sits second among all draft eligible players in points and assists, coincidently right behind Merkley.

The OHL named Bouchard defenceman of the month for November while Jenkins was named Rookie of the Month.

Previous Player of the Month

Brady Hinz – Sarnia Sting (October)

Matthew Struthers – Owen Sound Attack (September)

OHL Top Performers of the Month for November

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for regular season games played in November 2017, including Sarnia Sting forward Jordan Kyrou, London Knights defenceman Evan Bouchard, Saginaw Spirit rookie Blade Jenkins and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds goaltender Matthew Villalta. 

OHL Player of the Month – Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)

For the second consecutive month, St. Louis Blues prospect Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting is the OHL Player of the Month. The 19-year-old led all players with 24 points including six goals, 18 assists in 11 games. Kyrou’s November included points in 10 of his 11 games headlined by a six point effort to start the month on Nov. 2nd in Peterborough. Kyrou’s six points (2-4–6) are the most by a Sting player in a single game since Charles Sarault registered six in February 2013. Other prominent performances included a four point output (1-3–4) on Nov. 17th against Windsor. In total, Kyrou received star of the game recognition four times including one first star nomination, two second star nominations as well as one third star nomination. His continued excellence has helped the Sting hold down top spot in the weekly CHL Top 10 Rankings throughout the month as Sarnia holds an overall record of 21-4-1-0. 

Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

A 6-foot, 185Ib. right-winger from Toronto, Ont., Kyrou currently leads OHL scoring by a 10-point margin, registering 52 points including a league-leading 34 assists along with 18 goals in 24 games. His 2.17 points-per-game and 21 power play points are also league highs. The second round pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 2016 NHL Draft is currently in his fourth OHL season, producing a career regular season stat line of 78 goals, 155 assists and 233 points over 218 games. Last season, Kyrou recorded the OHL’s longest point streak since 2008 when he recorded points in 30 straight contests from Jan. 1st to Mar. 12th, four games shy of a Sting club record. He attended Hockey Canada’s Summer Showcase this past summer in Plymouth, Mich. and represented the OHL in the 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series. 

OHL Defenceman of the Month – Evan Bouchard (London Knights):

Draft eligible London Knights rearguard Evan Bouchard is the OHL Defenceman of the Month for November. The 18-year-old third-year blueliner led all defencemen with 18 points including five goals, 13 assists and a plus/minus rating of plus-11 over 10 contests. Bouchard recorded points in eight of his 10 November outings, headlining the month with a career-high four point (1-3–4) showing on Nov. 3rd against Saginaw. He also registered a pair of three point efforts, collecting three assists on Nov. 10th against Flint as well as a goal and two assists on Nov. 26th in Guelph. Bouchard helped the Knights play to a record of 7-2-1-0 in November. 

Evan Bouchard of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Evan Bouchard of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

A 6-foot-2, 191Ib. native of Oakville, Ont., Bouchard sits fourth in scoring among OHL defencemen with 30 points (8-22–30) in 25 games while his 95 shots on goal rank second among blueliners. A veteran of 136 OHL regular season games, Bouchard has 91 points (21-70–91) in his OHL career. He was London’s first round pick in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection and was an ‘A’ rated prospect on NHL Central Scouting’s November ‘Players to Watch’ List. Bouchard represented the OHL in the 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series this past month. 

OHL Rookie of the Month – Blade Jenkins (Saginaw Spirit):

Draft eligible Saginaw Spirit forward Blade Jenkins is the OHL Rookie of the Month for November. The 17-year-old led all rookies with 14 points including nine goals, five assists and a plus/minus rating of plus-10 in 12 games. Jenkins had points in eight of his 12 November outings, with a pair of three-point performances headlining his stat line. He recorded his first career OHL hat-trick on Nov. 4th against North Bay before scoring twice and adding an assist on Nov. 22nd in Flint. Jenkins, whose 14 points all came at even strength, helped the Spirit to a 9-2-1-0 month of November. 

Blade Jenkins of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Blade Jenkins of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

A 6-foot-1, 195Ib. left-winger from Jackson, Mich., Jenkins sits second in OHL rookie scoring with 18 points (11-7–18) in 25 games. Formerly Saginaw’s first round (4th overall) pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection, Jenkins was included on NHL Central Scouting’s November ‘Players to Watch’ List. 

 

Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month – Matthew Villalta (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds):

Los Angeles Kings prospect Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is the OHL Goaltender of the Month for November. The 18-year-old played to a perfect 9-0-0-0 record with an OHL-best 2.22 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage with one shutout over nine November appearances, helping the Greyhounds climb into the West Division lead on a 12-game winning streak. Villalta backstopped the Hounds to a perfect month, putting together back-to-back one-goal performances on Nov. 4th against Niagara and Nov. 5th against North Bay. He registered his first shutout of the season on Nov. 17th with a 16-save showing in Sudbury. 

Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

A 6-foot-3, 183Ib. native of Godfrey, Ont. outside of Kingston, Villalta is second among OHL goaltenders with a 2.53 goals-against average along with a 16-2-1-0 record, a .907 save percentage and one shutout. He holds an impressive career record of 41-5-1-0 over 52 career regular season games to go with a 2.45 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage and two shutouts. A free agent addition by the Greyhounds out of Training Camp in 2016, Villalta was a third round pick by the Los Angeles Kings this past summer.

2017-18 OHL Performers of the Month:

Player of the Month:
November – Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
October – Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)

Defenceman of the Month:
November – Evan Bouchard (London Knights)
October – Sean Durzi (Owen Sound Attack)

Rookie of the Month:
November – Blade Jenkins (Saginaw Spirit)
October – Andrei Svechnikov (Barrie Colts)

Vaughn Goaltender of the Month:
November – Matthew Villalta (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
October – Justin Fazio (Sarnia Sting)