CHL Announces Top 10 Rankings

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Top 10

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week 25 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 25

Rank: Team: Last Week Rank: Number of Weeks Ranked:
1 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (53-7-2-3) 1 25
2 Moose Jaw Warriors (52-15-1-2) 4 23
3 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (47-11-4-3) 2 25
4 Swift Current Broncos (47-16-4-2) 3 22
5 Sarnia Sting (44-16-4-1) 6 22
6 Kitchener Rangers (43-20-3-0) 5 10
7 Acadie-Bathurst Titan (42-15-7-2) 10 5
8 Halifax Mooseheads (41-17-6-1) 7 14
9 Everett Silvertips (45-20-2-3) 8 6
10 Hamilton Bulldogs (42-18-3-3) 9 14
Honourable Mention:
Rimouski Oceanic (41-17-6-1) – 9
Portland Winterhawks (43-21-1-4) – 13
Barrie Colts (40-21-3-1) – 1

CHL Leagues

2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour Day 1 Summary

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Wild Card Play-In games, start of Round Robin highlight Tuesday action

Toronto, ON – The puck has dropped at the 2018 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

For the fifth time in event history a series of Wild Card Play-In Games opened the action to determine final tournament qualifiers. This season, 10 teams competed in five Wild Card matchups. The GTHL’s Don Mills Flyers, Mississauga Senators and Mississauga Rebels join the OMHA’s Peterborough Petes and ALLIANCE’s Sun County Panthers in advancing to the 2018 OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour.

Here’s a look at Day 1 action:

2018 OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour Wild Card Play-In Results:

 Tuesday March 13, 2018

 WC 1 – Sun County Panthers 5 vs. Toronto Titans 2
Panthers MVP – Ryan Gagnier (1G, 3A)
Titans MVP – Jean-Luc Foudy (1G)
Recap – Stats

 WC 2 – Don Mills Flyers 2 vs. Detroit Little Caesars 1
Flyers MVP – Ivan Mikuljan
Little Caesars MVP – Mark Estapa
Recap – Stats

 WC 3 – Mississauga Senators 4 vs. Quinte Red Devils 1
Senators MVP – Elias Cohen (1G, 3A)
Red Devils MVP – Jacob Vreugdenhil (1G)
Recap – Stats

 WC 4 – Peterborough Petes 4 vs. Niagara North Stars 0
Petes MVP – Luc Reeve (2A)
Stars MVP – Matteo Lalama (31 SV)
Recap – Stats

 WC 5 – Mississauga Rebels 1 vs. Grey-Bruce Highlanders 0 – 3OT
Rebels MVP – Nolan Dillingham-Morelli
Highlanders MVP – Daniel Botelho (52 SV)
Recap – Stats

 2018 OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour Round-Robin Results:

 Tuesday March 13, 2018

 Game 1: Vaughan Kings 2 vs. Oakville Rangers 2
Kings MVP – Ryan O’Rourke (1A)
Rangers MVP – Adam Cherepacha (1G)
Recap – Stats

 Game 2: Toronto Marlboros 6 vs. Elite Hockey Group 5
Marlboros MVP – Will Cuylle (1G, 1A)
Elite Hockey Group MVP – Matthew Coronado (1G)
Recap – Stats

 Game 3: York-Simcoe Express 4 vs. Mississauga Reps 1
Express MVP – Quinton Byfield (2G, 1A)
Reps MVP – Jake Uberti (1G)
Recap – Stats

 Game 4: Toronto Jr. Canadiens 2 vs. Barrie Colts 2

Jr. Canadiens MVP – Michael Bianconi (1G)
Colts MVP – Cameron Snow (1G)
Recap – Stats

All 20 teams are in action on Wednesday with 16 Round Robin games on the schedule. Round Robin play continues Thursday and Friday before Quarter-Final and Semi-Final action Saturday, concluding with Monday’s Championship Final.

The showcase provides fans and scouts one last opportunity to see many of the top minor midget aged players from across Ontario and parts of the United States compete for the OHL Cup performing against the best competition prior to the 2018 OHL Priority Selection.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

CHL Announces Weekly Award Winners

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Halbgewachs and Montpetit earn CHL honours 

Warriors’ Jayden Halbgewachs named CHL Player of the Week 

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that San Jose Sharks prospect Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending March 11 after recording 12 points in four games including seven goals and five assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-2. 

Halbgewachs extended his point-streak to 17 while taking over top position in CHL scoring and helping the Warriors win three games to increase their lead atop the WHL standings heading into the final week of regular season action.  He began his week on Wednesday with authority delivering a five-point performance, his fifth of the season, which included his third hat-trick plus two assists as first star of a 6-2 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes.  On Friday he scored twice with one assist as third star of a 6-4 loss to the Prince Albert Raiders, then scored a power play marker on Saturday in a 4-2 triumph over the Swift Current Broncos in a battle of the league’s top two teams.  His week wrapped up Sunday with a goal and two assists in a 5-3 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings.  The Warriors carry a record of 51-15-1-2 for 105 points with three games remaining and hold a five point lead over the second place Broncos. 

A 20-year-old from Emerald Park, Sask., Halbgewachs is playing in his fourth full season with the Warriors and currently has 125 points powered by a league-high 68 goals along with 57 assists in 69 games played.  Originally a first round pick by the Kamloops Blazers in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft, Halbgewachs has produced 276 points in 273 career games and with two more goals this season would be the first WHL player to score 70 since Pavel Brendl accomplished the feat in 1998-99 with the Calgary Hitmen.  Halbgewachs signed a free agent NHL entry-level contract with the Sharks in December. 

Also considered for the award this week was Minnesota Wild prospect Dmitry Sokolov of the Barrie Colts who scored five goals and four assists for nine points in three games, and QMJHL rookie Samuel Poulin of the Sherbrooke Phoenix who scored three goals and five assists for eight points in three games. 

2017-18 CHL Players of the Week:

Mar. 5 – Mar. 11: Jayden Halbgewachs (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Feb. 26 – Mar. 4: Maxime Comtois (Victoriaville Tigres)
Feb. 19 – Feb. 25: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 12 – Feb. 18: Aaron Luchuk (Barrie Colts)
Feb. 5 – Feb. 11: Maxime Comtois (Victoriaville Tigres)
Jan. 29 – Feb. 4: Ty Ronning (Vancouver Giants)
Jan. 22 – Jan. 28: Peter Abbandonato (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Jan. 15 – Jan. 21: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 14: Taylor Raddysh (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 25 – Dec. 31: Ivan Kosorenkov (Victoriaville Tigres)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Stelio Mattheos (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Alex Barré-Boulet (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
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)

Tigres’ Etienne Montpetit named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week 

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Etienne Montpetit of the Victoriaville Tigres is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending March 11 after posting a 2-0-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .951. 

Montpetit turned aside 39 shots last week helping the Tigres extend their win-streak to eight while reaching a personal milestone of 100 career victories heading into the final week of regular season play.  On Friday night he made 23 saves in a 9-1 win over the Shawinigan Cataractes, then earned first star honours on Sunday with 16 saves in a 7-1 win over the first place Blainville-Boisbriand Armada becoming just the 13th QMJHL netminder to reach the century mark in wins.  The Tigres have now climbed up to sixth place in the QMJHL’s overall standings with a 39-20-4-2 record. 

A 20-year-old from Sallaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que., Montpetit is playing in his fourth QMJHL season and first with the Tigres since joining the club in January.  He played the first three and half years of his career with the Val-d’Or Foreurs who chose him in the eighth round of the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft where he accumulated 89 of his 100 wins.  Overall this season the overager carries a 23-16-1-1 record including three shutouts with a goals-against-average of 2.60 and save percentage of .925 which ranks second overall. 

Also considered for the award this week was Los Angeles Kings prospect Cole Kehler, a two-time recipient, who posted a 3-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory stopping 66 shots for a goals-against-average of 1.23 and save percentage of .947.  In the OHL, Boston Bruins prospect Kyle Keyser of the Oshawa Generals went 2-0-0-0 making 63 saves for a goals-against-average 2.50 and save percentage of .926. 

2017-18 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week:

Mar. 5 – Mar. 11: Etienne Montpetit (Victoriaville Tigres)
Feb. 26 – Mar. 4: Shane Farkas (Portland Winterhawks)
Feb. 19 – Feb. 25: Emanuel Vella (Mississauga Steelheads)
Feb. 12 – Feb. 18: Riley Lamb (Red Deer Rebels)
Feb. 5 – Feb. 11: Brody Willms (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Jan. 29 – Feb. 4: Zachary Bouthillier (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)
Jan. 22 – Jan. 28: Jeremy Helvig (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan. 15 – Jan. 21: Mario Culina (Kitchener Rangers)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 14: Stuart Skinner (Swift Current Broncos)
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Samuel Harvey (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Dec. 25 – Dec. 31: James Porter (Kelowna Rockets)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Tristan Bérubé (Gatineau Olympiques)
 Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
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)

CHL Leagues

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

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

ALLIANCE’s Cambridge Hawks become final team to officially qualify through league competition

Tuesday’s Wild Card Play-In Matchups to determine final five tournament entries (full schedule)

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the seventeenth and final 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.

Final Minor Midget Rankings for the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour (Week 17):

RANK TEAM LEAGUE LAST WEEK WEEKS RANKED
1 Toronto Marlboros* GTHL 1 17
2 Mississauga Reps* GTHL 2 17
3 Oakville Rangers* OMHA 3 17
4 York-Simcoe Express* OMHA 4 15
5 Vaughan Kings* GTHL 5 17
6 Toronto Jr. Canadiens* GTHL 6 11
7 Detroit Little Caesars USA 7 17
8 Guelph Gryphons* OMHA 9 4
9 Brantford 99ers* ALLIANCE – 1
10 Barrie Colts* OMHA 10 13
   
  Honourable Mention:  
  London Jr. Knights* ALLIANCE 8 2
  Peterborough Petes OMHA – 4
  Mississauga Rebels GTHL – –
  Cambridge Hawks* ALLIANCE – 11

*Officially qualified for 2018 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament Powered by Under Armour

The 17th and final edition of the weekly Top-10 sees the GTHL champion Toronto Marlboros remain in the top spot from start to finish this season. The OMHA Finalist Guelph Gryphons rise one spot to eighth on the list while the ALLIANCE champion Brantford 99ers make their debut at number nine.  Nine of the Top-10 teams have been assured 2018 OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour competition along with honourable mentions that include the ALLIANCE finalist London Jr. Knights and the Cambridge Hawks who defeated the Sun County Panthers in the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series to clinch their berth.  Detroit Little Caesars (7) plus honourable mentions the Peterborough Petes and Mississauga Rebels will compete for tournament entry in Wild Card Play-In Games on Tuesday.

Tournament Structure:

15 of the 20 spots in the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour were guaranteed through league competition.  The 15 guaranteed spots continue to include all four GTHL Semi-Finalists (Toronto Marlboros, Mississauga Reps, Toronto Jr. Canadiens, Vaughan Kings), and the top four teams that placed at the OMHA Championship (York-Simcoe Express, Guelph Gryphons, Oakville Rangers, Barrie Jr. Colts).  Three teams from the ALLIANCE were guaranteed a spot in the tournament including the Champion (Brantford 99’ers) and Finalist (London Jr. Knights), along with the winner of a best-of-three Semi-Final Wild Card Series (Cambridge Hawks) played between the losers of the two league Semi-Finals.  Also as in past years, two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition (Elite Hockey Group and TPH Thunder), while both an HNO (Thunder Bay Kings) and NOHA representative (Team NOHA) will also compete.  This season there will not be a representative from HEO.

Wild Card Games:

The final five entries at the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour will 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 include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship (Quinte Red Devils), and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series (Sun County Panthers).  As introduced in 2016, two spots in Wild Card games are reserved for GTHL teams.  The two competing GTHL teams were 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 (Mississauga Rebels and Mississauga Senators).  As introduced in 2017, one spot in a Wild Card was reserved for the winner of an OMHA SCTA Consolation Game that featured both teams who lost in the SCTA Tournament Semi-Final (Grey-Bruce Highlanders).  The OMHA teams eligible for this matchup were determined annually based on the league not hosting the OMHA Championship.  Finally, the five remaining teams to compete in the Wild Card matchups were named by the Tournament Selection Committee (Detroit Little Caesars, Don Mills Flyers, Niagara North Stars, Peterborough Petes, Toronto Titans).  The Committee evaluated and reviewed post-season success as the first criteria for selection, with additional criteria including regular season play and tournament play.  All five Wild Card games will take place on Tuesday March 13 with specific matchups and times of play determined by random draw among the 10 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

Colts’ Dmitry Sokolov named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Minnesota Wild prospect Dmitry Sokolov of the Barrie Colts is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending March 11 after leading the league with nine points in three games including five goals and four assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-7. 

Dmitry Sokolov of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Dmitry Sokolov of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Sokolov delivered a trio of multi-point performances last week extending his personal point-streak to 13 while taking over the league-lead in goals and helping the Colts clinch the Central Division title.  On Wednesday night Sokolov produced three points including the game-winning goal and two assists as first star of a 6-3 victory over the Eastern Conference leading Hamilton Bulldogs which officially secured the Central crown won three times in the last four years by the Colts.  On Thursday night he scored twice with two assists and was named second star of a 6-5 overtime loss to the Owen Sound Attack, then scored twice on Saturday including another game-winner as second star of a 6-4 victory over the Peterborough Petes.  The Colts are still in pursuit of the Eastern Conference’s top spot with a 40-21-3-1 record with three games remaining in the regular season. 

A 19-year-old from Omsk, Russia, Sokolov is playing in his third OHL season after being the number three selection in the 2015 CHL Import Draft by the Sudbury Wolves.  Sokolov played two and a half seasons with the Wolves before joining the Colts in January.  His time in Barrie has already included 28 goals in just 26 games bringing his 2017-18 total to a league-high 48 along with 42 assists for 90 points in 61 games which ranks sixth overall.  Sokolov was a seventh round pick by the Wild in the 2016 NHL Draft and represented Russia at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo. 

Watch video highlights of Sokolov and the Colts against the Bulldogs, Attack, and Petes. 

Also considered for the award this week was Edmonton Oilers prospect Kirill Maksimov of the Niagara IceDogs who scored once with six assists for seven points in three games, and Boston Bruins prospect Jack Studnicka of the Oshawa Generals who scored five goals with one assist for six points in three games.  In goal, fellow General and Bruins prospect Kyle Keyser posted a 2-0-0-0 record making 63 saves for a goals-against-average 2.50 and save percentage of .926.

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

Mar. 5 – Mar. 11: Dmitry Sokolov (Barrie Colts)
Feb. 26 – Mar. 4: Robert Thomas (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Feb. 19 – Feb. 25: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 12 – Feb. 18: Aaron Luchuk (Barrie Colts)
Feb. 5 – Feb. 11: Liam Foudy (London Knights)
Jan. 29 – Feb. 4: Kenny Huether (Oshawa Generals)
Jan. 22 – Jan. 28: Jeremy Helvig (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan. 15 – Jan. 21: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 14: Taylor Raddysh (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 25 – Dec. 31: Ben Jones (Niagara IceDogs)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
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)

Carter Robertson – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 179 pounds

Date of birth: January 15, 2000

Hometown: Holland Landing, Ontario

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 2, 30th overall, 2016 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: B Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 61st, North American skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

As a member of the York Simcoe Express minor midget team, Carter Robertson scored 10 goals and 26 assists in 31 games during the 2015-2016 season. He won an OHL Cup Championship with The Express. In 7 games, he registered 3 assists.

The Ottawa 67’s would use their second-round pick, 30th overall at the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection in 2016 to select Robertson. The scouting report at the time from OHL Central Scouting read as follows:

“Carter is a smooth skating defenseman that has been steadily improving over the course of the season. He plays in every situation and logs a lot of big minutes for his team. He is a good skater with excellent mobility. He is very composed with the puck and doesn’t usually just throw it away. He makes good outlet passes and is effective on the offensive blueline. Carter is a very smart player that keeps the game simple.” 

As a rookie, Robertson appeared in 44 games for the 67’s last season. He got his feet wet and scored once while adding 8 assists in those contests. He also represented Canada at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17. In 5 games, Robertson notched one assist.

2016-17 Team Head Shots
Carter Robertson of the Ottawa 67’s

This season, Robertson has appeared in 51 games to date. He has 3 goals and 12 assists.

The word raw is used many times when discussing a prospect for the National Hockey League Draft and with Robertson, it is as much the case as it is with those others. He possesses an intriguing skill set and it’s just a matter of putting it all together.

Robertson has good size at 6’2”. Since his OHL draft, he’s grown an inch and has added some much-needed bulk to his frame as well. But he has a way to go in the bulk department, weighing in at 179 pounds.

As his scouting report suggested, Robertson is a smooth skating defenceman with excellent mobility. However, it is my belief that he lacks the confidence to use that mobility. When transitioning from defence to offence, he looks to pass first or simply clear the zone. He has the ability to skate the puck out of danger and I believe as he gains more experience and confidence, that will come.

His skating and size are an advantage defensively. He controls his caps with his mobility and he closes those gaps very quickly. He can transition to skating backwards easily and is adept at keeping players to the outside. He is winning more one-on-one battles along the walls and uses his size effectively in front of his goal.

Robertson is a very intelligent player. He sees plays develop and is almost always in position to defend. He defends with a very active stick and gets it into passing and shooting lanes. He’s capable of eating big minutes and can play in any situation.

If there are any concerns about Robertson it is how much offence can he provide? As mentioned, the tools are there. Along with all the above, he possesses very good puck skills, vision passing abilities and has an excellent shot – one that we’d like to see him use more often.

Drafting is a game of projecting, and with Robertson, it is no different.

Watch this video from Sportsnet.

Stat page of Carter Robertson from Elite Prospects

Kody Clark – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 180 Pounds

Date of birth: October 13, 1999

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Position: Right Wing

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 6, 115th overall, 2015 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: B Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 28th North American skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

Ottawa 67’s Kody Clark. Current OHL’er. Future NHL’er. Son of Wendel.

Those are some big skates to fill. The elder Clark was the first overall pick in 1985 and finished third in Calder Trophy voting as the NHL’s top rookie. He went on to have an excellent career finishing with 330 goals, 234 assists and 1690 penalty minutes in 793 games. That’s a tough (no pun intended) act to follow for the younger Clark who, if we are being realistic, will have to forge out his own career.

Clark played his minor midget hockey with the Toronto Marlboros during the 2014-2015 season. He scored 11 goals and 29 assists for the Marlboros and won the OHL Cup with them while posting 3 assists in 7 games.

Cody Clark of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Kody Clark of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

The 67’s would select Clark with the 115th pick at the 2015 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

The following season saw Clark play for St. Andrew’s College. In 13 regular season games he posted 4 goals and 10 assists. He helped St Andrews capture the CISAA (Conference of Independent School’s Athletic Association) Championship with 3 goals and an assist in 4 games.

Clark broke into the OHL a year ago and appeared in 57 games for the 67’s. He would score 7 goals and 4 assists in those contests. This season saw Clark break out offensively. Through 49 games, he has 18 goals and 18 assists.

So, what does Clark Bring to the ice?

He plays a very good two-way game with a solid work ethic in all three zones. Like his father before him, he plays with some grit and is always willing to finish his checks without going out of his way to do so. Adding bulk to his 180-pound frame will only make him more fearless.

While he doesn’t have his father’s superb shot, he does have an excellent shot and release of his own. His skating is a work in progress – more specifically, strength on his skates. He has no hesitation in driving the net with or without the puck. Once he gets stronger and his skating continues to improve, he could become a force that is hard to contain.

Clark is also excellent in puck possession skills and probably one of the harder players to strip the puck from in this class. He controls and protects the puck like a seasoned NHL veteran. He plays an excellent cycle game as well. His playmaking skills need some improvement. I think he’ll always be a power forward with a shoot-first mentality. And with his shot, why not?

Kody Clark stat page from Elite Prospects

Mitchell Hoelscher – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’

Weight: 158 pounds

Date of birth: January 27, 2000

Hometown: Elora, Ontario

Position: Left Wing

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 3, 56th overall, 2016 Priority Selection 

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: Not ranked

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 82nd, North American Skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

Ottawa 67’s pivot Mitchell Hoelscher played his minor midget hockey during the 2015-2016 season for the Waterloo Wolves where he put up an impressive 19 goals and 22 assists in 33 games. He was even more impressive in the playoffs, bulging the twine 12 times while setting up 16 others in 12 games. He would then add 3 goals and 2 assists for the Wolves’ 4 games at the OHL Cup.

The 67’s would select Hoelscher with the 56th pick at the 2016 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

Mitchell Hoelscher of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Mitchell Hoelscher of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

The following season, Hoelscher would take his skills to the Junior B Elmira Sugar Kings of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, helping the Sugar Kings capture the GOJHL Championship.

Hoelscher would match his minor midget totals of 19 goals and 22 assists in 42 regular season games with the Sugar Kings. On their way to the championship, he scored 8 goals and 10 assists in 27 playoff games. He would be named a second team all-star for the Midwestern Conference.

Hoelscher is a player who, as a rookie in the OHL, has played in all situations for the 67’s. His 9 goals and 17 assists to date may be seen as a bit of a disappointment. His 26 points has him 12th among rookies, while being tied for 9th in assists and 16th in goals.

Hoelscher plays the game with a tenacious motor and never quit work ethic. At 158 pounds, he obviously needs to add a lot of bulk to his frame, and when he does, he’ll have more confidence to crash and bang and add more physicality to his game.

Hoelscher is such a smart player, he easily makes the adjustment to play whatever role he is asked to play. He can certainly keep up playing the skilled game with more offensively gifted players, or he can adjust a play a more defensive game if the situation calls for it. His tenacity, ability to adjust and hockey smarts make him very effective on the penalty kill.

Offensively, Hoelscher sees the ice extremely well. He can find open lanes and make a very good pass to set up teammates. He possesses a very deceptive shot that can catch netminders off guard. He needs to play more selfish at times and use that shot. He has just 91 shots on goal but is firing at just under 10 percent. He finds a way to be elusive and escape the opposition.

Stat page of Mitchell Hoelscher from Elite Prospects

OHL News – Radio: OHL Cup

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

OHL Radio

OHL News – Radio Edition with host Terry Doyle and presented by Bauer continues for the 2017-18 regular season bringing fans insight from feature guests as well as news and notes from around the league each and every week over the airwaves.

This week’s segment features Darrell Woodley, Director of OHL Central Scouting, providing a preview of next week’s OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

Taking place March 13-17 at Toronto’s Scotiabank Pond before shifting to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 19 for the championship final, the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour features 20 teams loaded with talent eligible for the 2018 OHL Priority Selection competing for minor midget supremacy in the annual year-end tournament.

Woodley chats with Doyle about how special this event can be for minor hockey players, what it means from a scouting perspective, and shares his insight for teams to watch.

Listen here.

Kevin Bahl – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 231 pounds

Date of birth: June 27, 2000

Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 2, 31st overall, 2016 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: B Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 30th North American skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time.

There is something to be said about a 6’6” and 230-pound defenceman that can skate. And that brings us to the Ottawa 67’s towering blueliner Kevin Bahl.

Bahl played his minor midget hockey for the Toronto Marlboros during the 2015-2016 season in which he scored 9 goals and added 27 assists in 56 games. He’s played at the OHL Cup twice. His first appearance was 2 games during the 2014-2015 season winning gold but was held pointless in those two games.

Bahl made his second appearance during the 2015-2016 season, this time capturing silver. In 7 games he scored once and added an assist. He also represented Team GTHL at the OHL Gold Cup, helping them win the championship and providing the team with 3 helpers in 5 games.

Kevin Bahl of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Kevin Bahl of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

At the time of his OHL draft, Bahl measured in at 6’4” and tipped the scales at 210 pounds. The scouting report from OHL Central Scouting read as follows:

“Kevin is one of the Marlboros’ go-to guys on the back end, not because he is offensive or flashy, but because he plays a simple and safe game, does a good job of getting the puck to his skilled forwards and is effective on the offensive blue line. He has good mobility and is hard to beat off the rush. He covers a lot of space in the corners and has a very active stick. Kevin is a player that has room to grow and improve over the next couple of seasons.” 

The 2016-2017 season saw Bahl get his feet wet in the OHL. He appeared in 57 games for the 67’s and scored once while adding 3 assists. He represented Canada at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17, notching an assist in 5 games.

He began this his draft year, once again representing Canada, this time at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial in August of 2017. He was once again on the winning side as he helped Canada win gold with a goal and an assist in Canada’s 5 tournament games.

So far this season, Bahl has played in 51 games, scoring once and adding 17 assists. The OHL came down hard on Bahl after receiving a match penalty for a hit to the head of Peterborough Petes’ Cole Fraser and was subsequently dealt out a 10-game suspension.

The flavor of the day in the National Hockey League is smaller, skilled and superb skaters. Yours truly is not immune to that. But Bahl has an intriguing set of skills that I am not ready to say “what you see is what you get” with him.

First and foremost, Bahl is an above average skater for a player of his size. He possesses very good mobility with excellent lateral movement, however he lacks top end speed although I wouldn’t say he is slow.

Defensively, Bahl is one of the top, if not the top shutdown defender available for the 2018 draft. Along with good skating abilities, his condor-like reach makes him tough to beat one-on-one. His positioning in almost every situation is excellent.  He uses a high level of hockey IQ to anticipate, always be in position, close up lanes and use a very active stick to quash plays.

Bahl uses his size effectively. He doesn’t go out looking for a big hit, but he can close players off along the wall, clear the front of his goal, and win one-on-one battles. He is especially effective on the penalty kill.

Projecting what Bahl could become offensively is the question that needs to be answered. He makes a very good pass, whether its clearing his own zone, or in the offensive zone. He possesses a good shot that is accurate. He doesn’t try to overpower an opposing goaltender with his shot but gets it off more with a purpose.

I am not a big fan of drafting shut-down defenders high in the draft, but I think Bahl has some enticing offensive abilities. He’s a huge minute-munching defender who plays in all situations.

Stat page for Kevin Bahl from Elite Prospects