Month: November 2018

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League, in collaboration with the Canadian Hockey League and Hockey Canada, announced today that Hamilton Bulldogs forward Matthew Strome and London Knights goaltender Jordan Kooy have been added to Team OHL’s roster for the 2018 CIBC Canada Russia Series.

Strome will compete for Team OHL in Game 3 of the series in Sarnia set for Thursday November 8 dressing in place of Niagara IceDogs forward Akil Thomas who is unable to participate due to injury.  Kooy is slated for Game 4 in Oshawa on Monday November 12 in place of Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds who is also unable to play due to injury.

So far this season Strome is third in team scoring with six goals and 13 assists for 19 points in 17 games.  The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., helped the Bulldogs win their first OHL championship three years after becoming the club’s first ever pick in the OHL Priority Selection going eighth overall in 2015.  During that time he’s amassed 187 points over 209 regular season games including 93 goals and 94 assists.  Strome is a Philadelphia Flyers prospect chosen in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Draft.

Kooy currently ranks second in the league in both goals-against-average and save percentage with marks of 2.27 and .926 respectively.  The 18-year-old from Bradford, Ont., carries a 6-1-0-0 record playing in his third season with the Knights since joining the club as an eighth round pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection.  Kooy is a Vegas Golden Knights prospect after hearing his name called in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL Draft.

Both players will have teammates in the games as Strome joins fellow Bulldog MacKenzie Entwistle in Sarnia and Kooy joins fellow Knights Alex Formenton and Liam Foudy in Oshawa.

2018 CIBC Canada Russia Series Schedule and Results:
Game 1 – Monday November 5 at Kamloops, BC – WHL (2) vs RUS (1) – Stats | Highlights
Game 2 – Tuesday November 6 at Vancouver, BC – RUS (3) vs WHL (1) – Stats | Highlights
Game 3 – Thursday November 8 at Sarnia, ON (Sportsnet East & Ontario, Sportsnet 360, TVA Sports)
Game 4 – Monday November 12 at Oshawa, ON (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, TVA Sports)
Game 5 – Tuesday November 13 at Sherbrooke, QC (Sportsnet East & Ontario, Sportsnet ONE, TVA Sports)
Game 6 – Thursday November 15 at Drummondville, QC (Sportsnet East & Ontario, Sportsnet 360, TVA Sports)

All games of the 2018 CIBC Canada Russia Series will be available online through NeuLion’s CHL streaming platform at http://chl.neulion.com/chl/.

The 2018 CIBC Canada Russia Series is supported by title sponsor CIBC, the Official Bank of the CHL, along with associate sponsors Kia Canada, Sherwin-Williams, Cooper Tires, and Kubota Canada.

For event information including how to purchase tickets please visit http://chlcanadarussia.ca.

November 6, 2018

Honourable Doug Ford

Premier of Ontario

Legislative Building,

Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON

M7A 1A1

 

Honourable Michael Tibollo

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

Hearst Block 9th Flr.,

900 Bay St, Toronto, ON

M7A 2E1

Dear Premier Ford and Minister Tibollo,

The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) which is the world’s largest development hockey league and the number one development league for U SPORTS, Canada’s national amateur teams and the NHL. Our system of development is admired and imitated by foreign hockey organizations around the world. Almost all Canadian hockey legends are graduates of the CHL.  Founded in 1934, the OHL is comprised of 20 teams, 17 in Ontario, two in Michigan and one in Pennsylvania. There are currently 425 players in the OHL. The OHL’s role in the community is unquestionable, both in terms of economic development, and charitable and community involvement.

The OHL’s primary goals are player protection, providing competition and coaching to advance our players in hockey as far as their talent and commitment allow, teaching players leadership skills and supporting their education to ensure success in life. Our teams are proud to provide our players with the top player experience both on and off the ice.

The hallmark of the player experience in the OHL is our Scholarship Program, which provides those players who have completed their time in the OHL a minimum of one year’s tuition, books and compulsory fees at a recognized university, college, trade school or career-enhancing program, for each year played in the league. The Program further provides that teams will pay for post-secondary tuition, books and compulsory fees for those players who are still playing in the league.

In the 2017-18 academic year, there were 321 OHL graduates using their scholarship at a cost to our teams of $3.125M. Of these 321 graduates 206 are playing on U SPORTS hockey teams. In addition this academic year our teams spent $475,000 on the Scholarship Program for current players.

There is a critical issue facing not just major junior hockey but all amateur and collegiate sports leagues, teams and players in Ontario and that is the status of amateur athletes. The CHL has been working with provincial governments across Canada and state governments in the US to confirm that our players are amateur athletes and not employees regulated by employment standards legislation.

Our players, together with their parents and with the support of player agents, enter and continue to play in the OHL clearly understanding that they are participating in amateur athletics.  Virtually all other jurisdictions in which CHL teams play have reviewed this issue and have already passed exemptions/clarifications. These jurisdictions include; Québec, New Brunswick, BC, Saskatchewan, Washington, Nova Scotia, Michigan, Manitoba and PEI.

The Commissioner and the Board of Governors of the OHL is calling on the Ontario Government to, as soon as possible, provide a clarification similar to those in the nine other jurisdictions.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact David Branch, OHL Commissioner.

Sincerely,

David Branch, Commissioner

Board of Governors, Ontario Hockey League

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the OHL Academic Players of the Month for October 2018, including Nick Wong of the Oshawa Generals, Jonah De Simone of the Niagara IceDogs, Isaac Langdon of the Kitchener Rangers and Colton Kammerer of the Sarnia Sting.

East Division: Oshawa Generals sophomore forward Nick Wong is the OHL East Division Academic Player of the Month for October. The 17-year-old native of Erin, Ont. has excelled in his studies at Maxwell Heights Secondary School, maintaining an 89% average in grade 12 University-level courses. “Nick is a very personable and dedicated individual,” said Generals academic advisor Tom Buchanan. “He’s very respectful and puts in a full effort for himself, his teachers, coaches and teammates.” Oshawa’s second round (38th overall) pick in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, Wong has followed-up a 17-goal rookie campaign with five points (3-2–5) over 15 October contests. He is a graduate of the Mississauga Senators Minor Midget program.

Central Division: Niagara IceDogs rookie forward Jonah De Simone is the OHL Central Division Academic Player of the Month for October. The 16-year-old native of Richmond Hill, Ont. maintains a 94% average in grade 11 University-level Chemistry, American History and Accounting courses at Governor Simcoe Secondary School. “Jonah is an exceptional student who is focused on his academic studies,” said IceDogs academic advisor Tim Tope. “His teachers have been impressed with his maturity and insight during class discussions.” The fourth round (70th overall) pick of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection from the Mississauga Reps Minor Midgets, De Simone recently scored his first OHL goal on Oct. 24th against Peterborough. He has two goals through the first 13 games of his OHL career.

Midwest Division: Kitchener Rangers rookie centreman Isaac Langdon is the OHL Midwest Division Academic Player of the Month for October. The 16-year-old native of Belleville, Ont. is achieving high grades in his grade 11 studies at Grand River Collegiate in Kitchener. He’s currently studying University-level Math, Physics, Anthropology and Leadership. “Isaac’s teachers describe him as well-spoken, hard-working and diligent,” said Rangers academic advisor Dave Tennant. A second round (32nd overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection from the Quinte Red Devils Minor Midgets, Langdon has four assists through his first 15 games of the season.

West Division: Sarnia Sting sophomore blueliner Colton Kammerer is the OHL West Division Academic Player of the Month for October. The recently-turned 17-year-old native of Brooklin, Ont. holds an 89% average in grade 12 University-level Math, Business Leadership and Accounting courses at Northern Collegiate in Sarnia. “Colton demonstrates a strong work ethic both on the ice and in the classroom,” stated Sting academic advisor Mark Scott. “He takes a lot of pride in his studies.” Kammerer has a pair of assists through 14 games this season. He had eight points (1-7–8) over 39 games last season after being Sarnia’s third round (52nd overall) pick in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection from the Whitby Wildcats Minor Midgets. Kammerer was also the West Division Academic Player of the Month in February 2018.

2018-19 OHL Academic Players of the Month:

East Division:
October – Nick Wong (Oshawa Generals)

Central Division:
October – Jonah De Simone (Niagara IceDogs)

Midwest Division:
October – Isaac Langdon (Kitchener Rangers)

West Division:
October – Colton Kammerer (Sarnia Sting)

Last season, the OHL Centrally Administered Scholarship Program facilitated scholarships for 321 OHL Alumni at 66 different academic institutions across North America with a total scholarship payment in excess of $3.2 million. Since the 2007-08 season, OHL Scholarship payments have totaled more than $22 million.

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