OHL Announces Academic Players of the Month for February

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

OHL Logo

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the OHL Academic Players of the Month for February 2019, including defencemen Jacob Murray of the Kingston Frontenacs, Pacey Schlueting of the North Bay Battalion, Zack Terry of the Guelph Storm, and forward Cole Perfetti of the Saginaw Spirit.


East Division: Kingston Frontenacs rookie defenceman Jacob Murray is the OHL East Division Academic Player of the Month for February. Murray carries a 92.5% average in grade 11 studies at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School as he studies university level Physics, Functions as well as Leadership and Peer Tutoring. “Jake’s teachers describe him as an exceptional student and an extremely well rounded, polite young man,” said Frontenacs academic advisor Kim Hulton.” Murray has seven points (2-5–7) over 57 games this season. He was Kingston’s first round (13th overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection from the Oakville Rangers Minor Midgets. Murray represented Canada Red at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, recording three points (1-2–3) in six contests. 


Central Division: North Bay Battalion defenceman Pacey Schlueting is the OHL Central Division Academic Player of the Month for February. The 17-year-old from North Bay, Ont. owns an overall record of 89% following a first semester that yielded an 85.5% average in grade 11 studies at Chippewa Secondary School. The hometown product has three assists over 55 games this season after being the first round (9th overall) pick of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. The 6-foot, 182Ib rearguard was last season’s Great North Midget League Rookie of the Year, putting up 34 points (13-21–34) over 24 games with the North Bay Trappers Minor Midgets.


Midwest Division: Guelph Storm blueliner Zack Terry is the OHL Midwest Division Academic Player of the Month for February. Terry put together a 96% average in his first semester grade 11 studies at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School. The 16-year-old from Oakville, Ont. has been studying university-level Chemistry, Functions, World Religions and Dynamics of Healthy Relationships. “Zack is an outstanding student who exemplifies the ‘best of both worlds,’ said Storm academic advisor Colleen Driscoll. “His commitment to excellence in the classroom is a direct reflection of his dedication to his studies and his tremendous work ethic.” Guelph’s second round (36th overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection, Terry has four points (1-3–4) over 45 games this season. Terry represented Canada Black at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.


West Division: Saginaw Spirit rookie forward Cole Perfetti is the OHL West Division Academic Player of the Month for February. The 17-year-old from Whitby, Ont. maintained a 91.5% average in his first semester studies at Heritage High School. The grade 11 student is currently studying Biology, English and Literature, Marketing and Independent Living courses. “Cole is an enthusiastic student with a great work ethic,” said Spirit academic advisor Pamela Moretuzzo. “He’s a very strong student and has assumed the role of peer tutor in numerous study sessions. Cole welcomes academic and personal challenges and works diligently to accomplish the tasks at hand.” Perfetti has had a tremendous season on the ice, scoring a Spirit franchise record 31 goals by a rookie. He currently leads OHL rookies with 66 points (31-35–66) over 57 games this season along with a plus-29 rating. Perfetti was the first round (5th overall) pick of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection from the Vaughan Kings Minor Midgets. In five games with Canada White at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Perfetti recorded nine points (2-7–9).


2018-19 OHL Academic Players of the Month:


East Division:
February – Jacob Murray (Kingston Frontenacs)
January – Logan Morrison (Hamilton Bulldogs)
December – Tye Austin (Peterborough Petes)
November – Will Cranley (Ottawa 67’s)
October – Nick Wong (Oshawa Generals)


Central Division:
February – Pacey Schlueting (North Bay Battalion)
January – Peter Fleming (Barrie Colts)
December – Thomas Harley (Mississauga Steelheads)
November – Peter Stratis (Sudbury Wolves)
October – Jonah De Simone (Niagara IceDogs)


Midwest Division:
February – Zack Terry (Guelph Storm)
January – Alex Gritz (Erie Otters)
December – Mack Guzda (Owen Sound Attack)
November – Gerard Keane (London Knights)
October – Isaac Langdon (Kitchener Rangers)


West Division:
February – Cole Perfetti (Saginaw Spirit)
January – Ethan Keppen (Flint Firebirds)
December – Jordan Frasca (Windsor Spitfires)
November – Cole MacKay (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
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.

Storm’s Nate Schnarr named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Arizona Coyotes prospect Nate Schnarr of the Guelph Storm is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the regular season week ending March 3 after scoring 13 points in four games including four goals and nine assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-11.

Schnarr produced a trio of multi-point efforts last week including a career-high five point performance on Sunday helping the Storm extend their winning-streak to seven.  The contest featured his second hat-trick of the season plus two assists in the familiar confines of the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium near his hometown Waterloo where he earned second star honours in an 8-4 win over the Rangers.  This came following Friday’s 11-4 victory on home ice against the Windsor Spitfires where Schnarr matched his previous high of four points with a goal and three assists earning third star recognition.  His week also included a single assist contribution on Wednesday night in Erie as part of a 4-3 overtime win over the Otters, and began with three primary helpers on Tuesday in a 7-3 win over the London Knights.  The Storm have locked up home ice advantage for the first round of the OHL Playoffs and are currently in fourth place in the Western Conference standings with a 36-16-6-4 record just five points behind third place Sault Ste. Marie with six games remaining.

Schnarr, who turned 20-years-old on February 25, has been part of the Storm organization since being chosen in the third round of the 2015 OHL Priority Selection.  This season has been the most productive offensively of his three full years ranking seventh overall in the league with 96 points in 59 games including 31 goals and 65 assists after generating 39 points across 57 games a year ago.  Schnarr was a third round pick by the Coyotes in the 2017 NHL Draft and signed his entry-level contract with the club in December.  He becomes the second member of the Storm to win the award this season following captain Isaac Ratcliffe in January.

Watch video highlights of Schnarr and the Storm against the Knights, Otters, Spitfires, and Rangers.

Also considered for the award this week was fellow Storm forward Nick Suzuki, a Montreal Canadiens prospect, who also had 13 points in four games with three goals and 10 assists.  Next in line was Joseph Garreffa of the Rangers who picked up nine points in three games including three goals and six assists.  In goal, fellow Coyotes prospect Ivan Prosvetov of the Saginaw Spirit posted a 2-0-0-0 record including his fourth shutout victory of the season making a total of 47 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.50 and save percentage of .940.

2018-19 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week – Regular Season:

Feb. 25 – Mar. 3: Nate Schnarr (Guelph Storm)
Feb. 18 – Feb. 24: Stephen Dhillon (Niagara IceDogs)
Feb. 11 – Feb. 17: Nando Eggenberger (Oshawa Generals)
Feb. 4 – Feb. 10: Jacob Ingham (Mississauga Steelheads)
Jan. 28 – Feb. 3: Riley Damiani (Kitchener Rangers)
Jan. 21 – Jan. 27: Liam Foudy (London Knights)
Jan. 14 – Jan. 20: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Jan. 7 – Jan. 13: Isaac Ratcliffe (Guelph Storm)
Dec. 31 – Jan. 6: Arthur Kaliyev (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Dec. 24 – Dec. 30: Kyle Maksimovich (Erie Otters)
Dec. 10 – Dec. 16: Andrew MacLean (Owen Sound Attack)
Dec. 3 – Dec. 9: Brett Neumann (Kingston Frontenacs)
Nov. 26 – Dec. 2: Jason Robertson (Niagara IceDogs)
Nov. 19 – Nov. 25: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Nov. 12 – Nov. 18: Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
Nov. 5 – Nov. 11: Jason Robertson (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 29 – Nov. 4: Kevin Hancock (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 22 – Oct. 28: Stephen Dhillon (Niagara IceDogs)
Oct. 15 – Oct. 21: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 8 – Oct. 14: Damien Giroux (Saginaw Spirit)
Oct. 1 – Oct. 7: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sudbury Wolves)
Sept. 24 – Sept. 30: Lucas Chiodo (Barrie Colts)
Sept. 19 – Sept. 23: Akil Thomas (Niagara IceDogs)

Luke Cavallin – Flint Firebirds – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 190 pounds

Date of birth: April 29, 2001

Hometown: Greely, Ontario

Position: Goaltender

Catches: Right

OHL Draft: Round 2, 28th overall, 2017 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting Rankings: pre-season, November: C Prospect. Mid-term: 23 NA goaltenders

The Flint Firebirds have a bright future ahead of them with the likes of NHL draft eligible players Ethan Keppen, Eric Uba, Vladislav Kolyachonok and today’s topic, goaltender Luke Cavallin. My hope is that one looks at Cavallin that consideration is given to where the Firebirds are today as a team – one that has allowed 51 goals more then the next team. That isn’t always a reflection of the goaltending, and it shouldn’t be in this case.

Cavallin was born in Swindon, Great Britain and holds both Canadian and English citizenships.

Luke Cavallin of the Flint Firebirds. Photo by Terry Wilson - OHL Images.
Luke Cavallin of the Flint Firebirds. Photo by Terry Wilson – OHL Images.

During the 2016-2017 season, Cavallin manned the crease for the Midget AAA Kemptville 73’s where he appeared in 25 games posting a 2.22 goals-against-average and a .920 save-percentage. His numbers were even more impressive during 4 playoff games with a 1.41 goals-against-average and a .952 save-percentage. He would appear in both the OHL Cup and the OHL Gold Cup.

As a rookie during the 2017-2018 season, Cavallin appeared in 31 games for the Firebirds posting a 4.20 goals-against-average and a .827 save-percentage. He was a champion with Team Green at the Under-17 Development camp. At the World Hockey Challenge Under-17, he won a silver medal and was named to the tournament’s all-star team after posting a 3.02 goals-against-average and a .904 save-percentage.

Calling this season, a tough one for Cavallin and the Firebirds is an understatement, but I believe this is a team on the rise. To date, Cavallin has a 5.48 goals-against-average and a .859 save-percentage while basically splitting the duties with veteran Emanuel Vella.

But we need to ignore the numbers at this point.

Like any goaltender at this stage, Cavallin has some work to do. But let’s start with the positives. At 6’2” he has good size and that’s a plus. He is very athletic with great reflexes and has shown he can make saves he or no goaltender has business making. He can move post-to-post quickly. He darts out to the top of the blue paint in a snap. And he can drop into the butterfly and back quickly. He anticipates well and tracks the puck well. His rebound control is very good and he is quick to respond to second chance opportunities. And he might just be the best skating goaltender in his class.

However, Cavallin needs some work on his technique and that will come as he advances in hockey with better coaching available as he progresses. I find that he sometimes he overcommits. While he remains square to the shooter, he sometimes finds himself to far to his left or right. He sometimes leaves openings he shouldn’t but he plays with such a calm demeanor that he doesn’t allow it to rattle him and gets right back at it.

Those aren’t major issues in my opinion. As I said, I think those kinks will get worked out as he progresses with better coaching. Only 217 players will hear their names called out on June 21 and 22 in Vancouver, British Columbia. If Luke Cavallin doesn’t hear his name called, I can confidently say a couple of NHL teams will ask him to come to their development camps in the summer. And then he’ll have to choose.

It happened to Kaden Fulcher and Kyle Keyser in 2017.

Stat page from Elite Prospects

Vladislav Kolyachonok – Flint Firebirds – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 188 pounds

Date of birth: May 26, 2001

Hometown: Minsk, Belarus

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 2, 102nd overall, 2018 CHL Import Draft (London Knights)

NHL Central Scouting Rankings: pre-season: B prospect, November: A prospect, mid-term: 22nd NA

To say it’s been a bit of a whirlwind season for Flint Firebirds’ defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok is an understatement. Drafted by the London Knights at the 2018 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, once the Chicago Black Hawks decided they would send Adam Boqvist to the OHL, the Knights were left in a position to decide which Import they would place on waivers so they could comply with the CHL rule that the team could only ice two imports.

The Sudbury Wolves had the first crack at Kolyachonok but were already in the position of having two imports on the roster. The Firebirds were second and made room for his arrival by releasing Nikita Alexandrov and on October 2, 2018, the claim was made. Unfortunately for Firebirds’ fans, a delay in obtaining a U.S. Visa kept him out of the lineup until October 26, 2018.

To date, Kolyachonok has 4 goals and 23 assists in 45 games, good for third among the OHL’s draft eligible defenders, despite having played in as many as 15 fewer games.  

At 6’2” Kolyachonok has good size but lacks the bulk to his frame. But once he adds that bulk, there are areas to his game that will show improvement. For example, he will not shy away from physicality, but the added strength will not only make him a physical force, but I believe it will give him greater confidence going into board battles, or those battles to claim the space in front of his netminder.

Kolyachonok is an excellent skater with tremendous agility and very good speed. His excellent mobility was proven at the Sherwin-Williams NHL/CHL Top Prospects Game testing both on ice and off ice where he finished fifth overall in the testing. He ranked third in forward skating with the puck, first in reaction without the puck, second in transition agility without the puck and first in transition agility with the puck.

Kolyachonok, Vladislav
Vladislav Kolyachonok of the Flint Firebirds. Photo courtesy of OHL Images.

In off-ice testing, Kolyachonok ranked second in the broad jump, and first in pro-agility left. All in all, a very good showing.

Kolyachonok is an intelligent player. His positioning in the defensive zone is very sound. His skating allows him to angle opponents off – difficult to beat one-on-one. He uses a very active stick to defend and closes lanes smartly and quickly. His transitioning from defence to offence is excellent. He has the ability to skate out of danger and out of the zone but he is also capable of making an excellent first pass. He is also a left shot defender who plays as strong on his off side.

Offensively, Kolyachonok reads plays extremely well. He is capable of jumping into the play but chooses his opportunities very carefully. He is not a risk taker but I wonder how much of that is confidence, or that he worries about defence first on a team that while is trending in the right direction, still needs some work. And how much of it is due to getting use to the North American game?

Once in the offensive zone, he rarely makes a bad pinch, choosing the safe play most of the time. He sees the ice extremely well and is an excellent passer. He has a very good shot from the point that almost always hits the target, and he gets his shot through. Most of the time he keeps it low looking for tips or trying to create rebounds.

Kolyachonok is a very raw player – a project if you will, who, in my humble opinion, has all the tools to be a solid two-way defender at the next level.

Stat page from Elite Prospects

 

OHL Writers’ Draft Eligible Player of the Month for February

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it produced the best offensive numbers of the season led by Hamilton Bulldogs’ sniper and our draft eligible player of the month, Arthur Kaliyev.

Kaliyev led the way with 11 goals and 10 assists in just 11 games as he attempts to hit the 50-goal, 50-assist plateau on the season. Entering tonight’s action, Kaliyev sits at 47 goals along with 46 assists in 60 games. Among draft eligible players, he is dominating in just about every offensive category.

Kaliyev finished February with points in 9 of his 11 games and 6 of those being multi-point games. Twice he was named the games first star as well as second star on two other occasions.

Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Also Considered were Flint Firebirds’ Ethan Keppen who had 8 goals and 5 assists in 10 games, and Cole MacKay of the Soo Greyhounds with 9 goals and 5 helpers in 12 games. In goal, Jet Greaves of the Barrie Colts led the way 286 of 310 shots in just 8 games for a .919 save-percentage. He was named CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending February 4.

Player of the Month

Arthur Kaliyev – Hamilton Bulldogs – February

Arthur Kaliyev – Hamilton Bulldogs – January

Connor McMichael – London Knights – December

Philip Tomasino – Niagara IceDogs – November

Hunter Jones – Peterborough Petes – October

OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders: February

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

A lot of talk has gone on this season, present company not excluded, about the lack of quality at the top of the 2019 National Hockey League Draft coming out of the Ontario Hockey League. And that might be the case, but there is some quality in the mid-rounds. Yet 2019 may just have the fewest OHL players selected in years.

Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

With February now in the books, we bring you the statistical leaders among first time draft eligible players in a variety of categories. If you would like to compare this year’s class to last years, you can view the 2018 class by clicking here.

When looking at the leaders, one name stands at the top of the list in almost every offensive category there is: Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs.  

While we take great care in compiling stats, always refer to the OHL website for official stats.

Points Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 47 46 93
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 35 32 67
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 57 19 44 63
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 30 32 62
Cole MacKay Soo Greyhounds 57 26 29 55
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 60 25 27 52
Thomas Harley Mississauga Steelheads 60 10 41 51
Nick Robertson Peterborough Petes 46 23 25 48
Danil Antropov Oshawa Generals 58 14 33 47
Daniel D’Amico Windsor Spitfires 60 21 24 45
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player Team GP G GPG
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 47 0.78
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 35 0.59
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 30 0.52
Cole MacKay Soo Greyhounds 57 26 0.46
Blake Murray Sudbury Wolves 58 26 0.45
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 60 25 0.42
Nick Robertson Peterborough Petes 46 23 0.50
Daniel D’Amico Windsor Spitfires 60 21 0.35
Nicholas Porco Saginaw Spirit 59 20 0.34
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 57 19 0.33
Assist Leaders
Player Team GP A APG
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 46 0.77
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 57 44 0.77
Thomas Harley Mississauga Steelheads 60 41 0.68
Danil Antropov Oshawa Generals 58 33 0.57
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 32 0.55
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 32 0.54
Cole MacKay Soo Greyhounds 57 29 0.51
Keean Washkurak Mississauga Steelheads 58 27 0.47
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 60 27 0.45
Daniel D’Amico Windsor Spitfires 60 24 0.40
Primary Assists
Player Team GP  P1A
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 26
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 25
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 57 25
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 22
Thomas Harley Mississauga Steelheads 60 21
Danil Antropov Oshawa Generals 58 20
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 60 19
Jamieson Rees Sarnia Sting 35 18
Cole MacKay Soo Greyhounds 57 16
Keean Washkurak Mississauga Steelheads 58 14
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Thomas Harley Mississauga Steelheads 60 10 41 51
Billy Constantinou Kingston Frontenacs 57 7 22 29
Vladislav Kolyachonok Flint Firebirds 45 4 23 27
Nathan Staios Windsor Spitfires 57 6 19 25
Jack York Barrie Colts 58 7 17 24
Michael Vukojevic Kitchener Rangers 60 3 21 24
Simon Rose North Bay Battalion 49 3 19 22
Mason Millman Saginaw Spirit 58 3 18 21
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player Team GP +/-
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 +34
Jacob LeGuerrier Soo Greyhounds 60 +32
Liam Ross Sudbury Wolves 59 +26
Nikita Okhotyuk Ottawa 67’s 48 +25
Keegan Stevenson Guelph Storm 55 +21
Lucas Peric Ottawa 67’s 46 +20
Lucas Peric Ottawa 67’s 46 +20
Cole MacKay Soo Greyhounds 57 +16
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 +16
Grayson Ladd Windsor Spitfires 48 +15
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player Team GP PIM M/G
Joe Carroll Soo Greyhounds 57 65 1.14
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 60 58 0.97
Keean Washkurak Mississauga Steelheads 58 84 1.45
Michael Vukojevic Kitchener Rangers 60 53 0.88
Mason Primeau North Bay Battalion 61 53 0.87
Luke Bignell Barrie Colts 60 51 0.85
Jacob LeGuerrier Soo Greyhounds 60 50 0.83
Faceoff Leaders  (minimum 325 faceoffs)
Player Team GP FOA FOW %
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 538 295 54.8
Tye Kartye Soo Greyhounds 56 380 208 54.7
Blake Murray Sudbury Wolves 58 556 297 53.4
Cole Schwindt Mississauga Steelheads 60 896 465 51.9
Tyler Angle Windsor Spitfires 51 761 389 51.1
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 325 164 50.5
Erik Cermak Peterborough Petes 60 350 175 50.0
Camaryn Baber Saginaw Spirit 40 320 160 50.0
Powerplay Goals
Player Team GP PPG
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 18
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 10
Cole MacKay Soo Greyhounds 57 9
Tyler Angle Windsor Spitfires 51 8
Cole Schwindt Mississauga Steelheads 60 8
Powerplay Assists
Player Team GP PPA
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 22
Thomas Harley Mississauga Steelheads 60 21
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 57 18
Danil Antropov Oshawa Generals 58 15
Billy Constantinou Kingston Frontenacs 58 10
Shorthanded Goals
Player Team GP SHG
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 57 2
Nicholas Porco Saginaw Spirit 59 2
Eric Uba Flint Firebirds 59 2
Tyler Angle Windsor Spitfires 51 1
Petr Cajka Erie Otters 54 1
Longest Goal Scoring Streak
Player Team From To Gms Goals
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 2/1 2/9 5 7
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 12/31 1/6 4 7
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 10/13 10/19 4 7
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 9/21 9/30 4 6
Thomas Harley Mississauga Steelheads 1/19 1/26 4 4
Longest Assist Streak
Player Team From To Gms Assts
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 12/8 12/15 5 8
Jamieson Rees Sarnia Sting 12/12 12/30 5 5
Daniel D’Amico Windsor Spitfires 1/10 1/18 5 5
Cole Schwindt Mississauga Steelheads 2/13 2/22 5 5
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 2/2 2/9 4 5
Longest Point Streak
Player Team From To Gms Pts
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 1/2 1/23 11 13
Daniel D’Amico Windsor Spitfires 12/31 1/20 10 14
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 12/15 1/11 9 17
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 1/26 2/13 8 17
Ryan Suzuki Barrie Colts 12/1 1/13 7 15
Shots On Goal Leaders
Player Team GP SOG
Arthur Kaliyev Hamilton Bulldogs 60 282
Connor McMichael London Knights 59 198
Ethan Keppen Flint Firebirds 60 178
Philip Tomasino Niagara IceDogs 58 174
Eric Uba Flint Firebirds 59 150
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player Team GP Min GA Avg
Jet Greaves Barrie Colts 23 1209 63 3.13
Ethan Taylor Soo Greyhounds 19 868 46 3.18
Hunter Jones Peterborough Petes 51 2833 161 3.41
Mack Guzda Owen Sound Attack 43 2347 139 3.55
Zachary Roy Hamilton Bulldogs 38 2201 135 3.68
Nico Daws Guelph Storm 16 886 52 3.52
Ethan Langevin Saginaw Spirit 37 1945 122 3.76
Andre MacLean Owen Sound Attack 28 1367 86 3.77
Kari Piiroinen Windsor Spitfires 23 1230 87 4.24
Ryan Dugas Kingston Frontenacs 15 692 49 4.25
Luke Cavallin Flint Firebirds 32 1494 140 5.62
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player Team GP SH  SVS SV%
Jet Greaves Barrie Colts 23 744 681 0.915
Hunter Jones Peterborough Petes 51 1611 1450 0.900
Ethan Taylor Soo Greyhounds 19 433 387 0.894
Nico Daws Guelph Storm 16 454 402 0.885
Zachary Roy Hamilton Bulldogs 38 1158 1023 0.883
Mack Guzda Owen Sound Attack 43 1169 1030 0.881
Ethan Langevin Sarnia Sting 37 995 873 0.877
Andre MacLean Owen Sound Attack 28 695 609 0.876
Kari Piiroinen Windsor Spitfires 23 687 600 0.873
Ryan Dugas Kingston Frontenacs 15 374 325 0.869
Luke Cavallin Flint Firebirds 32 972 832 0.856
Goaltending Leaders – Wins
Player Team GP W L OL
Hunter Jones Peterborough Petes 51 25 23 3
Zachary Roy Hamilton Bulldogs 38 18 15 3
Mack Guzda Owen Sound Attack 43 17 16 5
Ethan Langevin Sarnia Sting 37 15 14 3
Andre MacLean Owen Sound Attack 28 11 10 1
Goaltending Leaders – Shutouts
Player Team GP SO
Hunter Jones Peterborough Petes 51 2
Mack Guzda Owen Sound Attack 43 2
Ryan Dugas Kingston Frontenacs 15 1
Nico Daws Guelph Storm 16 1
Jet Greaves Barrie Colts 23 1
Kari Piiroinen Windsor Spitfires 23 1
Andre MacLean Owen Sound Attack 28 1

OHL Announces Top Performers of the Month for February

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 February 2019, including Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds forward Morgan Frost, London Knights defenceman Adam Boqvist, Saginaw Spirit rookie Cole Perfetti, and Kitchener Rangers goaltender Luke Richardson.


OHL Player of the Month – Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds):

Philadelphia Flyers prospect Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is the OHL Player of the Month for February, leading the league with 25 points including six goals and 19 assists over 12 games to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-7. Frost climbed into the OHL scoring lead, becoming the league’s first 100-point scorer while also reaching the 300-point milestone on his OHL career on Feb. 22nd. He had points in 11 of his 12 outings, leading the way with a pair of four-point showings as the Greyhounds played to a record of 8-3-1-0. Frost scored and added three assist in a thrilling 7-6 Greyhounds win over the visiting Niagara IceDogs on Feb. 9th. He chipped in with three points a night later as the Hounds took a 6-3 win over the visiting London Knights. Frost picked up four assists in Feb. 15th‘s 10-4 road win over the Sudbury Wolves before registering his lone multi-goal game of the month with two goals and an assist on Feb 21st in a 4-2 road win over the Windsor Spitfires.

A 19-year-old product of Aurora, Ont., Frost leads the league with 66 assists and 103 points over 53 games. His 304 career regular season points (106-198–304) are the sixth-most in the storied history of the Soo Greyhounds. He is one of just five players in franchise history to record multiple 100-point seasons. Frost represented Canada at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, leading the team with eight points (4-4–8) over five contests. Originally a fourth round pick from the Barrie Colts Minor Midgets in 2015, Frost was Philadelphia’s first round (27th overall) pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.


OHL Defenceman of the Month – Adam Boqvist (London Knights):

Chicago Blackhawks prospect Adam Boqvist of the London Knights is the OHL Defenceman of the Month for February, leading all rearguards with 19 points including six goals and 13 assists over 13 contests. Boqvist registered six different multi-point performances and was a big contributor on the power play for the Midwest Division-leading Knights. He put up a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over visiting Kitchener on Feb. 2nd before posting a goal and an assist in a 6-3 victory over visiting Owen Sound on Feb. 8th. Boqvist had another three-point outing with a goal and two helpers on Feb. 10th in Sault Ste. Marie and replicated that production for a third time in the month of February in an 8-5 win over Erie on Feb. 17th. Boqvist carries a six-game point streak into the month of March. He had at least one shot on goal in each of his 13 February contests.

An 18-year-old from Falun, Sweden, Boqvist sits sixth among OHL blueliners with 54 points (17-37–54) over 47 games. The eighth overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft, Boqvist has recorded 29 of those 54 points since Jan. 1st. The right-shot defender represented Sweden at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, recording four points (1-3–4) over five games. The Knights selected Boqvist with their second round pick in the 2017 CHL Import Draft.


OHL Rookie of the Month – Cole Perfetti (Saginaw Spirit):

Saginaw Spirit forward Cole Perfetti is the OHL Rookie of the Month for February, leading all freshmen with 21 points including 10 goals and 11 assists over 12 games to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-16. The 17-year-old Perfetti made Spirit history, setting a single season record for rookie goals in a season on Feb. 23rd when he scored a pair in a 6-3 road win over the Hamilton Bulldogs. Perfetti’s 28th of the season pushed him ahead of Jan Mursak (2007) in the franchise record book. The milestone game was one of four three-point performances from Perfetti in February. After scoring in each of his first two games of the month he recorded three assists in a 4-1 road win over the Windsor Spitfires on Feb. 7th. He continued his strong play on Feb. 13th, putting up a goal and two assists in a 9-2 win over visiting Flint. Perfetti also had a three-point night on Family Day, earning second star honours with a goal and two helpers in a 7-6 shootout loss to the Sarnia Sting. The big night in Hamilton was one of two multi-goal efforts in February, joining a two-goal showing on Feb. 21st in Barrie. Perfetti registered points in 11 of his 12 February contests, becoming the first 30-goal rookie scorer in Spirit history with his overtime winner on Sunday in Oshawa. His strong play helped the Spirit climb into the West Division lead as they secured their 40th win for the first time since 2010-11.

A native of Whitby, Ont., Perfetti leads OHL rookies with 30 goals and 63 points over 55 games. He is the second-straight 16-year-old rookie to score 30 goals in a season, following Hamilton’s Arthur Kaliyev who became the first to do so last season since Sarnia’s Alex Galchenyuk in 2010-11. A member of the 2018 OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour All-Star Team last spring, Perfetti was selected fifth overall in the OHL Priority Selection from the Vaughan Kings Minor Midgets. He represented Canada White at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, recording nine points (2-7–9) over five contests. Perfetti will be eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft.

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Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month – Luke Richardson (Kitchener Rangers):

Nineteen-year-old Kitchener Rangers netminder Luke Richardson is the Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month for February, going 8-1-0-1 with a 2.55 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and one shutout over 10 games. Richardson helped the Rangers climb into fifth in the Western Conference with a solid month of February. He suffered just one regulation loss, starting and finishing the month with steady performances. Richardson earned third star honours on Feb. 1st when he stopped 34 of 35 in a 6-1 win over the visiting Owen Sound Attack. His third shutout of the season came Feb. 10th when the Rangers blanked the Sarnia Sting 1-0 on the road as Richardson turned aside all 23 shots he faced. After making 28 saves in a 5-2 win over the Mississauga Steelheads on Feb. 24th, Richardson made 40 saves to close out the month, defeating the same Steelheads by a score of 3-2 on the road this past Wednesday morning as he secured a career-high 24 wins on the season.

A Barrie, Ont. native, Richardson owns a 24-17-2-1 record with a 3.45 goals-against average, .892 save percentage and three shutouts over 44 games this season. Now in his third full OHL season, Richardson was originally Kitchener’s fourth round pick in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection from the North Central Predators Minor Midgets. Though he remains undrafted by an NHL club, Richardson attended camp with the Boston Bruins in 2017.


2018-19 OHL Performers of the Month:


Player of the Month:
February – Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
January – Ben Jones/Akil Thomas (Niagara IceDogs)
December – Tye Felhaber (Ottawa 67’s)
November – Jason Robertson (Niagara IceDogs)
October – Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)


Defenceman of the Month:
February – Adam Boqvist (London Knights)
January – Sean Durzi (Guelph Storm)
December – Bode Wilde (Saginaw Spirit)
November – Noel Hoefenmayer (Ottawa 67’s)
October – Mac Hollowell (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)


Rookie of the Month:
February – Cole Perfetti (Saginaw Spirit)
January – Marco Rossi (Ottawa 67’s)
December – Jacob Perreault (Sarnia Sting)
November – Marco Rossi (Ottawa 67’s)
October – Marco Rossi (Ottawa 67’s)


Vaughn Goaltender of the Month:
February – Luke Richardson (Kitchener Rangers)
January – Cedrick Andree (Ottawa 67’s)
December – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sudbury Wolves)
November – Joseph Raaymakers (London Knights)
October – Cedrick Andree (Ottawa 67’s)