Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League, in collaboration with the Canadian Hockey League and Hockey Canada, today announced the leadership group for Team OHL ahead of the 2019 CIBC Canada Russia Series.
Owen Sound Attack forward Aidan Dudas will lead Team OHL, wearing the ‘C’ for both Games 3 and 4 set for Thursday November 7 in Kitchener and Monday November 11 in London. He’ll be joined by assistant captains Kevin Bahl of the Ottawa 67’s and Ty Dellandrea of the Flint Firebirds.
A 19-year-old from Parry Sound, Ont., Dudas leads the Attack in scoring with 18 points (4-14–18) through 12 games this season. The Owen Sound captain is in the midst of his fourth OHL season after being the club’s first round (10th overall) pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection. The 5-foot-8, 168Ib. centre was a fourth round (113th overall) pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2018 and has amassed 166 points (69-97–166) over 204 career OHL regular season contests, tacking on an additional 15 career (9-6–15) postseason points over 33 contests. Known across the league as a fierce competitor, Dudas was voted the Western Conference’s hardest worker in the 2018-19 OHL Coaches Poll.
Dudas has represented Hockey Canada on the world stage three different times, winning silver with Canada Black at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge where he recorded five points (1-4–5) over six contests. He then won gold at the 2017 Hlinka Gretzky Cup before representing Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship in Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk, Russia.
Ottawa 67’s fourth-year defenceman Kevin Bahl will join Dudas as an assistant as he suits up for Team OHL in his third CIBC Canada Russia Series. The 6-foot-7, 240Ib. native of Mississauga, Ont. has four points (2-2–4) through 13 games this season after helping the 67’s win an Eastern Conference title last spring. Bahl has registered 60 points (10-50–60) over 196 career OHL regular season contests and was a second round (55th overall) pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2018. The former second round (31st overall) OHL Priority Selection choice back in 2016 has appeared in 26 career OHL playoff contests, recording 11 points (1-10–11) along the way.
Bahl has represented Canada internationally three different times, competing for Canada Red at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge before winning gold at the 2017 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He also represented Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship, putting up three points (1-2–3) over five games.
Nineteen-year-old Ty Dellandrea has tallied 14 points (6-8–14) over 10 games for the 9-3-0-0 Flint Firebirds who are off to their best start in club history. The Firebirds captain is in the midst of his fourth OHL season after being the club’s first round (5th overall) pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection. Dellandrea has amassed 160 points (68-92–160) over 194 career OHL regular season games and was a first round (13th overall) pick of the Dallas Stars in the 2018 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-1, 190Ib. native of Port Perry, Ont. made his professional debut following the end of last season, recording three points (2-1–3) over 11 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars. Dellandrea fared well in the 2018-19 OHL Coaches Poll, being voted the Western Conference’s best faceoff man as well as the conference’s second-best playmaker.
Dellandrea is a four-time representative of Hockey Canada, suiting up for Canada Red at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge before winning a gold medal at the 2017 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He competed in both the 2017 and 2018 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championships, registering five points (2-3–5) over a combined total of 10 games.
All three players were invited to Hockey Canada’s National Junior Team Summer Showcase.
In 16 years of competition against the Russian National Junior Team, the OHL has played to a record of 25-6-1 following a 3-1 win in Sarnia and a 4-0 loss in Oshawa last season.
2019 CIBC Canada Russia Series Schedule:
Game 1 – Monday November 4 at Saint John, NB
Game 2 – Tuesday November 5 at Moncton, NB
Game 3 – Thursday November 7 at Kitchener, ON
Game 4 – Monday November 11 at London, ON
Game 5 – Wednesday November 13 at Saskatoon, SK
Game 6 – Thursday November 14 at Prince Albert, SK
The 2019 CIBC Canada Russia series is proudly supported by title partner CIBC, and associate sponsors Kia Canada, Cooper Tires, and Kubota Canada. All games will be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
For event information including how to purchase tickets please visit http://chlcanadarussia.ca.
OHL Writers 