Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, October 24, 2021
Greyhounds’ Rory Kerins Named OHL Player of the Week
Calgary Flames prospect Rory Kerins of the Soo Greyhounds is the OHL Player of the Week with a league-leading 10 points including five goals and five assists over three games including a plus/minus rating of plus-3.
Kerins got the week started with a four-point performance on Wednesday night as the Greyhounds defeated the visiting Sudbury Wolves 4-3 in overtime. Kerins scored twice, tying the game with a third period power play marker before collecting an assist on Tye Kartye’s game winner. His dominance carried over into Friday’s home date against the North Bay Battalion as Kerins posted a career-high six points including his first OHL hat-trick as the Hounds outgunned the Troops 8-5. Kerins’ six points were the most by a Greyhounds player in a single game since Nick Cousins recorded six on Feb. 16, 2013 against the Kingston Frontenacs. Kerins was held off the scoresheet on Saturday as the Hounds fell to the Battalion 4-2 on home ice. The 5-foot-11, 186Ib. centreman was an impressive 68 percent in the faceoff circle last week, winning 51 of his 75 draws.
A 19-year-old from Caledon, Ont., Kerins is currently tied for the OHL lead in scoring with his 14 points (8-6–14) over eight games. His 61.8 percent success rate in the faceoff circle is third among centremen with at least 100 faceoff attempts this season. Kerins was a sixth round (174th overall) pick by the Calgary Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft and made his pro debut with the organization last season, appearing in four games with the AHL’s Stockton Heat. The Greyhounds selected him with their fourth round (71st overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection from the Mississauga Rebels U16 program.
Kerins becomes the first Greyhounds player to earn the weekly honour since Morgan Frost last did so from Jan. 14-20, 2019.
Also considered for the award this week were San Jose Sharks prospect Danil Gushchin of the Niagara IceDogs who finished the week with nine points including five goals and four assists over three contests. Gushchin’s first career OHL hat-trick headlined an IceDogs win over the Barrie Colts on Thursday. Kerins’ Soo Greyhounds teammate Tye Kartye was also in the running after recording eight points including four goals and four assists over three games last week.
2021-22 OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Oct. 18 – Oct. 24: Rory Kerins (Soo Greyhounds)
Oct. 11 – Oct. 17: Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)
Oct. 4 – Oct. 10: Jack Thompson (Sudbury Wolves)
Storm’s Jacob Oster Named OHL Goaltender of the Week
Guelph Storm rookie Jacob Oster is the OHL Goaltender of the Week with a pair of wins, a 1.50 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage.
Oster stopped 49 of the 52 shots he faced over the weekend, first denying 35 of 36 in a 2-1 Storm road win over the Sarnia Sting on Friday. He was back in the crease on Sunday afternoon at home to the Kitchener Rangers, earning first star honours with 14 saves in a 4-2 victory.
A 17-year-old from Ottawa, Ont., Oster is 3-1-0-0 with a 2.52 goals-against average and .906 save percentage in four games this season. The 6-foot-3, 187Ib. netminder was Guelph’s fifth round (92nd overall) pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Kemptville 73’s U18 program.
Also considered for the award this week were Owen Sound Attack goaltender Mack Guzda who went 1-1 with a 1.53 goals-against average and .963 save percentage as well as St. Louis Blues prospect Will Cranley of the Ottawa 67’s who went 1-1 with a 2.50 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and one shutout.
2021-22 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Oct. 18 – Oct. 24: Jacob Oster (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 11 – Oct. 17: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Oct. 4 – Oct. 10: Tucker Tynan (Niagara IceDogs)
About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.
OHL Writers 