April 2022 – Page 2 – OHL Writers

OHL THIS WEEK:APRIL 21 TO 24, 2022

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

It’s playoff time! Here’s what’s happening across the League as the 2022 OHL Playoffs get underway.

CHL TV playoff packages now on sale:
The OHL Playoffs are getting underway and CHL TV playoff packages are now on sale! Get in on an OHL All Access Pass for $59.99 or keep tabs on the entirety of the CHL Playoffs for $89.99. Visit watch.chl.ca for more information

Saginaw Spirit to Select First Overall in 2022 OHL Priority Selection Presented by Real Canadian Superstore:
The results from the 2022 OHL Priority Selection Draft Lottery are in, and the Saginaw Spirit will be selecting first on April 29-30 when OHL member teams build toward the future in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection Presented by Real Canadian Superstore. Read more

OHL Western Conference Playoff Preview:
A look at first round playoff matchups in the Western Conference. Read more

OHL Eastern Conference Playoff Preview:
A look at first round playoff matchups in the Eastern Conference. Read more

OHL Announces 2021-22 Coaches Poll Winners:
The Ontario Hockey League has announced results of the Eastern and Western Conference Coaches Polls for the 2021-22 OHL Regular Season. Read more

OHL Announces 2021-22 Regular Season Award Winners:
The OHL announced recipients of the League’s regular season awards earlier this week including Windsor’s Wyatt Johnston, Kingston’s Lucas Edmonds, North Bay’s Dom DiVincentiis and Hamilton netminders Marco Costantini and Matteo Drobac. Read more

OHL Top Performers of the Month for April:
Soo Greyhounds teammates Rory Kerins and Jack Thompson, Peterborough Petes netminder Michael Simpson and Kingston Frontenacs rookie Paul Ludwinski have been named the OHL top performers for the month of April. Read more

Bulldogs, Spitfires, Battalion included in Week 25 Edition of Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings:
The Hamilton Bulldogs, Windsor Spitfires and North Bay Battalion are included in the Week 25 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings. Read more

Three OHL players named to CHL Team for the Week for Apr. 11-17:
Robert Calisti of the Soo Greyhounds, Mitchell Smith of the Saginaw Spirit and Max Donoso of the Ottawa 67’s have been named to the CHL Team of the Week. Read more

Greyhounds’ Calisti named OHL Player of the Week:
Robert Calisti of the Soo Greyhounds is the OHL Player of the Week, putting together three straight multi-point performances as the Greyhounds took two of three to close out the season in fourth place in the Western Conference. Read more

67’s’ Donoso named OHL Goaltender of the Week:
Max Donoso of the Ottawa 67’s is the OHL Goaltender of the Week, playing to a 1-0-0-1 record with a 0.48 goals-against average, .984 save percentage and one shutout. Read more

OHL Weekend Notebook:
The OHL Weekend Notebook recaps the weekend that was with news, information and interesting facts from both on and off the ice. Read more

One first goal and a shutout in OHL Milestone Moments:
Check out a first career goal from Hamilton’s Braeden O’Keefe and a first career shutout from Ottawa’s Max Donoso. Watch

Six OHL Players to Represent Canada at 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship:
Kocha Delic, Nolan Collins and David Goyette of the Sudbury Wolves, Nolan Lalonde and Spencer Sova of the Erie Otters, and Pano Fimis of the Niagara IceDogs have been named to Canada’s roster for the 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship. Read more

Final regular season edition of OHL Plays of the Week:
It’s the final regular season edition of the OHL Plays of the Week! See contributions from Erie’s Brett Bressette, North Bay’s Liam Arnsby, Owen Sound’s Sam Sedley, Flint’s Coulson Pitre, and Niagara’s Pano Fimis. Watch

Rolling back the OHL Saves of the Week:
Scope out season-ending saves from Kitchener’s duo of Jackson Parsons and Pavel Cajan, Erie’s Nolan Lalonde, Sarnia’s pairing of Ben Gaudreau and Anson Thornton, Owen Sound’s Nick Chenard, Soo’s Samuel Ivanov and Tucker Tynan, North Bay’s Joe Vrbetic, and Windsor’s Xavier Medina. Watch

Spirit’s Bloom signs with Sabres:
The Buffalo Sabres have signed Saginaw Spirit forward Josh Bloom to a three-year, entry-level contract. Read more

Vaughan Kings are Inaugural U14 OHL Cup Champions:
The Vaughan Kings are the first-ever champions of the U14 OHL Cup presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario and hosted by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association. Read more

OHL Mourns the Loss of Lance Galbraith:
The Ontario Hockey League is mourning the sudden loss of Ottawa 67’s alumnus and former Memorial Cup champion Lance Galbraith. Read more

OHL Mourns the Loss of Tom McCarthy:
The Ontario Hockey League is saddened by news of the loss of former Oshawa Generals forward and Minnesota North Stars standout Tom McCarthy. Read more

COMMUNITY CORNER

Hounds hold Ryan Vendramin Appreciation Night on Thursday: The Soo Greyhounds will honour Officer Ryan Vendramin on Thursday prior to puck drop in Game 1 of their first round series against the Guelph Storm. A former Sarnia Sting forward, Vendramin was injured in the line of duty in September 2021.

D’Amico awarded Jason Bennett Award for community service: The Windsor Spitfires awarded Daniel D’Amico the Jason Bennett Award for community service. Throughout his last five years, D’Amico has done a tremendous amount of work in the community including hospital visits and special events. For a full look at the Spitfires’ end of season awards, visit windsorspitfires.com.

Spitfires’ Steve Horne awarded Paul Maurice award for determination and dedication to the organization: The Spits awarded Windsor’s Director of Business Operations, Steve Horne, with the Paul Maurice award for determination and dedication to the organization. Steve has been with the Spitfires for over 30 years. For a full look at the Spitfires’ end of season awards, visit windsorspitfires.com.

Owen Sound raises funds for Ukrainian Refugees: The Owen Sound Attack saluted local nurses Tally Grandjean & Shari Chambers and local ER Physician Dr. Kysenia Troyan on Saturday night as they head over to Poland to provide medical care to Ukrainian Refugees. Attack fans raised $5200 for the cause.

ALUMNI NOTES

Okhotyuk recalled to Devils: the New Jersey Devils have recalled Nikita Okhotyuk from Utica of the American Hockey League. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Russian native has three goals, 12 points and 68 penalty minutes in 63 games for Utica. Okhutiuk played three season for the Ottawa 67’s. Read more

Rossi makes Iowa Wild history: With his goal on Tuesday night, Marco Rossi now holds the single season record for most points by a rookie in Iowa Wild history. Rossi played two season for the Ottawa 67’s and was the OHL’s Red Tilson Trophy recipient as the League’s Most Outstanding Player in 2019-20.

Regula scores first NHL goal: London Knights’ alumnus Alec Regula scored his first National Hockey League goal on Monday night for the Chicago Blackhawks. Regula played three seasons for London, racking up 60 points in his final campaign in 2019-20.

Duchene becomes first 40 goal-scorer in Predators franchise history: Scoring his 40th goal of the season on Tuesday, Brampton Battalion alumnus matt Duchene became the first player in Nashville Predators franchise history to reach the milestone. Duchene is in his 13th NHL season, enjoying his most productive campaign to date.

Smith named NHL’s third star of the week: Mike Smith stopped all 69 shots across two starts and became the sixth goaltender in NHL history to record consecutive shutouts at age 40 or older last week. The Edmonton Oilers netminder played three season in the OHL between the Kingston Frontenacs and the Sudbury Wolves from 1999-2002.

Bennett earns ECHL Rookie of the Year: Kris Bennett of the Iowa Heartlanders has been named ECHL Rookie of the Year and the recipient of the John A. Daley Memorial Trophy. Bennett put up 35 goals, 38 assists and 73 points for Iowa this past season after playing three seasons at the University of New Brunswick. He played parts of five seasons for the Saginaw Spirit from 2012-17.

UPCOMING PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Thursday April 21:
Peterborough at Hamilton (Game 1) – 7:00pm
Ottawa at North Bay (Game 1) – 7:00pm
Kitchener at London (Game 1) – 7:00pm
Sarnia at Windsor (Game 1) – 7:05pm
Guelph at Sault Ste. Marie (Game 1) – 7:07pm

Friday April 22:
Oshawa at Kingston (Game 1) – 7:00pm
Barrie at Mississauga (Game 1) – 7:00pm
Kitchener at London (Game 2) – 7:00pm
Owen Sound at Flint (Game 1) – 7:00pm

Saturday April 23:
Ottawa at North Bay (Game 2) – 7:00pm
Owen Sound at Flint (Game 2) – 7:00pm
Sarnia at Windsor (Game 2) – 7:05pm
Guelph at Sault Ste. Marie (Game 2) – 7:07pm

Sunday April 24:
Barrie at Mississauga (Game 2) – 2:00pm
London at Kitchener (Game 3) – 2:00pm
Oshawa at Kingston (Game 2) – 4:00pm

OHL ANNOUNCES2021-22 COACHES POLL WINNERS

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the results of the Eastern and Western Conference Coaches Polls for the 2021-22 OHL Regular Season.

The OHL Coaches Poll provides member club coaches with the opportunity to recognize the top three players in 20 different skill categories within their own conference.

In the Eastern Conference, the Regular Season champion Hamilton Bulldogs led the entire League with nine players included in the top three of their respective categories, including a total of seven different first place finishes. The Dogs were led by Anaheim Ducks prospect Mason McTavish who placed first in three different categories (Most Dangerous in the Goal Area, Best Shot and Hardest Shot). Teammates Logan Morrison (Best Playmaker), Arber Xhekaj (Best Body Checker), Colton Kammerer (Best Shot Blocker) and Ryan Humphrey (Most Underrated) also earned first place finishes. The Mississauga Steelheads featured six different players in the final results, with four first place finishes in captain Ethan Del Mastro (Best Penalty Killer, Best Defensive Defenceman), Owen Beck (Best on Faceoffs) and Luca Del Bel Belluz (Most Improved). The Central Division champion North Bay Battalion also had six players listed, with captain Liam Arnsby (Hardest Worker) earning a first place finish while appearing in four different categories. Kingston Frontenacs forwards Shane Wright (Tied – Smartest Player) and Jordan Frasca (Best Defensive Forward) both made first place appearances while being included in other categories as well. Other Eastern Conference notables include San Jose Sharks prospect Danil Gushchin of the Niagara IceDogs who earned a pair of first place finishes (Best Stickhandler, Best Shootout Shooter) and was listed in four different categories. On the back end, Los Angeles Kings prospect Brandt Clarke of the Barrie Colts finished first in two categories (Tied – Smartest Player, Best Offensive Defenceman) and placed third in another (Best Stickhandler).

In the Western Conference, the West Division champion Windsor Spitfires led the way with six players listed, with Dallas Stars prospect and OHL scoring leader Wyatt Johnston pulling in the League’s best individual performance. Johnston was listed in six different categories, placing first in four (Smartest Player, Best Playmaker, Best Skater, Best Stickhandler) while teammate Louka Henault (Best Offensive Defenceman) gave the Spits another first place outcome. New York Rangers prospect and 50-goal scorer Brennan Othmann of the Flint Firebirds received three different first place nods of approval (Most Dangerous in Goal Area, Best Shot, Hardest Shot). The Kitchener Rangers followed Windsor with five players in the final results while the Guelph Storm, London Knights and Sarnia Sting had four each. Knights captain and OHL goal-scoring leader Luke Evangelista is found in four different categories, coming out as the Western Conference’s Best Shootout Shooter while teammate Brett Brochu was the lone goaltender to place first in two different categories (Best Puck-Handling Goaltender, Best Shootout Goaltender). Sarnia’s Nolan Burke was voted the Conference’s Most Improved Player. Other Western Conference notables include Owen Sound Attack captain Mark Woolley who logged two first place finishes (Best Body Checker, Best Shot Blocker) while Soo Greyhounds teammates Rory Kerins (Best on Face-offs), Tye Kartye (Hardest Worker) and Ryan O’Rourke (Best Defensive Defenceman) both came out on top of one of multiple categories they were listed in. Erie Otters defenceman Christian Kyrou also had a strong showing, being voted the Conference’s Most Underrated Player while landing in two other categories as well.

The Coaches Poll is tabulated when each team submits one nominee per category, and coaches then vote for the top three players for each category within their conference. Players receive five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote, and one point for a third place vote. Clubs are not permitted to vote for players from their own team allowing for a maximum of 45 possible points for each winner.

All 20 categories are listed below with Eastern Conference and Western Conference winners including their final point totals in brackets.

Most Underrated Player:

Eastern Conference:
1. Ryan Humphrey, Hamilton Bulldogs (27)
2. Mitchell Russell, North Bay Battalion (20)
3. Kasper Larsen, Mississauga Steelheads (11)

Western Conference:
1. Christian Kyrou, Erie Otters (29)
2. Zacharie Giroux, Flint Firebirds (16)
3. Luka Profaca, Guelph Storm (15)

Most Improved Player:

Eastern Conference:
1. Luca Del Bel Belluz, Mississauga Steelheads (43)
2. Kyle Jackson, North Bay Battalion (22)
3. Nick DeGrazia, Sudbury Wolves (8)

Western Conference:
1. Nolan Burke, Sarnia Sting (31)
2. Matthew Maggio, Windsor Spitfires (29)
3. Christian Kyrou, Erie Otters (7)

Smartest Player:

Eastern Conference:
T-1. Brandt Clarke, Barrie Colts (24)
T-1. Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs (24) – finished second in 2019-20
2. Logan Morrison, Hamilton Bulldogs (18)
3. Tucker Robertson, Peterborough Petes (11)

Western Conference:
1. Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires (31)
2. Luke Evangelista, London Knights (27)
3. Rory Kerins, Soo Greyhounds (26)

Hardest Worker:

Eastern Conference:
1. Liam Arnsby, North Bay Battalion (23)
2. Jordan Frasca, Kingston Frontenacs (20)
3. Declan McDonnell, Barrie Colts (16)

Western Conference:
1. Tye Kartye, Soo Greyhounds (21)
2. Mike Petizian, Kitchener Rangers (15)
T-3. Camaryn Baber, London Knights (13)
T-3. Stepan Machacek, Owen Sound Attack (13)
T-3. Matthew Maggio, Windsor Spitfires (13)

Best Playmaker:

Eastern Conference:
1. Logan Morrison, Hamilton Bulldogs (29)
2. Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs (21)
3. Brandon Coe, North Bay Battalion (18)

Western Conference:
1. Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires (37)
2. Rory Kerins, Soo Greyhounds (20)
3. Luke Evangelista, London Knights (16)

Most Dangerous In Goal Area:

Eastern Conference:
1. Mason McTavish, Hamilton Bulldogs (26)
2. Danil Gushchin, Niagara IceDogs (22)
3. James Hardie, Mississauga Steelheads (20)

Western Conference:
1. Brennan Othmann, Flint Firebirds (29)
2. Luke Evangelista, London Knights (25)
3. Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires (22)

Best Skater:

Eastern Conference:
1. J.R. Avon, Peterborough Petes (21)
2. Nathan Staios, Hamilton Bulldogs (20)
3. Brandon Coe, North Bay Battalion (19)

Western Conference:
1. Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires (18)
2. Antonio Stranges, London Knights (17)
3. Robert Calisti, Soo Greyhounds (12)

Best Shot:

Eastern Conference:
1. Mason McTavish, Hamilton Bulldogs (37)
2. James Hardie, Mississauga Steelheads (15)
T-3. Danil Gushchin, Niagara IceDogs (11)
T-3. Ty Tullio, Oshawa Generals (11)

Western Conference:
1. Brennan Othmann, Flint Firebirds (38)
2. Will Cuylle, Windsor Spitfires (23)
3. Colby Barlow, Owen Sound Attack (11)

Hardest Shot:

Eastern Conference:
1. Mason McTavish, Hamilton Bulldogs (35)
2. Kasper Larsen, Mississauga Steelheads (14)
3. Martin Chromiak, Kingston Frontenacs (12)

Western Conference:
1. Brennan Othmann, Flint Firebirds (31)
2. Will Cuylle, Windsor Spitfires (30)
3. Colby Barlow, Owen Sound Attack (10)

Best Stickhandler:

Eastern Conference:
1. Danil Gushchin, Niagara IceDogs (26)
2. Lucas Edmonds, Kingston Frontenacs (23)
3. Brandt Clarke, Barrie Colts (15)

Western Conference:
1. Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires (36)
2. Ty Voit, Sarnia Sting (19)
3. Antonio Stranges, London Knights (15)

Best on Face-Offs:

Eastern Conference:
1. Owen Beck, Mississauga Steelheads (28)
2. Jan Mysak, Hamilton Bulldogs (17)
3. Jordan Frasca, Kingston Frontenacs (15)

Western Conference:
1. Rory Kerins, Soo Greyhounds (29)
2. Danny Zhilkin, Guelph Storm (15)
3. Francesco Pinelli, Kitchener Rangers (9)

Best Body Checker:

Eastern Conference:
1. Arber Xhekaj, Hamilton Bulldogs (21)
2. Artem Guryev, Peterborough Petes (17)
3. Liam Arnsby, North Bay Battalion (14)

Western Conference:
1. Mark Woolley, Owen Sound Attack (33) – finished third in 2019-20
T-2. Navrin Mutter, Kitchener Rangers (19) – finished first in 2019-20 and second in 2018-19
T-2. Luka Profaca, Guelph Storm (19)
3. Cameron Morton, Erie Otters (7)

Best Shot Blocker:

Eastern Conference:
1. Colton Kammerer, Hamilton Bulldogs (34)
2. Evan Brand, Mississauga Steelheads (17)
3. Jack Matier, Ottawa 67’s (11)

Western Conference:
1. Mark Woolley, Owen Sound Attack (26)
2. Ashton Reesor, Guelph Storm (17)
3. Ryan O’Rourke, Soo Greyhounds (12)

Best Defensive Forward:

Eastern Conference:
1. Jordan Frasca, Kingston Frontenacs (30)
2. Liam Arnsby, North Bay Battalion (21)
3. Ryan Gagnier, Oshawa Generals (12)

Western Conference:
1. Camaryn Baber, London Knights (24)
2. Cooper Walker, Guelph Storm (19)
3. Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires (13)

Best Penalty Killer:

Eastern Conference:
1. Ethan Del Mastro, Mississauga Steelheads (41)
2. Liam Arnsby, North Bay Battalion (19)
3. Avery Hayes, Hamilton Bulldogs (14)

Western Conference:
1. Josh Bloom, Saginaw Spirit (25)
2. Ryan O’Rourke, Soo Greyhounds (17)
3. Reid Valade, Kitchener Rangers (16)
3. Cooper Walker, Guelph Storm (16)

Best Offensive Defenceman:

Eastern Conference:
1. Brandt Clarke, Barrie Colts (39)
2. Nathan Staios, Hamilton Bulldogs (32)
3. Ty Nelson, North Bay Battalion (8)

Western Conference:
1. Louka Henault, Windsor Spitfires (21)
2. Christian Kyrou, Erie Otters (19)
3. Jack Thompson, Soo Greyhounds (18)

Best Defensive Defenceman:

Eastern Conference:
1. Ethan Del Mastro, Mississauga Steelheads (35)
2. Arber Xhekaj, Hamilton Bulldogs (33)
3. Artur Cholach, Barrie Colts (6)

Western Conference:
1. Ryan O’Rourke, Soo Greyhounds (27)
2. Luke Profaca, Guelph Storm (19)
3. Andrew Perrott, Windsor Spitfires (12)

Best Puck-Handling Goaltender:

Eastern Conference:
1. Josh Rosenzweig, Niagara IceDogs (25)
2. Marco Costantini, Hamilton Bulldogs (13)
T-3. Will Cranley, Ottawa 67’s (11)
T-3. Mack Guzda, Barrie Colts (11)
T-3. Mitchell Weeks, Sudbury Wolves (11)

Western Conference:
1. Brett Brochu, London Knights (36)
2. Luke Cavallin, Flint Firebirds (30)
3. Anson Thornton, Sarnia Sting (9)

Best Shootout Shooter:

Eastern Conference:
1. Danil Gushchin, Niagara IceDogs (24)
2. Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs (19)
3. Ryan Stepien, Oshawa Generals (14)

Western Conference:
1. Luke Evangelista, London Knights (29)
2. Rory Kerins, Soo Greyhounds (14)
3. Daniel D’Amico (Windsor Spitfires (13)

Best Shootout Goaltender:

Eastern Conference:
1. Leevi Merilainen, Kingston Frontenacs (22)
2. Mack Guzda, Barrie Colts (16)
3. Joe Vrbetic, North Bay Battalion (13)

Western Conference:
1. Brett Brochu, London Knights (34)
2. Luke Cavallin, Flint Firebirds (14)
2. Ben Gaudreau, Sarnia Sting (14)
3. Pavel Cajan, Kitchener Rangers (9)

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 Playoff Preview and Predictions

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Windsor vs (8) Sarnia

	Windsor	Sarnia
Season series	6-4-0-0	4-5-1-0
Last 10 games	8-1-1-0	2-8-0-0
Powerplay	26.1%	19.5%
PP vs opponent	50.0%	8.3%
Penalty Kill	82.6%	72.9%
PK vs Opponent	91.7%	50.0%
Goals for	305	234
Goals against	248	279
Team PIM / Game	10.3	11.3

Prediction: Windsor in 5 games

(2) London vs (7) Kitchener

	London	Kitchener
Season series	6-2-2-0	4-6-0-0
Last 10 games	3-4-2-1	3-4-3-0
Powerplay	24.0%	18.3%
PP vs opponent	32.0%	22.2%
Penalty Kill	80.9%	80.4%
PK vs Opponent	77.8%	68.0%
Goals for	264	236
Goals against	232	271
Team PIM / Game	11.9	11.0

Prediction: London in 6 games

(3) Flint vs (6) Owen Sound

	Flint	Owen Sound
Season series	1-3-0-0	3-1-0-0
Last 10 games	7-3-0-0	6-3-1-0
Powerplay	19.7%	18.0%
PP vs opponent	29.4%	14.3%
Penalty Kill	84.3%	75.7%
PK vs Opponent	85.7%	70.6%
Goals for	286	235
Goals against	238	245
Team PIM / Game	10.4	10.5

Prediction: Flint in 7 games

(4) Sault Ste Marie vs (5) Guelph

	Sault St Marie	Guelph
Season series	4-2-0-0	2-4-0-0
Last 10 games	6-4-0-0	7-2-0-1
Powerplay	28.4%	22.8%
PP vs opponent	25.9%	17.4%
Penalty Kill	78.7%	81.1%
PK vs Opponent	82.6%	74.1%
Goals for	295	251
Goals against	246	228
Team PIM / Game	11.5	9.6

Prediction: Sault Ste Marie in 7 games

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Hamilton vs (8) Peterborough

	Hamilton	Peterborough
Season series	6-2-0-0	2-6-0-0
Last 10 games	10-0-0-0	5-4-0-1
Powerplay	27.6%	22.9%
PP vs opponent	32.1%	32.0%
Penalty Kill	80.9%	74.3%
PK vs Opponent	68.0%	67.9%
Goals for	300	240
Goals against	176	281
Team PIM / Game	11.3	11.3

Prediction: Hamilton in 4 games

(2) North Bay vs (7) Ottawa

	North Bay	Ottawa
Season series	3-2-1-0	3-2-0-1
Last 10 games	8-1-0-1	5-4-0-1
Powerplay	25.9%	17.6%
PP vs opponent	14.3%	0%
Penalty Kill	80.6%	76.0%
PK vs Opponent	100%	85.7%
Goals for	267	199
Goals against	198	250
Team PIM / Game	9.1	11.2

Prediction: North Bay in 5 games

(3) Kingston vs (6) Oshawa

	Kingston	Oshawa
Season series	7-2-2-1	5-7-0-0
Last 10 games	5-3-1-1	4-4-1-1
Powerplay	25.3%	22.6%
PP vs opponent	22.5%	12.2%
Penalty Kill	79.8%	75.9%
PK vs Opponent	87.8%	77.5%
Goals for	285	215
Goals against	242	240
Team PIM / Game	11.1	10.2

Prediction: Kingston in 6 games

(4) Mississauga vs (5) Barrie

	Mississauga	Barrie
Season series	4-3-2-0	4-4-0-0
Last 10 games	4-4-1-1	3-6-1-0
Powerplay	20.9%	23.3%
PP vs opponent	11.1%	18.2%
Penalty Kill	81.3%	77.0%
PK vs Opponent	81.8%	88.9%
Goals for	229	245
Goals against	189	236
Team PIM / Game	11.5	9.1

Prediction: Mississauga in 7 games

SAGINAW SPIRIT TO SELECT FIRST OVERALL IN 2022 OHL PRIORITY SELECTION PRESENTED BY REAL CANADIAN SUPERSTORE

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The results from the 2022 OHL Priority Selection Draft Lottery are in, and the Saginaw Spirit will be selecting first on April 29-30 when OHL member teams build toward the future in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection Presented by Real Canadian Superstore.

Each of the four non-playoff teams participating in the Priority Selection Lottery, the Erie Otters, Niagara IceDogs, Saginaw Spirit and Sudbury Wolves, had an equal 25 percent change of drawing the first overall pick. The final results were determined by a computerized random number generator, with the process overseen and certified by Mr. Robert Bayne, partner with the law firm Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP.

The coveted top spot came down to a reveal between the Spirit and the Erie Otters, who will be selecting second overall for the first time since 2013.

The Spirit will be adding their first Jack Ferguson Award recipient since they made Patrick McNeill their first-ever selection back in 2003.

The OHL Priority Selection will once again be held over the course of two days, with Rounds 1-3 taking place beginning at 7:00pm on Friday, April 29. The proceedings continue on Saturday, April 30 starting at 9:00am with Rounds 4-15. The Priority Selection will be streamed for free in its entirety on CHL TV. Fans can also watch complete Day 1 coverage on YourTV, Rogers tv, Eastlink, Cable 14 and Shaw Spotlight community stations, as well as on the OHL Action Pak.

2022 OHL Priority Selection First Round Order of Selection:

Saginaw Spirit
Erie Otters
Sudbury Wolves
Niagara IceDogs
Sarnia Sting
Peterborough Petes
Ottawa 67’s
Oshawa Generals
Kitchener Rangers
Barrie Colts
Owen Sound Attack
Guelph Storm
Mississauga Steelheads
Oshawa Generals*
London Knights
Soo Greyhounds
Kingston Frontenacs
Flint Firebirds
Saginaw Spirit*
North Bay Battalion
Ottawa 67’s*
Windsor Spitfires
Hamilton Bulldogs

* – compensatory pick

The 2022 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore will see the top players born in 2006 within OHL jurisdiction eligible to be selected on April 29-30, in addition to 2007-born forward Michael Misa of the OHL Cup champion Mississauga Senators, who has been granted exceptional player status by Hockey Canada.

In addition to live streaming on CHL TV, the Priority Selection will also be covered extensively on the OHL’s Twitter, Instagram, Facebook accounts, as well as on the web at ontariohockeyleague.com.

BULLDOGS, SPITFIRES AND BATTALION INCLUDED IN WEEK 25 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 25 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

All eyes are on the Hamilton Bulldogs. Tabbed as a favourite to hoist the Memorial Cup, the OHL regular season champions enter the postseason following a dominant 2021-22 showing in which the squad set a franchise record of 107 points. Bulldogs’ forward Logan Morrison became the League’s sixth 100-point scorer, overage blueliner Nathan Staios led OHL defencemen in scoring with 66 points (15-51–66), and Marco Costantini set new Bulldogs records with a league-best 2.32 goals-against average and .917 save percentage along with six shutouts. Closing out the campaign on an incredible 15-game span in which the Bulldogs collected 29 of 30 points, the club enters the postseason on a high note in its opening-round set to begin Thursday versus Peterborough.

Coming in at No. 6, the Windsor Spitfires will look to return to their winning ways in the postseason where, following a recent 13-game win streak, the club collected a lone point in its final two outings to close out the 2021-22 regular season. Backed by Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy recipient Wyatt Johnston who headlined the OHL with 124 points in 68 games, the Spitfires are an offensive juggernaut who will put their scoring prowess to the test versus their first round opponent in the Sarnia Sting.

Rounding out recognition from the OHL, the North Bay Battalion picked up five of six points in the final week of the regular season, making it nine-straight games in which the club has gone undefeated in regulation. Finishing tops in the OHL’s Central Division and third league-wide with a 43-18-3-4 showing and 93 points, the Battalion bring a well-rounded offensive attack led by San Jose Sharks up-and-comer Brandon Coe who surpassed the 100-point milestone, becoming the third player in franchise history to do so. On the heels of their best season since relocating to North Bay in 2013-14, the Troops should prove to be a handful for their opening round opponent in Ottawa.

For further analysis on the Week 25 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.

OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders

Posted on April 20, 2022April 20, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by OHL Images.

There were a few times during the 2021-2022 Ontario Hockey League season that had one wondering whether they would complete the season with the COVID-19 pandemic postponing games and keeping fans from the arena. There were some even calling on the league to cancel the season.

But credit to the league, the players, families, billet families and fans: They got through all 68 games but it wasn’t always easy. As the playoffs are set to begin Thursday, here at OHL Writers we’ll take a look at the statistical leaders in different categories of players eligible for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

In Previous seasons, we only looked at first time draft eligible players. As has been the case all season, because of the sheer number of players re-entering the draft, largely due to the lost season a year ago, we decided to add first- and second-year eligible players and that includes 2003 and 2004 birth dates. There are a few 2002 birthdates that would be on these lists, but we had to draw the line somewhere. It’s a rare occasion where a player is selected in his third draft and we should see Lucas Edmonds of the Kingston Frontenacs being one of those few, but he didn’t make this list. His 113 points are certainly worth mentioning.

Consensus number one pick Shane Wright of the Frontenacs took a while to appear on the top-10 scorers here but when the season came to an end, he found himself in his rightful place at the top of the board with 94 points in 63 games. Wright also easily led all skaters with 62 helpers. It may come as a surprise to many that draft re-entry Matthew Maggio of the Windsor Spitfires finished second to Wright in points and assists. Maggio also finished third in goals behind two other draft re-entries in Tucker Robertson of the Peterborough Petes and Avery Hayes of the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Perhaps the most surprising stat comes in the shooting percentage category. Five of the top six players in the OHL are all draft eligible, led by Kyle Jackson of the North Bay Battalion. Jackson may just be the most prolific scorer on the list with 30 goals with injuries limiting him to just 45 games on the season.

On the blue line, Ty Nelson of the North Bay Battalion led for most of the regular season. But by the time the season had ended, Pavel Mintyukov of the Saginaw Spirit took his rightful place (in my opinion) at the top of the leader board. However, the surprise came in the name of Christian Kyrou of the Erie Otters who finished with the most goals among defencemen and second in points to Mintyukov. Kyrou should get some love when final rankings are released as he was never on NHL Central Scouting’s players to watch list or their mid-term rankings.

Here are the leaders in a variety of different categories. We take great care in compiling stats, but as always, refer to the OHL Website for official stats.

Points Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	63	32	62	94
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	66	38	47	85
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	68	41	40	81
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	41	38	79
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	68	30	46	76
David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	66	33	40	73
Deni Goure	Owen Sound Attack	68	24	39	63
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	45	30	32	62
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	68	25	37	62
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	67	17	45	62
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	GPG
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	68	41	0.60
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	41	0.62
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	66	38	0.58
David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	66	33	0.50
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	63	32	0.51
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	68	30	0.44
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	45	30	0.67
Cedrick Guindon	Owen Sound Attack	68	30	0.44
Ethan Burroughs	Owen Sound Attack	68	30	0.44
Nolan Dann	Sarnia Sting	64	29	0.45
Assist Leaders
Player	Team	GP	A	APG
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	63	62	0.98
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	66	47	0.71
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	46	0.70
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	68	46	0.68
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	67	45	0.67
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	66	42	0.64
Christian Kyrou	Erie Otters	68	42	0.62
Amadeus Lombardi	Flint Firebirds	67	41	0.61
David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	66	40	0.61
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	68	40	0.59
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	67	17	45	62
Christian Kyrou	Erie Otters	68	18	42	60
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	10	46	56
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	66	9	42	51
Michael Buchinger	Guelph Storm	63	5	39	44
Kasper Larsen	Mississauga Steelheads	57	8	35	43
Sam Sedley	Owen Sound Attack	64	4	38	42
Kirill Kudryavtsev	Soo Greyhounds	68	5	34	39
Samuel Mayer	Peterborough Petes	68	11	26	37
Rodwin Dionicio	Niagara IceDogs	57	6	25	31
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player	Team	GP	+/-
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	+35
Jorian Donovan	Hamilton Bulldogs	64	+29
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	66	+24
Isaiah George	London Knights	67	+23
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	63	+23
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	68	+23
Lawson Sherk	Hamilton Bulldogs	63	+18
Paul Christopoulos	North Bay Battalion	63	+18
Tnias Mathurin	North Bay Battalion	44	+17
Michael Buchinger	Guelph Storm	65	+15
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player	Team	GP	PIM	M/G
Landon McCallum	Sudbury Wolves	62	97	1.56
Ethan Larmand	Sudbury Wolves	63	82	1.30
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	68	82	1.21
Marc Boudreau	Sudbury Wolves	71	81	1.14
Roberto Mancini	Saginaw Spirit	64	79	1.23
Faceoff Leaders
Player	Team	GP	FOA	FOW	%
Owen Beck	Mississauga Steelheads	68	1348	817	60.6
Stuart Rolofs	Oshawa Generals	62	395	225	57.0
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	68	1538	873	56.8
Danny Zhilkin	Guelph Storm	66	1092	616	56.4
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	64	717	396	55.2
Max Namestnikov	Sarnia Sting	68	473	261	55.2
Jacob Maillet	Windsor Spitfires	69	869	472	54.3
Amadeus Lombardi	Flint Firebirds	67	866	464	53.6
Jax Dubois	Peterborough Petes	59	877	464	52.9
Vsevolod Gaidamak	Ottawa 67’s	60	830	437	52.7
Minumum 390 faceoffs
Shooting Percentage Leaders
Player	Team	GP	Shots	Goals	SH%
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	45	111	30	27.03
Dean Loukos	Saginaw Spirit	64	86	22	25.58
Thomas Johnston	Ottawa 67’s	47	61	15	24.59
Braeden Bowman	Guelph Storm	60	113	27	23.89
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	65	144	34	23.61
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	68	187	41	21.93
Beau Jelsma	Barrie Colts	68	132	27	20.45
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	202	41	20.30
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	68	134	25	18.66
David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	66	178	33	18.54
Powerplay Goals
Player	Team	GP	PPG
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	12
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	68	12
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	66	10
Deni Goure	Owen Sound Attack	68	10
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	45	10
Powerplay Assists
Player	Team	GP	PPA
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	63	20
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	66	20
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	68	19
Michael Buchinger	Guelph Storm	63	17
Deni Goure	Owen Sound Attack	68	17
Christian Kyrou	Erie Otters	68	17
Longest Point Streak
Player	Team	Gms	G	A	PTS
David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	13	9	12	21
Longest Goal Streak
Player	Team	GMS	G
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	5	7
Longest Assist Streak
Player	Team	GMS	A
Ryan Abraham	Windsor Spitfires	8	8
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player	Team	GP	Min	GA	Avg
Dom DiVincentiis	North Bay Battalion	27	1481	64	2.59
Brett Brochu	London Knights	43	2510	115	2.75
Max Donoso	Ottawa 67’s	27	1491	70	2.82
Jacob Oster	Guelph Storm	34	1845	90	2.93
Patrick Leaver	Oshawa Generals	49	2812	150	3.20
Charlie Schenkel	Soo Greyhounds	7	274	16	3.50
Samuel Ivanov	Soo Greyhounds	35	1847	108	3.51
Michael Simpson	Peterborough Petes	45	2492	148	3.56
Pavel Cajan	Kitchener Rangers	44	2578	155	3.61
Nolan Lalande	Erie Otters	54	3066	185	3.62
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player	Team	GP	SH	SVS	SV%
Brett Brochu	London Knights	43	1288	1173	0.911
Patrick Leaver	Oshawa Generals	49	1623	1473	0.908
Dom DiVincentiis	North Bay Battalion	27	686	622	0.907
Max Donoso	Ottawa 67’s	27	743	673	0.906
Pavel Cajan	Kitchener Rangers	44	1561	1406	0.901
Jacob Oster	Guelph Storm	34	831	741	0.892
Michael Simpson	Peterborough Petes	45	1356	1208	0.891
Ian Michelone	Flint Firebirds	10	327	289	0.884
Josh Rosenzweig	Niagara IceDogs	40	1444	1274	0.882

OHL ANNOUNCES TOP PERFORMERS OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for regular season games played in April 2022, including Soo Greyhounds teammates Rory Kerins and Jack Thompson, Peterborough Petes netminder Michael Simpson and Kingston Frontenacs rookie Paul Ludwinski.

OHL Player of the Month – Rory Kerins (Soo Greyhounds):
Calgary Flames prospect Rory Kerins of the Soo Greyhounds is the OHL Player of the Month for April, leading the League with 16 points including four goals and 12 assists over six games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-9. Kerins helped the Hounds finish out the regular season in fourth place in the Western Conference, registering multi-point outputs in five of his six April outings. He started the month with a goal and three assists as the Greyhounds defeated the Saginaw Spirit 9-3 on April 1st. He’d tack on four helpers in an 8-4 win over the Sudbury Wolves on April 8th. Kerins wrapped up the season by crossing the 200 career point threshold on April 15th in Flint, scoring while adding two assists as the Greyhounds defeated the Firebirds 6-3. Kerins is the first Greyhounds player to earn OHL Player of the Month honours since Morgan Frost in February 2019.

A 20-year-old from Caledon, Ont., Kerins finishes the season second in OHL scoring with 118 points including 43 goals and 75 assists over 67 games. Kerins’ 118 points are the most by a Hounds player since Joe Thornton (122) in 1996-97. He is among the League’s top faceoff performers, winning 56.8 percent of his draws throughout the season. He’s amassed 200 points (82-118–200) over 188 career regular season games with the Greyhounds. 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. He signed a three-year entry level contract with the Flames on March 1st. The Greyhounds selected him with their fourth round (71st overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection from the Mississauga Rebels U16 program.

OHL Defenceman of the Month – Jack Thompson (Soo Greyhounds)
For the second time this season, Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Jack Thompson of the Soo Greyhounds is the OHL Defenceman of the Month. Thompson, who first earned the honour as a member of the Sudbury Wolves in October, led OHL defenders with 12 points including five goals and seven assists over seven April contests, pairing that with a plus/minus rating of plus-9. Thompson recorded a point in six of his seven matchups, starting with a goal and three assists in a 9-3 win over the Saginaw Spirit on April 1st. Thompson found the back of the net twice on April 9th, helping the Hounds beat the Sudbury Wolves 5-1. Thompson is the first Greyhounds blueliner to be named OHL Defenceman of the Month since Mac Hollowell in October 2018.

A 20-year-old native of Courtice, Ont., Thompson finished the season tied for the League lead in goals by a defenceman, equalling teammate Robert Calisti’s mark of 21. He and Calisti finished tied for sixth in scoring among OHL defencemen, putting up 57 points (21-36–57), 34 of which came as a member of the Greyhounds. In three OHL seasons, the 6-foot-1 rearguard has collected 40 goals, 65 assists and 105 points in 180 games. Thompson made his pro debut with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch last season, recording an assist in his lone contest. He has signed an entry-level NHL contract with the Lightning, who selected him in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft. The right-shot rearguard was originally Sudbury’s second round (30th overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection from the Clarington Toros U16 program.

OHL Goaltender of the Month – Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Michael Simpson of the Peterborough Petes is the OHL Goaltender of the Month, helping his team qualify for the OHL Playoffs as he played to a 4-0-0-1 record with a 2.16 goals-against average, .928 save percentage and one shutout. Simpson won his final four starts of the season, turning aside all 37 shots for his first career OHL shutout on April 5th as the Petes defeated the Barrie Colts 1-0 in overtime. He stopped 20 of 21 on April 9th as the Petes beat the Niagara IceDogs 5-1, and rounded-out the season with a 28-save performance on April 17th as Peterborough defeated Kingston 6-3. Simpson is the first Petes netminder to earn OHL Goaltender of the Month honours since Hunter Jones in October 2019.

A 19-year-old from London, Ont., Simpson played to a record of 20-18-3-1 with a 3.56 goals-against average and .891 save percentage in his first OHL season. The 6-foot, 188Ib. netminder was Peterborough’s 10th round (193rd overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection from the London Jr. Knights U16 program.

OHL Rookie of the Month – Paul Ludwinski (Kingston Frontenacs)
2022 NHL Draft prospect Paul Ludwinski of the Kingston Frontenacs is the OHL Rookie of the Month for April, collecting five goals, five assists and 10 points in eight games. Ludwinski’s month was headlined by a hat trick and season-high four points on April 10th as the Frontenacs defeated the Niagara IceDogs 10-5. He’d chip in with a goal and an assist in Kingston’s final regular season game on April 17th, a 6-3 loss to the Peterborough Petes.

A soon-to-be 18-year-old from Pickering, Ont., Ludwinski recorded 43 points including 16 goals and 27 assists over 67 games in his first OHL season. The 5-foot-11, 172Ib. centreman competed in March’s Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Kitchener, and was the 29th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings. Ludwinksi was Kingston’s first round (5th overall) pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Marlboros U16 program.

2021-22 OHL Performers of the Month:

Player of the Month:
April – Rory Kerins (Soo Greyhounds)
March – Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
February – Logan Morrison (Hamilton Bulldogs)
January – Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
December – Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
November – Kyle Jackson (North Bay Battalion)
October – Sasha Pastujov (Guelph Storm)

Defenceman of the Month:
April – Jack Thompson (Soo Greyhounds)
March – Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)
February – Michael Buchinger (Guelph Storm)
January – Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
December – Ethan Del Mastro (Mississauga Steelheads)
November – Nathan Staios (Hamilton Bulldogs)
October – Jack Thompson (Sudbury Wolves)

Rookie of the Month:
April – Paul Ludwinski (Kingston Frontenacs)
March – Cedrick Guindon (Owen Sound Attack)
February – Michael Buchinger (Guelph Storm)
January – David Goyette (Sudbury Wolves)
December – Coulson Pitre (Flint Firebirds)
November – Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
October – Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)

Goaltender of the Month:
April – Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
March – Marco Costantini (Hamilton Bulldogs)
February – Luke Cavallin (Flint Firebirds)
January – Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
December – Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
November – Joe Vrbetic (North Bay Battalion)
October – Brett Brochu (London Knights)

SIX OHL PLAYERS TO REPRESENT CANADA AT 2022 IIHF WORLD UNDER-18 HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – Six Ontario Hockey League players have been named to Canada’s roster for the upcoming 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship that will take place from April 23rd to May 1st in Landshut and Kaufbeuren, Germany.

Hockey Canada announced the roster of 25 players on Monday afternoon. Two of the OHL players named to the roster, Sudbury’s Kocha Delic and Niagara’s Pano Fimis, won bronze as part of Team Canada at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.

The roster also includes David Goyette of the Sudbury Wolves who led the OHL in rookie scoring with 33 goals and 73 points over 66 games. Erie Otters netminder Nolan Lalonde led all OHL rookies in minutes played with 3,066, the fourth-highest total in the OHL. Fimis comes off a strong rookie season that saw him collect 30 assists, a new record by an IceDogs rookie.

Six OHL Players Representing Canada at 2022 U18 Worlds:

Forwards:
Kocha Delic (Sudbury Wolves)
Pano Fimis (Niagara IceDogs)
David Goyette (Sudbury Wolves)

Defencemen:
Nolan Collins (Sudbury Wolves)
Spencer Sova (Erie Otters)

Goaltenders:
Nolan Lalonde (Erie Otters)

“We are excited to unveil the 25 players that will wear the Maple Leaf at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship and take on the challenge of winning a second-consecutive gold medal,” said director of player personnel Alan Millar. “For many of these players, this is the first time they will represent their country in international competition, and we know they are excited for the opportunity to compete on the world stage.”

Canada will open the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship against the United States on April 23 at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT, and will also take host Germany on April 24 and Czechia on April 26.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast 13 games throughout the tournament, including all Team Canada preliminary-round games, four quarterfinals, both semifinals, and the bronze and gold medal games.

Since 2002, Canada has won four gold medals at the IIHF U18 World Championship (2003, 2008, 2013, 2021), in addition to one silver (2005) and three bronze (2012, 2014, 2015).

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter.

CALISTI AND DONOSO NAMEDOHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, April 17, 2022.

Greyhounds’ Robert Calisti Named OHL Player of the Week

Overage defenceman Robert Calisti of the Soo Greyhounds is the OHL Player of the Week with seven assists over three games.

Calisti put together three straight multi-point performances as the Greyhounds took two of three to close out the season in fourth place in the Western Conference. Calisti was good for a season-high three assists on Wednesday at home to Sudbury, earning second star honours as the Greyhounds defeated the Wolves 6-4. He posted back-to-back two-assist efforts in Flint on Friday and Saturday, helping the Hounds win 6-3 in the opener before they fell 6-4 in the back half. Calisti joins Brandt Clarke and Jack Thompson as just the third defenceman to earn Player of the Week honours this season.

A 21-year-old native of Etobicoke, Ont., Calisti finished his overage season with a league-leading 21 goals from the blue line, finishing tied for sixth among OHL defenders with 57 points (21-36–57). His 198 shots on goal were the league’s fourth-most at his position as he wraps up his OHL regular season career with 41 goals, 73 assists and 114 points over 195 career contests. Calisti signed a two-year minor league contract with the Florida Panthers organization in March. He was Sault Ste. Marie’s third round (44th overall) pick in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection.

Also considered for the award this week, New York Rangers prospect Brennan Othmann of the Flint Firebirds scored six times in three games, reaching the 50-goal milestone with a four-goal effort in Flint’s final regular season game on Saturday. Hamilton Bulldogs forward Logan Morrison was also in the running, recording seven points (2-5–7) in three victories to close out the season with 100 points.

2021-22 OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Apr. 11 – Apr. 18: Robert Calisti (Soo Greyhounds)
Apr. 4 – Apr. 10: Martin Chromiak (Kingston Frontenacs)
Mar. 28 – Apr. 3: Mason McTavish (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Mar. 21 – Mar. 27: Dalton Duhart (Saginaw Spirit)
Mar. 14 – Mar. 20: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Mar. 7 – Mar. 13: Lucas Edmonds (Kingston Frontenacs)
Feb. 28 – Mar. 6: Theo Hill (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 21 – Feb. 27: Logan Morrison (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Feb. 14 – Feb. 20: Antonio Stranges (London Knights)
Feb. 7 – Feb. 13: Logan Morrison (Hamilton Bulldogs).
Jan. 31 – Feb. 6: Luke Evangelista (London Knights)
Jan. 24 – Jan. 30: Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 17 – Jan. 23: Riley Piercey (Flint Firebirds)
Jan. 10 – Jan. 16: David Goyette (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan. 3 – Jan 9: Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
Dec. 27 – Jan. 2: James Hardie (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 13 – Dec. 19: Ty Tullio (Oshawa Generals)
Dec. 6 – Dec. 12: Lucas Edmonds (Kingston Frontenacs)
Nov. 29 – Dec. 5: Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
Nov. 22 – Nov. 28: Brennan Othmann (Flint Firebirds)
Nov. 15 – Nov. 21: Brandon Coe (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 8 – Nov. 14: Antonio Stranges (London Knights)
Nov. 1 – Nov. 7: Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 25 – Oct. 31: Tucker Robertson (Peterborough Petes)
Oct. 18 – Oct. 24: Rory Kerins (Soo Greyhounds)
Oct. 11 – Oct. 17: Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)
Oct. 4 – Oct. 10: Jack Thompson (Sudbury Wolves)

67’s’ Max Donoso Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Max Donoso of the Ottawa 67’s is the OHL Goaltender of the Week, playing to a 1-0-0-1 record with a 0.48 goals-against average, .984 save percentage and one shutout.

Donoso stopped 62 of the 63 shots he faced as the 67’s completed their regular season in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. He recorded his first career OHL shutout on Friday as the 67’s blanked the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 5-0. Donoso made 26 saves and earned first star of the game recognition. He returned to the crease on Saturday in Kingston, stopping 36 of 37 to help Ottawa earn a point before falling by a score of 2-1 in a shootout while being named the game’s third star. This marks the second time Donoso has earned OHL Goaltender of the Week honours this season.

An 18-year-old from Windsor, Ont., Donoso played to a mark of 11-9-1-5 with a 2.82 goals-against average and .906 save percentage over 27 games in his first OHL season. A former fifth round (98th overall) pick by Ottawa in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Donoso is a graduate of the Windsor Jr. Spitfires U16 program and spent the 2019-20 season at Salisbury Prep School in Connecticut. He began the 2021-22 campaign with the Hawkesbury Hawks of the CCHL, going 11-2-0 with a 1.79 goals-against average and .935 save percentage over 15 games.

Also considered for the award this week, Matteo Drobac of the Hamilton Bulldogs went 2-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .958 save percentage in wins over Niagara and Erie. Guelph’s Owen Bennett also played to a 2-0 mark in wins over Erie and Windsor, recording a 1.50 goals-against average and .930 save percentage.

2021-22 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Apr. 11 – Apr. 17: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Apr. 4 – Apr. 10: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Mar. 28 – Apr. 3: Patrick Leaver (Oshawa Generals)
Mar. 21 – Mar. 27: Joey Costanzo (Niagara IceDogs)
Mar. 14 – Mar. 20: Marco Costantini (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Mar. 7 – Mar. 13: Nick Chenard (Owen Sound Attack)
Feb. 28 – Mar. 6: Marco Costantini (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Feb. 21 – Feb. 27: Leevi Merilainen (Kingston Frontenacs)
Feb. 14 – Feb. 20: Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
Feb. 7 – Feb. 13: Pavel Cajan (Kitchener Rangers)
Jan. 31 – Feb. 6: Patrick Leaver (Oshawa Generals)
Jan. 24 – Jan. 30: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Jan. 17 – Jan. 23: Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 10 – Jan. 16: Mitchell Weeks (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan. 3 – Jan. 9: Nolan Lalonde (Erie Otters)
Dec. 27 – Jan. 2: Joe Ranger (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 13 – Dec. 19: Owen Bennett (Guelph Storm)
Dec. 6 – Dec. 12: Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
Nov. 29 – Dec. 5: Leevi Merilainen (Kingston Frontenacs)
Nov. 22 – Nov. 28: Tye Austin (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 15 – Nov. 21: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)
Nov. 8 – Nov. 14: Joe Vrbetic (North Bay Battalion
Nov. 1 – Nov. 7: Roman Basran (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 25 – Oct. 31: Patrick Leaver (Oshawa Generals)
Oct. 18 – Oct. 24: Jacob Oster (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 11 – Oct. 17: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Oct. 4 – Oct. 10: Tucker Tynan (Niagara IceDogs)

OHL ANNOUNCES 2021-22 REGULAR SEASON AWARD WINNERS

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced recipients of four of the league’s annual awards following the conclusion of the 2021-22 regular season.

Offensively, Wyatt Johnston of the Windsor Spitfires captured the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the league’s leading scorer while Lucas Edmonds of the Kingston Frontenacs is the recipient of the Jim Mahon Trophy as the OHL’s top-scoring right winger. Recognizing defensive efforts, the Hamilton Bulldogs goaltending tandem of Marco Costantini and Matteo Drobac earns the Dave Pinkney Trophy, surrendering a league-low 176 goals against. North Bay Battalion rookie Dom DiVincentiis is the recipient of the F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy awarded to the rookie with the lowest goals-against average.

Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy (Top Scorer) – Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires
Dallas Stars prospect Wyatt Johnston is the recipient of the OHL Top Scorer Award presented by Kubota Canada, claiming the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy with 124 points including 46 goals and 78 assists in 68 games. Johnston boasted a plus-29 rating to go with a league-leading 1.82 point-per-game production rate. Johnston’s 124 points are the most by an OHL scoring leader since Erie’s Alex DeBrincat in 2016-17.

Johnston finished with 42 multi-point performances on the campaign including four different games with at least four points. His 124 points are the fifth-highest total in Spitfires franchise history, trailing Ernie Godden (153 points, 1980-81), Bill Bowler (135 points, 1994-95), Kelly Cain (133 points, 1987-88) and Blair Barnes (130 points (1979-80). He joins Taylor Hall (2009-10) and Peter Sarno (1997-98) as the third player in modern Spitfires franchise history to claim the honour. Earl Reibel (1949-50) and Bert Giesebrecht (1948-49) were also past Spitfires winners.

The 23rd overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Dallas Stars, Johnston has collected 58 goals, 96 assists and 154 points through 121 career regular season games with the Spitfires, who selected him with the sixth overall pick of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection. He’ll be making his OHL playoff debut this week when the Spitfires open up their first round series against the Sarnia Sting.

The Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy was donated by the Toronto Marlboro Athletic Club in memory of Eddie Powers and was first awarded in 1945-46 to Tod Sloan of St. Michael’s who scored 79 points in 25 games. High-scoring Stars winger Jason Robertson was the 2018-19 recipient as a member of the Niagara IceDogs while veteran Dallas centreman Tyler Seguin has his named inscribed on the trophy as a member of the Plymouth Whalers in 2009-10.

Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy (Top Scoring Right Winger) – Lucas Edmonds, Kingston Frontenacs
Lucas Edmonds of the Kingston Frontenacs is the recipient of the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the league’s top scoring right winger. Edmonds finished third in OHL scoring with 113 points including 34 goals and a league-high 79 assists over 68 games in his first OHL season.

The 21-year-old originally from North Bay, Ont. turned heads this past season, leading the Frontenacs offensively with 30 different multi-point appearances including nine different instances with at least four points.

Edmonds joins David Ling (1994-95) as just the second Frontenacs player to ever claim the honour, finishing with the Kingston franchise’s sixth-highest assist total of 79. Edmonds’ 113 points are the most by a Frontenac since Ling put up 135 during the 1994-95 season.

Originally Kingston’s seventh round pick in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, Edmonds made the most of a rare first-year overage season and is eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft in July.

The Jim Mahon Trophy was first presented following the 1971-72 season by the players and management of the Peterborough Petes in memory of their right winger Jim Mahon who was accidentally killed that summer. Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs last received the honour in 2019-20 while other recent winners have included Justin Brazeau of the North Bay Battalion in 2019 and Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting in 2018.

Dave Pinkney Trophy (Lowest Team Goals Against) – Marco Costantini and Matteo Drobac, Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs surrendered a league-low 176 goals over their 68-game schedule, backstopped by goaltenders Marco Costantini and Matteo Drobac who earn the Dave Pinkney Trophy in 2021-22.

Costantini and Drobac backstopped the Bulldogs to the club’s first Hamilton Spectator Trophy as OHL Regular Season champions as the club boasted an overall record of 51-12-3-2 for a franchise record 107 points.

Costantini led the league in goals-against average (2.32), save percentage (.917) and shutouts (6), establishing new Bulldogs single season records in those three categories while also playing to a mark of 31-9-2-2. Hamilton’s new career shutouts leader, Costantini ended the season with 17 consecutive wins dating back to February 16th. The 19-year-old hometown product was Hamilton’s fifth round pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection.

Drobac played to a record of 19-2-1-0, posting a 2.57 goals-against average and .905 save percentage with one shutout over 23 games in his first full OHL season. The Oakville, Ont. product was Hamilton’s sixth round pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.

The Bulldogs also saw three appearances from rookie Tristan Malboeuf, who went 1-1, earning his first career OHL shutout on October 16th in Niagara.

This marks the first time the Bulldogs have earned the honour, but the Dave Pinkney Trophy has a prior history in Hamilton. Al Jensen of the 1977-78 Hamilton Fincups has his name inscribed on the trophy, as does the Hamilton Red Wings tandem of Jim Rutherford and Gerry Gray in 1967-68, Bud Blom in 1960-61 and Dennis Riggin of the Hamilton Tiger Cubs in 1953-54.

The Dave Pinkney Trophy is awarded annually to the goaltending tandem from the team that allows the fewest goals against during the regular season.

F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy (Best Rookie GAA): Dom DiVincentiis, North Bay Battalion
Dom DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion is the recipient of the F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy, leading all rookie netminders with a 2.59 goals-against average.

An 18-year-old draft eligible goaltender from Bolton, Ont., DiVincentiis helped backstop the Battalion to a Central Division title, playing to a record of 14-8-0-1 with a .907 save percentage to accompany his 2.59 goals-against average. He was undefeated in regulation through his final eight starts of the season. DiVincentiis was North Bay’s sixth round pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection.

DiVincentiis follows Matej Machovsky (2010-11) as the second Battalion goaltender to ever earn the distinction. He’s the third North Bay goaltender to do so, joining Scott Roche (1993-94) and Sandy Allan (1991-92) of the Centennials.

The trophy is named after F.W. “Dinty” Moore of Port Colborne, Ont., who served as OHA President from 1942-45. In order to qualify for this rookie award, a goaltender must play a minimum of 900 minutes. The most recent past recipient of the award was Brett Brochu of the London Knights in 2019-20.

For a look at the history of the Ontario Hockey League’s award recipients, visit ontariohockeyleague.com.

Month: April 2022

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