VAUGHAN KINGS ARE INAUGURALU14 OHL CUP CHAMPIONS

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
TORONTO, ONTARIO – APRIL 10: during the warm up before playing the Grand Rapids Griffins on April 10, 2022 at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Thomas Skrlj)

Oakville, Ont. – 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.

The GTHL champion Kings defeated the OMHA finalist York-Simcoe Express by a score of 8-1 on Saturday afternoon at Joshua’s Creek Arena in Oakville, becoming the first team to have its named inscribed on the U14 OHL Cup championship trophy.

Caleb Malhotra led the way with two goals and three assists while Jager Pain chipped in with a goal and two helpers as Vaughan accomplished its mission, reigning supreme as Ontario’s top U14 AAA team.

“It’s a little surreal,” said Kings head coach Daniel Spivak, who worked alongside a pair of OHL alumni in assistants Justin DiBenedetto and Mark Cundari. “The boys came hard, and after two years of interrupted hockey seasons, this is awfully rewarding for our guys who never quit and kept putting in the work.

“All of these guys bought in,” Spivak continued. “As a coach, it’s all you can hope for. They pushed through, they never stopped and it’s remarkable.”

Vaughan played to a mark of 4-0-1, outscoring opponents 36-11. Their pathway to the Championship Final included a 2-2 tie against the London Jr. Knights in their tournament-opener followed by a commanding 9-3 win over the Oakville Rangers. They bested the ALLIANCE champion Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs 7-3 in Quarterfinal action and took down the OMHA champion Peterborough Petes 10-2 in Saturday morning’s Semi-final affair.

The son of former OHL forward and NHL alumnus Manny Malhotra, Caleb Malhotra’s five-point performance pushed him into the tournament scoring lead as he finished with 13 points (5-8–13) over five games while teammates Ben Bowen (8-3–11), Jager Pain (5-6–11) and Alessandro Di Iorio (5-6–11) each trailed close behind with 11.

York-Simcoe finished up with an overall record of 3-1-1, being led offensively by Brayden Boyle who recorded five points (4-1–5) in as many games.

The U14 OHL Cup championship trophy was presented by OHL Commissioner David Branch alongside the League’s Director of Player Recruitment and Development Kyle Pereira.

Tournament action was streamed live via GameOnStream, with archived action available at u14ohlcup.gameonstream.com.

For full results and statistics from the 2022 U14 OHL Cup presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario, visit u14ohlcup.ca.


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.

Jackson Edward – London Knights – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
HTWTDOBPOSSHOOTSOHL DRAFTNHLCSCOUNTRY
6’2”1872-27-04DL22nd 202075th NACANADA
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2018-19U-15Richmond Hill Coyotes25141832
2019-20U-16York Simcoe Express33121830
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Jackson Edward of the London Knights. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images

I hate to begin with a negative but there really is no other place to begin. I just can’t buy into some of the mid-term rankings of London Knights blueliner Jackson Edward. When the Knights selected Edwards with the 22nd overall pick at the 2020 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection, at the very least his production at both the Under-15 and Under-16 levels indicated there was some offensive abilities there.

Of course, the lost 2020-2021 season didn’t do any favors for Edward but every OHL player was in the same situation except for a handful of players that got to play a few games. I also understand that when you play defence for the London Knights, your first responsibility is, well, defence. With everything under consideration, 6 points in 52 games for me was a disappointment. I had him penciled in for a 20-point season and he fell short of that. Maybe my expectations were too high.

Edward has good size at 6’2” and very good mobility. He’s able to retrieve pucks and has the ability to start the transition to offense. He has shown he can be strong defensively and make the right decisions. He has the ability to keep gaps close with his mobility and reach, keep players to the outside, take away lanes and be positionally sound. However, there is a lack of consistency to all those. While he has shown the abilities, they just don’t happen on a consistent enough basis.

Now for the good stuff. There is one thing you can’t take away from Edward and that’s his work ethic and commitment to improve his game and be the best player he can possibly be. In speaking with those close to the situation, they same the same things: Failure is not an option for Edward and he will put in all the hard work to improve his game day in and day out.

His meal ticket to the next level may just have to be his defensive game but he’ll need to continue to put the heavy lifting into fully developing. And who knows? Maybe he will find his offence once again.

ONTARIO HOCKEY FEDERATION ANNOUNCES EXCEPTIONAL PLAYER STATUS FOR MICHAEL MISA

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Cambridge, ON – The Ontario Hockey Federation today announced the results of the review by Hockey Canada in consideration of the application by Michael Misa, determining that the player is to be granted “exceptional player” status and therefore is eligible for the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

The process was administered by the Ontario Hockey Federation with a Hockey Canada Special Evaluation Panel assembled to evaluate Misa’s hockey and academic documentation and to assess his level of maturity in reaching their decision. 

“Having administered this process since 2005 with John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, Sean Day and Shane Wright, I am continuously amazed by the well-rounded nature of those granted exceptional status,” said OHF Executive Director Phillip McKee. “His constant success both in the classroom and on the ice has demonstrated that Michael Misa is well deserving to be among those who have been granted status in the past.” 

Born February 16, 2007, the 15-year-old Misa is a 5-foot-10, 150-pound forward for the Mississauga Senators U16 AAA team, where he scored 16 goals and 27 assists for 43 points in 27 games during the GTHL regular season. The Senators recently lifted the OHL Cup, where Misa scored 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in seven games while also becoming the first player to record a hat-trick in the Championship Final. These numbers saw Misa break the OHL Cup scoring record previously held by Connor McDavid while earning Tournament MVP honours in the process. 

“It’s a huge honour to be counted among names like Connor McDavid and John Tavares to have received exceptional status from Hockey Canada,” said Misa. “I try not to compare myself to those superstars, and just focus on being the best I can be and improve my game every day. 

“The OHL Cup was a tremendous team effort,” Misa added, reflecting on his record-setting performance. “We had to battle through some playoff disappointment and came through on the other side stronger as a team and got the job done together.” 

Misa becomes just the sixth player to be granted “exceptional player” status in the Ontario Hockey League, following John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros, 2005), whose application formed the modern Exceptional Player process, defenceman Aaron Ekblad (Sun County Panthers, 2011), forward Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros, 2012), defenceman Sean Day (Detroit Compuware, 2013) and forward Shane Wright (Don Mills Flyers, 2019). The trio of Tavares, Ekblad, and McDavid were all chosen first overall in the OHL Priority Selection and later first overall in the NHL Draft while Wright is a top prospect for the 2022 NHL Draft in July. 

BULLDOGS, SPITFIRES AND BATTALION INCLUDED IN WEEK 24 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 24 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

The Hamilton Bulldogs continue to bring the bite. Picking up a pair of victories on the week highlighted by a 6-0 road win in Ottawa, netminder Marco Costantini recorded 24 saves for his sixth career shutout, the most in a career by a Bulldogs goaltender. The Bulldogs made it 12-straight games without a regulation loss, improving to 48-12-3-2 on the season, good for 101 points. With the achievement, the Bulldogs claimed the Hamilton Spectator Trophy, presented annually to the OHL club with the best regular season record. The Bulldogs have topped the CHL Top 10 Rankings for two straight weeks.

Soaring to No. 4, the Windsor Spitfires continue to rise after piecing together 13-straight victories, with the past week underscored by three wins in three days highlighted by Friday’s 7-1 road triumph in Guelph that saw the Spitfires clinch top spot in the OHL’s West Division. Leading the way for Windsor is Dallas Stars 2021 first-round selection Wyatt Johnston whose current 12-game point streak has helped him climb to first in league scoring with 123 points in 66 games. The Spits look to continue their winning streak as they close out the regular season with a two-game weekend.

Moving up to eighth nationally, the North Bay Battalion continue to impress after adding two more victories on the week to extend their win streak to six. Among the highlights was Thursday’s overtime decision versus Mississauga that saw the Battalion secure two points and top spot in the OHL’s Central Division for the first time since 2014. Backed by a burgeoning offensive attack, among the leaders is San Jose Sharks draftee Brandon Coe who needs one point in the team’s final three games to become the OHL’s fifth triple-digit producer this season. Mitchell Russell also scored his 40th goal of the season on Saturday as the Troops currently have five different players with at least 30 goals in their lineup.

In the honourable mention category, the Kingston Frontenacs found the win column three times in a three-game weekend that saw the squad combine for 26 goals. Continuing to turn heads in Kingston is 2022 NHL Draft favourite Shane Wright who, since returning from the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, has notched 17 points in nine contests and now sits six shy of the 100-point plateau. Kingston faces Ottawa in back-to-back games before they finish off the regular season in Peterborough on Sunday.

For further analysis on the Week 24 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.


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.

INAUGURAL U14 OHL CUP PRESENTED BY DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO GETS UNDERWAY ON THURSDAY

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The inaugural U14 OHL Cup presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario and hosted by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association gets underway on Thursday at Joshua’s Creek Arena in Oakville, Ont., with Ontario’s top-12 U14 AAA teams assembled to play for provincial supremacy.

“The OHL is proud to partner with the OMHA to present this exciting opportunity, and we look forward to an outstanding weekend of hockey in Oakville,” said OHL Commissioner David Branch. “Occurring annually since 2003, the OHL Cup Showcase for U16 AAA players has included familiar names such as Connor McDavid, John Tavares and Steven Stamkos, in addition to countless players that have played in the OHL and gone on to pursue various careers with the use of their OHL Scholarship.

“The Ontario Hockey League is very proud to be a part of presenting a championship tournament of this magnitude to the U14 AAA category.”

Round robin play gets underway bright and early on Thursday morning with 12 games on the schedule, with play resuming on Friday morning at 9:00am. The Championship Final is slated for Saturday at 3:00pm.

Participating Teams:

Byfield Division:

Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs (ALLIANCE)
Qualified: ALLIANCE Champions (def. London Jr. Knights 7-1 pts.)
Regular Season: 22-2-3, 47 pts. (1st West Division)

Soo Jr. Greyhounds (NOHA)
Qualified: NOHA Champions (def. Sudbury Nickel Capitals 9-3)
Regular Season: 22-2-0, 44 pts. (1st Place)

York-Simcoe Express (OMHA – ETA)
Qualified: OMHA Finalists (lost to Peterborough Petes 3-2 OT)
Regular Season: 23-3-3, 49 pts. (2nd Place)

Duchene Division:

London Jr. Knights (ALLIANCE)
Qualified: ALLIANCE Finalists (Lost to Elgin-Middlesex 7-1 in pts.)
Regular Season: 16-5-3, 35 pts. (2nd West Division)

Oakville Rangers (OMHA – SCTA)
Qualified: OMHA Third Place (def. Barrie Colts 5-0)
Regular Season: 23-0-2, 48 pts. (1st Place)

Vaughan Kings (GTHL)
Qualified: GTHL Champions (def. Toronto Marlboros 5-2)
Regular Season: 27-1-0, 54 pts. (1st Place)

Perfetti Division:

North York Rangers (GTHL)
Qualified: GTHL Third Place (def. Toronto Jr. Canadiens 2-1)
Regular Season: 17-7-4, 38 pts. (t-3rd Place)

Sudbury Nickel Capitals (NOHA)
Qualified: NOHA Finalists (Lost to Soo Jr. Greyhounds 9-3)
Regular Season: 11-16-1, 23 pts. (3rd Place)

Upper Canada Cyclones (HEO)
Qualified: HEO Champions (def. Ottawa Myers Automotive 7-1 pts.)
Regular Season: 13-9-8, 34 pts. (2nd Place)

Stamkos Division:

Peterborough Petes (OMHA – ETA)
Qualified: OMHA Champions (def. York-Simcoe Express 3-2 OT)
Regular Season: 21-3-2, 44 pts. (1st Place)

Ottawa Myers Automotive (HEO)
Qualified: HEO Finalists (Lost to Upper Canada Cyclones 7-1 pts.)
Regular Season: 12-9-9, 33 pts. (3rd Place)

Toronto Marlboros (GTHL)
Qualified: GTHL Finalists (Lost to Vaughan Kings 5-2)
Regular Season: 20-4-4, 44 pts (2nd Place)

Round Robin Schedule:

Thursday, April 14th:
Toronto Marlboros vs. Peterborough Petes – 8:00am (Red Rink)
York-Simcoe Express vs. Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs – 8:30am (Blue Rink)
London Jr. Knights vs. Vaughan Kings – 9:30am (Red Rink)
Sudbury Nickel Capitals vs. Upper Canada Cyclones – 10:00am (Blue Rink)
Ottawa Myers Automotive vs. Toronto Marlboros – 1:00pm (Red Rink)
Soo Jr. Greyhounds vs. York-Simcoe Express – 1:30pm (Blue Rink)
Oakville Rangers vs. London Jr. Knights – 2:30pm (Red Rink)
North York Rangers vs. Sudbury Nickel Capitals – 3:00pm (Blue Rink)
Peterborough Petes vs. Ottawa Myers Automotive – 6:00pm (Red Rink)
Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs vs. Soo Jr. Greyhounds – 6:30pm (Blue Rink)
Vaughan Kings vs. Oakville Rangers – 7:30pm (Red Rink)
Upper Canada Cyclones vs. North York Rangers – 8:00pm (Blue Rink)

Follow the 2022 U14 OHL Cup presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario at u14ohlcup.ca.


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.

Liam Arnsby – North Bay Battalion – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
HTWTDOBPOSSHOOTSOHL DRAFTNHLCSCOUNTRY
5’11”18111-20-03CR9th – 202066th NACANADA
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2018-19U-16 AAADon Mills Flyers49214970
2019-20OHLNorth Bay Battalion4441620
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2021-22OHLNorth Bay Battalion4381422

I realize the OHL regular season is coming to an end, but I still haven’t really gotten a strong sense of what Liam Arnsby of the North Bay Battalion could turn into at the next level. I say that because so many aspects of his game have improved from his rookie season of 2019-2020 except the production. Maybe the lost season of a year ago plays a role.

Liam Arnsby of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images

Arnsby has shown improvements in key skills like skating, puck skills and shooting and that has risen the confidence level of the 9th overall pick at the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. But the lack of improved production might suggest he’s more of a middle round pick destined to top out as a bottom 6 forward at the next level. There’s nothing wrong with that, teams need those types of players as well.

Despite being 5-foot-11-inches and 181 pounds, one might be surprised by the physicality Arnsby brings to the game. He is incredibly strong for his size and he often separates the opposition from the puck with his physicality and strength.

Arnsby has often shown very good hockey IQ and an ability to react instinctively without over thinking – and they are usually the correct decisions. He reads the ice well and is able to find soft spots to make himself available so that he can get off a heavy NHL caliber wrist shot.

Defensively, Arnsby is pretty accomplished. Again, he reads the play quickly and instinctively reacts which enables him to get into passing lanes and break up plays and lead the transition the other way. He comes back to help his defencemen and is not shy about using the body down low to separate the opposition from the puck.

Arnsby isn’t a bad skater but he has shown improvement since his rookie year. He has superior strength in his legs which allows him to take off in his first strides quickly to reach his top speed. It’s that top speed or separation gear he will need to continue to work at as he progresses along. Another asset Arnsby has is his ability to play down the middle or on the right side.

Coming into the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Arnsby was tagged with having untapped offensive potential. Registering 22 points in 43 games isn’t bad, I had just hoped for more. Maybe a leg injury that forced him to miss 20 games played a role. He hasn’t scored a goal in 10 games since his return and has just 4 helpers in that time.

North Bay will be heading to the OHL playoffs in just over a week. A strong performance by Arnsby at both ends of the ice can only help his stock.

CHROMIAK AND SIMPSON NAMED OHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on 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 10, 2022

Frontenacs’ Martin Chromiak Named OHL Player of the Week

Los Angeles Kings prospect Martin Chromiak of the Kingston Frontenacs is the OHL Player of the Week, leading all players with six goals along with four assists for 10 points and a plus/minus rating of plus-7 over three games.

Chromiak put up at least three points in all three Kingston wins as the Fronts jumped ahead of the Mississauga Steelheads to seal up third place in the Eastern Conference standings. Chromiak started things off with his third hat trick of the season on Friday night as the Frontenacs overwhelmed the Barrie Colts 9-3. He’d tack on a highlight reel assist to earn first star honours, finishing with a plus/minus rating of plus-4. Chromiak continued his tear across the scoresheet on Saturday in Mississauga, scoring twice while adding an assist as the Frontenacs scored five third period goals to come back and defeat the Steelheads 7-5. He finished things off in Niagara on Sunday, extending his goal-scoring streak to eight games while adding two assists as the Frontenacs defeated the IceDogs 10-5.

A 19-year-old native of Ilava, Slovakia, Chromiak sits tied for third in OHL goal-scoring with 44 in his sophomore campaign. He’s tallied a total of 86 points (44-42–86) in 57 games and is one of five players in the Kingston lineup with at least 30 goals this season. Chromiak has represented his native Slovakia in two different World Junior Hockey Championship tournaments and was a fifth round (128th overall) selection by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2020 NHL Draft. He signed a three-year entry level NHL contract with the Kings on October 1, 2021. Chromiak was selected by the Frontenacs with the second overall pick of the 2019 CHL Import Draft.

Also considered for the award this week, Frontenacs teammate Lucas Edmonds led the League with 11 points (3-8–11) in three games. Soo Greyhounds forward Tye Kartye helped his team skate to three straight wins, recording nine points (5-4–9) in the process.

2021-22 OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
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)


Petes’ Michael Simpson Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Michael Simpson of the Peterborough Petes is the OHL Goaltender of the Week, playing to a perfect 3-0 record with a 1.32 goals-against average, .954 save percentage and one shutout.

Simpson helped the Petes secure a spot in the OHL Playoffs, backstopping them to a pair of wins over Barrie along with another against Niagara. He stopped all 37 shots he faced on Tuesday night in Barrie, posting his first career OHL shutout as the Petes edged the Colts 1-0. Simpson was in fine form again on Saturday, making 20 saves as the Petes clinched a playoff spot in a 5-1 win over visiting Niagara. He turned aside an additional 26 shots on Sunday as Peterborough skated to a third straight victory, defeating Barrie 8-3 on home ice.

A 19-year-old from London, Ont., Simpson owns a record of 19-18-3-1 with a 3.58 goals-against average and .891 save percentage over 44 games in this, 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.

Also considered for the award this week, Hamilton Bulldogs goaltender Marco Costantini went 2-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average, .943 save percentage and one shutout for the League’s first place team. Veteran netminder Luke Cavallin of the Flint Firebirds also went 2-0, registering a 1.50 goals-against average and .942 save percentage.

2021-22 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
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)


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.

BULLDOGS, SPITFIRES AND BATTALION INCLUDED IN WEEK 23 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 23 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

The Hamilton Bulldogs are into the driver’s seat for the first time all season, topping the Kia CHL Top 10 after a pair of wins over Peterborough and others against Oshawa and Erie last week. The Dogs have won five in a row and 22 of their last 24, leading the OHL standings with a record of 46-12-3-2. The defence has been stingy and the goaltending efficient as Hamilton hasn’t allowed more than three goals in a game since February 13th. On the offensive side, Anaheim Ducks prospect Mason McTavish is the OHL Player of the Week with seven points (4-3–7) while Logan Morrison is seven points shy of 100 on the campaign, leading the team with 93 (32-61–93) in 57 games. This marks the first time the Bulldogs have ever topped the CHL Top 10.

The Windsor Spitfires continue to rattle off the wins and come in at sixth on the list after extending their winning streak to 10 games with defeats of Sarnia, Kitchener and Owen Sound last week. The highest-scoring team in the OHL, Windsor features top scorer Wyatt Johnston, a Dallas Stars first round pick with 119 points (43-76–119) and counting. New York Rangers prospect and 41-goal scorer Will Cuylle has joined veteran wingers Matthew Maggio and Daniel D’Amico to give the Spitfires an abundance of options offensively. Blueliners Louka Henault and Andrew Perrott have consistently found the scoresheet, fuelling Windsor’s fourth-ranked power play.

The North Bay Battalion are in the Top 10 for a third straight week, coming in at ninth riding a four-game winning streak. The Battalion sit five points up on the Mississauga Steelheads with a pair of games in hand and are closing in on a Central Division title. The Troops skated to home wins over Niagara and Barrie last week and prepare for a home date with the Steelheads on Thursday. San Jose Sharks prospect Brandon Coe is three points shy of 100 on the season, hoping to join past teammate Justin Brazeau (113 points, 2018-19) as the second North Bay Battalion player to hit triple digits.

For further analysis on the Week 23 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.


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 ANNOUNCES FINDINGS OF INVESTIGATION INTO NIAGARA ICEDOGS HOCKEY CLUB

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – Ontario Hockey League Commissioner David Branch today announced that Niagara IceDogs General Manager, Team Governor and minority owner Joey Burke and Head Coach and minority owner Billy Burke have been indefinitely suspended and, together with the team, fined a combined $150,000.00. An investigation was launched into their overall conduct following the League receiving transcripts of a March 6, 2022 WhatsApp conversation.

Based on the results of the League investigation, it is the position of the League that their conduct is prejudicial to the welfare of the OHL as it violates the Leagues’ Harassment & Abuse / Diversity Policy and also runs counter to the OHL’s Onside program which emphasizes the importance of demonstrating respect for women through actions and words.

Joey and Billy Burke will have the opportunity to apply for reinstatement no sooner than June 1, 2024. At that time, the Commissioner will assess whether they have successfully completed counselling and education to ensure that there will be no additional violations of League rules, policies, or expected conduct.

MISSISSAUGA SENATORS ARE 2022 OHL CUP POWERED BY UNDER ARMOUR CHAMPIONS

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – Michael Misa had a record night, powering the wild card entry Mississauga Senators to a 6-2 win in the 2022 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour Championship Final at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

A big crowd witnessed the first-ever Championship Final hat trick and five-point performance as Misa, an underage forward,  broke Connor McDavid’s 2012 showcase record, claiming tournament MVP honours with 20 points (10-10–20) in seven games.

“This is the biggest tournament of minor hockey and I’ll remember this game forever,” said Misa, soaking in the win post-game. “It’s been a great ride with the boys and I couldn’t have dreamed of a better ending.”

Senators head coach Chris Stevenson has coached the group since their minor atom days, and was emotional after the final horn.

“We took the long road. Obviously we didn’t have the GTHL Playoffs that we hoped for but we learned from it, got to that wild card game and got better every game.

“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys. I’ve seen them grow and tonight means so much.”

The first Senators championship in OHL Cup history started fast as Bode Stewart and Malcolm Spence scored a pair of goals in the opening five minutes, but the Jr. Canadiens would respond as Porter Martone scored his seventh of the showcase at 7:38.

Misa’s first of the night came with 3:49 remaining in the opening frame as he took a Justin Hyunh feed on the doorstep and put it past Jr. Canadiens netminder Paolo Frasca to send the Sens to the dressing room up 3-1.

The Jr. Canadiens suffered a blow early in the second period when Martone was ejected from the game, but got a shot in the arm on a power play blast from Anthony Cristoforo who brought them within two. Misa’s second of the night came unassisted at 10:39 of the second as the Senators wrestled back the momentum for good. He’d complete the hat trick 1:08 into the third for his 10th goal of the showcase, besting Shane Wright’s 2019 mark of 18 points on the tournament.

Misa surpassed McDavid on Bode Stewart’s second goal of the night with 1:24 left on the clock, sealing the deal as Mississauga led 6-2.

The Senators outshot the Jr. Canadiens 26-21, going 3-for-6 on the power play as goaltender Evan Maillet made 19 saves.

The loss marks the Jr. Canadiens’ first of the tournament as they finish with a record of 6-1. Michael Hage led JRC with 16 points (7-9–16) trailed closely by Martone who produced 15 (7-8–15). Anthony Cristoforo (2-7–9) led all defencemen with nine points in the tournament.

The Mississauga Senators reign supreme in 2022, defeating the Ajax-Pickering Raiders 8-2 in wild card action before playing to a 6-1 record, outscoring opponents 40-18. Misa led the way on the scoresheet with his new showcase record of 20 points (10-10–20). The Senators join the 2017 Mississauga Reps and 2010 Mississauga Rebels as the third wild card entry to hoist the OHL Cup.

The OHL Cup was presented to Senators goaltenders Evan Maillet and Kabo Leung by GTHL President Don West and OHL Commissioner David Branch. The game was broadcast live on CHL TV and across the province on the OHL Action Pak.

For more information, visit ohlcup.ca.

GAME CENTRE


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.