Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, January 1, 2023.
Petes’ Connor Lockhart Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week
Vancouver Canucks prospect Connor Lockhart of the Peterborough Petes is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, posting four goals, five assists and nine points in three games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-7.
Lockhart helped the Petes take three wins last week, extending their current winning streak to five games. He recorded a goal and an assist as the Petes defeated the Mississauga Steelheads 5-1 on Thursday. Lockhart’s success continued on Friday as he contributed four helpers in a 6-2 road win over the Kitchener Rangers. The Petes forward finished the weekend with a natural hat-trick in the second period on Sunday as Peterborough opened the new year with a 6-1 win over the rival Oshawa Generals.
A 19-year-old from Kanata, Ont., Lockhart has recorded 13 goals, 29 assists and 42 points in 32 games this season. He’s produced 117 points (45-72–117) over 153 career OHL regular season games between Peterborough and Erie since being selected by the Otters with the third overall pick of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection. Lockhart was selected in the sixth round (178th overall) by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Also considered for the award this week, Lockhart’s Petes linemates Tucker Robertson (4-5–9) and J.R. Avon (4-4–8) were also productive while Saginaw Spirit blueliner Pavel Mintyukov had eight points (1-7–8) in three victories including an overtime game winner.
2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Connor Lockhart (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Evan Vierling (Barrie Colts)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Ryan Gagnier (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Quentin Musty (Sudbury Wolves)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Jorian Donovan (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Matthew Poitras (Guelph Storm)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Brody Crane (London Knights)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Matvey Petrov (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Deni Goure (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Tucker Robertson (Peterborough Petes)
Petes’ Michael Simpson Named OHL Goaltender of the Week
Michael Simpson of the Peterborough Petes is the OHL Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.00 goals-against average and .973 save percentage.
Helping Peterborough close out the 2022 calendar year with a pair of victories, Simpson turned aside 40 of the 41 shots he faced in a first star performance as the Petes defeated the Mississauga Steelheads 5-1 on Thursday. The six-foot-one, 198 lb. goaltender was back between the pipes on Sunday, backstopping the Petes to a 6-1 road victory over the Oshawa Generals where he made 33 saves for the win.
A 19-year-old from London, Ont., Simpson leads the OHL with a 2.57 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and two shutouts through 27 games, posting a record of 14-9-1-2. The second-year netminder played to a 20-18-3-1 mark in 2021-22, registering a 3.56 goals-against average and .891 save percentage. Simpson was a 10th round (193rd overall) pick of the Petes in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection from the London Jr. Knights U16 program.
Also in the running for the award this week, London Knights netminder Brett Brochu turned aside 61 shots, going 2-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .953 save percentage. Arizona Coyotes prospect Anson Thornton of the Barrie Colts also went 2-0 with a 1.93 goals-against average, .949 save percentage and a shoutout victory.
2022-23 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Marco Costantini (Kitchener Rangers)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Owen Flores (Niagara IceDogs)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Joe Ranger (Sudbury Wolves)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Carter George (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Ivan Zhigalov (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Alessio Beglieri (Mississauga Steelheads)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)
About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.
OHL Writers 