Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of OHL playoff games ending Sunday, April 9, 2023.
67’s’ Luca Pinelli Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week
2023 NHL Draft prospect Luca Pinelli of the Ottawa 67’s is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording three goals, four assists and seven points in three playoff contests along with a plus/minus rating of plus-6.
Helping Ottawa skate to a 4-1 series win over the Oshawa Generals, Pinelli started the week with a pair of assists in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Generals on Tuesday night. Pinelli went on to pick-up first star honours on Thursday, recording a four-point night with a pair of goals and assists as the 67’s blanked Oshawa 9-0. The 5-foot-9, 165lb. forward went on to score the game-winning goal on Saturday, punching Ottawa’s ticket to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals with a 4-2 win over the Generals.
An 18-year-old from Stoney Creek, Ont., Pinelli leads the 67’s in playoff points with five goals, seven assists and 12 points (5-7-12) over five games played. Pinelli recorded 29 goals, 34 assists and 63 points (29-34-63) in 67 games as a sophomore this past season. Selected in the second round (28th overall) by Ottawa in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 program, the left-winger recorded 36 points (14-22-36) in his first season with the 67’s in 2021-22. Pinelli attended the CHL Top Prospects game in January and was listed as the 49th-ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s midseason rankings.
Also considered for the award this week, Edmonton Oilers prospect Matvey Petrov put up eight assists (0-8–8) in four games for the North Bay Battalion as fellow teammate and Dallas Stars prospect Kyle McDonald also had success, recording six goals, one assist and seven points as the Troops move on to the second round of the OHL Playoffs.
2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Playoffs:
Apr. 3 – Apr. 9: Luca Pinelli (Ottawa 67’s)
Mar. 27 – Apr. 2: Matyas Sapovaliv (Saginaw Spirit)
2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 20 – Mar. 26: Ethan Miedema (Kingston Frontenacs)
Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
Mar. 6– Mar. 12: Sahil Panwar (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Christian Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Braeden Bowman (Guelph Storm)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Nolan Burke (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Sean McGurn (London Knights)
Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Sahil Panwar (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: James Hardie (Mississauga Steelheads)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Colby Barlow (Owen Sound Attack)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Bryce McConnell-Barker (Soo Greyhounds)
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)
Knights’ Brett Brochu Named OHL Goaltender of the Week
Brett Brochu of the London Knights is the OHL Goaltender of the Week, going 2-0 with a 0.90 goals-against average, .966 save percentage and a shutout in two outings last week.
Brochu helped the Knights to a 4-0 first round series win over the Owen Sound Attack last week. The overage netminder turned aside 34 of the 36 shots he faced on Tuesday night as London defeated Owen Sound 3-2 in overtime. He posted his second shutout of the series on Thursday, stopping all 23 shots he faced as the Knights blanked the Attack 5-0, clinching their spot in the Western Conference Semi-Finals against the rival Kitchener Rangers.
A 20-year-old from Belle River, Ont., Brochu owned a 28-17-2-0 record with a 2.82 goals-against average and .902 save percentage in 47 games played this past season. The reigning Jim Rutherford OHL Goaltender of the Year Award recipient will graduate with 89 career victories, the second-most in London Knights franchise history. He posted a 2.67 goals-against average and .910 save percentage over 132 career regular season games, and also set a new OHL record for wins by a rookie goaltender with 32 in 2019-20. Brochu was London’s sixth round (114th overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. He attended training camp with the Vancouver Canucks this past September.
Also considered for the award this week, Ottawa 67’s netminder Max Donoso went 2-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average, a .969 save percentage and a shutout. Winnipeg Jets prospect Dom DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion played to a 3-1 mark, posting a 2.27 goals-against average, a .937 save percentage and a shutout last week.
2022-23 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Playoffs:
Apr. 3 – Apr. 9: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Mar. 27 – Apr. 2: Marco Costantini (Kitchener Rangers)
2022-23 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 20 – Mar. 26: Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Liam Sztuska (Peterborough Petes)
Mar. 6 – Mar. 12: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Zach Bowen (London Knights)
Jan 30 – Feb. 5: Nate Krawchuk (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan 23 – Jan. 29: Jacob Oster (Oshawa Generals)
Jan 16 – Jan. 22: Mason Vaccari (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan 9 – Jan. 15: Matteo Drobac (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
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.
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