Dominic Tiano

Allan McShane – Oshawa Generals – Player Profile

Posted on December 28, 2017December 28, 2017 by Dominic Tiano

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 187 pounds

Date of birth: February 14, 2000

Hometown: Collingwood, Ontario

Position: C/LW

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 19^th overall, 2016 Priority Selection (Erie Otters)

Oshawa Generals’ forward Allan McShane played his minor midget hockey with the Toronto Marlboros during the 2015-2016 season where he put up very good offensive numbers with 30 goals and 28 assists in 55 games. That offensive output led the Erie Otters to select McShane in the first round of the 2016 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection, using their 19^th overall pick.

The following season, McShane would make the Otters’ roster right out of camp. He would appear in 33 games for Erie and notched 7 goals and 16 assists for 23 points.

Allan McShane of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

A mid season trade would send McShane to the Oshawa Generals. McShane was the focal point in a deal that sent Anthony Cirelli to the Otters in their quest for an OHL and Memorial Cup Championship.

McShane would go on to appear in 29 games for the Generals scoring 10 goals and adding another 11 assists. His 16 goals on the campaign ranked him 6^th among rookies, while his 27 assists left him tied for 3^rd and his 44 points 5^th. He would be named to the OHL First All-Rookie squad.

Internationally, McShane has represented Canada at the Under-16 (4 goals, 6 assists in 6 games) and the World Hockey Challenge Under-17 (3 goals, 2 assists in 6 games). He was also an offensive force at the OHL Cup scoring 5 goals and 8 assists in 13 games. He helped his team capture silver in all 3 events.

Coming into this season, McShane would find himself on the National Hockey League Central Scouting’s players to watch list as a B prospect – typically a second or third round pick. On Central’s updated list where 139 Canadian Hockey League players made the cut in November, some were surprised to still find him as a B prospect and expected a rise in the rankings like teammate Serron Noel received.

McShane may just be the second-best playmaker out of the OHL draft group behind only top-2 consensus pick Andrei Svechnikov of the Barrie Colts.

While McShane lacks an explosive first step and high-end speed, he navigates around the offensive zone because of his shiftiness, the ability to go undetected and excellent hockey IQ and anticipation. Once he receives the puck, he has excellent possession skills and excellent patience which allows time for the play to develop. He also has underrated strength despite being a “smaller” forward. Fear of battling along the walls or driving to the net with or without the puck does not exist in McShane.

Despite the excellent playmaking abilities, McShane can sometimes be seen as having a shoot-first mentality. Being selfish in certain situations can only lead to good things. He possesses a deceptively good shot that he can get off in stride or on his back skate which can cause trouble for netminders.

Defensively, McShane is no slouch either. He puts in a strong effort on the backcheck despite the explosive speed, never giving up on it. He understands his role and where he should be in behind his own blueline. He gets into lanes with either his body or his stick, creates turnovers and he effectively clears the zone.

Size can sometimes unfairly come into play for a sub-6-foot player. But there is no questioning McShane’s talent.

Allan McShane

Eliteprospects.com Stat page of Allan McShane

OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour Minor Midget Top-10 Rankings

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the sixth edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2018 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

OHL Cup

The 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour and hosted by the GTHL is scheduled for March 13-19 and will feature 20 teams from across Ontario and the United States showcasing many of the top players eligible for the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. All games will be played at Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 19 where it will be broadcasted nationally on Sportsnet.

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 6

RANK	TEAM	LEAGUE	LAST WEEK	WEEKS RANKED
1	Toronto Marlboros	GTHL	1	6
2	Oakville Rangers	OMHA	2	6
3	Vaughan Kings	GTHL	4	6
4	Mississauga Reps	GTHL	3	6
5	Barrie Colts	GTHL	5	6
6	Don Mills Flyers	GTHL	6	6
7	Niagara North Stars	OMHA	8	5
8	Detroit Little Caesars U15	USA	9	6
9	Cambridge Hawks	ALLIANCE	7	6
10	York-Simcoe Express	OMHA	10	4

	Honourable Mention:
	Toronto Jr. Canadiens	GTHL	–	–
	Peterborough Petes	OMHA	–	2
	Guelph Gryphons	OMHA	–	1

The sixth edition of the weekly rankings sees the Vaughan Kings leapfrog the Mississauga Reps to take possession of third on the list thanks to a pair of recent victories. The Niagara North Stars rise one spot to number seven and Detroit Little Caesars climbs into the eighth spot while the Cambridge Hawks fall two slots to ninth. The Guelph Gryphons are back in the honourable mention category. This week’s list comes in time for the Toronto Marlboros Holiday Classic which features 56 minor midget teams from across Ontario and the United States competing December 27-30 and includes all teams in this week’s rankings.

Tournament Structure:

16 of the 20 spots in the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour are guaranteed through league competition. The 16 guaranteed spots continue to include all four GTHL Semi-Finalists, and the top four teams that place at the OMHA Championship. Three teams from the ALLIANCE will still be guaranteed a spot in the tournament including the Champion and Finalist, along with the winner of a best-of-three Semi-Final Wild Card Series to be played between the losers of the two league Semi-Finals. Also as in past years, two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition, while both an HNO and NOHA representative will also compete. For the second straight season the final guaranteed spot will be awarded to HEO but represented by their previous year Bantam Championship team who will be reassembled for tournament competition. This season, HEO’s entry will be members of the 2017 Bantam Champion Ottawa Jr. 67’s.

Wild Card Games:

The final four entries at the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour will be Wild Cards determined among eight teams that will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario. The eight competing teams aiming for the final four tournament spots will continue to include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship, and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series. As introduced in 2016, two spots in Wild Card games will be reserved for GTHL teams. The two competing GTHL teams will be determined through a pair of Wild Card Play-In Series matchups involving the four GTHL teams who qualified for the playoffs but lost in the first round. As introduced in 2017, one spot in a Wild Card will also be reserved for the winner of an OMHA SCTA Consolation Game that features both teams who lost in the SCTA Tournament Semi-Final. The OMHA teams eligible for this matchup will be determined annually based on the league not hosting the OMHA Championship. Finally, the three remaining teams who will compete in the Wild Card matchups will be named by the Tournament Selection Committee. The Committee will evaluate and review a team’s post-season success as the first criteria for selection, with additional criteria to include regular season play and tournament play. All four Wild Card games will take place on Tuesday March 13 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the eight competing teams on Tuesday March 6.

History:

Last season the Mississauga Reps captured their first OHL Cup title, defeating the Toronto Nationals 3-2 on Dennis Golovatchev’s late game winner with nine seconds remaining in the third period. Current Kitchener Rangers forward Mike Petizian led the showcase with 13 points (5-8—13) in seven games to earn the Tim Adams Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP.

The 2017 OHL Priority Selection featured 15 players chosen in the first round who competed for the OHL Cup including Ryan Suzuki (London Jr. Knights – 1st overall Barrie Colts), Tag Bertuzzi (TPH Hockey – 2nd overall Guelph Storm), Brandon Coe (Toronto Nationals – 3rd overall North Bay Battalion), Nicholas Porco (Vaughan Kings – 4th overall Saginaw Spirit), Philip Tomasino (Mississauga Rebels – 5th overall Niagara IceDogs), Graeme Clarke (Toronto Marlboros – 6th overall Ottawa 67’s), Blake Murray (Whitby Wildcats – 7th overall Sudbury Wolves), Jack Hughes (Toronto Marlboros – 8th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Jamieson Rees (Mississauga Reps – 9th overall Sarnia Sting), Ethan Keppen (Toronto Nationals – 10th overall Flint Firebirds), Connor McMichael (Ajax-Pickering Raiders – 11th overall Hamilton Bulldogs), Cody Morgan (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 12th overall Kingston Frontenacs), Thomas Harley (Vaughan Kings – 14th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Nathan Staios (Vaughan Kings – 17th overall Windsor Spitfires) and Lucas Rowe (Mississauga Reps – 18th overall London Knights).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Travis Konecny (Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs/Philadelphia Flyers), Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Arizona Coyotes), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/New Jersey Devils), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/Nashville Predators), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

2018 marks the second season of a three-year partnership between the OHL and GTHL with Under Armour that includes title sponsorship of the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament. The OHL and GTHL are also in the second season of a five-year partnership extension announced in 2017 that ensures the event will continue to be hosted by the GTHL through 2021.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

World Juniors Recap: Day 2

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Dominic Tiano

Scores

Switzerland 3 Belarus 2

Canada 6 Slovakia 0

Upcoming games

December 28, 2017

Finland vs Denmark

Russia vs Switzerland

Sweden vs Czech Republic

December 29, 2017

Belarus vs Russia

Canada vs USA (outdoor game, weather permitting)

STANDINGS

GROUP A

Team	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	PTS	+/-
Canada	2	2	0	0	0	6	8
USA	1	1	0	0	0	3	9
Finland	1	0	0	0	1	0	-2
Slovakia	1	0	0	0	1	0	-6
Denmark	1	0	0	0	1	0	-9

GROUP B

Team	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	PTS	+/-
Sweden	1	0	0	0	0	3	5
Czech	1	0	0	0	0	3	1
Switzerland	1	1	0	0	0	3	1
Russia	1	0	0	0	1	0	-1
Belarus	2	0	0	0	2	0	-6

Swiss edge Belarus

Nicolas Muller and Valentin Nussbaumer also scored for Switzerland. For Belarus, Maxim Sushko had a goal and an assist and Viktor Bovbel had the other goal.

“It was a tough game but we won, and that’s the most important thing,” said Kurashev.

It was the second straight loss for newly promoted Belarus, whose starting goalie Andrei Grishenko performed valiantly as shots on goal favored Switzerland 40-29.

“Our start was not so good,” said Belarus’s Igor Martynov. “We had a lot of mistakes and gave up a goal. But then we managed to play better. However, the last two goals broke our game. We should play better, we should fight, we should attack. Then I think everything will be OK.”

Diligent and disciplined as always, the Swiss lack a Nico Hischier-style game-breaker this year, and are looking for scoring by committee.

“We didn’t take advantage of our chances in the first two periods and that made it tough for us,” said captain Nando Eggenberger. “In the third, we were much more effective. We have to score on our chances, especially the rest of the tournament as the games get more important. We had a lot of shots but not many goals.”

Canada moves to 2-0

Colton Point, making his Team Canada debut, stopped 20 mostly harmless shots to record the shutout.

Jonah Gadjovich had two goals while Jordan Kyrou had a goal and two assists to take over the tournament scoring lead with four points.

“I thought that we got better as the game went on,” Gadjovich remarked, “and I think we’ve gotten better every period. We’re doing well in building our game, and I thought I did well contributing in all areas of the ice. It’s special. You watch guys from the past who have scored, and it means a lot to help our country.”

Steel agreed. “We’re building. Each and every period, we want to get better. We didn’t have quite the effort we wanted yesterday, but I thought tonight we got better every period. We’re going in the right direction.”

The result couldn’t have been a surprise given that Canada has never lost to Slovakia in 20 years of U20 play. The record is now 12 wins and a tie, and that small sign of life from Slovakia was only a scoreless draw in 1998.

Canada now has two days off to prepare for its monumental showdown with the U.S., outdoors at New Era Field. The Slovaks play those same Americans tomorrow night, indoors, at Key Bank Center.

Tonight, Canada showed great speed and puck pursuit, using superior tenacity and strength to claim most of the loose pucks and maintain possession.

Steel’s opening marker came off a deflected pass in the slot. The puck wound up on his stick with goalie David Hrenak looking for a shot the other way. Steel had an open net, which he hit, at 3:39.

World Juniors Recap: Day 1

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Dominic Tiano

Scores

Czech Republic 5 Russia 4

Belarus 1 Sweden 6

Canada 4 Finland 2

Denmark 0 USA 9

Upcoming games

December 27, 2017

Switzerland vs Belarus

Slovakia vs Canada

December 28, 2017

Finland vs Denmark

Russia vs Switzerland

Sweden vs Czech Republic

USA vs Slovakia

STANDINGS

Group A

Team	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	+/-	PTS
USA	1	1	0	0	0	9	3
Canada	1	1	0	0	0	2	3
Finland	1	0	0	0	1	-2	0
Denmark	1	0	0	0	1	-9	0
Slovakia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Group B

Team	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	+/-	PTS
Sweden	1	1	0	0	0	5	3
Czech	1	1	0	0	0	1	3
Russia	1	0	0	0	1	-1	0
Belarus	1	0	0	0	1	-5	0
Switzerland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Czechs stun Russia, 5-4

The improbable win came in the opening game of the 2018 World Junior Championship and was only the second victory for the Czechs in the last eleven meetings between the two teams.

“We scored five times against the Russians, so that was big for us,” said Czech defenceman Vojtech Budik. “They’re always such a good team, but our coaches prepared us really well for this game, and we played with a lot of intensity.”

The U20 has been an event that has been as favoured by the Russians as it has been disappointing for the Czechs. Indeed, Russia has earned a medal in 22 of the last 26 U20 tournaments while the Czechs haven’t reached the medals since 2005 (bronze).

This afternoon, however, the Czechs took the initiative from the get-go and proved resilient when pressed. They opened the scoring with a power-play goal just 4:42 into the game, Martin Necas wiring a shot from the slot off a nice corner feed from Martin Kaut who had three assists in the game.

Sweden tops Belarus

“We just talked about keeping going and doing what we do,” said Andersson. “Obviously, the first game is the first game. It was a bit shaky from us, but we kept going.”

Elias Pettersson and Erik Brannstrom had a goal and an assist apiece, and Glenn Gustafsson and Jens Boqvist also scored for Sweden, which is seeking a medal after three straight fourth-place finishes. Alexander Nylander, Rasmus Dahlin, and Fredrik Karlstrom all chipped in two assists.

“We got the win and the job done, so that’s good,” said Pettersson.

Yegor Sharangovich replied for Belarus.

Sweden’s Filip Gustavsson, named Best Goalie at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship in North Dakota made just 8 saves for the win in front of the HarborCenter crowd. Andrei Grishenko, making his World Junior debut between the pipes for Belarus, had 30 saves.

Canada off and running

Canada got goals from four scorers and solid goaltending from Carter Hart, the goalie of record in last year’s heart-breaking loss to the U.S. in the gold-medal game in Montreal.

In addition, Canada got two beneficial video reviews to allow its first goal and to disallow a possible Finnish goal. Good teams get lucky sometimes, and Canada was both good and lucky, to be sure.

“We had a pretty strong game,” offered defenceman Victor Mete, on loan from the Montreal Canadiens. “We took it to them in the first period, set the tone, and came out with the win. We have a lot of great skaters on this team, so if we can use our speed to our advantage, we will. It could have been a lot more than a 4-2 game, I think.”

Canada’s first goal was impressive. Boris Katchouk simply skated past two Finns to get to a loose puck and create a breakaway. He made a quick deke on goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, hitting the post as he pushed the puck past the goalie.

The puck then caromed off Luukkonen’s skate and went in. As this was happening, though, Katchouk crashed into the crossbar and pushed the net off its moorings. Video review showed the puck crossed the goal line while the pegs were still in contact with the holes, thus making for a “good hockey goal.”

Home of the brave

Fan favorite Casey Mittelstadt and Kieffer Bellows delivered two goals apiece. Patrick Harper and Max Jones each had a goal and an assist, and Kailer Yamamoto, Andrew Peeke and Dylan Samberg also scored for the United States. Quinn Hughes and Josh Norris had two assists apiece. The U.S. outshot Denmark 36-17.

“We came out ready to go,” said Mittelstadt. “We got a nice goal from Jonesy right away to start it off. That got us rolling. In a tournament like this, it’s big to get the first one.”

Goalie Joseph Woll, who backed up Tyler Parsons for last year’s gold-medal team, recorded his first career World Junior shutout and third win. Danish starter Kasper Krog, whose 91.9 save percentage was third-best among 2017 goalies, will have a hard time cleaning up his stats in Buffalo. He only allowed nine goals in total last year.

The Danes are seeking their fourth consecutive quarter-final berth, but set the wrong tone at Key Bank Arena. This was their third all-time meeting with the Americans. Although not favored to prevail, they would have preferred to at least keep the score closer to their previous encounter (a 4-1 U.S. win on 31 December 2015) than their inaugural flop (an 11-3 U.S. win on 26 December 2011).

Showdown 2018: Merkley Versus Bouchard

Posted on December 26, 2017December 26, 2017 by Dominic Tiano

In 2017 it was Nicolas Hague (Mississauga Steelheads) versus Conor Timmins (Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds). In 2016 it was Olli Juolevi (London Knights) versus Mikhail Sergachev (Windsor Spitfires) versus Jakob Chychrun (Sarnia Sting).

But when the debate arises between Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm or Evan Bouchard of the London Knights as to who should be the first defenceman selected from the Ontario Hockey League at the 2018 National Hockey League Entry Draft, I flash back to the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

During that 2010-2011 OHL season, it was long debated among draft geeks on whether it should be Dougie Hamilton (Niagara Ice Dogs) or Ryan Murphy (Kitchener Rangers) that should be selected first. In a lot of ways, there are similarities between the Hamilton – Murphy debate and the Merkley – Bouchard debate.

Evan Bouchard of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images — Evan Bouchard of the London Knights and Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

At the time of his draft, Murphy was 5’11” and 170 pounds, Merkley is 5’11” and 163 pounds. Hamilton was drafted at 6’5” and 193 pounds while Bouchard, not as tall as Hamilton, measures in at 6’3” and 191 pounds.

Murphy was labeled an elite skater with a howitzer of a shot who used his skating advantage to succeed offensively. He was a dominant force on the powerplay through his OHL time. There were questions about his defensive game, although sometimes unwarranted. And of course, the size questions and whether the smaller statured defender could succeed at the NHL level never ended. But it was a pair of severe concussions in the OHL that may just affected Murphy’s development.

Six years later, some of the same things are now being repeated. Merkley is also an elite skater who uses it to his advantage offensively. As with Murphy, there are some significant questions being asked about his defensive game. And while they are identical in size, to date Merkley has avoided severe injury.

Let’s compare the pairs’ offensive output in their first two OHL seasons (the second season being their draft year). In Merkley’s case, it’s been less than half a season so we’ll look at his current stats and the pace he is on for the season.

	SEASON	GP	G	A	PTS
Ryan Murphy	2009-2010	62	6	33	39
Ryan Merkley	2016-2017	62	12	43	55
Ryan Murphy	2010-2011*	63	26	53	79
Ryan Merkley	2017-2018*	33	10	32	42
On pace for		68	21	66	87

Merkley clearly out-produced Murphy during their respective rookie seasons. However, their draft years are virtually identical in terms of offensive output when translating Merkley’s current pact over a 68-game schedule.

Hamilton was considered one of a growing breed of big defencemen with excellent mobility with the ability to translate from defence to offence in many ways. While there is a minimal size difference between Hamilton and Bouchard, the same is being attributed to Bouchard as was to Hamilton.

In 2011, Hamilton was considered the better all-around player. The same is being said about Bouchard in the current debate. Hamilton was a force on the Ice Dogs powerplay and his offensive game underrated compared to Murphy’s. Ditto for Bouchard. If there is one key difference between Bouchard and Hamilton, it’s that Bouchard is more willing to use his size. Of course, that is my own opinion.

When comparing Hamilton’s stats to Bouchard’s stats, it must be noted that because of a late birthdate, Bouchard started his OHL career as a 15-year-old. Therefore, Bouchard’s draft year is his third season while Hamilton was drafted in his second season (* denotes draft year). Ultimately, you are comparing Bouchard’s draft year to Hamilton’s draft year plus one.

	SEASON	GP	G	A	PTS
Dougie Hamilton	2009-2010	64	3	13	16
Evan Bouchard	2015-2016	43	2	15	17
Dougie Hamilton	2010-2011*	67	12	46	58
Evan Bouchard	2016-2017	68	11	33	44
Dougie Hamilton	2011-2012	50	17	55	77
Evan Bouchard	2017-2018*	34	12	30	42
On pace for		68	24	60	84

Hamilton’s and Bouchard’s rookie seasons are about as identical as they come, although Hamilton was older and played in 19 more games. But if you jump to their respective draft years and the pace Bouchard is currently on, then it becomes lopsided in Bouchard’s favor.

The Boston Bruins decided that the size and the better all-around player was the best choice and selected Hamilton with the ninth overall pick. Murphy was selected three picks later by the Carolina Hurricanes.

The question is: will NHL teams see it the same way in 2018?

Bouchard was not getting the attention he truly deserved with many of the independent, public scouting services having him ranked in the second-round while Merkley was ranked in the first. But that’s changing as of late. It is after all, a what have you done for me lately business.

I do wonder though, what were they watching for the past three seasons?

World Junior Championship Rosters

Posted on December 24, 2017December 24, 2017 by Dominic Tiano

The World Junior Championships are less then 48 hours away and the ten countries involved have finalized or continue to finalize the rosters that will bring together the best Under-20 hockey players from around the globe. Only Belarus, Russia and Slovakia need to submit their final roster.

Canada (8), Finland (1), Slovakia (3), United States (2), Belarus (1), Czech Republic (1), Russia (4), Sweden (1) and Switzerland (1) have Ontario Hockey League players either on their final rosters or competing for the last remaining roster spots.

Two former big-name OHL’ers, and former London Knights’ teammates, are also on the rosters. Victor Mete (Canada) is on loan from the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League. Olli Juolevi (Finland) is on loan from TPS from Finland’s Liiga.

Maxim Sushko of the Owen Sound Attack and a 4^th round draft pick, 107^th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2017 Entry Draft, remains in contention for a roster spot with Belarus.

For Team Russia, Alexei Lipanov of the Barrie Colts (Round 3, 76^th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2017), Dimitri Sokolov of the Sudbury Wolves (Round 7, 196^th overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2016), Andrei Svechnikov of the Barrie Colts (consensus number 2 pick in the 2018 draft) and Dmitri Samorukov of the Guelph Storm (Round 3, 84^th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2017) are looking for a final roster spot.

Adam Liska of the Kitchener Rangers (eligible for the 2018 draft), Adam Ruzicka of the Sarnia Sting (Round 4, 109^th overall by the Calgary Flames in 2017) and Marian Studenic of the Hamilton Bulldogs (Round 5, 143^rd overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2017) are still in contention for Slovakia.

For the complete tournament schedule, click here

For standings click here

For complete stats for the current or past tournaments, visit eliteprospects.com

Here are the rosters courtesy of Elite Prospects:

Group A

Canada

Denmark

Finland

Slovakia (final cuts to be made)

Slovakia

United States

USA

Group B

Belarus (final cuts to be made)

Belarus

Czech Republic

Russia (final cuts to be made)

Russia

Sweden

Switzerland

CHL Announces Top 10 Rankings

Posted on December 20, 2017March 14, 2018 by Dominic Tiano

Top 10

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week 14 edition of the CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2017-18 season. The weekly rankings of the CHL’s Top-10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 14

Rank:	Team:	Last Week Rank:	Number of Weeks Ranked:
1	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (29-3-2-0)	1	14
2	Moose Jaw Warriors (27-6-1-1)	2	12
3	Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (23-7-2-0)	5	14
4	Swift Current Broncos (25-7-2-0)	6	11
5	Brandon Wheat Kings (24-8-0-1)	4	5
6	Sarnia Sting (25-8-2-0)	3	11
7	Rimouski Oceanic (22-8-4-0)	7	6
8	Hamilton Bulldogs (21-7-3-3)	10	4
9	Drummondville Voltigeurs (22-11-1-1)	9	6
10	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (20-8-4-2)	–	4

	Honourable Mention:
	Halifax Mooseheads (21-9-4-1)	–	3
	Barrie Colts (20-10-2-1)	–	1
	Gatineau Olympiques (20-10-2-2)	–	0

The 15th edition of the CHL Top-10 Rankings will be announced

CHL Announces Weekly Award Winners

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Dominic Tiano

Greyhounds’ Morgan Frost named CHL Player of the Week

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Philadelphia Flyers prospect Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending December 17 after scoring four goals and four assists for eight points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-9.

Frost extended his personal point-streak to 11 with a trio of multi-point performances last week that helped the top ranked Greyhounds wrap up the first half of the 2017-18 season riding a 20-game winning-streak. He earned first star honours on Wednesday with two goals in a 4-1 win over the Flint Firebirds, then notched two assists on Friday in a 4-3 victory against the Kitchener Rangers. His top performance came Saturday in Guelph with his second four-point effort of the season with two goals and two assists as second star of a 7-1 win over the Storm.

An 18-year-old from Aurora, Ont., Frost is playing in his third season with the Greyhounds who chose him in the fourth round of the 2015 OHL Priority Selection. Frost ranks third in OHL scoring with 19 goals and 36 assists for 55 points in 33 games and carries a plus-minus rating of plus-42 which is highest in the entire CHL. He was selected in the first round, 27th overall, by the Flyers in the 2017 NHL Draft and was signed to an entry-level contract in August.

Also considered for the award this week was Nolan Volcan of the Seattle Thunderbirds with two goals and five assists for seven points in two games, and Rémy Anglehart of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada who scored five goals in two games.

2017-18 CHL Players of the Week:

Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Stelio Mattheos (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Alex Barré-Boulet (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Cody Glass (Portland Winterhawks)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Aleksi Heponiemi (Swift Current Broncos)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Drake Batherson (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Tyler Soy (Victoria Royals)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Tyler Steenbergen (Swift Current Broncos)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Kole Lind (Kelowna Rockets)

Olympiques’ Tristan Bérubé named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Tristan Bérubé of the Gatineau Olympiques is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending December 17 after posting a 2-0-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .970.

Bérubé turned aside 65 shots last week backstopping the Olympiques to a pair of victories as they enter the holiday break with eight straight wins and an overall record of 20-10-2-2 just four points shy of first place. He earned first star honours on Wednesday with 37 saves as part of a 4-1 win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs, then made 28 saves on Sunday in an historic 4-1 outdoor victory against the Ottawa 67’s. Sunday’s game was the CHL’s seventh outdoor contest but first played between interleague competition before over 11,000 fans in the nation’s capital.

An 18-year-old from La Pocatière, Quebec, Bérubé is playing in his second season with the Olympiques after being a sixth round choice of the Voltigeurs in the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft. He currently carries a 12-4-1-2 record but leads all QMJHL netminders with a goals-against-average of 2.00 and save percentage of .928.

Also considered for the award this week was David Tendeck of the Vancouver Giants who posted a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory stopping 61 shots for a goals-against-average of 0.50 and save percentage of .984. In the OHL, New Jersey Devils prospect Evan Cormier posted a 2-1-0-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 1.80 and save percentage of .955 while becoming the Saginaw Spirit’s all-time shutout leader with six.

2017-18 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week:

Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Tristan Bérubé (Gatineau Olympiques)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Anthony Morrone (Victoriaville Tigres)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Justin Fazio (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Cole Kehler (Portland Winterhawks)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Dustin Wolf (Everett Silvertips)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Samuel Harvey (Rouyn-Noranada Huskies)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Logan Flodell (Swift Current Broncos)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Cole Kehler (Portland Winterhawks)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Dereck Baribeau (Quebec Remparts)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour Minor Midget Top-10 Rankings

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the fifth edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2018 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

OHL Cup

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 5

RANK	TEAM	LEAGUE	LAST WEEK	WEEKS RANKED
1	Toronto Marlboros	GTHL	1	5
2	Oakville Rangers	OMHA	2	5
3	Mississauga Reps	GTHL	5	5
4	Vaughan Kings	GTHL	4	5
5	Barrie Colts	OMHA	3	5
6	Don Mills Flyers	GTHL	7	5
7	Cambridge Hawks	ALLIANCE	6	5
8	Niagara North Stars	OMHA	8	4
9	Detroit Little Caesars U15	USA	9	5
10	York Simcoe Express	OMHA	–	3

	Honourable Mention:
	Toronto Jr. Canadiens	GTHL	–	–
	Peterborough Petes	OMHA	10	2
	North Bay Trappers	NOHA	–	–

This week the Mississauga Reps climb two spots while the Don Mills Flyers move up one spot as both GTHL clubs ride four-game winning-streaks. The OMHA’s York Simcoe Express also re-enter the rankings after a big win over the Barrie Colts who drop two spots to number five.

Tournament Structure:

Wild Card Games:

History:

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.ohlcup.ca

Greyhounds’ Morgan Frost named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Philadelphia Flyers prospect Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending December 17 after leading the league with eight points in three games including four goals and four assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-9.

Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Frost wrapped up the first half of the 2017-18 season with three-straight multi-point performances extending his personal point-streak to 11 while helping extend the team’s winning-streak to 20. On Wednesday night he earned first star honours with two goals in a 4-1 win over the Flint Firebirds, then contributed two assists on Friday as the Greyhounds squeaked out a victory over the Kitchener Rangers by a 4-3 score in the game’s dying seconds. His week wrapped up Saturday with his second four-point effort of the season netting two goals and two assists as second star of a 7-1 win over the Guelph Storm. The Greyhounds enter the holiday break with a 29-3-2-0 record and are just five wins away from equalling the 1983-84 Rangers who produced 25 consecutive wins.

An 18-year-old from Aurora, Ont., Frost is playing in his third season with the Greyhounds who chose him in the fourth round of the 2015 OHL Priority Selection. He currently ranks third in OHL scoring with 19 goals and 36 assists for 55 points in 33 games and carries a league-high plus-minus rating of plus-42. Last season he scored 20 goals and 42 assists for 62 points in 67 games before being selected by the Flyers in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft. Frost was signed by Philadelphia to a three-year entry-level contract in August.

Watch video highlights of Frost and the Greyhounds against the Firebirds, Rangers, and Storm.

Also considered for the award this week was Greyhounds’ defenceman Mac Hollowell who scored once with six assists for seven points in three games, and Kyle Maksimovich of the Erie Otters who scored four goals and two assists for six points in three games. In goal, New Jersey Devils prospect Evan Cormier of the Saginaw Spirit posted a 2-1-0-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 1.80 and save percentage of .955 while becoming the club’s all-time shutout leader with six.

2017-18 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week:

Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Joseph Garreffa (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

Author: Dominic Tiano

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