OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders: November

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

A pair of premier Ontario Hockey League defencemen lead the way among players eligible for the 2018 National Hockey League Draft.

Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm and Evan Bouchard of the London Knights sit one-two among draft eligible players in points with 31 and 30 respectively. They are followed by Aidan Dudas of the Owen Sound Attack and Allan McShane of the Oshawa Generals with 27 apiece. A trio comes next with 26 points followed by another trio at 22 points apiece in what is shaping up to be a tight race.

Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

The Dynamic Duo blueliners also lead draft eligible players in assists with Merkley leading the way with 24 while Bouchard has 22 helpers on the season. Naturally, the pair lead all draft eligible defencemen in scoring with each having more goals, assists and points than any other two defencemen combined.

Interesting in the goal scoring department is that consensus top two pick in the draft, Andrei Svechnikov of the Barrie Colts, is still in the top ten despite having played in just 10 games because of a wrist injury. Svechnikov had 10 goals in 10 games before the injury and trails leader Serron Noel of the Oshawa Generals by just 4 goals.

Listed are the leaders in a variety of statistical categories and include players eligible for the NHL Draft for the first time only. Always refer to the OHL website for official stats.

Points Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 25 7 24 31
Evan Bouchard London Knights 25 8 22 30
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 25 14 13 27
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 26 10 17 27
Nathan Dunkley Kingston Frontenacs 21 9 17 26
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 26 7 19 26
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 25 6 20 26
Serron Noel Oshawa Generals 22 14 8 22
Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 25 11 11 22
Damien Giroux Saginaw Spirit 25 9 13 22
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player Team GP G GPG
Serron Noel Oshawa Generals 22 14 0.64
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 25 14 0.56
Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 25 11 0.44
Brady Hinz Sarnia Sting 25 11 0.44
Blade Jenkins Saginaw Spirit 25 11 0.44
Kody Clark Ottawa 67’s 25 10 0.40
Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 25 10 0.40
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 26 10 0.38
Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 10 10 1.00
Nathan Dunkley Kingston Frontenacs 21 9 0.43
Assist Leaders
Player Team GP A APG
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 25 24 0.96
Evan Bouchard London Knights 25 22 0.88
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 25 20 0.80
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 26 19 0.73
Nathan Dunkley Kingston Frontenacs 21 17 0.81
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 26 17 0.65
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev Peterborough Petes 28 15 0.54
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 25 13 0.52
Damien Giroux Saginaw Spirit 25 13 0.52
Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 25 11 0.44
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 25 7 24 31
Evan Bouchard London Knights 25 8 22 30
Declan Chisholm Peterborough Petes 28 2 11 13
Rasmus Sandin Soo Greyhounds 13 2 10 12
Kevin Bahl Ottawa 67’s 27 1 10 11
Givanni Vallati Kitchener Rangers 25 2 9 11
Caleb Everett Saginaw Spirit 21 3 8 11
Merrick Rippon Mississauga Steelheads 26 0 8 8
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player Team GP +/-
Rasmus Sandin Soo Greyhounds 13 +11
Carter Robertson Ottawa 67’s 16 +9
Alec Regula London Knights 25 +9
Tyler Tucker Barrie Colts 18 +7
Evan Bouchard London Knights 25 +7
Caleb Everett Saginaw Spirit 21 +6
Wale Holden Soo Greyhounds 15 +5
William Ennis Oshawa Generals 26 +4
Aidan Timmermans Erie Otters 5 +3
Givanni Vallati Kitchener Rangers 25 +3
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player Team GP PIM M/G
Kevin Bahl Ottawa 67’s 27 46 1.70
Merrick Rippon Mississauga Steelheads 26 33 1.27
Tyler Tucker Barrie Colts 18 28 1.56
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 25 28 1.12
Kurtis Henry Erie Otters 14 23 1.64
Nico Gross Oshawa Generals 23 20 0.87
Caleb Everett Saginaw Spirit 21 18 0.857
Faceoff Leaders  – minimum 150 faceoffs
Player Team GP FOA FOW %
David Levin Sudbury Wolves 15 151 88 58.3
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 26 599 327 54.6
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 25 382 205 53.7
Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 25 411 219 53.3
Nathan Dunkley Kingston Frontenacs 21 229 122 53.3
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 26 411 216 52.6
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 25 337 177 52.5
Ty Dellandria Flint Firebirds 25 453 237 52.3
Matthew Struthers Owen Sound Attack 22 270 137 50.7
Liam Foudy London Knights 23 166 84 50.6
Longest Goal Scoring Streak
Player Team From To Gms Goals
Brady Hinz Sarnia Sting 10/9 10/19 5 7
Kody Clark Ottawa 67’s 10/12 10/21 5 6
Blade Jenkins Saginaw Spirit 10/29 11/4 4 6
Serron Noel Oshawa Generals 11/24 – 3 4
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 9/29 10/1 3 4
Longest Assist Streak
Player Team From To Gms Assts
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 10/22 11/16 9 13
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 9/30 10/19 8 10
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 10/27 11/5 6 9
Curtis Douglas Barrie Colts 10/14 10/26 4 4
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 10/14 10/20 4 5
Longest Point Streak
Player Team From To Gms Pts
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 10/22 11/16 9 17
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 9/30 10/19 8 14
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 10/27 11/5 6 9
Curtis Douglas Barrie Colts 10/14 10/26 4 5
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 10/14 10/20 4 6
Shooting Percentage
Player Team GP G S %
Serron Noel Oshawa Generals 23 14 41 34.1
Brady Hinz Sarnia Sting 25 11 41 26.8
Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 26 12 46 26.1
Blade Jenkins Saginaw Spirit 25 11 45 24.4
Nathan Dunkley Kingston Frontenacs 22 9 38 23.7
Shots On Goal Leaders
Player Team GP SOG
Evan Bouchard London Knights 26 95
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 26 93
Ty Dellandria Flint Firebirds 26 89
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 25 73
Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 26 72
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average – min 6 games
Player Team GP Min GA Avg
Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 6 321 12 2.24
Jacob Ingham Mississauga Steelheads 18 1029 63 3.67
Mario Peccia Oshawa Generals 6 330 20 3.64
Jordan Kooy London Knights 6 306 20 3.92
Marshall Frappier Sudbury Wolves 9 446 36 4.84
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player Team GP SH  SVS SV%
Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 6 160 148 0.925
Mario Peccia Oshawa Generals 6 172 152 0.884
Jacob Ingham Mississauga Steelheads 18 512 449 0.877
Jordan Kooy London Knights 6 157 137 0.873
Marshall Frappier Sudbury Wolves 9 283 247 0.873
Goaltending Leaders – Wins
Player Team GP W L OL
Jacob Ingham Mississauga Steelheads 18 6 10 1
Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 6 4 0 2
Kai Edmonds Barrie Colts 4 2 1 0
Cameron Lamour Saginaw Spirit 4 2 2 0
Mario Peccia Oshawa Generals 6 2 3 0
Goaltending Leaders – Shutouts
Player Team GP SO
Mario Peccia Oshawa Generals 6 1
Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 7 1

OHL Writers Draft Eligible Player of the Month: November

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Not an easy month to pick just one player as there is a trio of players who you could pick and not be wrong with your choice.

It all came down to Nathan Dunkley of the Kingston Frontenacs, Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm and Evan Bouchard of the London Knights.

Dunkley led the way with 8 goals and 11 assists in 12 games for the Frontenacs. Bouchard followed with 5 goals and 13 assists in 10 games and Merkley with 3 goals and 13 assists in 10 games. As good a month as Dunkley had in November however, I must go with one of the defencemen.

The difference came down to the plus/minus for the pair of blueliners. Bouchard finished the month with a plus-11 while Merkley finished with a minus-1, thus Bouchard gets the nod for draft eligible player of the month.

Evan Bouchard of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Evan Bouchard of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Bouchard had points in 8 of his 10 games in November with 6 of those games in which he recorded a point being multi-point games. He finished with a negative plus/minus just twice in November. He was named a games’ first star once and third star twice. The first star honours came in a head-to-head matchup with Merkley in which Bouchard recorded a goal and two assists.

Bouchard now sits second among all draft eligible players in points and assists, coincidently right behind Merkley.

The OHL named Bouchard defenceman of the month for November while Jenkins was named Rookie of the Month.

Previous Player of the Month

Brady Hinz – Sarnia Sting (October)

Matthew Struthers – Owen Sound Attack (September)

OHL Top Performers of the Month for November

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for regular season games played in November 2017, including Sarnia Sting forward Jordan Kyrou, London Knights defenceman Evan Bouchard, Saginaw Spirit rookie Blade Jenkins and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds goaltender Matthew Villalta. 

OHL Player of the Month – Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)

For the second consecutive month, St. Louis Blues prospect Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting is the OHL Player of the Month. The 19-year-old led all players with 24 points including six goals, 18 assists in 11 games. Kyrou’s November included points in 10 of his 11 games headlined by a six point effort to start the month on Nov. 2nd in Peterborough. Kyrou’s six points (2-4–6) are the most by a Sting player in a single game since Charles Sarault registered six in February 2013. Other prominent performances included a four point output (1-3–4) on Nov. 17th against Windsor. In total, Kyrou received star of the game recognition four times including one first star nomination, two second star nominations as well as one third star nomination. His continued excellence has helped the Sting hold down top spot in the weekly CHL Top 10 Rankings throughout the month as Sarnia holds an overall record of 21-4-1-0. 

Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

A 6-foot, 185Ib. right-winger from Toronto, Ont., Kyrou currently leads OHL scoring by a 10-point margin, registering 52 points including a league-leading 34 assists along with 18 goals in 24 games. His 2.17 points-per-game and 21 power play points are also league highs. The second round pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 2016 NHL Draft is currently in his fourth OHL season, producing a career regular season stat line of 78 goals, 155 assists and 233 points over 218 games. Last season, Kyrou recorded the OHL’s longest point streak since 2008 when he recorded points in 30 straight contests from Jan. 1st to Mar. 12th, four games shy of a Sting club record. He attended Hockey Canada’s Summer Showcase this past summer in Plymouth, Mich. and represented the OHL in the 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series. 

OHL Defenceman of the Month – Evan Bouchard (London Knights):

Draft eligible London Knights rearguard Evan Bouchard is the OHL Defenceman of the Month for November. The 18-year-old third-year blueliner led all defencemen with 18 points including five goals, 13 assists and a plus/minus rating of plus-11 over 10 contests. Bouchard recorded points in eight of his 10 November outings, headlining the month with a career-high four point (1-3–4) showing on Nov. 3rd against Saginaw. He also registered a pair of three point efforts, collecting three assists on Nov. 10th against Flint as well as a goal and two assists on Nov. 26th in Guelph. Bouchard helped the Knights play to a record of 7-2-1-0 in November. 

Evan Bouchard of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Evan Bouchard of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

A 6-foot-2, 191Ib. native of Oakville, Ont., Bouchard sits fourth in scoring among OHL defencemen with 30 points (8-22–30) in 25 games while his 95 shots on goal rank second among blueliners. A veteran of 136 OHL regular season games, Bouchard has 91 points (21-70–91) in his OHL career. He was London’s first round pick in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection and was an ‘A’ rated prospect on NHL Central Scouting’s November ‘Players to Watch’ List. Bouchard represented the OHL in the 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series this past month. 

OHL Rookie of the Month – Blade Jenkins (Saginaw Spirit):

Draft eligible Saginaw Spirit forward Blade Jenkins is the OHL Rookie of the Month for November. The 17-year-old led all rookies with 14 points including nine goals, five assists and a plus/minus rating of plus-10 in 12 games. Jenkins had points in eight of his 12 November outings, with a pair of three-point performances headlining his stat line. He recorded his first career OHL hat-trick on Nov. 4th against North Bay before scoring twice and adding an assist on Nov. 22nd in Flint. Jenkins, whose 14 points all came at even strength, helped the Spirit to a 9-2-1-0 month of November. 

Blade Jenkins of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Blade Jenkins of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

A 6-foot-1, 195Ib. left-winger from Jackson, Mich., Jenkins sits second in OHL rookie scoring with 18 points (11-7–18) in 25 games. Formerly Saginaw’s first round (4th overall) pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection, Jenkins was included on NHL Central Scouting’s November ‘Players to Watch’ List. 

 

Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month – Matthew Villalta (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds):

Los Angeles Kings prospect Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is the OHL Goaltender of the Month for November. The 18-year-old played to a perfect 9-0-0-0 record with an OHL-best 2.22 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage with one shutout over nine November appearances, helping the Greyhounds climb into the West Division lead on a 12-game winning streak. Villalta backstopped the Hounds to a perfect month, putting together back-to-back one-goal performances on Nov. 4th against Niagara and Nov. 5th against North Bay. He registered his first shutout of the season on Nov. 17th with a 16-save showing in Sudbury. 

Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

A 6-foot-3, 183Ib. native of Godfrey, Ont. outside of Kingston, Villalta is second among OHL goaltenders with a 2.53 goals-against average along with a 16-2-1-0 record, a .907 save percentage and one shutout. He holds an impressive career record of 41-5-1-0 over 52 career regular season games to go with a 2.45 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage and two shutouts. A free agent addition by the Greyhounds out of Training Camp in 2016, Villalta was a third round pick by the Los Angeles Kings this past summer.

2017-18 OHL Performers of the Month:

Player of the Month:
November – Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
October – Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)

Defenceman of the Month:
November – Evan Bouchard (London Knights)
October – Sean Durzi (Owen Sound Attack)

Rookie of the Month:
November – Blade Jenkins (Saginaw Spirit)
October – Andrei Svechnikov (Barrie Colts)

Vaughn Goaltender of the Month:
November – Matthew Villalta (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
October – Justin Fazio (Sarnia Sting)

CHL Announces Top 10 Rankings

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Top 10

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week 11 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 11

 

Rank: Team: Last Week Rank: Number of Weeks Ranked:
1 Sarnia Sting (21-4-1-0) 1 8
2 Portland Winterhawks (19-4-0-1) 4 11
3 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (20-3-2-0) 3 11
4 Moose Jaw Warriors (20-5-0-1) 2 9
5 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (17-5-2-0) 5 11
6 Swift Current Broncos (17-5-2-0) 6 8
7 Drummondville Voltigeurs (18-7-1-1) – 3
8 Hamilton Bulldogs (14-6-2-3) – 1
9 Rimouski Oceanic (15-6-4-0) – 3
10 Brandon Wheat Kings (16-7-0-1) 10 2
Honourable Mention:
Barrie Colts (14-7-2-1) – 1
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (14-6-4-2) 9 3
Victoria Royals (18-9-1-0) – 6

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

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the second 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.

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.

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 2

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

The top ranked Toronto Marlboros were crowned 2017 Minor Midget AAA Silver Stick Champions erasing a 3-0 deficit on Sunday to defeat the number two ranked Oakville Rangers by a 4-3 score.  The Marlboros defeated the Guelph Gryphons 4-0 while the Rangers beat the Cambridge Hawks 2-1 in Semi-Final action.  Also performing well in Whitby were the Barrie Colts, Detroit Little Caesars, Don Mills Flyers, and Mississauga Rebels who all qualified for Quarter-Final games, and the Mississauga Reps, Niagara North Stars, and Vaughan Kings each finishing divisional play with six points in four games.  Video recap.

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.

CHL Announces Weekly Award Winners

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

WHL’s U.S. Division sweeps weekly awards led by Glass and Hart

Winterhawks’ Cody Glass named CHL Player of the Week 

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Vegas Golden Knights prospect Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 26 after recording 12 points in four games including five goals and seven assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-7.

Glass produced four three-point performances last week for the Winterhawks who won all four games to open their Central Division road trip extending their winning-streak to 10 where they maintain second place in the WHL’s overall standings with a 19-4-0-0 record.  He was named second star of three straight games including Tuesday with three assists in a 5-2 victory over the Kootenay ICE, Wednesday with a goal and two assists in a 7-3 win over the Calgary Hitmen, and Friday with two goals and one assist in a 6-2 win against the Red Deer Rebels.  He finished his weekly efforts with another two-goal and one assist outing on Saturday in Edmonton where he earned first star recognition in the 3-0 triumph against the Oil Kings.

An 18-year-old from Winnipeg, MB, Glass is playing in his third season with the Winterhawks who chose him in the first round of the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft.  He is currently sixth overall in WHL scoring with 16 goals and 28 assists for 44 points in 23 games and is riding a 10-game point-streak that coincides with the club’s win-streak.  Glass was the first ever pick by the NHL’s Golden Knights at sixth overall and represented Team WHL at the 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series this month recording a goal and an assist in two games.

Also considered for the award this week was 2018 NHL Draft prospect Serron Noel of the Oshawa Generals who scored four goals and four assists for eight points in three games, and defenceman Thomas Gregoire of the Sherbrooke Phoenix who scored three goals including two overtime winners plus three assists for six points in three games. 

2017-18 CHL Players of the Week:

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)

Silvertips’ Carter Hart named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Philadelphia Flyers prospect Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending November 26 after posting a 3-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .971.

Hart turned aside 99 shots last week in a trio of victories for the Silvertips who raised their record above the .500 mark for the first time since September holding a mark of 13-12-1-1 to keep pace in the WHL’s competitive U.S Division.  His week began in record fashion stopping all 43 shots faced in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over the Tri-City Americans earning first star honours and establishing a new franchise mark with the 22nd shutout of his career surpassing Leland Irving (2004-08).  Hart would also produce a 34-save performance on Friday in a 4-1 win over the Spokane Chiefs, and a 22-save effort on Saturday as part of a 5-2 win against the Vancouver Giants.

A 19-year-old from Sherwood Park, AB, Hart is playing in his fourth season with the Silvertips who selected him in the eighth round of the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.  He currently carries a record of 8-3-0-1 and is tied for the league-lead with three shutouts while holding the WHL’s best goals-against-average and save percentage with marks of 1.63 and .951 respectively.  The second round pick of the Flyers in the 2016 NHL Draft represented Team WHL in the 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series and earned a shutout victory with 20 saves in the series opener.

Also considered for the award this week was Etienne Montpetit of the Val-d’Or Foreurs who posted a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory with 76 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.50 and save percentage of .962, and Edmonton Oilers prospect Dylan Wells of the Peterborough Petes who also posted a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory but made 59 saves for a goals-against-average of 0.96 and save percentage of .967.

2017-18 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week:

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)

Generals’ Serron Noel named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that 2018 NHL Draft prospect Serron Noel of the Oshawa Generals is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending November 26 after scoring four goals and four assists for eight points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-5.

Serron Noel of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Serron Noel of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Noel recorded three-straight multi-point performances for the first time in his career last week as the Generals wrapped up a tough November schedule with two-straight victories to maintain seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings.  Noel’s week began on Friday night scoring two goals including one by penalty shot and adding one assist despite a 6-5 loss to the Hamilton Bulldogs.  On the winning side, Noel earned first star honours Saturday with a goal and two assists in a 7-3 road victory over the Barrie Colts, then wrapped up the three-in-three Sunday with a goal and an assist as second star of a 6-0 shutout against the Mississauga Steelheads.

A 17-year-old from Ottawa, Ont., Noel is playing in his second season with the Generals who chose him in the second round of the 2016 OHL Priority Selection.  The sophomore forward now has 14 goals and 22 points in 22 games this season surpassing his rookie total of 21 points produced in 63 games played in 2016-17.  Noel captured gold as a member of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at August’s Ivan Hlinka Memorial, and was one of eight OHL skaters assigned an ‘A’ rating by NHL Central Scouting in their November ‘Players to Watch’ list for the 2018 NHL Draft.

Watch video highlights of Noel and the Generals against the Bulldogs, Colts, and Steelheads.

Also considered for the award this week was fellow NHL Draft prospect Nathan Dunkley of the Kingston Frontenacs with two goals and six assists for eight points in three games, and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds with a goal and seven assists for eight points in three games.  In goal, Edmonton Oilers prospect Dylan Wells of the Peterborough Petes posted a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory making 59 saves for a goals-against-average of 0.96 and save percentage of .967.

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

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)

OHL Announces Disciplinary Action

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Press Release

The Ontario Hockey League today announced the results of a review of an incident which took place in a game played in Mississauga on the 19th of November, 2017, involving the Steelheads and the visiting Niagara IceDogs Hockey Club. 

The incident reviewed was a game misconduct for checking to the head assessed to player Adrian Carbonara of the Niagara IceDogs Hockey Club

Based on a review of the incident, it is the position of the League that player Adrian Carbonara shall be suspended for eight (8) games effective immediately. 

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO AND RATIONALE FOR THE CARBONARA SUSPENSION.

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

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the debut 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 1

RANK TEAM LEAGUE
1 Toronto Marlboros GTHL
2 Oakville Rangers OMHA
3 Vaughan Kings GTHL
4 York-Simcoe Express OMHA
5 Mississauga Reps GTHL
6 Barrie Colts OMHA
7 Don Mills Flyers GTHL
8 Detroit Little Caesars U15 USA
9 Niagara North Stars OMHA
10 Cambridge Hawks ALLIANCE
Honourable Mention
Toronto Jr. Canadiens GTHL
Peterborough Petes OMHA
Guelph Gryphons OMHA

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.

CHL Announces Top 10 Rankings

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Top 10

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week 10 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 10

Rank: Team: Last Week Rank: Number of Weeks Ranked:
1 Sarnia Sting (18-4-1-0) 1 7
2 Moose Jaw Warriors (19-5-0-0) 2 8
3 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (17-3-2-0) 4 10
4 Portland Winterhawks (16-4-0-0) 5 10
5 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (15-4-2-0) 3 10
6 Swift Current Broncos (15-5-1-0) 6 7
7 Kitchener Rangers (15-6-2-0) – 1
8 Quebec Remparts (16-7-1-0) 8 8
9 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (14-5-3-2) – 3
10 Brandon Wheat Kings (14-6-0-1) – 1
Honourable Mention:
Barrie Colts (13-6-1-1) 7 1
Medicine Hat Tigers (14-7-0-0) 10 1
Drummondville Voltigeurs (14-7-1-1) – 2