Steelheads’ Spencer Watson named Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Los Angeles Kings prospect Spencer Watson of the Mississauga Steelheads is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending February 12 after recording seven points including three goals and four assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-3 in three games.

Watson delivered a trio of multi-point performances last week helping the Steelheads earn five of a possible six points extending their lead to 10 atop the Central Division standings.  On Thursday Watson scored the game-winner and added an assist as part of a 7-5 road win against the Barrie Colts as the Trout erased a 3-0 second period deficit.  On Friday he earned second star honours with a pair of goals plus an assist and even produced a shootout tally to keep Mississauga’s hopes alive before falling 4-3 to the visiting Hamilton Bulldogs.  His week wrapped up Sunday with two assists as third star of a 3-2 triumph over the visiting Saginaw Spirit.  Sunday’s victory continued an impressive streak for the Steelheads who have collected 16 points in their last 10 games and now hold a 24-17-6-6 record with 15 games remaining in the 2016-17 regular season.

A 20-year-old from London, ON, Watson is playing in his fifth OHL season and first with the Steelheads after being acquired from the Kingston Frontenacs in the off-season.  The seventh round pick of the Kings in the 2014 NHL Draft made his season debut in December following wrist surgery and has contributed 20 goals and 10 assists for 30 points in 26 games.  Watson is approaching the prestigious 300 career point milestone currently with 278 including an equal 139 goals and assists in 259 games played.

Watch video highlights of Watson and the Steelheads against the Colts, Bulldogs, and Spirit.

Also considered for the award this week was 2017 NHL Draft prospect Nick Suzuki of the Owen Sound Attack and Ryan Moore of the Flint Firebirds both recording six-point weeks including four goals and two assists in three games highlighted by hat-trick performances on Sunday.  In goal, Stephen Dhillon of the Niagara IceDogs made 73 saves in two games posting a 1-0-0-1 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 0.96 and save percentage of .973.

2016-17 Pioneer Energy OHL Players of the Week:

Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Spencer Watson (Mississauga Steelheads)
Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Jeremy Helvig (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: Hayden Hodgson (Saginaw Spirit)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Kole Sherwood (Flint Firebirds)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Santino Centorame (Owen Sound Attack)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Michael McNiven (Owen Sound Attack)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Dylan Wells (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Boris Katchouk (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Jeremy Bracco (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Troy Timpano (Erie Otters)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Max Jones (London Knights)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Jeremy Bracco (Kitchener Rangers)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Logan Brown (Windsor Spitfires)
Sept. 26 – Oct. 2: Joseph Raaymakers (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 25: Matt Luff (Hamilton Bulldogs)

Markus Phillips – Owen Sound Attack – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’0”

Weight:  200 Pounds

Date of birth: March 21, 1999

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Position:  Defence

Shoots:  Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 9th overall, 2015 Priority Selection

Owen Sound Attack defenceman Markus Phillips played his midget hockey with the Toronto Titans, where he captained the team and notched four goals and 17 assists in 24 games from the blueline. Before joining the Attack a season ago where he had 3 goals and 9 assists in 63 games, Phillips has virtually played for a winner everywhere he’s played.

Phillips is an Ontario Hockey Federation AAA champions – and all-star, he won a Kraft Cup championship with the Titans, he’s an OHL Gold Cup champion, he was a member of team OHL at the CIBC Canada-Russia series. His superb leadership qualities helped along the way.

Markus Phillips of the Owen Sound Attack. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Markus Phillips of the Owen Sound Attack. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

In August 2016, Phillips participated in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial and his leadership qualities didn’t go unnoticed as he was named Captain of the squad. But Canada finished a disappointing fifth in a tournament they’ve dominated. He again Captained team Canada-Red at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17, losing out to Sweden in the Bronze Medal Game after going undefeated in the preliminary round.

Finally, Phillips was the youngest defenceman for Team Canada at the World Hockey Championships Under-18 in 2016 which had the likes of Dante Fabbro, Jakob Chychrun, Logan Stanley and Nicolas Hague on the roster.  Canada would be denied a medal losing the Bronze Medal game to the United States.

Phillips took part in the Sherwin Williams NHL/CHL Top Prospects game and while it wasn’t a spectacular performance, it was a solid performance.

Phillips is a stocky two-way defenceman with a solid build who can make a mark at both ends of the ice. He is considered an offensive defenceman in many circles, but you can’t take away from his defensive game. His strength in the d-zone comes from excellent positioning. He is a strong skater who is hard to beat one-on-one. While not overly big, he’s strong and holds his own in battles along the walls and while protecting the front of his goal.

Phillips likes to jump up on the rush, and while a season ago he was making ill-advised decisions doing so, he has greatly improved in that area. He’s making smarter first passes and he can lug the puck with speed and does an excellent job at protecting it. Once in the zone he has very good vision and is an excellent passer, and when you combine those assets, he’s very good at setting up teammates. Simply put, he creates scoring chances.

Phillips currently has 10 goals and 18 assists in 49 games and is a plus-25. His 28 points place him 4th among draft eligible defencemen in points while his 10 goals place him third.

Phillips was ranked 62nd on NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings in January for the 2017 NHL Draft.

Markus Phillips

This is the profile page of Markus Phillips at http://www.eliteprospects.com

Alex DeBrincat Joins the 300 Point Club

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

He is the Erie Otters’ Little Engine Than Can. He was the 39th overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2016 National Hockey League Draft. He is Alex DeBrincat.

DeBrincat scored once and added three assists in the Otters’ 9-4 spanking of the Saginaw Spirit last night at the Erie Insurance Arena. That pushed DeBrincat’s season totals to 45 goals and 51 assists, but more importantly 147 goals, 154 assists and 301 points during his Ontario Hockey League career.

Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters. Photo by Aaron Bel/OHL Images
Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters. Photo by Aaron Bel/OHL Images

DeBrincat becomes the sixth American born player to reach the milestone, joining Rob Schremp, Patrick O’Sullivan, Bobby Ryan, Pat Peake and Mike Wolak. Not too bad for a player that went undrafted in the Priority Selection and walked on as a free agent.

DeBrincat was the first Otter to ever record back-to-back 50 goal seasons, scoring 51 in each of his first two campaigns and he’s about to add a third and will join Dale McCourt as the only two players to accomplish the feat.

DeBrincat set a franchise record for career goals a week ago when he surpassed Brad Boyes who previously held the mark of 141 goals from 1998 to 2002.

Matthew Villalta – Soo Greyhounds – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height:  6’2”

Weight: 170 pounds

Date of birth: June 3, 1999

Hometown: Kingston, Ontario

Position: Goaltender

Catches: Left

OHL Draft: Undrafted free agent

A season ago, Soo Greyhounds netminder Matthew Villalta played midget hockey for the Greater Kingston Midget AAA squad. The Native of Kingston, Ontario, went undrafted at the 2016 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection and walked onto the Greyhounds development camp as a free agent invite.

And the rest as they say, is history.

Villalta made an impression at the Greyhounds development camp and received an invitation to attend their main camp. Almost from the get-go he has been pushing incumbent Joseph Raaymakers for starts. Villalta has appeared in 22 games, coming in to replace Raaymakers on five of those occasions.

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.

Villalta has a very impressive 16-1-0-0 record with goals against average of 2.64 and a save percentage of .908. His single loss is the fewest in the OHL of any goaltender that has appeared in 20 or more games. His only loss was a 5-2 loss against the Windsor Spitfires – his first game of the season – and has since reeled off sixteen straight wins. His most recent was last night when he replaced Raaymakers after the first period with the Guelph Storm holding a 3-0 lead and turning it into a 7-5 victory.

Villalta’s goals against average and save percentage are tops among rookie goaltenders appearing in ten or more games. He is sixth in the OHL in goals against average and tenth in save percentage (minimum ten games played). By comparison, his partner in the Soo has a 21-12-2-1 record with a 3.36 goals against average and .892 save percentage.

Villalta didn’t take the easy path to the OHL. By no means am I making this comparison between goaltenders, but as an undrafted goalie, it’s the same path taken by London Knights goaltender Tyler Parsons, with one key difference – Parsons did it the year prior to his draft season.

On NHL, Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings, Villalta was ranked fourteenth among North American goaltenders and fourth among OHL goaltenders behind Michael DiPietro (Windsor) Kyle Keyser (Oshawa) and Kaden Fulcher (Hamilton).

Like all goaltenders his age, it’s all in the ongoing development and fine tuning his technique. He’s a calm goaltender who gets square to the shooter quickly, but needs to make himself bigger when in the butterfly position – a technique that can be adjusted. He controls his rebounds well at times, but there are times they go back in to the dangerous area – again a technique that can be adjusted.

He’s good in close and on second chances, but needs to be stronger on covering up loose pucks. He plays his angles well and gets out to the top of the paint to take away those angle. He needs to get stronger on the short side and hold his posts. He has above average mobility in the crease and can move from side to side well but in my viewings, is weaker moving from his left to his right. His glove hand is solid. He has shown an ability to show five-hole and close it quickly, but needs to be quicker to get back on his feet.

Villalta’s flaws can be corrected as he continues to work on his technique, and he’s willing, by all accounts, to put in the necessary work. I’ve made no secret that I think he can move forward and carry the load for the Greyhounds heading towards, and into the playoffs. In my opinion, he’s a high risk, high reward goaltender.

When he walked onto the Greyhounds camp, GM Kyle Raftis said “he has a high ceiling.”

Matthew Villalta hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com

Statistics of Matthew Villalta, a hockey player from Kingston, ONT born Jun 3 1999 who was active from 2016 to 2017.

 

CHL Announces Top 10 Rankings

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week twenty edition of the CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2016-17 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 20

Rank: Team: Last Week Rank: Number of Weeks Ranked:
1 Regina Pats (37-6-6-1) 1 19
2 Erie Otters (37-10-2-1) 2 15
3 London Knights (34-9-3-4) 3 19
4 Saint John Sea Dogs (33-12-3-1) 8 15
5 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (35-13-2-1) 5 10
6 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (32-13-1-5) 6 20
7 Shawinigan Cataractes (33-13-3-1) 10 16
8 Prince George Cougars (37-16-3-0) 4 19
9 Owen Sound Attack (34-14-1-1) 9 4
10 Medicine Hat Tigers (37-16-1-0) – 6
Honourable Mention:
Everett Silvertips (31-11-8-2) 7 16
Charlottetown Islanders (33-15-3-0) – 0
Seattle Thunderbirds (32-15-3-2) – 2

 

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

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

GTHL’s Mississauga Rebels, Toronto Marlboros first to secure tournament entry

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the eighth edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2017 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 which takes place March 14-20, 2017.  All games will be played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 20.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 8

RANK TEAM LEAGUE LAST WEEK WEEKS RANKED
1 London Jr. Knights ALLIANCE 1 8
2 Mississauga Rebels GTHL 4 8
3 Whitby Wildcats OMHA 3 8
4 Toronto Marlboros GTHL 5 8
5 Mississauga Reps GTHL 2 8
6 Toronto Young Nationals GTHL 6 8
7 Waterloo Wolves ALLIANCE 7 5
8 Quinte Red Devils OMHA 10 3
9 Ajax-Pickering Raiders OMHA 9 8
10 Mississauga Senators GTHL 8 8
         
  Honourable Mention      
  Brampton 45’s OMHA – 1
  Toronto Jr. Canadiens GTHL – 0
  York Simcoe Express OMHA – 0
  Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs OMHA – 5

The GTHL’s Mississauga Rebels and Toronto Marlboros have become the first two teams to officially qualify for tournament entry by advancing to their league Semi-Finals.  The Rebels defeated the Mississauga Senators 8-2 in points, while the Marlboros defeated the Toronto Titans 8-2 in points in first round playoff series action.  The Senators and Titans will still have an opportunity to qualify through the tournament’s Wild Card scenario by first competing in a Wild Card Play-In Series involving the league’s other two non-Semi-Final teams still to be determined.

Tournament Structure:

16 of the 20 spots in the 2017 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.  New in 2017, the final guaranteed spot is 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 2016 Bantam Champion Eastern Ontario Wild.

Wild Card Games:

The final four entries at the 2017 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.  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 onTuesday March 14 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the eight competing teams onWednesday March 8.

History:

Last season the York Simcoe Express captured their second OHL Cup title and first since 2004 with a 2-1 overtime win over the Toronto Marlboros.  Current North Bay Battalion rookie Rhys Forhan scored both Express goals, while goaltender Andrei Berezinskiy earned tournament MVP honours playing to a 5-0 record with a 2.09 goals-against-average.

The 2016 OHL Priority Selection featured 12 players chosen in the first round who competed in the OHL Cup including Ryan Merkley (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 1st overall Guelph Storm), Owen Lalonde (Windsor Jr. Spitfires – 2nd overall Sudbury Wolves), Danil Antropov (Toronto Marlboros – 6th overall Oshawa Generals), Kirill Nizhnikov (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 7th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Barrett Hayton (Toronto Red Wings – 9th overall Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), Peter Stratis (Mississauga Rebels – 11th overall Ottawa 67’s), Akil Thomas (Toronto Marlboros – 12th overall Niagara IceDogs), Adam McMaster (Niagara North – 13th overall North Bay Battalion), Tyler Weiss (Don Mills Flyers – 15th overall Sarnia Sting), Nathan Dunkley (Quinte Red Devils – 17th overall Kingston Frontenacs), Allan McShane (Toronto Marlboros – 19th overall Erie Otters), and Jack McBain (Don Mills Flyers – 20th overall Barrie Colts).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Robby Fabbri (Mississauga Rebels/St. Louis Blues), 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).

This season the OHL and GTHL announced a new three-year partnership with Under Armour that includes title sponsorship of the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament.  The OHL and GTHL have also announced a five-year partnership extension ensuring the event will continue to be hosted by the GTHL through 2021.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

Otters’ Alex DeBrincat named CHL Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Chicago Blackhawks prospect Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending February 5 with 11 points including six goals and five assists along with a plus-minus rating of plus-1 in three games.

Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

DeBrincat recorded a trio of multi-point performances on the road and became the Otters all-time leading goal scorer last week as his club extended their winning-streak to eight.  His 142nd career goal came on Thursday night as part of a two-goal effort earning second star of a 5-4 win over the Peterborough Petes surpassing Brad Boyes for first place in the Otters record books.  DeBrincat earned first star honours twice to finish the weekend road trip including Saturday with two goals and three assists in an 8-4 win over the Ottawa 67’s, and Sunday with two goals and two assists in a 6-1 win over the Kingston Frontenacs.  The Otters are first place in the OHL’s overall standings with a 37-10-2-1 record.

A 19-year-old from Farmington Hills, Michigan, DeBrincat leads the OHL in scoring with 92 points in 45 games including 44 goals and 48 assists after recording back-to-back 50-goal and 100-point campaigns during his first two CHL seasons.  The second round pick of the Blackhawks in the 2016 NHL Draft is also the first two-time weekly award recipient in 2016-17.

Also considered for the award this week was Ottawa Senators prospect Filip Chlapik of the Charlottetown Islanders who scored three goals and nine assists for 12 points in four games, and 2017 NHL Draft prospect Kole Lind of the Kelowna Rockets who scored three goals and five assists for eight points in three games.

2016-17 CHL Players of the Week:

Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Tyler Boland (Rimouski Oceanic)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: Alexis D’Aoust (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Kole Sherwood (Flint Firebirds)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Brayden Burke (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Adam Brooks (Regina Pats)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Vitalii Abramov (Gatineau Olympiques)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Hayden Hodgson (Saginaw Spirit)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Sergey Zborovskiy (Regina Pats)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Jayden Halbgewachs (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Alexander Katerinakis (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Nico Hischier (Halifax Mooseheads)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Bobby MacIntyre (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Jeremy Bracco (Kitchener Rangers)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Cameron Askew (Moncton Wildcats)
Sept. 26 – Oct. 2: Sam Steel (Regina Pats)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 25: Kameron Kielly (Charlottetown Islanders)

Hurricanes’ Stuart Skinner named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that 2017 NHL Draft prospect Stuart Skinner of the Lethbridge Hurricanes is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending February 5 after posting a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 0.99 and save percentage of .970.

Skinner made 65 saves last week backstopping the Hurricanes to a pair of victories and extending their winning-streak to seven as they improve their record to 31-15-4-3 in the WHL’s Central Division.  Last Wednesday night he made 34 saves and earned second star honours in a 3-2 overtime win against the Red Deer Rebels, then turned aside all 31 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season on Saturday as first star of a 3-0 win against the Moose Jaw Warriors.  Skinner’s week also included stopping 17 of 18 shots for Team Cherry in the second half of the 2017 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game securing a 7-5 victory for his squad.

An 18-year-old from Edmonton, AB, Skinner is playing in his third full season in Lethbridge after being selected by the club in the first round of the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.  He currently holds a 26-13-3-2 record with a 3.22 goals-against-average and a .906 save percentage.  In NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings for the 2017 NHL Draft, Skinner was listed ninth among North American goaltenders.

Also considered for the award this week was Jeremy Brodeur of the Oshawa Generals who posted a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory stopping 71 shots for a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .973, and Julio Billia of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens who made 42 saves posting a 2-0-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 2.00 and save percentage of .913.

2016-17 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week:

Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Stuart Skinner (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Jeremy Helvig (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: Matthew Welsh (Charlottetown Islanders)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Francis Leclerc (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Griffen Outhouse (Victoria Royals)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Dylan Wells (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Connor Ingram (Kamloops Blazers)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Matthew Villalta (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Patrick Dea (Edmonton Oil Kings)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Zach Sawchenko (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Troy Timpano (Erie Otters)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Reilly Pickard (Acadie-Bathurst Titan)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Ryan Kubic (Vancouver Giants)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Logan Flodell (Saskatoon Blades)
Sept. 26 – Oct. 2: Samuel Harvey (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 25: Liam Herbst (Guelph Storm)

CHL Leagues

Otters’ Alex DeBrincat named Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Chicago Blackhawks prospect Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending February 5 after recording 11 points in three games scoring six times with five assists and a plus-minus rating of plus-1.

Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

DeBrincat earns the award for the third time this season following a trio of multi-point performances on the club’s East Division road trip that helped the Otters extend their winning-streak to eight and claim sole possession of first place in the overall standings with a 37-10-2-1 record.  DeBrincat became the Otters all-time leader in career goals scored on Thursday night with two tallies as part of a 5-4 win over the Peterborough Petes where he earned second star honours.  His 40th of the season in that contest helped erase a 4-2 third period deficit and surpassed Brad Boyes for the franchise’s goal-scoring lead with 142 set in his 171st career game.  DeBrincat’s week wrapped up with two straight first star efforts including Saturday night with two goals and three assists as part of an 8-4 win over the Ottawa 67’s, then Sunday afternoon with two goals and two assists in a 6-1 win over the Kingston Frontenacs.

A 19-year-old from Farmington Hills, Michigan, DeBrincat leads the OHL in scoring with 92 points in 45 games including 44 goals and 48 assists holding a 10-point lead over teammate Taylor Raddysh.  The third-year forward is on pace to become just the second player in OHL history to record three consecutive 50-goal seasons and would join Dale McCourt of the Hamilton/St. Catharines Fincups who accomplished the feat from 1974-77.  DeBrincat was chosen by the Blackhawks in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft.

Watch video highlights of DeBrincat and the Otters against the Petes, 67’s, and Frontenacs.

Also considered for the award this week was fellow Otter and Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Strome who scored twice with seven assists for nine points in three games, and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Kole Sherwood of the Flint Firebirds who scored three goals and three assists for six points in two games.  In goal, Jeremy Brodeur of the Oshawa Generals made 71 saves while posting a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .973.

2016-17 Pioneer Energy OHL Players of the Week:

Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Jeremy Helvig (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: Hayden Hodgson (Saginaw Spirit)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Kole Sherwood (Flint Firebirds)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Santino Centorame (Owen Sound Attack)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Michael McNiven (Owen Sound Attack)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Dylan Wells (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Boris Katchouk (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Jeremy Bracco (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Troy Timpano (Erie Otters)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Max Jones (London Knights)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Jeremy Bracco (Kitchener Rangers)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Logan Brown (Windsor Spitfires)
Sept. 26 – Oct. 2: Joseph Raaymakers (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 25: Matt Luff (Hamilton Bulldogs)

Spitfires’ DiPietro Sets Franchise Records

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Windsor Spitfires’ goaltender Michael DiPietro made 22 saves in a 4-0 victory over the Saginaw Spirit last night to record his league leading sixth shutout of the season and eighth of his career – both Spitfires’ records previously held by Andrew Engelage.

DiPietro posted three consecutive shutouts – December 8, 2016 in Barrie, December 10, 2016 in Sudbury and December 11, 2016 in North Bay. The star goaltender spoiled the Teddy Bear Toss for the home crowds in two of those games – Barrie and Sudbury.

Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

The Ontario Hockey League record for most shutouts in a season is held by Mark Visentin (Niagara Ice Dogs) who had eleven during the 2011-2012 season. Len Broderick (Toronto Marlboros) had eight during the 1956-1957 season. Jordan Binnington (Owen Sound Attack) had seven during the 2012-2013 campaign.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League record of seven is held by four goaltenders: Adam Russo (2002-2003), Kevin Poulin (2009-2010), Roberto Luongo (1997-1998) and Philippe Cadorette (2013-2014).

The Western Hockey League (also Canadian Hockey League record) is thirteen, held by three goaltenders: Bryan Bridges (2004-2005), Kelly Guard (2003-2004) and Darcy Kuemper (2010-2011)