Attack’s Santino Centorame named Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that defenceman Santino Centorame of the Owen Sound Attack is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending January 8 after scoring once with six assists for seven points in three games recording a plus-minus rating of plus-8.

Centorame helped the Attack win a trio of home games last week against tough Western Conference competition extending their winning-streak to 10 which equals franchise records set in 1996-97 and 2004-05.  On Wednesday night the captain picked up an assist in a 6-1 victory over the league’s best road team the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, then matched a season-high with four assists on Saturday as second star of a 5-1 win over the Mastercard Memorial Cup host Windsor Spitfires.  On Sunday the blueliner finished his week scoring a goal and an assist as part of a the 5-2 record tying win over Midwest Division rivals the Kitchener Rangers improving the club’s record to 26-13-1-0 for fifth place in the conference.  Centorame is the first defenceman to win the league’s weekly award this season, and second straight member of the Attack to be recognized following goaltender Michael McNiven.

A 20-year-old from Mississauga, ON, Centorame is playing in his fourth full OHL season joining the Attack midway through the 2013-14 campaign from the London Knights.  So far in his overage year he’s scored twice with 31 assists for 33 points in 40 games chasing his career-best of 41 points in 67 games recorded last season.  Over the course of the club’s 10-game winning-streak, Centorame notched 17 points tying for the team lead during that stretch.

Watch video highlights of Centorame and the Attack against the Greyhounds, Spitfires, and Rangers.

Also considered for the award this week was Minnesota Wild prospect Dmitry Sokolov of the Sudbury Wolves who scored six goals and one assist for seven points in three games, and 2017 NHL Draft prospect Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads who scored four goals and three assists for seven points in three games.  In goal, Montreal Canadiens prospect and last week’s award recipient Michael McNiven of the Attack posted a 3-0-0-0 record making 69 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.39 and save percentage of .945.

2016-17 Pioneer Energy OHL Players of the Week:

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)

OHL Announces Academic Players of the Month for December

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the OHL Academic Players of the Month for December 2016, including forwards Nathan Dunkley of the Kingston Frontenacs, Adam McMaster of the North Bay Battalion, Nick Deakin-Poot of the Guelph Storm and Damien Giroux of the Saginaw Spirit.

East Division: Sixteen year-old rookie forward Nathan Dunkley of the Kingston Frontenacs is the East Division Academic Player of the Month for December after achieving an overall average of 78% over four university level courses at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School. Dunkley is currently studying Functions, Accounting, World Religions and High Performance Athletics and has achieved successful results in all four streams. “Nathan demonstrates an exemplary attitude, work ethic and commitment to his studies,” said Frontenacs academic advisor Kim Hulton. “He’s an excellent role model and his commitment to success is evident in both his academic achievements and his on-ice performance. Dunkley has 14 points (3-11–14) over 31 games this season and represented Canada Red at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. The Campbellford, Ont. native was Kingston’s first round (17th overall) pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection.

Nathan Dunkley of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Nathan Dunkley of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Central Division: Sixteen year-old rookie Adam McMaster of the North Bay Battalion is the Central Division Academic Player of the Month for December. The Beamsville, Ont. native is currently achieving high grades in Grade 11 Marketing, American History, English and Co-op courses at Chippewa Secondary School. “Adam demonstrates a thorough understanding of course materials and makes connections easily,” said Battalion academic advisor Judy Smith. “He was able to manage his school work effectively and independently while competing at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Sault Ste. Marie earlier this season.” McMaster has 11 points (2-9–11) over 29 games this season after being North Bay’s first round (13th overall) pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection. He was the 2016 OMHA SCTA Minor Midget Player of the Year last season.

Adam McMaster of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Adam McMaster of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Midwest Division: Guelph Storm sophomore forward Nick Deakin-Poot is the Midwest Division Academic Player of the Month for December. The 17 year-old native of Georgetown, Ont. is currently studying university level English, Kinesiology and Religion courses at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Secondary School and has maintained an 87% average in his studies. “Nick is a conscientious and disciplined student with a great attitude,” said Storm academic advisor Coleen Driscoll. “His teachers have been very complimentary of his commitment to his studies as well as his positive outlook.” Deakin-Poot has a goal and four assists over 24 games this season. He was Guelph’s third round (54th overall) pick in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection.

Nick Deakin-Poot of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Nick Deakin-Poot of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

West Division: Sixteen year-old rookie forward Damien Giroux of the Saginaw Spirit is the Midwest Division Academic Player of the Month for December. The Hanmer, Ont. native is an ‘A’ student over Grade 11 International Baccalaureate Language and Literature, Biology, Algebra and French courses, drawing the praise of his teachers in the process. “Damien is an outgoing and enthusiastic student with an amazing personality,” said Spirit academic advisor Pamela Moretuzzo. “He incorporates his terrific sense of humor into his classes. I appreciate and embrace his natural ability to make those around him laugh and have fun, while focusing on his many scholastic, athletic and community service commitments.” Giroux, who was Saginaw’s third round (44th overall) pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection, has 13 points (6-7–13) over 27 games as a rookie this season.

2016-17 OHL Academic Players of the Month:

East Division:
December – Nathan Dunkley (Kingston Frontenacs)
November – Matthew Strome (Hamilton Bulldogs)
October – Zach Gallant (Peterborough Petes)

Central Division:
December – Adam McMaster (North Bay Battalion)
November – Kyle Heitzner (Barrie Colts)
October – Jacob Ingham (Mississauga Steelheads)

Midwest Division:
December – Nick Deakin-Poot (Guelph Storm)
November – Cade Robinson (Erie Otters)
October – Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)

West Division:
December – Damien Giroux (Saginaw Spirit)
November – Hunter Holmes (Flint Firebirds)
October – Cole Purboo (Windsor Spitfires)

During the 2015-16 season, the OHL centrally administered Scholarship Program facilitated scholarships for 315 OHL graduates attending 57 different academic institutions with a total scholarship payment in excess of $2.9 million.  Click here for more information about ‘OHL Players First’ programs.

OHL Announces Top Performers of the Month for December

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 December 2016, including Peterborough Petes forward Zach Gallant, Kingston Frontenacs blueliner Stephen Desrocher, Guelph Storm rookie Ryan Merkley and Windsor Spitfires goaltender Michael DiPietro. 

OHL Player of the Month – Zach Gallant (Peterborough Petes):
2017 NHL Draft prospect Zach Gallant of the Peterborough Petes is the OHL Player of the Month for December after collecting seven goals, eight assists and 15 points over 10 contests along with a plus/minus rating of plus-13. Gallant was also 56 percent in the faceoff circle to help the Petes to a perfect 10-0-0-0 month of December as they climbed to second place in the East Division. The 6-foot-1, 184Ib. centre had points in eight games including five multi-point outings. Gallant earned first star honours on four separate occasions, doing so on December 3rd when he had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win over the visiting Guelph Storm. His two goals and an assist on December 11th led the Petes over the Ottawa 67’s 6-2 on the road. Gallant was named first star once again on December 15th when had a goal and an assist to help the Petes defeat the London Knights 3-1 on Sportsnet. Gallant rounded out his first star selections on December 29th with two goals and an assist in a 7-5 win over visiting Ottawa.

A 17-year-old native of Oakville, Ont., Gallant is currently in his sophomore season with the Petes after being the club’s first round (5th overall) pick in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection. He’s currently tied for fifth in team scoring with 12 goals, 17 assists and 29 points over 36 games to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-9 and a 59.4 percent success rate in the faceoff circle.

OHL Defenceman of the Month – Stephen Desrocher (Kingston Frontenacs):
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Stephen Desrocher of the Kingston Frontenacs has been named the OHL Defenceman of the Month for December. Desrocher led all defencemen with 15 points including two goals and 13 assists over 10 games as the Frontenacs played to a 5-1-4-0 record. The 6-foot-4, 206Ib. rearguard recorded points in all 10 of his December contests, registering four multi-point outputs. Desrocher earned first star honours four times as he helped the Fronts defeat the visiting Kitchener Rangers with a goal and an assist on December 2nd. A night later he pitched in with two assists in a 3-2 shootout win in Hamilton. Desrocher recorded a pair of helpers to earn first star recognition in a 3-2 home ice win over Oshawa on December 17th. He rounded out his first star performances on December 30th with three assists in a 4-3 overtime loss to Peterborough.

A 20-year-old native of Toronto, Ont., Desrocher is in his fourth OHL season and second with the Frontenacs after spending parts of three seasons with the Oshawa Generals where he won an OHL title and Mastercard Memorial Cup championship in 2014-15.  He leads Kingston defencemen in scoring with five goals, 20 assists and 25 points over 33 contests and has recorded 13 of his 25 points on the power play. He was Toronto’s sixth round (155th overall) pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.


OHL Rookie of the Month – Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm):
For the second time this season, 2016 OHL Priority Selection first overall pick Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm is the OHL Rookie of the Month. Merkley led all rookies with 13 points including four goals and nine assists over 10 games. His December included the first two multi-goal games of his OHL career including a pair on December 7th in a 5-4 road loss against the Sarnia Sting. Merkley’s overtime winner on December 11th was his second of the game and along with an assist, he recorded three points to earn first star recognition in a 4-3 win over the Kingston Frontenacs. The rookie had a three assist effort, setting up the overtime winner on December 28th when the Storm defeated the visiting Sarnia Sting 4-3.

A 16-year-old native of Mississauga, Ont., Merkley leads all OHL rookies with 28 points including six goals and 22 assists over 30 games. He is third in Storm scoring this season after being the club’s first round (1st overall) pick this past April. He will be eligible for the 2018 NHL Draft.

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Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month – Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires):
2017 NHL Draft prospect Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires is the Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month for December. DiPietro played to a 6-2-0-0 record with a 1.48 goals-against-average, a .940 save percentage and three shutouts over his eight December starts. He started the month with a 36-save performance on December 3rd as the Spitfires claimed a 2-1 win over the Flint Firebirds. His month was headlined by a string of three straight road shutouts from December 8-11, earning him Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week honours as he blanked the Barrie Colts, Sudbury Wolves and North Bay Battalion in succession. DiPietro put together a shutout streak that spanned parts of five games for an overall length of 209:23.

A 17-year-old native of Amherstburg, Ont., DiPietro comes off a tremendous rookie season in the OHL, one that earned him the F.W. Dinty Moore Trophy with a 2.45 goals-against-average. This season, DiPietro has played to a 16-5-4-0 record with a 2.21 goals-against-average, .918 save percentage and four shutouts over 26 games. He was Windsor’s second round (23rd overall) pick in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection. DiPietro will represent Team Orr in the upcoming 2017 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Quebec City on January 30th.

2016-17 OHL Performers of the Month:

Player of the Month:
December – Zach Gallant (Peterborough Petes)
November – Alex DeBrincat/Taylor Raddysh (Erie Otters)
October – Taylor Raddysh (Erie Otters)

Defenceman of the Month:
December – Stephen Desrocher (Kingston Frontenacs)
November – Darren Raddysh (Erie Otters)
October – Mathieu Henderson (Flint Firebirds)

Rookie of the Month:
December – Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
November – Linus Nyman (Kingston Frontenacs)
October – Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)

Vaughn Goaltender of the Month:
December – Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires
November – Tyler Parsons (London Knights)
October – Troy Timpano (Erie Otters)

CHL Announces Top 10 Rankings

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week fifteen 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 15

Rank: Team: Last Week Rank: Number of Weeks Ranked:
1 Regina Pats (26-3-6-1) 1 14
2 London Knights (25-6-2-3) 4 14
3 Everett Silvertips (25-5-6-0) 3 12
4 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (27-8-2-0) 7 5
5 Windsor Spitfires (24-7-4-1) 8 14
6 Shawinigan Cataractes (25-9-1-1) 10 13
7 Prince George Cougars (27-10-2-0) 6 14
8 Erie Otters (24-8-2-1) 2 10
9 Saint John Sea Dogs (23-9-3-1) 5 10
10 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (21-10-1-5) 9 15
Honourable Mention:
Medicine Hat Tigers (27-12-1-0) – 4
Charlottetown Islanders (24-12-1-0) – 0
Peterborough Petes (21-12-1-3) – 0

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 third 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 3

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

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 on Tuesday March 14with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the eight competing teams on Wednesday 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.

Pats’ Adam Brooks named CHL Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Adam Brooks of the Regina Pats is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending January 1 after recording 10 points including four goals and six assists in four games along with a plus-minus rating of plus-4.

Brooks opened the second half of the 2016-17 season with points in four-straight helping the top ranked Pats earn seven of a possible eight points improving their first place record to 25-3-6-1.  The WHL’s Top Scorer returned from the holiday break picking up exactly where he left off on December 17 with a second-straight five-point performance last Tuesday scoring three goals and two assists as second star of a 7-4 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings.  On Wednesday he picked up an assist in a 2-1 shootout loss to Brandon, then collected another assist Friday in an 8-0 win over the Prince Albert Raiders.  His week wrapped up on New Year’s Day beginning 2017 as first star of a 7-2 win over the Raiders scoring a goal and two assists.

A 20-year-old from Winnipeg, MB, Brooks is playing in his fifth career season with the Pats who originally selected him in the second round of the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft.  The fourth round pick of the Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL Draft currently leads the WHL with 63 points in 29 games including 21 goals and 42 assists and is on pace to surpass his 2015-16 league-leading totals of 120 points in 72 games powered by 38 goals and 82 assists.

Also considered for the award this week was Zack MacEwan of the Gatineau Olympiques who scored three goals and four assists for seven points in three games, and Florida Panthers prospect Jonathan Ang of the Peterborough Petes who scored once with six assists for seven points in three games.

2016-17 CHL Players of the Week:

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)

Royals’ Griffen Outhouse named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Griffen Outhouse of the Victoria Royals is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending January 1 after posting a 4-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 0.75 and save percentage of .979.

Outhouse stopped an incredible 138 shots following the holiday break helping the Royals gain some ground in the WHL’s Western Conference standings where they hold a 21-15-4-0 record.  His return from the holiday break included a pair of victories over the division’s first place Prince George Cougars including a 42-save effort last Tuesday as second star of a 5-1 win, and a 40-save shutout on Wednesday as first star of the 3-0 triumph.  On Friday night Outhouse stopped 26 shots in a 2-1 road win against the Kelowna Rockets receiving first star honours, then celebrated New Year’s Eve making 30 saves in a 6-1 road win against the Kamloops Blazers.

An 18-year-old from Williams Lake, BC, Outhouse is playing in his second season with the Royals.  Carrying a 21-12-3-0 record, Outhouse is tied for second in the WHL in wins while his 2.66 goals-against-average ranks fourth and his .921 save percentage is third best overall..

Also considered for the award this week was Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael McNiven of the Owen Sound Attack who made 73 saves while posting a 3-0-0-0 record including two shutout victories along with a goals-against-average of 0.33 and save percentage of .986, and Matthew Welsh of the Charlottetown Islanders who made 72 saves posting a 2-0-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 1.50 and save percentage of .960.

 2016-17 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week:
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)

OHL Draft Eligible Player of the Month for December

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

December was one of the toughest months I’ve ever had coming up with the top performer among the Ontario Hockey League’s draft eligible players as there were literally a hand full of performances that, if you picked one over another you couldn’t go wrong.

With that out of the way, I’ve decided to go with Windsor Spitfires’ goaltender Michael DiPietro.

DiPietro started eight games during the month and came in in relief in the final game of 2016 with just 3 minutes remaining. He posted a 6-2-0-0 record with a jaw dropping 1.50 goals against average and .940 save percentage.

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

DiPietro posted three consecutive shutouts with a shutout streak that lasted 202 minutes and 57 seconds. Thus, he was named the OHL Player of the Week and the Canadian Hockey League’s Goaltender of the Week.

The scale tipped in DiPietro’s favor because he kept the Spitfires within striking distance of the Soo Greyhounds for top spot in the Central Division despite missing top scorers Logan Brown and Gabriel Vilardi for almost the entire month.

Also considered were Mississauga Steelheads’ teammates, forward Owen Tippett (11 goals, 6 assists in 12 games), and defenceman Nicolas Hague (5 goals, 8 assists in 12 games) as well as Soo Greyhounds defenceman Conor Timmins (3 goals, 9 assists in 10 games), and a pair of Owen Sound Attack forwards, Nick Suzuki (5 goals, 10 assists in 9 games) and Jonah Gadjovich (9 goals, 5 assists in 9 games).

Previously

November – Nick Suzuki, Owen Sound Attack

October – Gabriel Vilardi – Windsor Spitfires

September – Greg Meireles – Kitchener Rangers

Attack’s Michael McNiven named Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael McNiven of the Owen Sound Attack is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending January 1 after posting a 3-0-0-0 record including two shutouts for a goals-against-average of 0.33 and save percentage of .986.

McNiven stopped 73 of 74 shots faced last week helping the Attack extend their winning-streak to seven games and improving their record to 23-13-1-0 for fifth place in the Western Conference standings.  He opened the second half of the 2016-17 campaign in perfect form recording two straight shutouts following the holiday break including a 23-save performance Wednesday as second star of a 3-0 win over the North Bay Battalion, then a 28-save effort Friday to blank the Kitchener Rangers 3-0 on the road.  His week wrapped up on New Year’s Day making 22 saves as part of a 5-1 win over the Barrie Colts however bringing an end to his personal shutout streak at 174:38.  McNiven becomes the third straight goaltender to claim the OHL’s weekly award, and fifth different netminder recognized so far this season.

Michael McNiven of the Owen Sound Attack. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images.
Michael McNiven of the Owen Sound Attack. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images.

A 19-year-old from Georgetown, ON, McNiven is playing in his third career season with the Attack who chose him in the fourth round of the 2013 OHL Priority Selection.  Carrying an overall record of 18-7-1-0, McNiven now leads the OHL with a 2.16 goals-against-average and a .922 save percentage.  His three shutouts so far this season give him nine over his career bringing him one shy of Jordan Binnington’s franchise record of 10.  McNiven was signed by the Canadiens to an entry-level contract as a Free Agent in 2015.

Watch video highlights of McNiven and the Attack against the Battalion, Rangers, and Colts.

Also considered for the award this week was Florida Panthers prospect Jonathan Ang of the Peterborough Petes who led the league with seven points in three games including a goal and six assists.  2017 NHL Draft prospect Conor Timmins also had a strong weekend on the blue line for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds scoring twice with four assists for six points in three games, while Canadiens prospect Jeremiah Addison of the Windsor Spitfires scored five goals in three games.

2016-17 Pioneer Energy OHL Players of the Week:

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)

OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders as Of December

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Happy New Year!

As we enter the New Year, December has come to a close and we’ll look at the Ontario Hockey League’s statistical leaders among players eligible for the 2017 National Hockey League Draft.

While there are players that are still eligible, since they were passed over in 2016, we did not include them. The list is entirely of players eligible for the first time.

Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack) and Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads) have opened up a lead in the points race over third place Morgan Frost (Soo Greyhounds). Suzuki leads the way with 47 points followed closely by Tippett with 45 points. Frost sits 11 points back of the leader with 36 points. Tippett has an over whelming lead in the goal scoring department with 29, 9 more than Suzuki.

Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

The top two defenceman leading in the scoring race among rearguards have also opened up a bit of a gap. Conor Timmins (Soo Greyhounds) leads defenders with 34 points. He has a 4 point lead over Nicolas Hague (Mississauga Steelheads). There is a 10 point gap between Hague and Noel Hoefenmayer (Ottawa 67’s), who comes in third with 20 points.

Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires) leads in all goaltending categories including shutouts (4) that lead the entire league.

We’ve added some categories this month: longest goal scoring streak, longest assist streak, longest point streak, shot attempts and shots on goal to name a few.

Players with an asterisk (*) also lead the league in that category.

While we take great care in the stat keeping, please refer to the OHL website for official stats.   Goaltenders ranked are minimum 4 games played.

Points Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Nick Suzuki Owen Sound Attack 36 20 27 47
Owen Tippett Mississauga Steelheads 36 29 16 45
Morgan Frost Soo Greyhounds 37 13 23 36
Ivan Lodnia Erie Otters 33 16 19 35
Austen Keating Ottawa 67’s 33 16 19 35
Jason Robertson Kingston Frontenacs 35 16 18 34
Robert Thomas London Knights 34 11 23 34
Conor Timmins Soo Greyhounds 37 6 28 34
Mattew Strome Hamilton Bulldogs 35 18 15 33
Isaac Ratcliffe Guelph Storm 36 17 16 33
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player Team GP G GPG
Owen Tippett Mississauga Steelheads 36 29 0.81
Nick Suzuki Owen Sound Attack 36 20 0.56
Mattew Strome Hamilton Bulldogs 35 18 0.51
Isaac Ratcliffe Guelph Storm 36 17 0.47
Jonah Gadjovich Owen Sound Attack 30 17 0.57
Ivan Lodnia Erie Otters 33 16 0.48
Jason Robertson Kingston Frontenacs 35 16 0.46
Linus Nyman Kingston Frontenacs 35 16 0.46
Sasha Chmelevski Ottawa 67’s 29 14 0.48
Macauley Carson Sudbury Wolves 37 14 0.38
Assist Leaders
Player Team GP A APG
Conor Timmins Soo Greyhounds 37 28 0.76
Nick Suzuki Owen Sound Attack 36 27 0.75
Austen Keating Ottawa 67’s 37 25 0.68
Robert Thomas London Knights 34 23 0.68
Morgan Frost Soo Greyhounds 37 23 0.62
Ivan Lodnia Erie Otters 33 19 0.58
Jason Robertson Kingston Frontenacs 35 18 0.51
Greg Meireles Kitchener Rangers 32 17 0.53
Lucas Chiodo Barrie Colts 34 17 0.50
Zach Gallant Peterborough Petes 35 17 0.49
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Conor Timmins Soo Greyhounds 37 6 28 34
Nicolas Hague Mississauga Steelheads 36 13 17 30
Noel Hoefenmayer Ottawa 67’s 31 7 13 20
Adam Thilander North Bay Battalion 32 3 15 18
Brady Lyle North Bay Battalion 36 3 12 15
Eememi Rasanen Kingston Frontenacs 35 3 12 15
Tom Hedberg Barrie Colts 28 3 11 14
Markus Phillips Owen Sound Attack 36 4 8 12
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player Team GP +/-
Robert Thomas London Knights 34 +25
Conor Timmins Soo Greyhounds 37 +25
Jonah Gadjovich Owen Sound Attack 30 +18
Isaac Ratcliffe Guelph Storm 36 +18
Nick Suzuki Owen Sound Attack 36 +18
Zach Gallant Peterborough Petes 35 +12
Ivan Lodnia Erie Otters 33 +11
Liam Hawel Soo Greyhounds 37 +10
Gabriel Vilardi Windsor Spitfires 19 +9
Elijah Roberts Kitchener Rangers 34 +9
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player Team GP PIM M/G
Shaw Boomhower Mississauga Steelheads 33 70 2.12
Nicolas Hague Mississauga Steelheads 35 62 1.77
Drake Pilon Sudbury Wolves 28 60 2.14
Darian Pilon Sudbury Wolves 37 59 1.59
Cole Fraser Peterborough Petes 34 54 1.59
Zach Gallant Peterborough Petes 35 54 1.54
Hayden Davis Niagara Ice Dogs 34 48 1.41
Faceoff Leaders  (wins)
Player Team GP FOA FOW %
Robert Thomas London Knights 34 659 380 57.7
Zach Gallant Peterborough Petes 35 623 364 58.4
Jack Studnicka Oshawa Generals 35 501 264 52.7
Ben Jones Niagara Ice Dogs 31 506 254 50.2
Jason Willms Barrie Colts 34 486 253 52.1
Nick Suzuki Owen Sound Attack 36 456 245 53.7
Morgan Frost Soo Greyhounds 37 474 239 50.4
Nate Schnarr Guelph Storm 23 468 234 50.0
Sasha Chmelevski Ottawa 67’s 29 414 224 54.1
Matthew Philip Niagara Ice Dogs 36 424 219 51.7
Longest Goal Scoring Streak
Player Team From To Gms Goals
Owen Tippett Mississauga Steelheads 10/12 10/23 6 11
Nick Suzuki Owen Sound Attack 11/18 11/26 5 6
Isaac Ratcliffe Guelph Storm 11/27 12/9 5 6
Jonah Gadjovich Owen Sound Attack 12/11 – 4 7
Zach Gallant Peterborough Petes 12/3 12/15 4 5
Longest Assist Streak
Player Team From To Gms Assts
Zach Gallant Peterborough Petes 12/3 12/16 5 5
Austen Keating Ottawa 67’s 10/23 11/5 5 5
Austen Keating Ottawa 67’s 9/25 10/6 5 9
Conor Timmins Soo Greyhounds 11/25 12/8 5 7
Noel Hoefenmayer Ottawa 67’s 10/1 10/9 5 5
Longest Point Streak
Player Team From To Gms Pts
Nicolas Hague Mississauga Steelheads 12/4 12/28 8 12
Jack Studnicka Oshawa Generals 12/18 12/9 7 11
Maksim Sushko Owen Sound Attack 10/9 10/26 7 9
Lucas Chiodo Barrie Colts 11/12 11/26 7 8
Noel Hoefenmayer Ottawa 67’s 9/25 10/9 7 8
Shot Attempt Leaders
Player Team GP S/A
Owen Tippett* Mississauga Steelheads 36 183
Nick Suzuki Owen Sound Attack 36 142
Jason Robertson Kingston Frontenacs 35 137
Jonah Gadjovich Owen Sound Attack 30 125
Nicolas Hague Mississauga Steelheads 35 107
Shots On Goal Leaders
Player Team GP SOG
Nick Suzuki* Owen Sound Attack 36 108
Jonah Gadjovich Owen Sound Attack 30 99
Owen Tippett Mississauga Steelheads 36 96
Jason Robertson Kingston Frontenacs 35 76
Zach Gallant Peterborough Petes 35 73
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player Team GP Min GA Avg
Michael DiPietro Windsor Spitfires 26 1520 56 2.21
Matthew Vallalta Soo Greyhounds 14 730 32 2.63
Riley Daniels Owen Sound Attack 7 367 18 2.94
Kaden Fulcher Hamilton Bulldogs 29 1632 88 3.24
Kyle Keyser Oshawa Generals 13 667 37 3.33
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player Team GP SH SVS SV%
Michael DiPietro Windsor Spitfires 26 683 627 0.918
Matthew Vallalta Soo Greyhounds 14 345 313 0.907
Jake McGrath Sudbury Wolves 18 562 506 0.900
Aidan Hughes Sarnia Sting 9 305 274 0.898
Kaden Fulcher Hamilton Bulldogs 29 817 729 0.892
Goaltending Leaders – Wins
Player Team GP W L OL
Michael DiPietro Windsor Spitfires 26 16 5 4
Kaden Fulcher Hamilton Bulldogs 29 13 11 4
Matthew Vallalta Soo Greyhounds 14 10 1 0
Jake McGrath Sudbury Wolves 18 8 6 2
Anthony Poppvich Guelph Storm 14 6 6 1
Goaltending Leaders – Shutouts
Player Team GP SO
Michael DiPietro* Windsor Spitfires 26 4
Jake McGrath Sudbury Wolves 18 1
Kaden Fulcher Hamilton Bulldogs 29 1