Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that forward Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 27 after scoring six goals and three assists for nine points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-3.
Halbgewachs recorded a trio of multi-point performances last week helping the Warriors pick up a pair of road wins to improve their second place record to 15-5-4-0 in the WHL’s East Division. On Tuesday night he scored twice and earned second star recognition despite a 6-3 loss to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers, then tallied another two goals including the game-winner plus an assist Friday in Calgary as first star of a 5-4 win over the Hitmen. His week wrapped up with another first star effort Saturday in Red Deer collecting a career-high four points including two goals and two assists in a 5-2 triumph over the Rebels.
A 19-year-old from Emerald Park, SK, Halbgewachs is playing in his third full WHL season with the Warriors after initially being chosen in the first round of the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft by the Kamloops Blazers. He currently ranks tied for ninth in league scoring with 32 points including a career-high 19 goals along with 13 assists through 24 games.
Also considered for the award this week was François Beauchemin of the Val-d’Or Foreurs who scored four goals with five assists for nine points in four games, and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Boris Katchouk of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds who scored four goals with two assists for six points in three games.
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 27 after posting two shutout victories in two starts for a perfect goals-against-average of 0.00 and save percentage of 1.000.
Considered for the award last week, Hart turned aside all 63 shots he faced in two games this past week to claim the award for the Silvertips who lead the WHL’s U.S Division with an 18-3-4-0 record. On Wednesday night his 37-save performance against Seattle matched a season-high and earned him first star honours in the 3-0 victory over the Thunderbirds. On Saturday night he picked up his second shutout of the week and third of the 2016-17 campaign making 26 saves as first star of another 3-0 triumph this time over the B.C Division leading Prince George Cougars.
An 18-year-old from Sherwood Park, AB, Hart is playing in his third full WHL season with the Silvertips after being selected by the club in the eighth round of the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft. A second round pick of the Flyers in the 2016 NHL Draft, Hart is the reigning CHL Goaltender of the Year and currently carries a record of 13-3-3-0 with a goals-against-average of 1.67 and save percentage of .937 which are both top marks in the WHL.
Also considered for the award this week was Stephen Dhillon of the Niagara IceDogs who went 2-0-0-0 making 59 saves with a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .967, and Francis Leclerc of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada who posted a 1-0-1-0 record while stopping 71 shots for a goals-against-average of 1.99 and save percentage of .947.
30 CHL Players Invited to Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp
TORONTO, Ont. and MONTREAL, Que. – In less than 30 days, the puck will officially drop on the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, and 32 players are now one step closer to being part of this Canadian holiday tradition as a member of Canada’s National Junior Team.
Hockey Canada unveiled the list of invitees who will report to Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection Camp in Blainville, Que., Dec. 10-14, during coinciding news conferences in Montreal and Toronto on Tuesday. The cities will co-host the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship when it returns to Canadian ice next month.
The selection camp roster includes 19 forwards, 10 defencemen, and three goaltenders. The evaluation process was led by Ryan Jankowski, Hockey Canada’s director of player personnel, and Joël Bouchard of the organization’s Program of Excellence management group, with input from coaches and general managers from across the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
CHL Players:
Goaltenders:
Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Connor Ingram (Kamloops Blazers)
Michael McNiven (Owen Sound Attack)
Defencemen:
Jake Bean (Calgary Hitmen)
Guillaume Brisebois (Charlottetown Islanders)
Thomas Chabot (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Samuel Girard (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Noah Juulsen (Everett Silvertips)
Jeremy Lauzon (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Victor Mete (London Knights)
Philippe Myers (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Forwards:
Mathew Barzal (Seattle Thunderbirds)
Anthony Cirelli (Oshawa Generals)
Dillon Dube (Kelowna Rockets)
Pierre-Luc Dubois (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)
Julien Gauthier (Val-d’Or Foreurs)
Brett Howden (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Mathieu Joseph (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Michael McLeod (Mississauga Steelheads)
Nick Merkley (Kelowna Rockets)
Nolan Patrick (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Taylor Raddysh (Erie Otters)
Nicolas Roy (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)
Zach Senyshyn (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Blake Speers (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Sam Steel (Regina Pats)
Mitchell Stephens (Saginaw Spirit)
Dylan Strome (Erie Otters)
Austin Wagner (Regina Pats)
“Congratulations to the 32 players named today to the National Junior Team selection camp roster,” said Scott Salmond, vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams, Hockey Canada. “With the number of talented players across Canada, it is a difficult process to get to this point. We are confident that the 22 players who emerge from this camp will wear the Team Canada jersey with pride, and give Canada the best opportunity to play for gold on January 5th.”
Five players return from the Canada’s National Junior Team that competed at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship in Helsinki, Finland: Mathew Barzal (Coquitlam, B.C./Seattle, WHL), Thomas Chabot (Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, Que./Saint John, QMJHL), Julien Gauthier (Pointe-aux-Trembles, Que./Val-d’Or, QMJHL), Mitchell Stephens (Peterborough, Ont./Saginaw, OHL), and Dylan Strome (Mississauga, Ont./Erie, OHL).
“There have been a number of difficult decisions to make just to get us to this point, and I expect these players will continue to impress us and make the next round of decisions tough as well, which speaks to the talent Canada continues to produce on the ice,” said Jankowski. “We’re eager to get the players and our coaching and support staff together and get started.”
The selection camp will be held at the home of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, the Centre d’Excellence Sports Rousseau, and features three games: two against the USport All-Stars on Dec. 12 and 13, and a final game against the Czech Republic on Dec. 14.
Following the four-day camp, 22 players will be selected to represent Canada and don the Maple Leaf on home ice for the first time since 2015 when Canada won gold in front of a sold-out crowd of over 19,000 fans at the Air Canada Centre. This year, gold will be won in Montreal.
Single-game tickets to World Juniors on sale Nov. 30
Fans can purchase single-game tickets to the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship beginning Wednesday, Nov. 30. Single-game tickets for both host-venues, as well as other Montreal and Toronto ticket options can be found online at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.
“As a Team Canada and World Junior Championship alumnus, there’s no experience like being part of a World Junior Championship – whether it’s as a player, or as a fan cheering on your national team,” said Wendel Clark, honourary captain, 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. “This is a special event for hockey fans around the world, but it’s an annual tradition for Canadians – one that we don’t take for granted when it’s here on home ice.”
Canada plays three pre-tournament games as part of the Road to the World Juniors prior to opening the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship in Toronto on Boxing Day against Russia at 8 p.m. ET. It will then face its U.S. rivals on New Year’s Eve at 3:30 p.m. ET to close out preliminary-round action from Toronto before moving to the Bell Centre in Montreal. Extensive coverage of the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship is planned by TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, including Canada’s three pre-tournament games; check local listings for details.
For more information on Hockey Canada, Canada’s National Junior Team, and the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, visitHockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter, as well as #WorldJuniors.
Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Boris Katchouk of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 27 after scoring four goals and two assists for six points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-2.
Katchouk extended his personal point-streak to seven games which aligns with the Greyhounds current winning-streak of seven that includes a trio of road victories last week. On Thursday night Katchouk earned first star honours with two goals and an assist in a 6-1 win over the North Bay Battalion. His week continued Friday in Mississauga scoring the insurance marker for the Hounds who erased a 3-1 third period deficit to emerge victorious by a 5-3 count over the Steelheads before a national audience in this season’s regular season debut of the CHL on Sportsnet. Katchouk finished the week Sunday with a goal and an assist as third star of an 8-3 win over the Eastern Conference leading Oshawa Generals. The Greyhounds now lead the OHL’s West Division standings with an 18-7-1-0 record.
Boris Katchouk of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
An 18-year-old from Waterloo, ON, Katchouk is playing in his third career season with the Greyhounds after being chosen by the club in the second round of the 2014 OHL Priority Selection. The second round pick of the Lightning in the 2016 NHL Draft currently has 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points in 24 games after recording 24 goals and 27 assists for 51 points in 63 games last season. Earlier this month in Hamilton, Katchouk represented Team OHL in Game 4 of the CIBC Canada Russia Series and scored a goal in the 5-2 victory.
Also considered for the award this week was defenceman Ryan Mantha and forward Alex DeBrincat. The Niagara IceDogs captain scored four goals and two assists for six points in three games, while the Chicago Blackhawks prospect netted three goals and two assists for five points in two games for the Erie Otters. In goal, the IceDogs’ Stephen Dhillon made 59 saves in two games where he earned two victories while posting a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .967.
2016-17 Pioneer Energy OHL Players of the Week:
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)
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week ten 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.
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that forward Alexander Katerinakis of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 20 after scoring four goals and three assists for seven points in two games with a plus-minus rating of plus-3.
Katerinakis recorded back-to-back multi-point performances last week for the Armada in a pair of road victories that helped the club take over first place in the QMJHL’s overall standings with a record of 16-6-1-1. He earned first star in both contests including Friday night with two goals and one assist in a 6-5 win over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, and Saturday with two goals and two assists for a career-high four points leading the Armada to a 5-4 win against the Val-d’Or Foreurs.
An 18-year-old from Montreal, QC, Katerinakis is playing in his third QMJHL season with the Armada who selected him in the first round of the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft. In 16 games so far this season he has five goals and 15 assists for 15 points after recording 17 points in 42 games last season.
Also considered for the award this week was Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Jeremy Bracco of the Kitchener Rangers who scored five goals and five assists for 10 points in four games, and Alexander True of the Seattle Thunderbirds who scored five goals and two assists for seven points in three games.
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that rookie Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending November 20 after posting a 2-0-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 2.00 and save percentage of .933.
Villalta made 56 saves last week helping the Greyhounds extend their winning-streak to four games moving into a tie for first place in the OHL’s West Division standings with a 15-7-1-0 record. His week began with a 28-save performance on Wednesday morning in Saginaw in a 5-3 School Day victory over the host Spirit, then earned first star honours Saturday making 28 saves on home ice in a 4-1 victory over the Kingston Frontenacs.
Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
A 17-year-old from Kingston, ON, Villalta committed to the Greyhounds prior to the 2016-17 campaign after competing last season as a member of the Greater Kingston AAA Midget Hockey Club last season. So far this season he carries a 6-1-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 2.56 and save percentage of .907.
Also considered for the award this week was Philadelphia Flyers prospect Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips who posted a 1-1-1-0 record with a goals-against-average of 1.68 and save percentage of .933, and James Povall of the Victoriaville Tigres who posted a 1-1-0-0 record with a 2.52 goals-against-average and a .928 save percentage.
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that three clubs will have the opportunity to make formal bid presentations to host the 2018 Mastercard Memorial Cup which will be the 100th edition of the league’s prestigious national championship.
The Ontario Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs, Oshawa Generals, and the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats have advanced to the next stage of the national bid process representing the final three teams submitted by the CHL’s regional leagues for consideration to host the historic celebration. The event, which takes place May 17-27, 2018, will feature a host CHL team along with the champions of the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL competing in the traditional round-robin tournament format.
“The Canadian Hockey League’s mission for the historic 100th presentation of the Memorial Cup is to capture, preserve, and enhance the legacy of one of the most prestigious trophies in all of sport,” said CHL President David Branch. “Our successful host will help engage the entire nation through this celebration that will also honour the brave men and women who served and continue to serve our country.”
National bid presentations will be heard by a National Site Selection Committee. Details regarding this stage of the process including presentation schedule and committee members will be announced at a later date. The CHL will announce the 2018 Host City in February, 2017.
“We are very proud of our longstanding partnership with the Canadian Hockey League and our association with this prestigious annual event,” said Milos Vranesevic, Head of Marketing, Mastercard Canada. “We look forward to the centennial celebration in 2018 and wish the Hamilton Bulldogs, Oshawa Generals, and Regina Pats the best of luck with their bids.”
The Memorial Cup has a rich tradition that has shaped the way junior hockey is played in North America. The trophy was originally known as the OHA Memorial Cup and was donated by the Ontario Hockey Association in March, 1919, in remembrance of the many soldiers who paid the supreme sacrifice for Canada in the First World War. In 2010 the Memorial Cup was rededicated to the memory of all fallen Canadian Military Personnel killed in combat serving our country.
The 99th edition of the Mastercard Memorial Cup will be hosted by the Windsor Spitfires May 18-28, 2017.
Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Jeremy Bracco of the Kitchener Rangers is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 20 recording 10 points in four games scoring five goals and five assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-8.
Jeremy Bracco of the Kitchener Rangers. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Bracco earns the award for a second time this season after extending his season-long point-streak to an OHL-best 19 games as the Rangers won three of four games last week. His week included two four-point performances Thursday night with a hat-trick and assist in a 7-4 win over the Peterborough Petes, and Sunday afternoon with two goals and two assists as first star of a 6-3 win over the Guelph Storm. Bracco also tallied an assist last Tuesday in a 4-3 loss to the London Knights, and another helper Friday as part of a 3-2 win over the Oshawa Generals.
A 19-year-old from Freeport, NY, Bracco is playing in his second OHL season with the Rangers and was a second round pick of the Leafs in the 2015 NHL Draft. He is currently third in OHL scoring with 40 points in 19 games including 16 goals and 24 assists after scoring 21 goals and 43 assists for 64 points in 49 games last season. His assist on Friday against Oshawa marked his 100th career point with the Rangers.
Also considered for the award this week was Buffalo Sabres prospect Cliff Pu of the London Knights with four goals and five assists for nine points in four games, and fellow Ranger, Adam Mascherin, a Florida Panthers prospect who scored five goals and three assists for eight points in four games. In goal, rookie Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds went 2-0-0-0 with a goals-against-average of 2.00 and save percentage of .933.
2016-17 Pioneer Energy OHL Players of the Week:
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)
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week nine 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.
OHL Writers 