Author: Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Anaheim Ducks prospect Sam Steel of the Regina Pats is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending October 2 after scoring four goals and three assists for seven points in two games with a plus-minus rating of plus-3.

Steel returned from his first NHL Camp experience with the Ducks and made an immediate impact with the Pats who picked up a pair of victories last week.  On Friday night he scored twice in his season debut and earned second star honours in a 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings, then recorded a career-high five points on Sunday with two goals and three assists as first star of a 7-2 win over the Red Deer Rebels.

An 18-year-old from Sherwood Park, AB, Steel is playing in his third career WHL season with the Pats who selected him with the second overall pick in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.  The Ducks first round, 30th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft tallied 70 points in 72 games last season with 23 goals and 47 assists.

Also considered for the award this week was Ottawa Senators prospect Filip Chlapik of the Charlottetown Islanders who scored five goals and three assists for eight points in three games, and Dallas Stars prospect Nicholas Caamano of the Flint Firebirds who scored three goals and four assists for seven points in two games.

 2016-17 CHL Players of the Week:

Sept. 26 – Oct. 2: Sam Steel (Regina Pats)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 25: Kameron Kielly (Charlottetown Islanders)

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Samuel Harvey of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending October 2 after posting a 3-0-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 1.33 and save percentage of .951.

Harvey made 77 saves last week backstopping the first place Huskies to three straight road victories.  On Wednesday night he made 26 saves in a 4-1 win over the Val-d’Or Foreurs, then made 33 saves on Friday as part of a 5-2 win over the Sherbrooke Phoenix.  His week wrapped up with an 18-save performance on Saturday in a 5-1 win over the Gatineau Olympiques.

An 18-year-old from Alma, QC, Harvey is playing in his third QMJHL season with the defending league champion Huskies after being selected by the club in the second round of the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft.  In five games this season he carries a 4-0-0-1 record with a goals-against-average of 1.77 and save percentage of .937 after posting marks of 2.74 and .889 in 35 games last season.

Also considered for the award this week was Joseph Raaymakers of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds who went 3-0-0-0 with a goals-against-average of 1.94 and save percentage of .930, and Nick Schneider of the Medicine Hat Tigers who went 2-0-0-0 with a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .962.

2016-17 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week:

Sept. 26 – Oct. 2: Samuel Harvey (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 25: Liam Herbst (Guelph Storm)

The 2016 National Hockey League Draft saw two Ontario Hockey League forwards go undrafted.

Domenic Commisso of the Oshawa Generals was ranked 37th from the OHL in my final rankings while Drake Rymsha of the Ottawa 67’s didn’t make the final cut mainly because of time missed due to injury.

The NHL’s Boston Bruins came calling and the two were invited to the Bruins summer development camp. Early into this OHL season, the invites seem to have lit a fire under them.

Commisso has appeared in four games for the Generals and has three goals,  three assists and is in the top ten in OHL scoring early into the season. The 5’11”, 192 pound center and native of Oakville Ontario has a 23% shooting percentage and is 52.3% in the faceoff circle. His three assists to date are all primary assists.

Rymsha has also appeared in four games for the 67’s and has four goals and one assist through those contests. His four goals come on 14 shots giving him a 38.6% shooting percentage. He’s 39 for 71 in the faceoff circle, or 59.4%. The Huntington Woods Michigan native stands 6′ and 182 pounds.

Both Commisso and Rymsha will re-enter the draft and be eligible for 2017, but history is not on their side when it comes to being drafted the second time around. The Bruins have a recent history in doing just that with Seth Griffith.

The Bruins may just have wanted a closer look at the two invites at camp. But if they keep on playing as well as they are this early into the season, they could draw interest from other suitors.

Toronto, ON – Week two of the 2016-17 Ontario Hockey League season is underway!  Four more teams host home openers this weekend including Niagara, Oshawa, Erie, and Barrie among the 20 games being played tonight through Sunday.

 Here’s a look at what’s been happening around the league.

 NHL TRAINING CAMP TRACKER:
164 OHL eligible players attended National Hockey League Training Camps, but many have returned back to their clubs. Follow along with the NHL Training Camp Tracker and see who is back in the lineup this weekend! FULL DETAILS

 STORM’S LIAM HERBST NAMED VAUGHN CHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK:

Liam Herbst of the Guelph Storm is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the first week of regular season action ending September 25 after posting a 2-0-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .974. FULL STORY

BULLDOGS’ MATT LUFF NAMED OHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Los Angeles Kings prospect Matt Luff of the Hamilton Bulldogs is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for opening week action ending September 25 scoring six points in two games including four goals and two assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-7. FULL STORY

OHL NEWS – RADIO EDITION PRESENTED BY WARRIOR:

Host Terry Doyle caught up with OHL Player of the Week, Matt Luff, to discuss his entry-level contract with the Kings and the early season success of the Hamilton Bulldogs.  LISTEN.

ATTACK’S PETRUS PALMU TIES OHL RECORD:

Petrus Palmu was first star of the Attack’s 7-5 Wednesday night win over Hamilton with a goal and three assists, but found the back of the net in record tying fashion.  His goal came just four seconds into the middle frame, tying an OHL record for fastest goal to start a period, equaling London’s Doug Synyshin who set the mark in 1989. WATCH.

 MASTERCARD MEMORIAL CUP CHAMPION KNIGHTS HONOURED IN LONDON:

The London Knights celebrated an unforgettable 2015-16 season with their fans on Friday at Budweiser Gardens. Knights owner and former general manager Basil McRae was joined by champion Aaron Berisha at centre ice as a capacity crowd in London watched the 2016 Mastercard Memorial Cup championship banner ascend to the rafters. WATCH

FIREBIRDS HEADLINE 1ST EDITION OF THE OHL PLAYS OF THE WEEK:

A nifty passing play from the Flint Firebirds headlines the 1st edition of the OHL Plays of the Week. See the biggest saves and nicest goals around the OHL all season long with the OHL Plays of the Week. WATCH

RANGERS’ DAWSON CARTY LEADS JANES SAVES OF THE WEEK:
Check out the debut of #JanesSaves, including big stops from Leo Lazarev (Ottawa), Brent Moran (North Bay), David Ovsjannikov (Barrie), Liam Herbst (Guelph), Mario Peccia (Kingston) and Dawson Carty (Kitchener)! #JanesSaves features the top saves from around the OHL this week! WATCH

MILESTONES ABOUND DURING #OHLOPENINGWEEK:

18 players recorded their first OHL goal this past week while three goaltenders registered their first career shutout in the league.  These ‘Milestone Moments’ featured Ty Dellandrea, Matthew Menna, and Garrett Forrest of the Flint Firebirds, Kody Clark of the Ottawa 67’s, Richard Whittaker and Noah Bennett of the London Knights, Jordan Ernst and Brady Hinz of the Sarnia Sting, Brad Chenier of the North Bay Battalion, Matthew Philip of the Niagara IceDogs, Kyle Gentles of the Kitchener Rangers, Nathan Dunkley of the Kingston Frontenacs, Fedor Gordeev and Kaden Fulcher of the Hamilton Bulldogs, Michael Little and Aidan McFarland of the Mississauga Steelheads, Kyle Heitzner and Kirill Nizhnikov of the Barrie Colts, Cole Purboo of the Windsor Spitfires, Renars Krastenbergs of the Oshawa Generals, and Darian Pilon of the Sudbury Wolves. WATCH.

SPORTSNET PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL RESULTS:
Sportsnet asked coaches from all 20 OHL teams 16 different questions heading into the 2016-17 season and the results are in! FULL RESULTS

OHL LIVE EARLY BIRD PRICING STILL AVAILABLE:
The Ontario Hockey League, in association with its digital media partner NeuLion, are proud to offer Early Bird pricing for OHL Live up until October 2, 2016. Powered by NeuLion, OHL Live provides coverage of all 20 teams in the OHL and will deliver all 680 games throughout the regular season as well as coverage throughout the 2017 OHL Playoffs. FULL DETAILS

COMMUNITY CORNER:

Join the Mastercard Memorial Cup Community Activation Team: The 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup Host Organizing Committee (HOC) is looking for people interested in joining its Community Activation Team. The Community Activation Team will play a key role in raising awareness of the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup and educating people within the communities of Windsor-Essex and Kent County about the event’s historical significance – delivering those messages in the form of school visits and directly engaging with local businesses, among other means. Full details at mastercardmemorialcup.ca.

IceDogs raise banner Friday, honour St. Catharines Teepees Saturday: The Niagara IceDogs will raise their Eastern Conference Championship banner on Friday night before saluting the heritage of OHL hockey in St. Catharines on Saturday. The Teepees won Mastercard Memorial Cup titles in 1954 and 1960 and several former players will be in attendance to perform the ceremonial puck-drop. Full details at niagaraicedogs.net.

Kids Weekend in Flint: After posting 4-0 and 2-0 victories on home ice last week, the Flint Firebirds host Kids Weekend at the Dort Federal Event Center. All children 12 and under receive a complimentary ticket with a purchased adult ticket. For full details, visit flintfirebirds.com.

Rangers begin school visits: The Kitchener Rangers are back out in the schools, visiting young fans across the region. Kyle Gentles and Jake Henderson paid a visit to Forest Glen Public School on Tuesday. Learn all about their visit at kitchenerrangers.com.

Petes continue CCM Mentorship Program: The Peterborough Petes, Peterborough Minor Hockey Council and Peterborough Hockey Association are working together again this season to help grow minor hockey in Peterborough and provide amazing experiences for local youth athletes. The CCM Mentorship Program continues for the 2016-17 season. Full details at gopetesgo.com.

ALUMNI NOTES:

11 OHL graduates win World Cup with Canada: 11 OHL graduates are World Cup Champions as members of Team Canada following a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory on Thursday. Defencemen Brent Burns (Brampton Battalion), Drew Doughty (Guelph Storm), Jake Muzzin (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) and Alex Pietrangelo (Barrie Colts) join forwards Logan Couture (Ottawa 67’s), Matt Duchene (Brampton Battalion), Ryan O’Reilly (Erie Otters), Corey Perry (London Knights), Steven Stamkos (Sarnia Sting), John Tavares (London Knights) and Joe Thornton (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) as champs. FULL DETAILS

OHL Alumni Association takes up the fight against cancer: The OHL Alumni Association is joining forces with The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, striving to conquer cancer in our lifetime as they hit the street for a day of road hockey at the annual Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer event on October 1st. The OHL Alumni Association’s 16-man roster has surpassed its $10,000 fundraising goal, having raised over $15,000 to date. All money raised will go towards cancer research, therapies and treatments that will ultimately save lives and provide a fighting chance to all those living with this devastating disease. FULL DETAILS

SCHEDULE: 

Friday September 30:
Windsor at Mississauga – 7:00pm
Kingston at Niagara – 7:00pm
Kitchener at North Bay – 7:00pm
Barrie at Sudbury – 7:00pm
Ottawa at Sarnia – 7:05pm
Hamilton at Guelph – 7:30pm
Sault Ste. Marie at London – 7:30pm
Peterborough at Oshawa – 7:35pm

Saturday October 1:
Kingston at Erie – 7:00pm
Sarnia at Flint – 7:00pm
Hamilton at Niagara – 7:00pm
Ottawa at Saginaw – 7:05pm
London at Barrie – 7:30pm
Guelph at Owen Sound – 7:30pm

Sunday October 2:
North Bay at Mississauga – 2:00pm
Kitchener at Sudbury – 2:00pm
Niagara at Peterborough – 2:05pm
Sault Ste. Marie at Sarnia – 2:05pm
Ottawa at Flint – 4:00pm
Windsor at Oshawa – 6:05pm

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Kameron Kielly of the Charlottetown Islanders is the CHL Player of the Week for the first week of regular season action ending September 25 after scoring three goals and six assists for nine points in two games with a plus-minus rating of plus-8.

Kielly helped the Islanders open the 2016-17 regular season with a pair of victories over Maritimes Division competition participating in 75% of his team’s 12 goals.  On Friday night he scored a goal with three assists as part of a 6-2 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs, then recorded a career-high five points on Sunday with two goals and three assists as first star of a 6-2 win over the Moncton Wildcats.

The 19-year-old Charlottetown native is playing in his fifth QMJHL season and fourth with his hometown club after being selected in the first round of the 2012 QMJHL Entry Draft by Gatineau and playing one season with the Olympiques.  In 48 games last season he scored 15 goals with 27 assists for 42 points and recently attended Los Angeles Kings rookie camp on a tryout basis.

Also considered for the award this week was Kings prospect Matt Luff of the Hamilton Bulldogs who scored four goals and two assists for six points in two games, and Chad Butcher of the Medicine Hat Tigers who scored once with six assists for seven points in two games.

2016-17 CHL Players of the Week:

Sept. 21 – Sept. 25: Kameron Kielly (Charlottetown Islanders)