Declan Chisholm – Peterborough Petes – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 180 Pounds

Date of birth: January 12, 2000

Hometown: Bowmanville, Ontario

Position: Defense

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 2, 24th overall, 2016 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: B Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 42nd overall, North American Skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

Peterborough Petes’ defenceman Declan Chisholm played his minor midget hockey with the Don Mills Flyers during the 2015-2016 season. As an alternate captain and leader on the blue line, he collected 10 goals and 23 assists in 63 games. He also appeared in the OHL Cup, scoring twice and adding three helpers in six games and being named to the All-Star Team.

Declan Chisholm of the Peterborough Petes. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Declan Chisholm of the Peterborough Petes. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

The Petes would select Chisholm in the second round of the 2016 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection, twenty-fourth overall. Here is OHL Central Scouting’s report on him at the time:

Declan is one of the top defenders in this age group. He does everything very well. He’s a slick skating defenseman that has excellent mobility and very good top end speed. He logs a ton of minutes and because of his skating ability, he looks like he could play all day long. He is a very good passer, sees ice well and makes excellent simple outlet passes. He uses his mobility on the offensive blue line to his advantage, gets pucks on net and makes good shot/pass decisions. 

As a rookie during the 2016-2017 season, Chisholm would appear in 41 games for the Petes, scoring once and adding four assists. He would represent Canada at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17 and in six games would register two assists.

Entering this his National Hockey League Draft season, bigger things were expected of Chisholm. While he scored three goals and added seventeen assists, he appeared in just forty-seven games. He was off to a very good start, but then an injury – a high ankle sprain – caused him to miss fourteen games. It’s the type of injury, even though you are medically cleared, that takes a long time to fully recover.

Along with the injury, the Petes made a coaching change during Chisholm’s absence. The Petes also suffered through other injuries and were a non-playoff team. Combined, they were all contributing factors in making the right read on Chisholm. Despite that, there is enough of a sample size.

Chisholm is an excellent skater with excellent speed. He uses his edges extremely well, can change his pace in a split second and changes direction with ease. Offensively, he uses that skating ability to quickly open-up lanes and create a scoring opportunity with a shot or a perfect pass. Defensively, he uses that same skating ability to keep players close or close gaps quickly.

In the defensive zone, Chisholm can beat the forecheck. He makes crisp, clean outlet passes and puts the puck on his forward’s stick quickly. As his season moved along, he became more confident in his skating abilities and utilized the skill more often in skating the puck out of the zone.

At 6’1”, Chisholm has good size. Adding muscle and strength is important as he is sometimes prone to losing one-on-one battles. At 180 pounds, there is plenty of room to add however.

Chisholm is also a very intelligent player. He knows exactly when to jump into the play. He sees the ice extremely well. He is very effective at keeping possession, whether it’s on his stick or putting pucks in areas his teammates can get to first.

Stat page of Declan Chisholm from Elite Prospects

2018 NHL Draft: Where’s the Offence From the OHL?

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

If it sounds like we’re beating a dead horse, it’s because we are. If Barrie Colts’ superstar Andrei Svechnikov had not missed two months of the season, things would look different. Despite that, it is in the end, a legitimate question to ask.

The 2017 National Hockey League Draft was a very good draft and there were some pretty good offensive players selected from the Ontario Hockey League. But when comparing 2018 to 2017 we must ask, where’s the offense? So, let’s compare the two.

A season ago, Nick Suzuki led all draft eligible players with 96 points. This season, London Knights’ defenceman Evan Bouchard led the way with 87 points. Svechnikov placed third with 72 points behind Akil Thomas of the Niagara Ice Dogs with 81 points. It’s reasonable to assume had he not missed 24 games, Svechnikov would have surpassed Suzuki’s total.

Akil Thomas of the Niagara IceDogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Akil Thomas of the Niagara IceDogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

A deeper look tells us that Gabriel Vilardi missed almost as much time as Svechnikov, missing 19 games yet putting up 61 points. But when we compare the top ten producers from the 2017 draft to those that will be selected in June, some may be surprised by the comparisons.

The top ten from 2017 registered a combined 701 points in 635 games. The 2018 class played an equal number of 635 games and contributed a combined 685 points. If we were to project Svechnikov and Vilardi over a full season, then we’d find the difference at just 4 points.

Last season we saw Jonah Gadjovich (46), Suzuki (45), Owen Tippett (44) and Jason Robertson (42) all score 40 or more goals. This season saw only Svechnikov hit the mark with 40. In fact, only Aidan Dudas (31) and Pavel Gogolev (30) hit the 30-goal mark. All the top ten in 2017 scored 25 or more while 7 of the top ten hit the total this season.

Playmaking however seems to be up this year, at least according to the numbers. Last season the top ten provided teammates with 419 helpers, but this season the top ten assisted on 451 goals. Both years were led by a blueliner. Bouchard assisted on 62 goals while Conor Timmins assisted on 54. The difference though, was top heavy with the bottom five virtually equal from year to year.

Points by blueliners was also extremely top heavy. Bouchard (87) and Ryan Merkley (67) combined for 154 points this season. In 2017, Timmins (61) and Nicolas Hague (46) combined for just 107 points. Rasmus Sandin (45) and Markus Phillips (43) were virtually equal, but Sandin played in 15 fewer games. The rest of the class however is more favorable to 2017 with the next five point-getters finishing with 35 points or more, but none of the rest of the 2018 class finished with more than 26 points.

With Bouchard and Merkley out-performing their cousins from a year ago, how much does the 47-point difference skew the numbers among the forwards? Timmins was the only defenseman to place in the top 10 a year ago. If we are concentrating solely on forwards, 2017 wins hands down.

So where is the offense?

Ty Dellandrea – Flint Firebirds – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 190 pounds

Date of birth: July 21, 2000

Hometown: Port Perry, Ontario

Position: Center

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 1, 5th overall, 2016 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: B Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 76th overall, North American Skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

It’s quite possible there isn’t a bigger enigma then the Flint Firebirds’ Ty Dellandrea when it comes to rankings for the 2018 National Hockey League Draft. After the top two, the list of Ontario Hockey League players could go any which way, and Dellandrea’s name is all over the map.

NHL Central Scouting ranks him 76th among North American skaters. When you factor in Europeans and goaltenders, that puts Dellandrea in the fourth round. TSN’s Bob McKenzie, whose list is based on surveying NHL scouts, ranks him 10th among OHL players and 41st overall. His list includes goaltenders and Europeans and that ranks him as a solid mid-second round pick.

There aren’t many better then Brock Otten when it comes to covering the OHL and on his excellent blog, Otten ranks Dellandrea twelfth among OHL players on his mid-term rankings, which puts Dellandrea in line with McKenzie’s list.

Normally at this time of year I would ridicule Central Scouting and while they have him lower then any of the public lists available, there isn’t a real consensus on Dellandrea.

Dellandrea played his minor midget hockey during the 2015-2016 season with the Central Ontario Wolves where he compiled 36 goals, tops in the Eastern Triple A Minor Midget Hockey League, and 21 assists in 36 games.  He would represent Team OMHA at the OHL Gold Cup and score once while adding two assists in five games.

Ty Dellandrea of the Flint Firebirds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Ty Dellandrea of the Flint Firebirds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

The Firebirds would select Dellandrea with the fifth overall pick at the 2016 Priority Selection. Here’s what OHL Central Scouting had to say about him prior to his draft:

Ty is one of the most improved players in the draft since the start of the season. His skating is noticeably better, he is quicker in every area and has become very hard to handle off the rush. He is also playing with way more confidence and is trying things he never would have at the beginning of the season. Ty has the puck on his stick a lot and creates chances for himself and his teammates. He has a very hard and accurate shot off the wing and surprises goalies with his release. 

Dellandrea broke onto the OHL scene a season ago and competed in 57 games while putting up 13 goals and 11 assists in those contests. He twice represented Canada internationally, first at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17 (5 GP, 1G, 1A) and at the World Junior Championship Under 18 (pointless in 5 games).

This season began with a gold medal at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial for Dellandrea. He returned to Flint and had an A sewn on his jersey which speaks to his leadership qualities. He finished the season with 27 goals and 32 assists in 67 games, one of the rare occasions where his helpers have outnumbered his own goal production.

Among draft eligible players, Dellandrea finished the regular season in ninth spot in points and fifth in goals. He finished eighth in faceoff percentage, winning 750 of 1481 draws or 50.6 percent. He was also tied for top spot with Cam Hillis and Evan Bouchard in powerplay goals with ten and finished second to only Bouchard in shots on goal with 239.

When looking at Dellandrea, you surely must take into consideration that he played on a poor, non-playoff team in Flint. How much consideration is put into that is the subject of great debate.

Dellandrea has decent size, some very intriguing skill sets and is a very good skater with good speed and an explosiveness to his first few strides. He protects the puck extremely well and controls it on his stick while flying up the ice. He can beat defenders wide with no fear of taking the disk to the net.

Dellandrea’s skating allows him to get in on the forecheck quickly and cause havoc for defenders. He’s not afraid to lay the body on the forecheck and create turnovers. When he has control of the puck in the offensive zone, he sees the ice extremely well and can dish it very well. He usually looks for and finds the safe play. I would like to see him “force” a play periodically. If he doesn’t see the opportunity to make a play, he’s not shy about taking his own shot – which is a very good shot with one of the quickest releases.

Defensively, Dellandrea has made some huge strides and is one of the better two-way centers available in the draft class. Once again, his quick first steps allow him to get into lanes quickly and with an active stick causes turnover, especially in the neutral zone. He can anticipate extremely well which makes him an very effective penalty killer as well. 

Pavel Gogolev – Peterborough Petes – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 168 pounds

Date of birth: February 19,2000

Hometown: Moscow, Russia

Position: Left Wing/Right Wing

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 8th overall, 2016 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: B Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 75th, North American Skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

Although he is a native of Moscow, Russia, there was no Canadian Hockey League Import Draft for Peterborough Petes winger Pavel Gogolev. Instead, the Petes would select Gogolev with the eighth overall pick at the 2016 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

If the OHL was Gogolev’s preferred choice as a stepping stone to the National Hockey League, then getting to Ontario and playing here early to make himself eligible for the OHL Draft was a priority. And he did just that.

Gogolev first applied his skills in Canada during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons with the Program of Excellence Bantam Prep School in B.C. He made the move to Ontario and joined the Canadian International Hockey Academy where current Petes’ teammate Semyon Der-Arguchintsev and the 11th overall pick at the 2017 NHL Draft Gabriel Vilardi (Los Angeles Kings) honed their skills.

Pavel Gogolev of the Peterborough Petes. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Pavel Gogolev of the Peterborough Petes. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

It was during that 2015-2016 season that Gogolev played his Midget AAA with the CIHA White squad and scored 38 goals while adding 30 assists in 46 games. His 38 goals were tops in Hockey Eastern Ontario AAA. OHL Central Scouting had this scouting report on Gogolev:

Pavel is one of the top skilled players in the HEO midget league this season. He possesses a combination of size, skill and skating that not many players have. Pavel is an intimidating presence when he is in full flight flying through the neutral zone and has made many a defender look very average as he blows by them. He is very dangerous when he has the puck on his stick and is always a threat offensively. He has great instincts for the net and has the ability to find open ice well. 

As a rookie, Gogolev played in 53 games for the Petes a season ago and scored 5 goals and 6 assists. He also represented Russia at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17, winning a Bronze Medal while scoring once in six games.

When the 2017-2018 season ended for the Petes, Gogolev finished with 30 goals and 17 assists in 66 games. His 30 goals were third among draft-eligible players behind Andrei Svechnikov (40) of the Barrie Colts and Aidan Dudas (31) of the Owen Sound Attack. He finished tied with Svechnikov with three hat tricks on the season and fifth in shots-on-goal. You can find the leaders in stats among draft-eligible players here.

The only downfall to this season is the Petes missed the playoffs. Gogolev really came into his own as the season progressed and started lighting the lamp on a more regular basis and it could have helped his draft stock if he had the opportunity to show if he could raise his level of play in a playoff scenario.

At 6’ tall, Gogolev has the frame in which to build on. Despite his 168 pounds, he is deceptively strong at the necessities such as being strong on the puck, battling for pucks and puck protection although he was fighting to find some consistency in those areas earlier in the season.

Gogolev is a dynamic offensive threat especially on the powerplay where he has more time and space. He has shown to have some very good vision and playmaking abilities although that isn’t reflected in his assist totals. He is a smart player and understands how to provide support and make himself available especially for short passes, which is becoming increasingly important in today’s game. He has an excellent shot with a very good release.

When Gogolev applies himself, he can change the outcome of a game single-handedly. He possesses very good puck skills, even when at top speed. And he is a very good skater with excellent speed. At times, he will drive the net with that speed and puck ability. Continuing to find his consistency and an increase in his overall work ethic – or specifically, applying himself from shift-to-shift, is what will make him successful. If he fails to find that, I’m not sure if Gogolev can project as anything but a goal scorer at the next level.

Stat page of Pavel Gogolev from Elite Prospects


OHL’s Draft Eligible Regular Season Statistical Leaders

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

As we’ve had to do many a times this season. Let us preface this by saying things would look very different if Barrie Colts’ Superstar Andrei Svechnikov had not missed 2 months of the regular season. But let’s not allow that to take away from the fine season some of the other players have had.

With the 2017-2018 season having ended, these are the final statistic for players eligible for the 2018 National Hockey League Draft for the first time.

One of those fine seasons belongs to London Knights star defenceman Evan Bouchard. Not only did he lead all draft eligible players in points, but he led the entire Ontario Hockey League in points by a defenceman and seventh in points among all players.

Andrei Svechnikovof the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Andrei Svechnikov of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Svechnikov, the scoring star that he is, led all draft eligible players with 40 goals in 44 games. That averages out to .91 goals-per-game, almost twice as much as Aidan Dudas of the Owen Sound Attack who finished the season with 31 goals in 68 games or .46 goals-per-game.

Svechnikov finished second to Bouchard in game winning goals with Bouchard tallying 7 while Svechnikov had 6. Svechnikov finished second to three players in powerplay goals, with the trio notching 10 and Svechnikov popping in 9. He was also tied with Pavel Gogolev of the Peterborough Petes with 3 hat tricks on the season.

Here are the leaders in a variety of categories. The OHL column shows the player’s ranking in the entire OHL.

Points Leaders
OHL Player Team GP G A Pts
7 Evan Bouchard London Knights 67 25 62 87
14 Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 68 22 59 81
25 Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 44 40 32 72
31 Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 68 26 44 70
37 Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 63 13 54 67
39 Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 68 31 34 65
40 Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 67 20 45 65
52 Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 63 21 39 60
55 Ty Dellandrea Flint Firebirds 67 27 32 59
58 Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 60 20 39 59
Goal Scoring Leaders
OHL Player Team GP G GPG
8 Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 44 40 0.91
26 Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 68 31 0.46
37 Pavel Gogolev Peterborough Petes 66 30 0.45
41 Serron Noel Oshawa Generals 62 28 0.45
43 Ty Dellandrea Flint Firebirds 67 27 0.40
49 Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 68 26 0.38
51 Evan Bouchard London Knights 57 25 0.44
60 Liam Foudy London Knights 65 24 0.37
65 Matthew Struthers North Bay Battalion 62 23 0.37
66 Akil Thomas Niagara IceDogs 68 22 0.32
Assist Leaders
OHL Player Team GP A APG
4 Evan Bouchard London Knights 67 62 0.93
5 Akil Thomas Niagara IceDogs 68 59 0.87
9 Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 63 54 0.86
24 Allan McShane Soo Greyhounds 67 45 0.67
28 Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 68 44 0.65
39 Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 60 39 0.65
42 Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 63 39 0.62
43 Semyon Der-Arguchintsev Peterborough Petes 68 39 0.57
51 Nathan Dunkley London Knights 60 36 0.60
62 Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 68 34 0.50
Defencemen Point Leaders
OHL Player Team GP G A Pts
1 Evan Bouchard London Knights 67 25 62 87
3 Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 63 13 54 67
12 Rasmus Sandin Soo Greyhounds 51 12 33 45
41 Giovanni Vallati Kitchener Rangers 65 3 23 26
43 Alec Regula London Knights 67 7 18 25
44 Peter Stratis Sudbury Wolves 67 6 19 25
47 Connor Corcoran Windsor Spitfires 63 3 21 24
49 Merrick Rippon Ottawa 67’s 68 4 19 23
Plus/Minus Leaders
OHL Player Team GP +/-
7 Rasmus Sandin Soo Greyhounds 51 +35
16 Ryan Roth Soo Greyhounds 68 +28
17 Tyler Tucker Barrie Colts 59 +27
20 Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 44 +26
32 Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 63 +24
37 Evan Bouchard London Knights 67 +23
38 Alec Regula London Knights 67 +23
58 Nathan Dunkley London Knights 60 +16
64 Curtis Douglas Windsor Spitfires 66 +14
69 Holden Wale Soo Greyhounds 37 +13
Penalty Minutes Leaders
OHL Player Team GP PIM M/G
13 Tyler Tucker Barrie Colts 59 87 1.47
21 Daylon Groulx Owen Sound Attack 56 76 1.36
22 Kevin Bahl Ottawa 67’s 58 76 1.31
26 Merrick Rippon Ottawa 67’s 68 72 1.06
31 Max Grondin Saginaw Spirit 66 70 1.06
33 Kurtis Henry Erie Otters 44 69 1.57
35 Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 44 67 1.52
Faceoff Leaders  (minimum 200 faceoffs)
OHL Player Team GP FOA FOW %
15 Billy Moskal London Knights 66 798 452 56.6
16 Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 67 770 435 56.5
21 Nathan Dunkley London Knights 60 618 345 55.8
29 Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 68 1364 740 54.3
33 Akil Thomas Niagara IceDogs 68 1151 615 53.4
46 Blade Jenkins Saginaw Spirit 68 250 129 51.6
51 David Levin Sudbury Wolves 46 370 190 51.4
58 Ty Dellandrea Flint Firebirds 67 1481 750 50.6
61 Max Grondin Saginaw Spirit 66 723 364 50.3
63 Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 60 977 490 50.2
Game Winning Goals
OHL Player Team GP GWG
4 Evan Bouchard London Knights 67 7
16 Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 44 6
27 Kody Clark Ottawa 67’s 56 5
28 Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 63 5
29 Matthew McDougall Windsor Spitfires 66 5
Powerplay Goals
OHL Player Team GP Goals
19 Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 60 10
21 Evan Bouchard London Knights 67 10
22 Ty Dellandrea Flint Firebirds 67 10
24 Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 44 9
32 Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 63 8
Powerplay Assists
OHL Player Team GP Assists
1 Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 63 32
4 Akil Thomas Niagara IceDogs 58 26
7 Evan Bouchard London Knights 67 23
12 Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 68 21
33 Semyon Der-Arguchintsev Peterborough Petes 68 16
Hat Tricks
Player Team Hatty
Pavel Gogolev Peterborough Petes 3
Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 3
David Levin Sudbury Wolves 1
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 1
Ty Dellandrea Flint Firebirds 1
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 1
Serron Noel Oshawa Generals 1
Blade Jenkins Saginaw Spirit 1
Longest Goal Scoring Streak
OHL Player Team From To Gms Goals
3 Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 1/26 2/9 7 11
17 Brady Hinz Peterborough Petes 10/9 10/19 5 7
22 Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 2/2 2/19 5 6
27 Kody Clark Ottawa 67’s 10/12 10/21 5 6
45 Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 3/2 3/8 4 6
Longest Assist Streak
OHL Player Team From To Gms Assts
6 Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 10/22 11/16 9 13
10 Akil Thomas Niagara IceDogs 9/30 10/19 8 10
11 Evan Bouchard London Knights 2/10 2/26 8 10
24 Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 3/3 3/16 6 7
39 Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 10/27 11/9 6 9
Longest Point Streak
OHL Player Team From To Gms Pts
1 Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 1/18 – 23 46
6 Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 10/6 11/10 14 20
12 Akil Thomas Niagara IceDogs 12/9 1/13 12 18
19 Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 1/27 2/19 11 19
31 Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 11/19 12/15 10 16
Shooting Percentage
OHL Player Team GP G S %
1 Serron Noel Oshawa Generals 62 28 105 26.7
5 Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 44 40 174 23.0
19 Nathan Dunkley London Knights 60 21 110 19.1
20 Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 60 20 105 19.0
25 Brady Hinz Peterborough Petes 68 18 99 18.2
Shots On Goal Leaders
OHL Player Team GP SOG
2 Evan Bouchard London Knights 67 297
19 Ty Dellandrea Flint Firebirds 67 239
28 Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 68 221
47 Akil Thomas Niagara IceDogs 68 198
59 Pavel Gogolev Peterborough Petes 66 183
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
OHL Player Team GP Min GA Avg
9 Jordan Kooy London Knights 24 1179 61 3.10
10 Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 17 898 47 3.14
20 Kai Edmonds Barrie Colts 19 932 54 3.48
23 Jacob Ingham Mississauga Steelheads 43 2413 147 3.66
27 Cameron Lamour Saginaw Spirit 17 649 45 4.16
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
OHL Player Team GP SH  SVS SV%
14 Jordan Kooy London Knights 24 633 572 0.904
31 Kai Edmonds Barrie Colts 19 483 429 0.888
24 Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 17 404 357 0.884
25 Jacob Ingham Mississauga Steelheads 43 1229 1082 0.880
44 Marshall Frappier Sudbury Wolves 22 622 542 0.871
OHL Goaltending Leaders – Wins
Player Team GP W L OL
18 Jacob Ingham Mississauga Steelheads 43 16 22 3
23 Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 17 11 1 1
24 Jordan Kooy London Knights 24 10 8 1
27 Kai Edmonds Barrie Colts 19 9 4 2
37 Cameron Lamour Saginaw Spirit 17 5 6 1
Goaltending Leaders – Shutouts
OHL Player Team GP SO
15 Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 17 1
17 Kai Edmonds Barrie Colts 19 1
19 Marshall Frappier Sudbury Wolves 22 1
20 Jordan Kooy London Knights 24 1

Ryan McLeod – Mississauga Steelheads – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 205 pounds

Date of birth: September 21, 1999

Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 3rd overall, 2015 Priority Selection (Flint Firebirds)

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: A Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 16th North American Skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

Like brother, like brother……?

Like it or not, Mississauga Steelheads forward Ryan McLeod will be forever linked to teammate and older brother Michael, who was the twelfth overall selection of the New Jersey Devils at the 2016 National Hockey League Draft.

But before we get into any similarities (or differences), here is a little history.

The 2014-2015 season was a busy one for McLeod. He played his Minor Midget hockey with the Toronto Marlboros that season amassing 30 goals and 51 assists in 74 games and was a leader on that squad, as evidenced by the A sewn on his jersey. He helped the Marlboros win the OHL Cup that year scoring 3 goals and 4 assists in 7 games and was named the OHL Cup Most Valuable Player.

Ryan McLeod of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Ryan McLeod of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

That wasn’t McLeod’s first taste in the OHL Cup. While playing Bantam in 2013-2014, he got into two games with the Marlboros and then onto the OHL Cup, winning it for the first time.

Back to 2014-2015. McLeod was named the GTHL Player of the Year after his performance with the Marlboros. Not only had he captured two OHL Cups to date, but he also won an OHL Gold Cup with the GTHL Team Blue while contributing a goal and two assists in 5 games.

The Flint Firebirds would select McLeod with the third overall pick at the 2015 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

OHL Central Scouting’s report at the time:

Ryan will remind you a lot of his older brother Michael, Mississauga’s first round pick from last year. He is an effortless skater that can beat a defender as if he were standing still. Ryan has the ability to slow the game down when he needs to.  He is a playmaker first, always looking to set up his teammates. Ryan is a force offensively each time he is on the ice. He uses his skating and speed to separate himself from the rest of the players. He is arguably one of the top 5 forwards in the country in his age group.

The Steelheads were all set to select McLeod with the fourth overall pick, but the Firebirds pounced one pick earlier. The McLeod family made it abundantly clear that Ryan would not report to Flint and the door was open for General Manager James Boyd to work on a deal. The Firebirds were under a deadline of September 15 in order to receive compensatory picks, a first and second round pick, for top 5 picks who do not report. Boyd paid a huge price sending the Firebirds three second round picks and three third round picks.

And the rest as they say, is history.

McLeod would break onto the OHL scene during the 2015-2016 season with the Steelheads and score a respectful 7 goals and 13 assists in 62 games and add two more helpers in seven playoff games. He would add yet another championship to his resume, this time with Team Canada at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17 where he had a lone assist in 6 games.

The 2016-2017 season saw McLeod enter his second Major Junior campaign, but there was no championship in the cards for McLeod this time around, even though the Steelheads were one of the early favorites. He scored 9 times while setting up 33 others while playing in all 68 games. But it was during the playoffs that McLeod was at his offensive best, putting up a point per game on 5 goals and 15 assists.

This season began with McLeod being on the winning side once again as Team Canada captured Gold at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial in August. While he was pointless in 4 games, he was still a champion once again in a tournament where you could almost guarantee gold for Canada every time.

While it’s been somewhat of a disappointing regular season for the Steelheads, McLeod has been a bright spot for the most part. With one game remaining on the season, his 67 points ranks third among the Steelheads behind only Nicolas Hague and Owen Tippett. His 43 assists put him atop the list of Steelheads while his 24 goals rank third. Not bad for a playmaker.

The younger McLeod has all the tools that his older brother possesses, although I would say Ryan doesn’t use his size like Michael does.

As OHL Central Scouting says in it’s report, McLeod is an excellent skater with jets on his blades. Tremendous speed, who works his edges extremely well and can turn on a dime, an ability to slow it down when he needs to but needs to work on combining that skating ability with his size and drive the net more frequently.

McLeod has excellent vision with superb playmaking abilities and has always been known as a playmaker first. However, he does possess a very good shot and has taken noticeable steps to use it more often this season – not passing up shooting opportunities. His shot total has gone up from 111 a season ago to 161 this season and it reflects on his increased goal production. He’s scoring at a 14.9% clip, up from 8.1%.

Offensively, McLeod is dangerous on the powerplay when he has room. He sees the ice so well and with excellent anticipation skills, sees plays develop and he’s excellent at setting up teammates for scoring opportunities. The evidence is in his 21 powerplay assists which leads the Steelheads and tied for sixth in the entire league.

Those same anticipation skills allow McLeod to play in any situation, including the penalty kill where his high hockey IQ combined with his skating and ability to close lanes show through. He often lines up against the other team’s top players as well. He continues to improve in the faceoff circle winning 736 of 1356 draws, good for 54.3% and will often take critical defensive zone draws.

Finding more consistency, especially during 5 on 5 play is an area that McLeod needs to work on, however, if he utilizes all the assets that he possesses, that should come to him. And that will be key to whether he projects as a top 6 forward at the National Hockey League level.

Stat page of Ryan McLeod from Elite Prospects

Carter Robertson – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 179 pounds

Date of birth: January 15, 2000

Hometown: Holland Landing, Ontario

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 2, 30th overall, 2016 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: B Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 61st, North American skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

As a member of the York Simcoe Express minor midget team, Carter Robertson scored 10 goals and 26 assists in 31 games during the 2015-2016 season. He won an OHL Cup Championship with The Express. In 7 games, he registered 3 assists.

The Ottawa 67’s would use their second-round pick, 30th overall at the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection in 2016 to select Robertson. The scouting report at the time from OHL Central Scouting read as follows:

“Carter is a smooth skating defenseman that has been steadily improving over the course of the season. He plays in every situation and logs a lot of big minutes for his team. He is a good skater with excellent mobility. He is very composed with the puck and doesn’t usually just throw it away. He makes good outlet passes and is effective on the offensive blueline. Carter is a very smart player that keeps the game simple.” 

As a rookie, Robertson appeared in 44 games for the 67’s last season. He got his feet wet and scored once while adding 8 assists in those contests. He also represented Canada at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17. In 5 games, Robertson notched one assist.

2016-17 Team Head Shots
Carter Robertson of the Ottawa 67’s

This season, Robertson has appeared in 51 games to date. He has 3 goals and 12 assists.

The word raw is used many times when discussing a prospect for the National Hockey League Draft and with Robertson, it is as much the case as it is with those others. He possesses an intriguing skill set and it’s just a matter of putting it all together.

Robertson has good size at 6’2”. Since his OHL draft, he’s grown an inch and has added some much-needed bulk to his frame as well. But he has a way to go in the bulk department, weighing in at 179 pounds.

As his scouting report suggested, Robertson is a smooth skating defenceman with excellent mobility. However, it is my belief that he lacks the confidence to use that mobility. When transitioning from defence to offence, he looks to pass first or simply clear the zone. He has the ability to skate the puck out of danger and I believe as he gains more experience and confidence, that will come.

His skating and size are an advantage defensively. He controls his caps with his mobility and he closes those gaps very quickly. He can transition to skating backwards easily and is adept at keeping players to the outside. He is winning more one-on-one battles along the walls and uses his size effectively in front of his goal.

Robertson is a very intelligent player. He sees plays develop and is almost always in position to defend. He defends with a very active stick and gets it into passing and shooting lanes. He’s capable of eating big minutes and can play in any situation.

If there are any concerns about Robertson it is how much offence can he provide? As mentioned, the tools are there. Along with all the above, he possesses very good puck skills, vision passing abilities and has an excellent shot – one that we’d like to see him use more often.

Drafting is a game of projecting, and with Robertson, it is no different.

Watch this video from Sportsnet.

Stat page of Carter Robertson from Elite Prospects

Kody Clark – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 180 Pounds

Date of birth: October 13, 1999

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Position: Right Wing

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 6, 115th overall, 2015 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: B Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 28th North American skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

Ottawa 67’s Kody Clark. Current OHL’er. Future NHL’er. Son of Wendel.

Those are some big skates to fill. The elder Clark was the first overall pick in 1985 and finished third in Calder Trophy voting as the NHL’s top rookie. He went on to have an excellent career finishing with 330 goals, 234 assists and 1690 penalty minutes in 793 games. That’s a tough (no pun intended) act to follow for the younger Clark who, if we are being realistic, will have to forge out his own career.

Clark played his minor midget hockey with the Toronto Marlboros during the 2014-2015 season. He scored 11 goals and 29 assists for the Marlboros and won the OHL Cup with them while posting 3 assists in 7 games.

Cody Clark of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Kody Clark of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

The 67’s would select Clark with the 115th pick at the 2015 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

The following season saw Clark play for St. Andrew’s College. In 13 regular season games he posted 4 goals and 10 assists. He helped St Andrews capture the CISAA (Conference of Independent School’s Athletic Association) Championship with 3 goals and an assist in 4 games.

Clark broke into the OHL a year ago and appeared in 57 games for the 67’s. He would score 7 goals and 4 assists in those contests. This season saw Clark break out offensively. Through 49 games, he has 18 goals and 18 assists.

So, what does Clark Bring to the ice?

He plays a very good two-way game with a solid work ethic in all three zones. Like his father before him, he plays with some grit and is always willing to finish his checks without going out of his way to do so. Adding bulk to his 180-pound frame will only make him more fearless.

While he doesn’t have his father’s superb shot, he does have an excellent shot and release of his own. His skating is a work in progress – more specifically, strength on his skates. He has no hesitation in driving the net with or without the puck. Once he gets stronger and his skating continues to improve, he could become a force that is hard to contain.

Clark is also excellent in puck possession skills and probably one of the harder players to strip the puck from in this class. He controls and protects the puck like a seasoned NHL veteran. He plays an excellent cycle game as well. His playmaking skills need some improvement. I think he’ll always be a power forward with a shoot-first mentality. And with his shot, why not?

Kody Clark stat page from Elite Prospects

Mitchell Hoelscher – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’

Weight: 158 pounds

Date of birth: January 27, 2000

Hometown: Elora, Ontario

Position: Left Wing

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 3, 56th overall, 2016 Priority Selection 

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: Not ranked

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 82nd, North American Skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

Ottawa 67’s pivot Mitchell Hoelscher played his minor midget hockey during the 2015-2016 season for the Waterloo Wolves where he put up an impressive 19 goals and 22 assists in 33 games. He was even more impressive in the playoffs, bulging the twine 12 times while setting up 16 others in 12 games. He would then add 3 goals and 2 assists for the Wolves’ 4 games at the OHL Cup.

The 67’s would select Hoelscher with the 56th pick at the 2016 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

Mitchell Hoelscher of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Mitchell Hoelscher of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

The following season, Hoelscher would take his skills to the Junior B Elmira Sugar Kings of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, helping the Sugar Kings capture the GOJHL Championship.

Hoelscher would match his minor midget totals of 19 goals and 22 assists in 42 regular season games with the Sugar Kings. On their way to the championship, he scored 8 goals and 10 assists in 27 playoff games. He would be named a second team all-star for the Midwestern Conference.

Hoelscher is a player who, as a rookie in the OHL, has played in all situations for the 67’s. His 9 goals and 17 assists to date may be seen as a bit of a disappointment. His 26 points has him 12th among rookies, while being tied for 9th in assists and 16th in goals.

Hoelscher plays the game with a tenacious motor and never quit work ethic. At 158 pounds, he obviously needs to add a lot of bulk to his frame, and when he does, he’ll have more confidence to crash and bang and add more physicality to his game.

Hoelscher is such a smart player, he easily makes the adjustment to play whatever role he is asked to play. He can certainly keep up playing the skilled game with more offensively gifted players, or he can adjust a play a more defensive game if the situation calls for it. His tenacity, ability to adjust and hockey smarts make him very effective on the penalty kill.

Offensively, Hoelscher sees the ice extremely well. He can find open lanes and make a very good pass to set up teammates. He possesses a very deceptive shot that can catch netminders off guard. He needs to play more selfish at times and use that shot. He has just 91 shots on goal but is firing at just under 10 percent. He finds a way to be elusive and escape the opposition.

Stat page of Mitchell Hoelscher from Elite Prospects

Kevin Bahl – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 231 pounds

Date of birth: June 27, 2000

Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 2, 31st overall, 2016 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: B Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 30th North American skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time.

There is something to be said about a 6’6” and 230-pound defenceman that can skate. And that brings us to the Ottawa 67’s towering blueliner Kevin Bahl.

Bahl played his minor midget hockey for the Toronto Marlboros during the 2015-2016 season in which he scored 9 goals and added 27 assists in 56 games. He’s played at the OHL Cup twice. His first appearance was 2 games during the 2014-2015 season winning gold but was held pointless in those two games.

Bahl made his second appearance during the 2015-2016 season, this time capturing silver. In 7 games he scored once and added an assist. He also represented Team GTHL at the OHL Gold Cup, helping them win the championship and providing the team with 3 helpers in 5 games.

Kevin Bahl of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Kevin Bahl of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

At the time of his OHL draft, Bahl measured in at 6’4” and tipped the scales at 210 pounds. The scouting report from OHL Central Scouting read as follows:

“Kevin is one of the Marlboros’ go-to guys on the back end, not because he is offensive or flashy, but because he plays a simple and safe game, does a good job of getting the puck to his skilled forwards and is effective on the offensive blue line. He has good mobility and is hard to beat off the rush. He covers a lot of space in the corners and has a very active stick. Kevin is a player that has room to grow and improve over the next couple of seasons.” 

The 2016-2017 season saw Bahl get his feet wet in the OHL. He appeared in 57 games for the 67’s and scored once while adding 3 assists. He represented Canada at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17, notching an assist in 5 games.

He began this his draft year, once again representing Canada, this time at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial in August of 2017. He was once again on the winning side as he helped Canada win gold with a goal and an assist in Canada’s 5 tournament games.

So far this season, Bahl has played in 51 games, scoring once and adding 17 assists. The OHL came down hard on Bahl after receiving a match penalty for a hit to the head of Peterborough Petes’ Cole Fraser and was subsequently dealt out a 10-game suspension.

The flavor of the day in the National Hockey League is smaller, skilled and superb skaters. Yours truly is not immune to that. But Bahl has an intriguing set of skills that I am not ready to say “what you see is what you get” with him.

First and foremost, Bahl is an above average skater for a player of his size. He possesses very good mobility with excellent lateral movement, however he lacks top end speed although I wouldn’t say he is slow.

Defensively, Bahl is one of the top, if not the top shutdown defender available for the 2018 draft. Along with good skating abilities, his condor-like reach makes him tough to beat one-on-one. His positioning in almost every situation is excellent.  He uses a high level of hockey IQ to anticipate, always be in position, close up lanes and use a very active stick to quash plays.

Bahl uses his size effectively. He doesn’t go out looking for a big hit, but he can close players off along the wall, clear the front of his goal, and win one-on-one battles. He is especially effective on the penalty kill.

Projecting what Bahl could become offensively is the question that needs to be answered. He makes a very good pass, whether its clearing his own zone, or in the offensive zone. He possesses a good shot that is accurate. He doesn’t try to overpower an opposing goaltender with his shot but gets it off more with a purpose.

I am not a big fan of drafting shut-down defenders high in the draft, but I think Bahl has some enticing offensive abilities. He’s a huge minute-munching defender who plays in all situations.

Stat page for Kevin Bahl from Elite Prospects