OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders as of December

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
Rossi, Marco
Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by OHL Images

Everyone saw it coming, or at least should have. At least we here at OHL Writers were paying attention in October. There’s a new king at the top of the pack among the Ontario Hockey League’s players eligible for the 2020 National Hockey League Draft.

That player: Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s.

Rossi leads in just about every offensive category. First in goals, assists, points, tops in faceoff winning percentage and a whopping plus/minus of +41, well ahead of his counterparts. Rossi also possesses the longest goal scoring streak, assist streak and point streak of the season.

Someone is sure to mention this: Quinton Byfield of the Sudbury Wolves, who has been at the top of the lists and projected as the second overall pick at the NHL Draft has missed time while at Team Canada’s Camp and the 2020 World Junior Championships.

Sure, that is a fact. But Rossi has missed time himself, albeit for a suspension and has played in 4 fewer games then Byfield.

This is not an attempt to make a case for Rossi to be ranked ahead of Byfield. Central Scouting has him ranked in the first round as does many others. Where in the first round is anyone’s guess right now.

One thing we do know for sure is the NHL GM’s shy away from pick a 5’9” forward such as Rossi too early. Over the years, they haven’t learned that these smaller guys can excel at the NHL level. Maybe, just maybe, they’ve learned from watching Alex DeBrincat and Rossi gets selected where he deserves to be.

Let’s not hold our breaths though.

Here are the statistical leaders at the end of December. While we take great care in compiling stats, always refer to the OHL Website for official stats.

Points Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 26 23 39 62
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 30 22 35 57
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 34 20 35 55
Jacob Perreault Sarnia Sting 33 22 22 44
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 33 19 23 42
Jack Quinn Ottawa 67’s 32 21 15 36
Ty Tullio Oshawa Generals 33 14 21 35
Rory Kerins Soo Greyhounds 37 18 16 34
Luke Evangelista London Knights 35 14 19 33
Jaromir Pytlik Soo Greyhounds 31 14 18 32
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player Team GP G GPG
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 26 23 0.88
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 30 22 0.73
Jacob Perreault Sarnia Sting 33 22 0.67
Jack Quinn Ottawa 67’s 32 21 0.66
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 34 20 0.59
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 33 19 0.58
Zayde Wisdom Kingston Frontenacs 34 19 0.56
Rory Kerins Soo Greyhounds 37 18 0.49
Antonio Stranges London Knights 34 15 0.44
Ty Tullio Oshawa Generals 33 14 0.42
Assist Leaders
Player Team GP A APG
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 26 39 1.50
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 30 35 1.17
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 34 35 1.03
Jamie Drysdale Erie Otters 29 25 0.86
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 33 23 0.70
Jacob Perreault Sarnia Sting 33 22 0.67
Ty Tullio Oshawa Generals 33 21 0.64
Tanner Dickinson Soo Greyhounds 37 21 0.57
Brandon Coe North Bay Battalion 33 19 0.58
Luke Evangelista London Knights 35 19 0.54
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Jamie Drysdale Erie Otters 29 6 25 31
Jack Thompson Sudbury Wolves 36 9 11 20
Ryan O’Rourke Soo Greyhounds 27 6 14 20
Alec Belanger Ottawa 67’s 32 4 16 20
Ruben Rafkin Windsor Spitfires 31 1 16 17
Donovan Sebrango Kitchener Rangers 29 3 13 16
Isaak Phillips Sudbury Wolves 36 4 9 13
Ole Bjorgvik-Hol Mississauga Steelheads 37 1 12 13
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player Team GP +/-
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 26 +41
Ryan O’Rourke Soo Greyhounds 27 +23
Jack Quinn Ottawa 67’s 32 +23
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 34 +18
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 30 +17
Jaromir Pytlik Soo Greyhounds 31 +13
Anthony Costantini Ottawa 67’s 30 +11
Shawn Spearing Peterborough Petes 31 +11
Dylan Robinson Windsor Spitfires 32 +11
Alec Belanger Ottawa 67’s 32 +9
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player Team GP PIM M/G
Hayden Fowler Erie Otters 33 48 1.45
Ryan O’Rourke Soo Greyhounds 27 44 1.63
Gerard Keane London Knights 32 44 1.38
Reid Valade Kitchener Rangers 30 40 1.33
Michael Renwick Hamilton Bulldogs 35 38 1.09
Faceoff Leaders (minimum 140 faceoffs)
Player Team GP FOA FOW %
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 26 548 320 58.4
Isaac Langdon Kitchener Rangers 30 301 175 58.1
Nick Wong Kingston Frontenacs 34 171 96 56.1
Hayden Fowler Erie Otters 33 204 114 55.9
Will Cuylle Windsor Spitfires 33 141 75 53.2
Aiden Prueter Mississauga Steelheads 37 356 188 52.8
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 30 416 214 51.4
Rory Kerins Soo Greyhounds 37 657 337 51.3
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 34 198 101 51.0
Longest Goal Scoring Streak
Player Team From To Gms Goals
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 11/17 12/1 6 10
Longest Assist Streak
Player Team From To Gms Assts
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 11/16 12/28 11 17
Longest Point Streak
Player Team From To Gms Pts
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 11/10 12/29 14 36
Shots On Goal Leaders
Player Team GP SOG
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 34 139
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 33 121
Jacob Perreault Sarnia Sting 33 113
Jaromir Pytlik Soo Greyhounds 31 112
Ty Tullio Oshawa Generals 33 108
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player Team GP Min GA Avg
Nick Chenard Owen Sound Attack 7 371 15 2.43
Brett Brochu London Knights 21 1007 48 2.86
Zachary Paputsakis Oshawa Generals 20 986 51 3.10
Will Cranley Ottawa 67’s 9 497 27 3.26
Owen Bennett Guelph Storm 14 805 47 3.50
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player Team GP SH SVS SV%
Nick Chenard Owen Sound Attack 7 841 772 0.918
Tucker Tynan Niagara IceDogs 23 916 834 0.910
Brett Brochu London Knights 21 485 437 0.901
Zachary Paputsakis Oshawa Generals 20 496 445 0.897
Owen Bennett Guelph Storm 14 451 404 0.896
Goaltending Leaders – Wins
Player Team GP W L OL
Brett Brochu London Knights 21 12 5 0
Tucker Tynan Niagara IceDogs 23 11 8 4
Xavier Medina Windsor Spitfires 16 9 4 2
Owen Bennett Guelph Storm 14 8 5 1
Marco Costantini Hamilton Bulldogs 21 8 9 2
Goaltending Leaders – Shutouts
Player Team GP SO
Brett Brochu London Knights 21 2
Will Cranley Ottawa 67’s 9 1
Zachary Paputsakis Oshawa Generals 20 1

40 Players Selected for 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

2020 Top Prospects Game

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League in association with National Hockey League Central Scouting announce the 40 players invited to compete in the 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.


The 25th annual showcase of top CHL players eligible for the NHL Draft takes place on Thursday January 16, 2020, and is hosted by the Hamilton Bulldogs.  The 40 players selected were chosen by NHL clubs and feature talent from across the Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.


“All 31 NHL clubs have a say in the player selection process and take great interest in this best-on-best showcase,” said Dan Marr, Director of NHL Central Scouting. “The Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is a great opportunity for scouts and general managers to evaluate talent and we look forward to seeing which players will make their mark in Hamilton.”

Among the players named to the preliminary roster are Canadian National Junior Team members such as CHL top scorer and reigning Player of the Year Alexis Lafreniere of the Rimouski Oceanic, fellow forwards Quinton Byfield of the Sudbury Wolves and Dawson Mercer of the Drummondville Voltigeurs, defenceman Jamie Drysdale of the Erie Otters, and goaltender Nico Daws of the Guelph Storm.  Three more players including Cole Perfetti of the Saginaw Spirit, Connor Zary of the Kamloops Blazers, and defenceman Braden Schneider of the Brandon Wheat Kings will also compete after attending Canada’s Selection Camp.

31 of the CHL’s 60 member clubs are represented with a total of 17 OHL players from 13 different teams, 13 WHL players from 10 different teams, and 10 QMJHL players from eight different teams. Nine different teams have two players listed including Brandon, Drummondville, Kamloops, the Ottawa 67’s, Prince Albert Raiders, Shawinigan Cataractes, Soo Greyhounds, Sudbury, and the Windsor Spitfires.


19 of the players selected received ‘A’ ratings as first round candidates determined by NHL Central Scouting in their November Players to Watch list including 13 forwards and six defencemen.  17 players were given ‘B’ ratings including 11 forwards and six defencemen, while all four goaltenders were listed as ‘C’ rated prospects.


2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Roster:

*denotes ‘A’ rated first round candidates


Goaltenders:
Nico Daws (Guelph Storm)
Dylan Garand (Kamloops Blazers)
Brock Gould (Victoria Royals)
Samuel Hlavaj (Sherbrooke Phoenix)

Defencemen:
Justin Barron (Halifax Mooseheads)*
Lukas Cormier (Charlottetown Islanders)
Jamie Drysdale (Erie Otters)*
Kaiden Guhle (Prince Albert Raiders)*
Daemon Hunt (Moose Jaw Warriors)*
Thimo Nickl (Drummondville Voltigeurs)
Ryan O’Rourke (Soo Greyhounds)
Jeremie Poirier (Saint John Sea Dogs)*
Braden Schneider (Brandon Wheat Kings)*
Donovan Sebrango (Kitchener Rangers)
Christoffer Sedoff (Red Deer Rebels)
Jack Thompson (Sudbury Wolves)

Forwards:
Mavrik Bourque (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Quinton Byfield (Sudbury Wolves)*
Brandon Coe (North Bay Battalion)
Will Cuylle (Windsor Spitfires)*
Jack Finley (Spokane Chiefs)
Tyson Foerster (Barrie Colts)
Jean-Luc Foudy (Windsor Spitfires)*
Ridly Greig (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Seth Jarvis (Portland Winterhawks)
Alexis Lafreniere (Rimouski Oceanic)*
Hendrix Lapierre (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)*
Dawson Mercer (Drummondville Voltigeurs)*
Jake Neighbours (Edmonton Oil Kings)
Cole Perfetti (Saginaw Spirit)*
Jacob Perreault (Sarnia Sting)*
Vasiliy Ponomarev (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Jaromir Pytlik (Soo Greyhounds)
Jack Quinn (Ottawa 67’s)*
Marco Rossi (Ottawa 67’s)*
Justin Sourdif (Vancouver Giants)*
Antonio Stranges (London Knights)*
Oliver Suni (Oshawa Generals)
Ozzy Wiesblatt (Prince Albert Raiders)
Connor Zary (Kamloops Blazers)*

The 40 players will be divided into teams by NHL Central Scouting and announced along with coaching staffs in January.

12 CHL players from last year’s game in Red Deer were chosen in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft led by Saskatoon Blades forward Kirby Dach picked third overall and currently competing as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. In 24 years, a total of 329 CHL players from this event have been chosen by NHL clubs in the first round of the NHL Draft representing close to 45% of all players selected. Since the event was first introduced in 1996 the game has featured 14 players selected with the first overall pick in the NHL Draft including Nico Hischier (2017), Connor McDavid (2015), Aaron Ekblad (2014), Nathan MacKinnon (2013), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), Taylor Hall (2010), John Tavares (2009), Steven Stamkos (2008), Patrick Kane (2007), Marc-Andre Fleury (2003), Rick Nash (2002), Vincent Lecavalier (1998), Joe Thornton (1997), and Chris Phillips (1996).


The 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is proudly supported by new title partner Kubota Canada, and CHL associate partners CIBC, Kia Canada, and Cooper Tires.  The game will be broadcast live across Canada on Sportsnet and TVA Sports, and in the United States on NHL Network.


Tickets are on sale for the 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at ticketmaster.ca or call 855-985-4357.  For group and promotional inquiries, please contact the Hamilton Bulldogs at 905-529-8500.

For more information please visit http://kubotatopprospects.ca.

About Kubota Canada
Kubota Canada Ltd. (KCL) is a subsidiary of Kubota Corporation, a tractor and heavy equipment manufacturer based in Osaka, Japan. KCL markets and distributes Kubota-engineered and manufactured equipment, which includes a complete line of tractors (up to 210-horsepower), performance-matched implements, compact and utility tractors, compact construction, landscaping and public work equipment, residential lawn and garden equipment, commercial turf products and utility vehicles. For product literature or dealer locations, visit: kubota.ca. 

Jaromir Pytlik – Soo Greyhounds – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 192 pounds

Date of birth: September 25, 2001

Hometown: Dacice, Czech Republic

Position: Center/Wing

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 2, 118th overall, 2018 CHL Import Draft

NHL Central Scouting Rankings

Pre-season November Mid-term Final
B Prospect B Prospect 38 N.A. 46 N.A.
Jaromir Pytlik of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Jaromir Pytlik of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images

The Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds selected Jaromir Pytlik with the 118th pick at the 2018 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft following an impressive early career in his native Czech Republic. But even more impressive is Pytlik’s international experience.

In his young career, Pytlik has represented the Czech Republic in 76 games that include the Hlinka/Gretzky, World Hockey Challenge Under-17, World Junior Championships Under-18 as well as several other international competitions. In total, Pytlik has scored 20 goals and added 23 helpers.

Last season, Pytlik joined the Greyhounds on January 11, 2019 and although it took him a few games to get accustomed, he never looked back. He would finish the season playing in 26 games scoring 11 goals and assisting on 8 others while finishing with a plus-14. He showed no drop off in the playoffs with the same .73 points-per-game on 4 goals and 4 assists in 11 games. Despite playing just one-third of the season, Pytlik finished ninth in goals by a rookie.

To date this season, Pytlik has 12 goals and 18 assists in 28 games.

Pytlik has good size and skates extremely well – he’s shown an improvement from last season, and I’m not so sure it needed improving as much as he needed to use the smaller ice surface differently then the European ice. He knows how to use his body and strength. He is a force down low, along the walls and in front of the goal and with his quick smooth hands, is dangerous in the goal area. He understands how to use his frame to protect the puck which makes him effective on the cycle and coming off the wall.

Pytlik is also a very intelligent player and one of the most complete players in his draft class. His attention to detail on defence is as important to him as offence. The coaching staff can trust him with big defensive responsibilities and is usually the first player over the boards in the last minute whether down a goal or up a goal. He can kill penalties and is a threat offensively on the PK.

Pytlik can play both center and wing, which is something NHL scouts covet. Here’s the thing: While he’s smart enough and more then capable of handling the defensive responsibilities to play in the middle, he needs some serious work on the faceoff dot. Not a big worry as it is something that can be improved, especially knowing he is willing to put in the work. And on the wing, I would like him to add another gear to is speed. Again, he’s worked on that and has shown improvement and if he continues to put the effort into improving, then it’s a no brainer.

NHL Central Scouting had him listed as a B-prospect on both their preseason and November lists – which means a second to third round pick. If things keep going as they are, and he continues to show improvement, he could be a very early second rounder and possibly garner some attention as a late first.

Fans either like him because of his physical, power game or don’t because he isn’t a flashy bring them out of their seat’s kind of player. But scouts do because of his all-around complete game.

OHL Stat page

Elite Prospects page

OHL Writers Draft Eligible Player of the Month for November

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
Rossi, Marco
Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by OHL Images

You will not find a better offensive output then the one Ottawa 67’s Marco Rossi put up in the month of November. The 5’9”, 187-pound centerman put up an astounding 10 goals and 16 assists in just 12 games for the 67’s.

Rossi had a night to remember on November 17, 2019 as he netted 3 goals along with 3 helpers against the Kingston Frontenacs. Here’s the impressive thing about Rossi’s numbers: even if you could magically take away that 6-point game versus the Fronts, he still would have out produced his fellow draft eligible players.

Rossi was held off the score sheet just once. That came on November 11 against the Oshawa Generals. Rossi had 2 multi-goal games in the month, 4 multi-assist games and 7 multi-point games. Despite Rossi’s performances, he was not named the game’s first star at any time in November. However, he was named second star on four occasions and third star in two others.

Also considered was Oshawa Generals netminder Zachary Paputsakis, the only netminder to keep Rossi off the scoresheet in the month of November.

Paputsakis posted a 4-4-0-1 record with a sparkling .918 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against-average.

Our previous players of the month

October – Cole Perfetti – Saginaw Spirit

OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders as of November

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Jamie Drysdale of the Erie Otters. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Well, the calendar has flipped to December and that means it’s time to prepare for the Holidays and Canadian Hockey League teams prepare for the loss of many players heading to the World Junior Championships, not just for Canada, but almost every nation participating.

While there will be a few players eligible for the 2020 National Hockey League Draft participating in the annual event, for others it will be a time to step up and show what they are made of while moving up in lineups to help their respective junior teams compensate for the loss of their stars.

Canada will release the roster of those players attending the Team Canada camp Monday December 2 while other nations will follow shortly thereafter.

So, while we all wait and prepare for that news, here’s a look at the draft eligible statistical leaders among OHL players eligible for the NHL Draft for the first time.

While we take great care in compiling stats, always refer to the OHL Website for official stats.

Points Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 27 17 30 47
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 20 14 32 46
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 26 13 29 42
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 23 16 19 35
Jamie Drysdale Erie Otters 27 5 25 30
Jack Quinn Ottawa 67’s 25 14 15 29
Jacob Perreault Sarnia Sting 22 12 16 28
Jaromir Pytlik Soo Greyhounds 26 10 16 26
Hayden Fowler Erie Otters 25 12 13 25
Rory Kerins Soo Greyhounds 26 12 12 24
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player Team GP G GPG
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 27 17 0.63
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 23 16 0.70
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 20 14 0.70
Jack Quinn Ottawa 67’s 25 14 0.56
Zayde Wisdom Kingston Frontenacs 25 14 0.56
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 26 13 0.50
Jacob Perreault Sarnia Sting 22 12 0.55
Hayden Fowler Erie Otters 25 12 0.48
Rory Kerins Soo Greyhounds 26 12 0.46
Logan Morrison Hamilton Bulldogs 25 11 0.44
Assist Leaders
Player Team GP A APG
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 20 32 1.60
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 27 30 1.11
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 26 29 1.12
Jamie Drysdale Erie Otters 27 25 0.93
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 23 19 0.83
Jacob Perreault Sarnia Sting 22 16 0.73
Jaromir Pytlik Soo Greyhounds 26 16 0.62
Ruben Rafkin Windsor Spitfires 23 15 0.65
Jack Quinn Ottawa 67’s 25 15 0.60
Oliver Suni Oshawa Generals 25 15 0.60
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Jamie Drysdale Erie Otters 27 5 25 30
Jack Thompson Sudbury Wolves 27 9 11 20
Ruben Rafkin Windsor Spitfires 23 1 15 16
Alec Belanger Ottawa 67’s 25 3 12 15
Ryan O’Rourke Soo Greyhounds 17 5 8 13
Lleyton Moore Kitchener Rangers 25 1 11 12
Ville Ottavainen Kitchener Rangers 23 4 6 10
Dylan Robinson Windsor Spitfires 23 2 7 9
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player Team GP +/-
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 20 +27
Ryan O’Rourke Soo Greyhounds 17 +13
Shawn Spearing Peterborough Petes 22 +12
Jack Quinn Ottawa 67’s 25 +12
Mark Wooley Owen Sound Attack 21 +11
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 27 +11
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 26 +10
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 23 +9
Dylan Robinson Windsor Spitfires 23 +9
Kirill Steklov London Knights 23 +9
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player Team GP PIM M/G
Hayden Fowler Erie Otters 25 42 1.68
Ryan O’Rourke Soo Greyhounds 17 29 1.706
Ruben Rafkin Windsor Spitfires 23 27 1.174
Gerard Keane London Knights 22 26 1.182
Riley Piercey Barrie Colts 23 26 1.13
Faceoff Leaders
Player Team GP FOA FOW %
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 20 421 247 58.7
Hayden Fowler Erie Otters 25 138 76 55.1
Will Cuylle Windsor Spitfires 23 111 61 55.0
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 26 109 59 54.1
Rory Kerins Soo Greyhounds 27 465 248 53.3
Longest Goal Scoring Streak
Player Team From To Gms Goals
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 11/17 11/30 5 8
Longest Assist Streak
Player Team From To Gms Assts
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 9/21 11/3 10 21
Longest Point Streak
Player Team From To Gms Pts
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 10/24 11/17 13 22
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player Team GP Min GA Avg
Zachary Paputsakis Oshawa Generals 13 643 29 2.71
Brett Brochu London Knights 12 617 28 2.72
Nick Chenard Owen Sound Attack 5 246 13 3.17
Will Cranley Ottawa 67’s 9 437 26 3.57
Owen Bennett Guelph Storm 7 400 24 3.60
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player Team GP SH SVS SV%
Tucker Tynan Niagara IceDogs 21 828 756 0.913
Zachary Paputsakis Oshawa Generals 13 320 291 0.909
Brett Brochu London Knights 12 287 259 0.902
Nick Chenard Owen Sound Attack 5 131 118 0.901
Marco Costantini Hamilton Bulldogs 16 552 491 0.889
Goaltending Leaders – Shutouts
Player Team GP SO
Will Cranley Ottawa 67’s 9 1
Zachary Paputsakis Oshawa Generals 13 1
Brett Brochu London Knights 12 1

44 OHL PLAYERS NAMED TO NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING’S NOVEMBER ‘PLAYERS TO WATCH’ LIST

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
players to watch

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League is proud to announce that 44 OHL players have been included on NHL Central Scouting’s November ‘Players to Watch’ List for the 2020 NHL Draft that takes place June 26-27 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC.

The list includes 24 OHL forwards, 15 defenceman and five goaltenders.

Nine players were assigned ‘A’ ratings, indicating a potential first round NHL Draft candidate, with Ottawa 67’s forward Jack Quinn climbing from his ‘B’ assignment back in October onto a list that includes eight other OHL players in Ottawa teammate Marco Rossi, the Windsor Spitfires duo of Will Cuylle and Jean-Luc Foudy, Sudbury’s Quinton Byfield, Erie’s Jamie Drysdale, Saginaw’s Cole Perfetti, Sarnia’s Jacob Perreault and London’s Antonio Stranges.

The number of OHL players assigned a ‘B’ rating climbed from six in October to 12 on November’s list, with notable additions in Soo Greyhounds teammates Tanner Dickinson and Rory Kerins, Barrie’s Tyson Foerster, Erie’s Hayden Fowler, Kitchener’s Donovan Sebrango, London’s Kirill Steklov and Oshawa’s Ty Tullio.

The list also includes 18 skaters and five goaltenders assigned ‘C’ ratings, with goaltending additions in the Guelph Storm duo of Owen Bennett and Nico Daws as well as Hamilton’s Marco Costantini.

A total of 18 OHL member teams are represented on the list led by the Soo Greyhounds and Windsor Spitfires with five players each. The Erie Otters, Guelph Storm and London Knights follow close behind with four respectively.

2020 NHL Central Scouting November ‘Players to Watch’ – OHL

SKATERS:

RANK PLAYER TEAM POSITION
A Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves C
A Will Cuylle Windsor Spitfires LW
A Jamie Drysdale Erie Otters D
A Jean-Luc Foudy Windsor Spitfires C
A Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit C
A Jacob Perreault Sarnia Sting RW
A Jack Quinn Ottawa 67’s RW
A Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s C
A Antonio Stranges London Knights LW
B Brandon Coe North Bay Battalion RW
B Tanner Dickinson Soo Greyhounds C
B Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts RW
B Hayden Fowler Erie Otters LW
B Rory Kerins Soo Greyhounds C
B Ryan O’Rourke Soo Greyhounds D
B Jaromir Pytlik Soo Greyhounds C
B Donovan Sebrango Kitchener Rangers D
B Kirill Steklov London Knights D
B Oliver Suni Oshawa Generals RW
B Jack Thompson Sudbury Wolves D
B Ty Tullio Oshawa Generals RW
C Andrei Bakanov Guelph Storm LW
C Cameron Butler Peterborough Petes RW
C Igor Chibrikov Owen Sound Attack D
C Luke Evangelista London Knights RW
C Brendan Hoffmann Erie Otters RW
C Gerard Keane London Knights D
C Cole MacKay Soo Greyhounds RW
C Kyle McDonald Windsor Spitfires RW
C Lleyton Moore Oshawa Generals D
C Logan Morrison Hamilton Bulldogs C
C Jake Murray Kingston Frontenacs D
C Ville Ottavainen Kitchener Rangers D
C Isaak Phillips Sudbury Wolves D
C Luka Profaca Guelph Storm D
C Ruben Rafkin Windsor Spitfires D
C Dylan Robinson Windsor Spitfires D
C Ilya Solovyov Saginaw Spirit D
C Evan Vierling Flint Firebirds C

 

GOALTENDERS:

RANK PLAYER TEAM POSITION
C Owen Bennett Guelph Storm G
C Aidan Campbell Erie Otters G
C Marco Costantini Hamilton Bulldogs G
C Will Cranley Ottawa 67’s G
C Nico Daws Guelph Storm G

 

Players have been identified using the following criteria:

• A Rating – Indicates a first round candidate
• B Rating – Indicates a second or third round candidate
• C Rating – Indicates a fourth/fifth/sixth round candidate

For the complete list, visit NHL.com.

OHL Writers’ Draft Eligible Player of the Month for October

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

The Ontario Hockey League has completed its first full month of the season and as we have done for several years now, it is time to select the Draft Eligible Player of the Month for October from the group of players eligible for the 2020 National Hockey League Draft for the first time.

And for the month of October our pick is Cole Perfetti of the Saginaw Spirit.

Perfetti appeared in 11 games through the month of October and scored 4 goals while assisting on 16 others. He recorded points in 9 of his 11 contests with 6 multi-point games. He was held off the score sheet just twice.

Cole Perfetti of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images
Cole Perfetti of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images

Perfetti’ s performance was one of the quietest in recent memory, receiving first star honors in just one contest, second star in another and getting two third star mentions in the month.

Perfetti sits second among draft eligible players with points (27), first in assists (22) and first in shots on goal (61). He leads the Spirit in points and assists.

Also considered was Tyson Foerster of the Barrie Colts. Foerster notched 9 goals and assisted on 6 others in 10 games. Foerster is third among draft eligible players in points (23), first in goals (13), tenth in assists (10), ninth in plus/minus (+7) and fifth in shots on goal (47).

In goal, Tucker Tynan of the Niagara IceDogs has drawn our attention on multiple occasions. Despite having just, a 3-3-1-0 record for the month of October, no goaltender has faced more rubber then Tynan. He has faced 70 more shots then the next busiest netminder Jacob Ingham of Mississauga while only playing in one more game.

Tucker had a .902 save percentage for the month of October

OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders for October

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

The Ontario Hockey League took last night off as fans and players alike braved the weather (depending on where you are) to attend costume parties, head to work dressed up and yes, even go trick or treating. Thus, the OHL completed its first full month of the season a day early and we here at OHL Writers can update you on the statistical leaders among players eligible for the 2020 National Hockey League Draft.

Rossi, Marco
Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by OHL Images

If you look at the point leaders, you’ll see projected top 5 pick Quinton Byfield of the Sudbury Wolves leading the way with 31 points in 16 games. And for the better part of the season, Byfield has led the entire league in the scoring race.

But, focus your attention three spots lower to Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s. Rossi has 19 points in just 8 games played. He missed five games due to suspension but is averaging 2.38 points per game while Byfield is averaging 1.94 points per game. That’s almost half a point per game better then Byfield.

It doesn’t end there. Cole Perfetti leads the list in assists with 22 in 16 games, or 1.38 assists per game. Rossi is just two spots below with Byfield sandwiched in between with 15 helpers in 8 games or 1.88 assists per game, exactly .50 assists per game better then the leader.

But with 4 goals in eight games, Rossi doesn’t make our top ten, yet. He is averaging .50 goals per game and based on that, would be seventh on the list. Barrie Colts’ Tyson Foerster tops the list with 13 goals in 14 games, or .93 goals per game.

Wait. We’re not finished just yet. Despite playing in only eight games, Rossi has taken more faceoffs then anyone in the top 10 in faceoff percentage and has won a whopping 62.6 per cent of his draws. Not only is that good enough to top draft eligible players, but tops in the entire league among players with 60 or more faceoff attempts.

Had enough Marco Rossi talk?

Among goaltenders, no OHL goaltender has faced as much rubber as Niagara IceDogs’ puck stopper Tucker Tynan. And we’re not talking just draft eligible goaltenders. Tynan has faced 70 more shots then the next closest goaltender, Jacob Ingham of the Mississauga Steelheads who has faced 419. To put that into context, Tynan has played in just one more game then Ingham.

Yet Tynan is fourth among draft eligible goaltenders with a 3.60 goals-against-average and tops in save percentage at .920. Let’s put that into perspective as well: That’s second among all goalies who have played in 3 or more games, tied with Hunter Jones of the Peterborough Petes, the top OHL goaltender drafted in 2019.

Here’s a look at the leader board. While we take great care in compiling stats, always refer to the OHL website for official stats.

Points Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 16 11 20 31
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 16 5 22 27
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 14 13 10 23
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 8 4 15 19
Jaromir Pytlik Soo Greyhounds 15 6 13 19
Jamie Drysdale Erie Otters 14 5 14 19
Rory Kerins Soo Greyhounds 15 10 7 17
Luke Evangelista London Knights 12 5 11 16
Ty Tullio Oshawa Generals 14 8 8 16
Oliver Suni Oshawa Generals 14 5 10 15
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player Team GP G GPG
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 14 13 0.93
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 16 11 0.69
Rory Kerins Soo Greyhounds 15 10 0.67
Ty Tullio Oshawa Generals 14 8 0.57
Antonio Stranges London Knights 12 7 0.58
Jack Quinn Ottawa 67’s 13 7 0.54
Zayde Wisdom Kingston Frontenacs 14 7 0.50
Hayden Fowler Erie Otters 12 6 0.50
Logan Morrison Hamilton Bulldogs 13 6 0.46
Jaromir Pytlik Soo Greyhounds 15 6 0.40
Assist Leaders
Player Team GP A APG
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 16 22 1.38
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 16 20 1.25
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 8 15 1.88
Jamie Drysdale Erie Otters 14 14 1.00
Jaromir Pytlik Soo Greyhounds 15 13 0.87
Tanner Dickinson Soo Greyhounds 15 12 0.80
Luke Evangelista London Knights 12 11 0.92
Ruben Rafkin Windsor Spitfires 13 11 0.85
Jacob Perrault Sarnia Sting 10 10 1.00
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 14 10 0.71
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Jamie Drysdale Erie Otters 14 5 14 19
Jack Thompson Sudbury Wolves 16 6 7 13
Ruben Rafkin Windsor Spitfires 13 1 11 12
Ryan O’Rourke Soo Greyhounds 13 5 6 11
Ville Ottavainen Kitchener Rangers 13 3 5 8
Donavan Sebrango Kitchener Rangers 10 1 7 8
Ole Bjorgvik-Holm Mississauga Steelheads 13 0 6 6
Dylan Robinson Windsor Spitfires 13 1 4 5
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player Team GP +/-
Ryan O’Rourke Soo Greyhounds 13 +13
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 16 +12
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 8 +11
Igor Chibrikov Owen Sound Attack 13 +8
Ville Ottavainen Kitchener Rangers 13 +8
Mark Woolley Owen Sound Attack 9 +7
Luke Evangelista London Knights 12 +7
Jamie Drysdale Erie Otters 14 +7
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 14 +7
Kirill Steklov London Knights 12 +6
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player Team GP PIM M/G
Ryan O’Rourke Soo Greyhounds 13 21 1.62
Reid Valade Kitchener Rangers 8 19 2.38
Ruben Rafkin Windsor Spitfires 13 18 1.38
Mark Woolley Owen Sound Attack 9 17 1.89
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 16 16 1.00
Faceoff Leaders (Minimum 30 faceoffs)
Player Team GP FOA FOW %
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 8 179 112 62.6
Isaac Langdon Kitchener Rangers 10 78 48 61.5
Nick Wong Kingston Frontenacs 14 39 23 59.0
Jacob Perrault Sarnia Sting 10 33 19 57.6
Luke Drewitt Kingston Frontenacs 12 110 63 57.3
Hayden Fowler Erie Otters 12 35 20 57.1
Ethan Cardwell Saginaw Spirit 16 76 43 56.6
Longest Goal Scoring Streak
Player Team From To Gms Goals
Rory Kerins Soo Greyhounds 10/19 10/24 3 4
Longest Assist Streak
Player Team From To Gms Assts
Jabob Perreault Sarnia Sting 9/20 10/18 9 10
Longest Point Streak
Player Team From To Gms Pts
Jacob Perrault Sarnia Sting 9/20 10/20 10 14
Shots On Goal Leaders
Player Team GP SOG
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 16 61
Jaromir Pytlik Soo Greyhounds 15 60
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 16 52
Ty Tullio Oshawa Generals 14 48
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 14 47
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average (Min 300 minutes)
Player Team GP Min GA Avg
Brett Brochu London Knights 8 427 19 2.67
Aiden Campbell Erie Otters 7 370 19 3.08
Marco Costantini Hamilton Bulldogs 8 486 27 3.33
Tucker Tynan Niagara IceDogs 12 650 39 3.60
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage (Min 300 minutes)
Player Team GP SH SVS SV%
Tucker Tynan Niagara IceDogs 12 489 450 0.920
Marco Costantini Hamilton Bulldogs 8 276 249 0.902
Brett Brochu London Knights 8 187 168 0.898
Aiden Campbell Erie Otters 7 162 143 0.883
Xavier Medina Windsor Spitfires 5 135 118 0.874
Goaltending Leaders – Wins
Player Team GP W L OL
Brett Brochu London Knights 8 6 1 0
Aiden Campbell Erie Otters 7 5 1 0
Tucker Tynan Niagara IceDogs 12 5 4 3
Xavier Medina Windsor Spitfires 5 3 1 1
Marco Costantini Hamilton Bulldogs 8 3 4 2
Goaltending Leaders – Shutouts
Player Team GP SO
Brett Brochu London Knights 8 1

Is There a Rejuvenation in the Cards for Billy Constantinou?

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Many in the hockey world expected the name Billy Constantinou to be one of the 217 names called out at this past summer’s National Hockey League Draft from Vancouver British Columbia. While no one expected it to be from the podium on Friday June 21, it was expected to come from one of the 31 tables set up on the Rogers Arena floor the next day.

But when the Stanley Cup Champion St Louis Blues announced that they were selecting Jeremy Michel with the 217th and final pick of the draft, Constantinou’s name had not been called and many were left wondering what happened.

All was not lost for the young and talented defenceman (as it shouldn’t be). He received an invitation to the Los Angeles Kings’ development camp in the summer and again to their training camp in September where, by most accounts, he impressed the Kings’ brass.

The Kings will certainly be keeping an eye on Constantinou as he strives to hear his name called next summer as he re-enters the NHL Draft and it shouldn’t come as a surprise if it is the Kings that call out his name in Montreal in 2020.

Constantinou

It’s not something new for the Kings. Back in 2011 they invited undrafted defenceman and Soo Greyhound Colin Miller to development camp and followed him closely during the 2011-2012 season. And they called out Miller’s name in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft.

So why the pass on draft day?

Your guess is as good as anyone’s. Constantinou is a talented defenceman with great mobility. He can elude the forecheck and at times makes it look so easy. He is very good at creating offence. He needs some work on defending, but you can say that about any defencemen at this level.

Things started out promising for Constantinou during the 2018-2019 season, that being his draft season. He amassed 4 goals and 11 assists in 22 games playing for the mighty Niagara IceDogs. Then came a trade to the lowly Kingston Frontenacs.

At the time of the trade, Constantinou was neck-and-neck with Dallas Stars first round pick, 18th overall, Thomas Harley in scoring among draft eligible defencemen. He was fifth among all draft eligible skaters in helpers to that point.

Once with the Frontenacs, his numbers dropped. In 44 contests with the Fronts, Constantinou scored 6 times while accumulating 12 helpers. Those aren’t bad numbers, but he ended up a minus-58 patrolling the Fronts blueline. And that, in my opinion, is indicative of a young and rebuilding Kingston organization.

That leads us to some questions that need to be asked. Was Constantinou a beneficiary of playing on a stacked Niagara squad? Does he possess the hockey IQ to play with a more talented roster? Is he more what we saw in Kingston, or is he somewhere in between?

This season should provide some answer to those questions. Through 8 games with the Fronts, Constantinou had a goal with 5 helpers. Pretty good numbers to say the least. But he was again in the minus column at minus-7. That is indicative of the type of season it was going to be as Kingston continued on its rebuilding path.

But on October 15th, 2019 the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds came calling and acquired Constantinou for the low price of a 4th round pick in 2020, a 4th round pick in 2021 and a 3rd round pick in 224.

It’s a small sample size, just 3 games into his Greyhounds career, but Constantinou has a goal and 2 assists for the Greyhounds. And for the first time since he tied on the skates with Niagara, he’s on the positive side of the ledger with a plus-3.

Now, we’ll get to see whether he can keep up with a more talented roster.

2020 Draft: Lafreniere among Central Scouting’s players to watch

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Alexis Lafreniere, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, earned an A rating in NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary players to watch list released Monday.

The 6-foot-1, 196-pound left wing could become the third player from Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League chosen No. 1 in the NHL Draft. The last one from Rimouski selected No. 1 was center Sidney Crosby by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2005, and before that was center Vincent Lecavalier by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1998. Lafreniere has 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) and 45 shots on goal in seven games for the Oceanic this season.

The players to watch list is Central Scouting’s compilation of top prospects from all the major development leagues throughout North America and Europe. The list is updated throughout the season while scouts travel to evaluate the players live.

The players on the list with A ratings are considered potential first-round picks. Players with a B rating are considered possible second- or third-round choices, and those with C ratings are potential fourth-, fifth- or sixth-round selections.

“Alexis Lafreniere is justly viewed as the consensus No. 1 for the 2020 NHL Draft,” said Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting. “His play and development over the past two seasons make him worthy of this distinction. Once the 2019-20 season gets underway, there are a number of prospects who will look to challenge to be ranked as the top prospect.”

Lafreniere, 17, doesn’t expect the pressure as the projected No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft to affect his play during his third QMJHL season.

Full story from nhl.com

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