2022 NHL Draft

Gavin Hayes – Flint Firebirds – Player Profile

Posted on April 2, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’1”	177	5-14-04	RW	R	16^th 2020	68 NA	USA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	HPHL U-15	Compuware U-15	14	13	11	24
2020-21	U-16 AAA	Honeybaked U-16	14	7	5	12
2021-22	OHL	Flint Firebirds	59	19	26	45

Selected with the 16^th overall selection at the 2020 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection and ranked 68^th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting on their mod-term rankings is Flint Firebirds right winger Gavin Hayes.

Gavin Hayes of the Flint Firebirds. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

Hayes began the season as someone who could climb up draft rankings because his game was trending in the right direction. He was getting some good looks on the Flint powerplay and some key responsibilities on the penalty kill. He was being projected as a solid 200-foot player who could put up some offence and his development as a 200-foot player was ahead of schedule.

The Firebirds got a couple of players back part way through the season, including one they probably weren’t expecting back in Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks) who was reassigned by the Abbotsford Canucks back in January. That reduced Hayes’ ice time and responsibilities yet, he has still managed to put up 19 goals and 26 helpers in 59 games to date.

Hayes is a good skater with decent top end speed who likes the north-south game. He uses his speed and size effectively as he can get in on the forecheck and is not shy about getting physical when on top of the oppositions defence. That’s great for a power forward in the making, but if the game moves east-west, he seems to get lost in that.

Hayes is also not shy about driving to the net and making himself the body to take away a goaltender’s vision. He is usually the first to go battle along the walls and despite needing to add some bulk and get stronger, wins his share of those battles.

Hayes has a good shot, but needs to find his consistency in getting into open lanes so his teammates can feed him a pass. He’s is good in transition and gaining the zone, but he’s not the driver in those situations but more the beneficiary of his teammate’s abilities. And that’s not a bad thing because a line can not be made up of 3 drivers.

Defensively, Hayes is ahead of the curve in understanding positioning – knows where to be and his responsibilities and uses his stick actively to disrupt plays and passing lanes. He could use some work on when to come back and help his defencemen a little more, but it’s been a work in progress and showing improvement.

It’s hard to say how NHL scouts will judge Hayes. Will it be on the early part of the season? Will it be more of what have you done lately for me? He’s actually been pretty good offensively since mid March. And then they’ll have to decide what he projects to be at the NHL level. Personally, I see him as a third liner at best who can give you a solid defensive performance while contributing some offence.

A lot will depend on his playoff performance.

OHL Writers Draft Eligible Player of the Month for March

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Each month, OHL Writers has a Draft Eligible Player of the Month. This season, due to the number of players eligible for the draft mostly because of the lost season a year ago thanks to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we changed it up a little and give you our choice for draft eligible player of the month for a forward, a defenceman and a goaltender.

FORWARD

For the second month (also in January) Matthew Maggio is our choice here after a blazing month of March. Maggio, a draft re-entry in 2022 had an astounding 13 goals and 12 assists in just 15 games in March. The next best? Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs had 7 goals and 13 assists in 13 games.

Maggio now has 37 goals and 40 assists for 77 points in 59 games. Is it enough for the 6-foot 181 pound right wing to hear his name called at the NHL Entry Draft?

Michael Maggio of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by OHL Images

DEFENCEMAN

At this point, it’s probably safe to say that Saginaw Spirit Defenceman Pavel Mintyukov will be the second player from the OHL to hear his name called at the NHL Entry Draft behind Wright, at least to these eyes. It’s hard to imagine where the Saginaw Spirit, who sit in last place in the entire league, would be without him in their lineup.

Mintyukov played in 13 games in the month of March and tallied 5 goals and 10 assists. He has 15 goals and 38 assists through 60 games and is second on his squad in scoring, just 4 points off the leader Josh Bloom.

Not too many defenders can dissect and control the offensive zone like the native of Moscow Russia does for the Spirit. And today, he was also recognized by the league as the top defender for the month of March.

Also considered was Danish defenceman from the Mississauga Steelheads Kasper Larsen, who had 2 goals and 11 helpers in 12 games. He has 7 goals and 32 assists in 52 games on the season. The 6’5” 229 pound left shot defenceman is re-entering the draft and is not currently ranked by NHL Central Scouting.

GOALTENDER

It wasn’t a banner month for draft eligible goaltenders in March. But we had to pick one and the nod goes to Dom DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion. He appeared in just 5 games in March and winning all 5 games while posting a 2.00 goals-against-average and .925 save-percentage. The fourteenth ranked goalie on NHL Central Scouting’s mid term rankings (North America) has a 12-8-0 record along with a 2.68 goals-against-average and .903 save-percentage.

Strong consideration was being given to Michael Simpson of the Peterborough Petes who was having a fantastic month of his own until two games against the high-flying Hamilton Bulldogs and Kingston Frontenacs sent his numbers for a dive. The blame doesn’t fall on him in those games and shouldn’t take away from an otherwise good month.

FORWARDS

March – Matthew Maggio – Windsor Spitfires

February – Shane Wright – Kingston Frontenacs

January – Matthew Maggio – Windsor Spitfires

December – Luca DelBelBelluz – Mississauga Steelheads

November – Kyle Jackson – North Bay Battalion

October – Tucker Robertson – Peterborough Petes

DEFENCEMEN

March – Pavel Mintyukov – Saginaw Spirit

February – Michael Buchinger – Guelph Storm

January – Christian Kyrou – Erie Otters

December – Kirill Kudryavtsev – Soo Greyhounds

November – Gavin While – Hamilton Bulldogs

October – Ty Nelson – North Bay Battalion

GOALTENDERS

March – Dom DiVincentiis – North Bay Battalion

February – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

January – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

December – Pavel Cajan – Kitchener Rangers

November – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

October – Brett Brochu – London Knights

Ruslan Gazizov – London Knights – Player Profile

Posted on March 27, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	IMPORT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
5’11”	185	1-21-04	C	L	12th	62^nd NA	RUSSIA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	Russia U16	Avangard	6	5	9	14
2019-20	Russia U17	Avangard	30	18	23	41
2020-21	Russia U17	Avangard	6	4	7	11
2020-21	MHL	Omskie	13	3	1	4
2021-22	Hlinka/Gretzky	Russia	5	3	7	10
2021-22	OHL	London Knights	45	9	17	26

Ruslan Gazizov of the London Knights. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images

During the 2019-2020 season, London Knights forward Ruslan Gazizov was just too good for Avangard Omsk in Russia’s Under-16 league so he almost immediately moved up to the Under-17 with Avangard. And he took that league by storm as well.

The following season saw him begin with Avangard Under-17 and again was playing above most others so he moved up once again, this time to the MHL (Russia’s equivalent to the CHL) but that transition was a little slow.

Last summer, Gazizov represented Russia at the Hlinka – Gretzky Cup and helped lead Russia to a gold medal with 3 goals and 7 helpers in 5 games.

Gazizov, the 12^th overall pick at the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft has been a bit of an enigma in his first OHL season. While he has displayed on many occasions that he has the high-end offensive skills that can make him a dangerous weapon, especially on the powerplay, he isn’t always used as his skill set suggests. And that is typical of a Dale Hunter coached team because you have to give the 200-foot effort as well and that is lacking at the moment in Gazizov’ s game.

I had hoped his skating was better than advertised. While technically, there aren’t any issues with his skating, he could improve all facets of his speed game. I’ve said this many times before, it’s not a big issue as I believe a good skating coach will bring him along.

Gazizov has some excellent hands and while he is at his best with time and space and using his vision and slick passing skills to create opportunities, he is also capable of stickhandling in tight and maintaining possession before distributing the puck.

While the offensive skills are there and he has shown the ability to be a creative playmaker, Gazizov projects to be a complimentary piece on a line rather than the driver on it. He could be a top six forward at the NHL level, but he’s going to have to put in some work in areas other than offence.

Pano Fimis – Niagara IceDogs – Player Profile

Posted on March 26, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
5’11”	176	6-17-04	C	R	2^nd in 2020	77 NA	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	GTHL U16	Toronto Jr Canadiens	32	14	28	42
2019-20	U16 AAA	Toronto Jr Canadiens	59	41	63	104
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY	0	0	0	0
2021-22	OHL	Niagara IceDogs	44	9	23	32

#19 Pano Fimis of the Niagara IceDogs. Brandon Taylor/ OHL Images

Pano Fimis was an elite offensive producer at the Under-16 during the 2019-2020 season and the Niagara IceDogs used the second overall pick to select him behind his Toronto Jr Canadiens teammate Ty Nelson (North Bay Battalion).

If you spend any time watching Fimis you will notice his head is on a swivel, He is constantly surveying the ice and knows exactly where everyone is and this allows him to find open ice at both ends of the rink. If the puck finds his stick, he’s one step ahead and usually makes the right decision.

Fimis is a creative player who seems to be able to make something out of nothing. He has Charmin soft hands and can find his way out of traffic, scan the zone and then dish off a tape-to-tape pass. It’s his ability to read and react that makes him a force to contend with and that goes for 5vs5, the powerplay and the penalty kill.

Fimis has all the puck skills you want in a player and the hockey IQ to go along with it. But he doesn’t come without any warts. Fimis lacks the mass to withstand battles along the walls and to get to the net as he can rather easily be knocked off. He’s going to have to put in a lot of work to bulk up and gain some strength.

Additionally, Fimis isn’t exactly a speedster when it comes to his skating. I want some speed in a player that is 5’11”. First steps, separation gear and top speed need some improvement. And best, he is slightly above average when it comes to skating.

Obviously, the lost 2020-2021 season had an effect here. Not only did he not play any games during the pandemic lost season, but lost too was the ability to put some meaningful work in to improve on the areas he needs to work on.

Am I worried? Not really. Almost every player at this level needs to mature physically and Fimis is no different. As long as he is willing to put in the effort, it’s not a problem. If not, he could be another Cole MacKay who added no bulk to his frame from his 2019 draft year until today.

And with professional ice-skating coaches, I’m not to worried about that either. The Pandemic didn’t help with him seeking to improve on his blades. But NHL teams are going to have to be impressed with his hands and ability to think the game and be confident that his skating will improve to select him higher that 77^th that NHL Central Scouting has him ranked among North America Skaters.

Fimis lost most of the month of March due to injury, so he’s going to have to have a very strong finish to the season. And he is doing just that with the IceDogs scoring twice and adding four helpers in the four games since his return.

Jake Karabela – Guelph Storm – Player Profile

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
5’11”	170	3-7-2004	C	L	32^nd 2020	61 NA	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	U-16	Guelph Jr Gryphons	32	27	23	50
2020-21	OHL	Guelph Storm	0	0	0	0
2021-22	OHL	Guelph Storm	51	9	30	39

Jake Karabela of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Tim Cornett/OHL Images

The Guelph Storm really are a team to watch when it comes to the NHL Entry Draft. Matthew Poitras, Danny Zhilkin and Michael Buchinger are all projected to go in the first two rounds of the draft (depending on who you listen too) and now you can add Jake Karabela to that list.

I believe Karabela’s best asset is his hockey IQ. He reads the ice extremely well, is constantly aware of where everyone on the ice is, and his ability to recognize where the open space and how the play can develop puts him in prime areas. Those qualities also help him in the neutral zone. He recognizes where his positioning needs to be to break up the oppositions transition, he anticipates very well and he’s quick enough to jump into lanes to break up a play.

However, he Karabela doesn’t show the same anticipation and awareness in his own zone. He will sometimes lose his coverage, but I think I have a reason behind that. Karabela will sometimes play in the middle, and sometimes play on the wing. I think he is better suited down the middle. But when he is on the wing, he just doesn’t know where to be in defensive coverage. He usually reverts to what he knows and that is the centers job.

His “next best” asset is his playmaking skills. As mentioned, he sees the ice very well and identifies his best options in a split second. He is patient with the puck, can draw defenders towards him and elude the check with strong starts and stops and solid edgework to by his teammates time to get into scoring positions.

Karabela will be known as a playmaker first and foremost. He averages about two shots per game, but his shot isn’t a strength. He likes to get into the high danger areas before he will take it, but his 8.1 shooting percentage at this level doesn’t scream NHL shot. I also believe that when you breakdown where his shots come from, that he lacks the confidence to beat goaltenders as he rarely shoots from distance.

I’m pretty confident that once Karabela is fully developed he can find a job in the NHL as a third line playmaking center who can put up some offense and even play the wall on the powerplay.

And that’s not too bad.

ROSTERS AND CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED FOR 2022 KUBOTA CHL/NHL TOP PROSPECTS GAME

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the rosters and captains for the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game to be held at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium on Wednesday, March 23.

The 40 players from across the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Hockey League have been divided into Team Red, captained by Kingston Frontenacs centre Shane Wright, the projected first-overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, opposite Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Denton Mateychuk, captain of Team White and NHL Central Scouting’s No. 9 ranked North American skater.

Joining Wright in the leadership group for Team Red are alternate captains Maveric Lamoureux (Drummondville Voltigeurs) and Ty Nelson (North Bay Battalion), while serving as alternate captains with Team White under Mateychuk are Jake Karabela (Guelph Storm) and Tristan Luneau (Gatineau Olympiques).

* NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Ranking noted in parenthesis

Team Red

Forwards
(86) Maxim Barbashev – Moncton Wildcats
(51) Josh Filmon – Swift Current Broncos
(11) Luca Del Bel Belluz – Mississauga Steelheads
(35) David Goyette – Sudbury Wolves
(43) Jordan Gustafson – Seattle Thunderbirds
(47) Hunter Haight – Barrie Colts
(34) Fraser Minten – Kamloops Blazers
(23) Matthew Poitras – Guelph Storm
(3) Matthew Savoie – Winnipeg ICE
(50) Matthew Seminoff – Kamloops Blazers
(1) Shane Wright – Kingston Frontenacs ‘C’
(27) Danny Zhilkin – Guelph Storm

Defencemen
(36) Michael Buchinger – Guelph Storm
(39) Jorian Donovan – Hamilton Bulldogs
(42) Isaiah George – London Knights
(20) Kevin Korchinski – Seattle Thunderbirds
(15) Maveric Lamoureux – Drummondville Voltigeurs ‘A’
(25) Ty Nelson – North Bay Battalion ‘A’

Goaltenders
(26G) Reid Dyck – Swift Current Broncos
(2G) Ivan Zhigalov – Sherbrooke Phoenix

Team White

Forwards
(19) Owen Beck – Mississauga Steelheads
(33) Jagger Firkus – Moose Jaw Warriors
(16) Nathan Gaucher – Quebec Remparts
(62) Ruslan Gazizov – London Knights
(4) Conor Geekie – Winnipeg ICE
(61) Jake Karabela – Guelph Storm ‘A’
(29) Paul Ludwinski – Kingston Frontenacs
(28) Bryce McConnell-Barker – Soo Greyhounds
(46) Vinzenz Rohrer – Ottawa 67’s
(13) Matyas Sapovaliv – Saginaw Spirit
(85) Reid Schaefer – Seattle Thunderbirds
(89) Antonin Verreault – Gatineau Olympiques

Defencemen
(30) Mats Lindgren – Kamloops Blazers
(10) Tristan Luneau – Gatineau Olympiques ‘A’
(9) Denton Mateychuk – Moose Jaw Warriors ‘C’
(5) Pavel Mintyukov – Saginaw Spirit
(21) Owen Pickering – Swift Current Broncos
(49) Noah Warren – Gatineau Olympiques

Goaltenders
(7G) Mason Beaupit – Spokane Chiefs
(1G) Tyler Brennan – Prince George Cougars

In all, the 40 players count 18 from the OHL, 15 from the WHL, and seven from the QMJHL. Additionally, 23 CHL clubs are represented by at least one player, led by the Guelph Storm with four and Gatineau Olympiques, Kamloops Blazers, Seattle Thunderbirds, and Swift Current Broncos each with three, while 11 teams have multiple player representatives.

Behind the bench for Team White are TSN OverDrive’s Jeff “O-Dog” O’Neill alongside Al’s Brother, CHL legend Brian Kilrea, Ottawa 67’s hockey operations advisor Bert O’Brien, plus Guelph Storm head coach George Burnett as well as equipment manager Jake McKercher and athletic therapist Brie Donelson. Coaching Team Red are TSN OverDrive’s Jamie “Noodles” McLennan alongside OverDrive co-host Bryan Hayes, Kitchener Rangers alumnus and Memorial Cup champion Derek Roy, plus Rangers head coach Mike McKenzie as well as equipment manager Dan Lebold and athletic therapist Cory Birk.

With a majority of tickets for the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game already sold and in anticipation of 100 percent seating capacity, fans are encouraged to get their tickets now online at kwtickets.ca, by telephone at 1-800-265-8977 or 519-578-1570, or at the box offices at the Centre In the Square at 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener (Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. by telephone only, to arrange in-person purchases during these hours email boxoffice@centreinthesquare.com), and the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium at 400 East Ave., Kitchener (Game Days, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., or call 519-741-2699 to arrange in-person purchases during business hours on other weekdays). Digital tickets for the originally scheduled date will automatically update. Printed tickets will be honoured for the rescheduled game.

The 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game airs live from the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium on TSN, TSN.ca, the TSN app, and RDS on Wednesday, Mar. 23 at 8 p.m. Eastern. For more information, visit kubotatopprospects.ca.

About the Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is the world’s largest development hockey league with 52 Canadian and eight American teams participating in the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.

About Kubota Canada Ltd.
Kubota Canada Ltd. (KCL) is an affiliate of Kubota Corporation, a tractor and heavy equipment manufacturer based in Osaka, Japan. KCL markets and distributes Kubota engineered and manufactured equipment, including a complete line of tractors of up to 210HP, 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, contact Kubota Canada Ltd. at 1155 Kubota Drive, Pickering, Ontario Canada L1X 0H4, by telephone, at 905-294-6535, by visiting KCL’s website kubota.ca.

Vinzenz Rohrer – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Posted on March 5, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	IMPORT DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
5’11”	168	9-9-04	RW	R	27 – 2021	46 NA	AUSTRIA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	U17 Elit	ZSC U17	32	10	13	23
2020-21	U20 Elit	GCK Lions U20	22	2	5	7
2020-21	U17 Elit	ZSC U-17	26	28	19	47
2021-22	OHL	Ottawa 67’s	49	15	20	35

Vinzenz Rohrer of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by Robert Lefebvre/OHL Images

You have to be impressed with Vinzenz Rohrer and his production on a Sudbury Wolves squad that dresses as many as 10 draft eligible players on a nightly basis. Add to that fact is that with a September 9 birthdate, he is also one of the youngest players in this draft class.

At the time of writing this, Rohrer trails only Cameron Tolnai (in his third season, not counting the missed season) for scoring on the Wolves by just 4 points despite playing in 4 fewer games.

Interestingly, NHL Central Scouting had Rohrer rated as a B prospect on their players to watch list (second or third rounder) to 46^th among North American Skaters on their mid-term rankings which indicates a small jump. Bob McKenzie had Rohrer at number 80 among all players. That’s probably a good spot for him, but I don’t agree where he sits among the OHL players on those lists. But that debate won’t be answered until the end of the season which is why I don’t do midterm rankings.

As for Rohrer’s game, the thing that impresses me the most is how well he does defensively and for a player as young as him it is quite the surprise. Usually, we say a player has to improve in that area, but not here. He plays the penalty kill quite effectively taking away lanes, using his stick and he is a shot blocking machine, and better at it than most blue liners.

From his own zone Rohrer is excellent at transition either by taking it himself or finding the best option with his teammates. When he “takes it” he is extremely adept at gaining the blue line with possession. But if you’re playing dump-and-chase he is more than willing to be the first in there and battle for possession. At just 168 pounds, he will not shy away. Once he gains possession, he can make skilled plays. His vision and playmaking skills are above average and he shows the patience to be willing to wait for a play to develop.

If there is one area, I have concern it’s in Rohrer’s skating. I don’t think he has an explosive first step, a separation gear or top end speed that are necessary for a smaller guy. But I also believe its in his mechanics and something that can be worked on with a skating coach – and that’s not to suggest that work isn’t already happening with the 67’s.

OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders as of February 28, 2022

Posted on March 2, 2022March 2, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images

The month of February has seen a change in the statistical leaders among players eligible for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. It was more to do with lost games being made up and the gap in games played between different teams than it had to do with players picking it up or others dropping off.

Look no further then the point leaders. For almost the entire season it’s been either Tucker Robertson of the Peterborough Petes or Luca Del Bel Belluz of the Mississauga Steelheads at the top. Don’t look now but here comes projected number one pick Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs who sits in between the pair. I don’t think it will be too long before Wright is all alone at the top.

It’s no different for defencemen. Ty Nelson of the North Bay Battalion has been at the top of defencemen scoring since the first puck drop. Now he’s been passed by February’s Defenceman of the Month and Rookie of the Month Christion Kyrou of the Erie Otters as well as Pavel Mintyukov of the Saginaw Spirit and Gavin White of the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Offensively, it appears there are three tiers at the top of the draft class for defenders: The first tier has Kyrou all alone as it looks like he will begin to run away with it. That’s followed by the second tier of Mintyukov, White and Nelson. They are also a clear group ahead of the third tier.

In the crease, it’s been a season long battle between Brett Brochu of the London Knights and Patrick Leaver of the Oshawa Generals and I suspect that’s how it will be right up until the last whistle.

Here’s a look at the statistical leaders in different categories. As a reminder, we are including first year and second year eligible players where in the past we’ve only done first year eligible players. While we take great care in compiling stats, please refer to the OHL Website for official stats.

Points Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	51	26	38	64
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	43	21	41	62
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	47	26	31	57
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	45	30	23	53
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	44	24	28	52
David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	48	21	28	49
J. R. Avon	Peterborough Petes	44	19	30	49
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	45	27	19	46
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	31	20	25	45
Deni Goure	Owen Sound Attack	48	21	23	44
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	GPG
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	45	30	0.67
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	45	27	0.60
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	51	26	0.51
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	47	26	0.55
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	44	24	0.55
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	43	21	0.49
David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	48	21	0.44
Deni Goure	Owen Sound Attack	48	21	0.44
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	31	20	0.65
Nolan Dann	Sarnia Sting	43	20	0.47
Assist Leaders
Player	Team	GP	A	APG
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	43	41	0.95
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	51	38	0.75
Michael Buchinger	Guelph Storm	46	33	0.72
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	51	32	0.63
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	45	31	0.69
Christian Kyrou	Erie Otters	47	31	0.66
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	47	31	0.66
J. R. Avon	Peterborough Petes	44	30	0.68
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	44	28	0.64
Jake Karabela	Guelph Storm	46	28	0.61
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Christian Kyrou	Erie Otters	47	13	31	44
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	47	10	28	38
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	45	7	31	38
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	51	6	32	38
Michael Buchinger	Guelph Storm	46	4	33	37
Samuel Mayer	Peterborough Petes	47	9	18	27
Rodwin Dionicio	Niagara IceDogs	43	6	20	26
Kasper Larsen	Mississauga Steelheads	40	5	21	26
Sam Sedley	Owen Sound Attack	47	3	23	26
Kirill Kudryavtsev	Soo Greyhounds	50	3	23	26
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player	Team	GP	+/-
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	45	+33
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	47	+33
Isaiah George	London Knights	44	+29
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	51	+25
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	45	+18
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	43	+17
Jorian Donovan	Hamilton Bulldogs	45	+16
Jake Karabela	Guelph Storm	46	+16
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	51	+16
Ben Roger	Kingston Frontenacs	43	+15
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player	Team	GP	PIM	M/G
Landon McCallum	Sudbury Wolves	47	68	1.45
Samuel Mayer	Peterborough Petes	47	60	1.28
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	47	59	1.26
Roberto Mancini	Saginaw Spirit	46	58	1.26
Marc Boudreau	Sudbury Wolves	53	57	1.08
Faceoff Leaders (minimum 240 faceoffs)
Player	Team	GP	FOA	FOW	%
Owen Beck	Mississauga Steelheads	51	1009	606	60.1
Jacob Maillet	Windsor Spitfires	47	541	316	58.4
Stuart Rolofs	Oshawa Generals	43	248	142	57.3
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	47	1132	642	56.7
Danny Zhilkin	Guelph Storm	44	752	425	56.5
Max Namestnikov	Sarnia Sting	45	418	234	56.0
Braeden Kressler	Flint Firebirds	23	394	218	55.3
Landon McCallum	Sudbury Wolves	47	512	281	54.9
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	45	479	259	54.1
Amadeus Lombardi	Flint Firebirds	49	612	330	53.9
Minumum 60 faceoffs
Shooting Percentage Leaders
Player	Team	GP	Shots	Goals	SH%
Braeden Bowman	Guelph Storm	39	68	19	27.9
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	31	73	20	27.4
Dean Loukas	Saginaw Spirit	44	56	15	26.8
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	45	103	27	26.2
Thomas Johnston	Ottawa 67’s	39	52	13	25.0
James Jodoin	Windsor Spitfires	28	25	6	24.0
Beau Jelsma	Barrie Colts	45	105	25	23.8
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	47	120	26	21.7
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	45	141	30	21.3
Hunter Haight	Barrie Colts	41	95	19	20.0
LONGEST POINT STREAK
Player	Team	From	To	GMS	PTS
Nolan Dann	Sarnia Sting	11/5	11/27	11	15
LONGEST GOAL STREAK
Player	Team	From	To	GMS	G
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	10/28	11/7	5	7
LONGEST ASSIST STREAK
Player	Team	From	To	GMS	A
Stuart Rolofs	Oshawa Generals	2/11	2/24	7	9
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player	Team	GP	Min	GA	Avg
Brett Brochu	London Knights	39	2306	102	2.65
Max Donoso	Ottawa 67’s	16	889	40	2.70
Dom DiVincentiis	North Bay Battalion	19	996	48	2.89
Patrick Leaver	Oshawa Generals	34	1920	97	3.03
Jacob Oster	Guelph Storm	21	1145	59	3.09
Samuel Ivanov	Soo Greyhounds	26	1432	81	3.39
Pavel Cajan	Kitchener Rangers	29	1690	102	3.62
Nolan Lalonde	Erie Otters	38	2504	157	3.76
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player	Team	GP	SH	SVS	SV%
Brett Brochu	London Knights	39	1191	1089	0.914
Patrick Leaver	Oshawa Generals	34	1106	1009	0.912
Max Donoso	Ottawa 67’s	16	437	397	0.908
Pavel Cajan	Kitchener Rangers	29	1011	909	0.899
Dom DiVincentiis	North Bay Battalion	19	465	417	0.897
Jacob Oster	Guelph Storm	21	523	464	0.887
Michael Simpson	Peterborough Petes	29	879	776	0.883
Samuel Ivanov	Soo Greyhounds	26	677	596	0.880

Isaiah George – London Knights – Player Profile

Posted on February 27, 2022February 27, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Isaiah George of the London Knights. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’0”	196	2-15-04	D	L	68th 2020	42 N/A	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	GTHL U-16	Toronto Marlboros	29	5	6	11
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY	0	0	0	0
2021-22	OHL	London Knights	44	3	14	17

London Knights defenceman Isaiah George hasn’t really played a lot of hockey over the last three seasons but one thing we do know is that if the Hunters trust George with the duties and ice time they assign to him, then that should be good enough for me.

But in all seriousness, there is a lot to like about George. First is his skating. He’s a smooth and effortless skater and one of the most mobile in this draft class. He doesn’t waste any of his strides and it allows him to conserve energy for those extended and extra shifts he finds himself with. In a way, it reminds me of Ray Bourque and his ability to conserve energy. By no means am I comparing the two, it’s just a reminder.

In his own zone, George is an example of being in the right place at the right time. He reads and anticipates the play so well that he is almost always there to snub an opponents attempt. His angles are good and his mobility allows him to keep opponents to the outside. He also holds his blue line and is very efficient at breaking up the rush. He’s very good at retrieving pucks and leading the transition the other way with a good pass.

George is one of the first blueliners the Hunters can look too and send over the boards to kill off a penalty, protect the lead in the last minute or throw out there against top competition. Physically, I am surprised at his strength both on his skates and his ability to overpower the opponents. He is a physical player but a smart one who won’t take himself out of the play to make the hit. When he makes contact though, you know you’ve been hit.

Throughout the first half of the season, I think to suggest George lacked the confidence to skate in the other direction and lead the breakout is a fair assessment, because the ability is certainly there. And I think we are seeing more and more of that over the last couple of weeks. He has a good shot from the point but it’s his ability to get pucks to the net that is most impressive.

If there is an area, I would say I would look to improve it’s his top end speed. It’s not bad but it will certainly benefit him in transition and joining the rush up ice.

At this point I would say George translates to a steady number 4 defenceman at the next level. If he improves on his offense like I think he can, he could be a mid level number 3.

Michael Buchinger – Guelph Storm – Player Profile

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’0”	185	4-25-2004	D	L	24^th 2020	36 N/A	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	GTHL U-16	Toronto Jr Canadiens	31	6	7	13
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY

Michael Buchinger of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Tim Cornett/OHL Images

The Guelph Storm have a few players at this point projected to go in the first two rounds of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and Defenceman Michael Buchinger is one of them. Most independent scouting services have him pegged as a late second rounder.

Buchinger is a smooth skating two-way defender. His mobility is a plus as he has great movement east to west, pivoting to skating backwards, great edgework and an ability to turn on a dime. However, I believe he needs to work on his first few steps. He can lead the breakout with his skating or a first pass, but that added speed would give him an edge.

I believe Buchinger thinks the game at a very high level. He sees the ice extremely well and processes the game quickly. He is creative with the puck and has an ability to set up high danger scoring chances for his teammates. That ability makes him dangerous with the man advantage. He can quarterback the powerplay however, he lacks the velocity or heaviness with his shot from the blueline.

I’ve been impressed with Buchinger’s competitiveness. He works extremely hard and won’t give an inch. Being outworked doesn’t seem to be in his vocabulary. He had a bit of a growth spurt, being listed at 5’9” with the Jr Canadiens, so he always had to put in a better effort than his opposition. But I am happy to see he still values that work ethic after his physical growth.

I know there are those that deem Buchinger as one of those “doesn’t excel at any one thing but does well at everything” type players. I have a hard time agreeing with that. I think his willingness to put in the work, coupled with his high hockey smarts gives him an edge.

His defensive game is a work in progress – and we say this with just about every blueliner at this level. That said, the effort is there, the understanding of where to be and when to be there is evident, and his knowledge of the system the Storm employ and his execution is noticeable.

There are some good OHL defencemen available in this draft class. But I believe there is a clear top level and then a second level. Buchinger for me falls into that second group.

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