2022 NHL Draft

18 OHL PLAYERS SELECTED FOR 2022 KUBOTA CHL/NHL TOP PROSPECTS GAME

Posted on February 15, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League in association with National Hockey League Central Scouting announced today the 40 players who have been invited to compete in the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Slated for March 23 at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game showcases the top-40 CHL players eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft from across the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. 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:

40 CHL Players Selected to Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game:

18 OHL players are underlined

Forwards
Maxim Barbashev, Moncton Wildcats
Owen Beck, Mississauga Steelheads
Luca Del Bel Belluz, Mississauga Steelheads
Josh Filmon, Swift Current Broncos
Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw Warriors
Nathan Gaucher, Quebec Remparts
Ruslan Gazizov, London Knights
Conor Geekie, Winnipeg ICE
David Goyette, Sudbury Wolves
Jordan Gustafson, Seattle Thunderbirds
Hunter Haight, Barrie Colts
Jake Karabela, Guelph Storm
Paul Ludwinski, Kingston Frontenacs
Bryce McConnell-Barker, Soo Greyhounds
Fraser Minten, Kamloops Blazers
Matthew Poitras, Guelph Storm
Vinzenz Rohrer, Ottawa 67’s
Matyas Sapovaliv, Saginaw Spirit
Matthew Savoie, Winnipeg ICE
Reid Schaefer, Seattle Thunderbirds
Matthew Seminoff, Kamloops Blazers
Antonin Verreault, Gatineau Olympiques
Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs
Danny Zhilkin, Guelph Storm

Defencemen
Michael Buchinger, Guelph Storm
Jorian Donovan, Hamilton Bulldogs
Isaiah George, London Knights
Kevin Korchinski, Seattle Thunderbirds
Maveric Lamoureux, Drummondville Voltigeurs
Mats Lindgren, Kamloops Blazers
Tristan Luneau, Gatineau Olympiques
Denton Mateychuk, Moose Jaw Warriors
Pavel Mintyukov, Saginaw Spirit
Ty Nelson, North Bay Battalion
Owen Pickering, Swift Current Broncos
Noah Warren, Gatineau Olympiques

Goaltenders
Mason Beaupit, Spokane Chiefs
Tyler Brennan, Prince George Cougars
Reid Dyck, Swift Current Broncos
Ivan Zhigalov, Sherbrooke Phoenix

The 40 players will be divided into Teams Red and White with the rosters and coaching staffs announced in the coming weeks.

With a majority of tickets 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 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game was last held in Hamilton in January 2020 where Team White defeated Team Red 5-3. Tyson Foerster (Team White/Barrie Colts/Philadelphia Flyers) and Jack Quinn (Team Red/Ottawa 67’s/Buffalo Sabres) were named the Players of the Game. In all, 37 players who competed in the 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game were later chosen in the 2020 NHL Draft headlined by Lafreniere’s first-overall selection by the New York Rangers.

Since its reintroduction as the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in 1996, the event has featured 15 players who were later selected first overall in the NHL Draft, including Alexis Lafreniere (2020), 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).

For more information on the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, 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.

David Goyette – Sudbury Wolves – Player Profile

Posted on February 14, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

David Goyette of the Sudbury Wolves. Photo by OHL Images.

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
5’11	174	3-27-2004	C	L	11^th 2020	35 N/A	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2018-19	HEO U-15	Eastern Ontario Wild	30	43	51	94
2019-20	Under-15	Selects Academy	65	49	104	153
2020-21	NCDC	P.A.L. Junior Islanders	4	3	3	6

When it comes to David Goyette of the Sudbury Wolves, the consensus is (at this point) that he will hear his name called very early in the second round at the 2022 National Hockey League Draft. Smaht Scouting has him the highest at 31^st.

Goyette has done nothing but produce at every level he has played at. Even in the Ontario Hockey League, he has 19 goals and 23 assists through 43 games to date. What makes those stats even more remarkable is that he’s doing it on a young Wolves team that consists of no less then 10 draft eligible players on the ice on any given night. He easily leads his team in goals and points and has a slim lead in assists.

Goyette is truly an electrifying skater and if he’s not the best skater in the draft class, he has to be top-2. His speed, first steps, edgework, starts-and-stops are a treat to watch. More importantly, he is an elite skater with the disc.

I’m not going to dive to deep about his offensive abilities because it speaks for itself. That said, he has the willingness to take on defenders one-on-one but he also has the ability to beat them. But this is where size comes into question. At 5’11” and just 174 pounds, if you can catch him, you can knock him off the puck and create turnovers. Obviously at this stage, he’s not finished developing physically and adding some bulk to his frame will certainly help him in this area.

Attacking the offensive zone, he can put defenders on their heels with his skating and that allows him to gain the zone with relative ease. Without the puck, he always seems to find open areas of the ice and make himself an option. With the puck, he can find lanes to set up linemates, but he’s also willing to go to the net with the puck. He can sometimes skate into trouble but he has the ability to elude defenders with his stickhandling. He has shown he has excellent playmaking abilities and vision, but he doesn’t always make the right decision. If he can improve on that aspect, it will only make him a more dangerous offensive threat.

Goyette has a decent shot and is currently firing at a 16.9% shooting percentage. He plays in all situations and is a threat on the PK. He will need to work on his faceoffs which is currently at 49.3%. He appears to be a coachable player and is learning the defensive game on the fly. There’s a ways to go there, but the effort is showing through.

KUBOTA CHL/NHL TOP PROSPECTS GAME TO BE HELD MARCH 23 IN KITCHENER

Posted on February 7, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League in partnership with the Kitchener Rangers and Kubota Canada Ltd. announced today that the rescheduled 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will be held Wednesday, March 23 at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium at 8 p.m. Eastern.

“We are very excited to be able to get this game back on the CHL’s 2022 calendar,” said Dan MacKenzie, President, Canadian Hockey League. “It is very important that our top draft-eligible players get the opportunity to showcase their skills in this event for NHL scouts and our passionate fans in Kitchener.”

Digital tickets for the originally scheduled date will automatically update. Printed tickets will be honoured for the rescheduled game.

“Kubota Canada Ltd. is really excited to have the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game rescheduled as it represents a great opportunity for fans to see some exceptional emerging hockey talent,” said Steve Sweetnam, Director, Marketing, Kubota Canada.

The Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game features top NHL Draft eligible talent from across the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Hockey League competing before hundreds of NHL scouts in attendance. The 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will also be broadcasted nationally on TSN and RDS.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to host the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game,” said Joe Birch, Chief Operating Officer and Governor, Kitchener Rangers. “This will be a great event for the participating players, the Waterloo Region, and our hockey club. We look forward to welcoming all fans from across Ontario to the ‘Aud’ on March 23.”

The 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game marks the 14th time the OHL will serve as host and the first time the event has returned to Kitchener since 2003. In all, 24 Rangers players have competed in the showcase, most recently defenceman Donovan Sebrango in 2020 who was later selected 63rd overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2020 NHL Draft.

More information about the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game including team rosters and coaches will be announced in the coming weeks.

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.

Bryce McConnell-Barker – Soo Greyhounds – Player Profile

Posted on February 6, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Bryce McConnell-Barker of the Soo Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’1	188	6-4-04	C	L	4^th 2020	28^th MID	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	Alliance U-16	London Jr Knights	33	29	19	48
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY

The fourth overall pick at the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, Bryce McConnell-Barker of the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds, is in the same boat as most players from the OHL: the missed season of 2020-2021 lost them a year of development and puts scouts in the difficult position of not being able to evaluate development from one season to the next.

With that being said, here’s what I see:

McConnell-Barker is an accomplished 3-zone player already. But I do wonder why the offensive part of his game is not where I thought it would be. He has an NHL caliber shot but he’s averaging just two shots per game and that is way down the list of leaders for the Greyhounds.

The eye test sees two things. One, he is not getting into the dangerous areas enough to get that high quality shot at the target. And two, the Greyhounds are such a veteran team, that he’s not always in the best offensive positions. But he is getting powerplay time and to date has 3 goals and 3 assists on the PP which shows he can shoot the puck and also set up.

BMB is a good skater with some good speed, but not a burner. He gets in on the forecheck effectively and will not shy away from taking the body. Combine that with his shot, and I am left wondering whether BMB would be more effective on the wing as opposed to the middle.

But then I look at his defensive game and how far along he is in that department and with the added defensive responsibilities a center has, I believe playing down the middle is where he would be most successful at the next level.

BMB will attack the opposition through the neutral zone and ride them off the puck before they have the chance to enter his zone. If they are in the offensive zone, BMB isn’t shy about attacking the puck either, but he stays within himself and the system and won’t get caught out of position.

There are times when he’s shown he can break out of his zone and transition to offence. He has the ability to gain the zone and lead the attack.

At this point, I think BMB has shown enough that he could be a solid top-9 at the next level who can play a solid defensive role and kill penalties while providing the odd bit of offense. Finding consistency at this level in the second half will go a long way into deciding if he could provide more offensive production.

The tools are there as is the work ethic.

OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders as of January 31

Posted on February 1, 2022February 1, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Robert Lefebvre/OHL Images

It’s February and that means it is time for us to look at the Ontario Hockey League players eligible for the 2022 National Hockey League Entry Draft and see who is leading the way statistically. Because of the missed 2020-2021 OHL season, we are including first and second time draft eligible players just because of the volume of players eligible.

If you’ve been following along since the start of the season, the one name that has been missing from this list is potential first overall pick Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs. And if you’ve been waiting for him to appear, your wait is finally over.

Wright is now third in points behind Luca Del Bel Belluz of the Mississauga Steelheads and Tucker Robertson of the Peterborough Petes. But he has played considerably fewer games as well. He sits second in assists behind Del Bel Belluz and ninth in goals. Robertson has led in the goal department for almost the entire season.

Ty Nelson of the North Bay Battalion continues to lead defencemen in scoring but watch out for Christian Kyrou of the Erie Otters who closed the gap and sit within one point of the leader and in six fewer games.

Here are the leaders in several different statistical categories. 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
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	39	20	31	51
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	37	23	25	48
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	31	15	28	43
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	33	22	19	41
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	34	18	22	40
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	35	22	16	38
Deni Goure	Owen Sound Attack	35	17	20	37
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	23	15	22	37
Owen Beck	Mississauga Steelheads	39	15	20	35
David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	38	14	20	34
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	GPG
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	37	23	0.62
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	33	22	0.67
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	35	22	0.63
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	39	20	0.51
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	34	18	0.53
Deni Goure	Owen Sound Attack	35	17	0.49
Nolan Dann	Sarnia Sting	31	16	0.52
Ethan Burroughs	Owen Sound Attack	35	16	0.46
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	31	15	0.48
Owen Beck	Mississauga Steelheads	39	15	0.38
Assist Leaders
Player	Team	GP	A	APG
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	39	31	0.79
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	31	28	0.90
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	37	25	0.68
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	40	24	0.60
Kirill Kudryavtsev	Soo Greyhounds	39	23	0.59
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	23	22	0.96
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	33	22	0.67
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	34	22	0.65
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	35	22	0.63
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	37	21	0.57
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	40	6	24	30
Christian Kyrou	Erie Otters	34	9	20	29
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	37	8	21	29
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	33	4	22	26
Kirill Kudryavtsev	Soo Greyhounds	39	3	23	26
Samuel Mayer	Peterborough Petes	37	8	15	23
Michael Buchinger	Guelph Storm	34	2	18	20
Roberto Mancini	Saginaw Spirit	35	8	11	19
Kasper Larsen	Mississauga Steelheads	28	2	15	17
Rodwin Dionicio	Niagara IceDogs	33	2	15	17
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player	Team	GP	+/-
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	39	+31
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	35	+22
Isaiah George	London Knights	32	+20
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	35	+19
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	33	+17
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	34	+15
Dylan Gordon	Mississauga Steelheads	19	+14
Michael Buchinger	Guelph Storm	34	+13
Ethan MacKinnon	London Knights	20	+12
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	23	+12
Faceoff Leaders
Player	Team	GP	FOA	FOW	%
Owen Beck	Mississauga Steelheads	39	803	486	60.5
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	37	916	524	57.2
Landon McCallum	Sudbury Wolves	36	419	233	55.6
Jacob Maillet	Windsor Spitfires	36	354	197	55.6
Danny Zhilkin	Guelph Storm	32	561	310	55.3
Braeden Kressler	Flint Firebirds	23	394	218	55.3
Max Namestnikov	Sarnia Sting	33	380	209	55.0
Cedrick Guindon	Owen Sound Attack	35	418	227	54.3
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	33	338	182	53.8
Amadeus Lombardi	Flint Firebirds	37	424	226	53.3
Minimum 325 faceoffs
Shooting Percentage Leaders
Player	Team	GP	Shots	Goals	SH%
Braeden Bowman	Guelph Storm	26	51	14	27.5
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	33	82	22	26.8
Beau Jelsma	Barrie Colts	34	59	15	25.4
Dean Loukus	Saginaw Spirit	35	40	10	25.0
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	37	96	23	24.0
Gavin Bryant	Owen Sound Attack	30	33	7	21.2
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	35	106	22	20.8
Cooper Matthews	Barrie Colts	34	29	6	20.7
Nolan Dann	Sarnia Sting	31	79	16	20.3
Hunter Haight	Barrie Colts	30	61	12	19.7

Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player	Team	GP	Min	GA	Avg
Brett Brochu	London Knights	27	1604	66	2.47
Dom DiVincentiis	North Bay Battalion	14	751	37	2.96
Patrick Leaver	Oshawa Generals	26	1464	75	3.07
Jacob Oster	Guelph Storm	17	899	48	3.20
Pavel Cajan	Kitchener Rangers	21	1248	70	3.37
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player	Team	GP	SH	SVS	SV%
Max Donoso	Ottawa 67’s	8	194	179	0.923
Brett Brochu	London Knights	27	829	763	0.920
Patrick Leaver	Oshawa Generals	26	857	782	0.912
Pavel Cajan	Kitchener Rangers	21	717	647	0.902
Dom DiVincentiis	North Bay Battalion	14	365	328	0.899

OHL Writers’ Draft Eligible Player of the Month for January

Posted on February 1, 2022January 31, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Matthew Maggio of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Tim Cornett – OHL Images

Just a reminder that for this season, we are breaking down our Draft Eligible Player of the Month down by position due to the number of draft eligible players this season. In previous seasons we named one player only. So, lets get right to it!

Forward

Up front we’re going with Matthew Maggio of the Windsor Spitfires. Maggio played in 8 games scoring 8 goals and adding 7 assists. He had 3 multi-goal games and 5 multi-point games while being held off the score sheet just once. He was named the game’s first star on 4 occasions and second star twice through the month.

Maggio is a late 2002 birthdate which means he is re-entering the draft in 2022. He has 18 goals and 22 assists in 34 games on the season.

Also considered was Nolan Burke of the Sarnia Sting. Burke also appeared in 8 games in January and also scored 8 goals and added 6 helpers. Like Maggio, Burke is a late 2002 birthdate and is re-entering the draft. He has 22 goals and 19 assists in 33 games on the season.

Defenceman

It’s never an easy choice when it comes to OHL blueliners, but for January we give the nod to Christian Kyrou of the Erie Otters. Kyrou is overshadowed a tad in draft circles by teammate Spencer Sova, but Kyrou is having quite the season with 9 goals and 20 helpers in 34 games.

In the month of January, Kyrou posted 4 goals and 5 assists in 8 games and finished a plus-5. He was kept off the scoresheet twice and had 3 multi-point games.

Also considered was Chas Sharpe of the Mississauga Steelheads. Sharpe posted 9 points in 11 games seemingly coming out of nowhere. He had just 2 assists in the previous 24 games heading into January. Kirill Kudryavtsev of the Soo Greyhounds also got some consideration after putting up a goal and 7 helpers in 11 games.

Goaltender

For the second time this season, Patrick Leaver of the Oshawa Generals is our choice. Leaver appeared in 7 games during the month – one of them in relief – and posted a sparkling .930 save-percentage. Unfortunately for Leaver he posted just a 3-3-0 record in his starts. One of those losses came on January 23, he stopped 48 of 49 shots in a 2-0 loss to the Kingston Frontenacs. That earned him first star honors.

Leaver had faced the Frontenacs 5 days earlier and in the contest the Fronts fired 41 shots at his net. He stopped 39 of those and leading his team to a 4-2 victory. His effort that night earned him second star honors.

On January 15 Leaver went up against Oshawa’s rivals the Peterborough Petes. He stopped 36 of 37, many of them of a difficult variety and backstopped his club to a 4-1 victory. He was named the games second star.

Also considered was Max Donoso of the Ottawa 67’s. Donoso appeared in 4 games and posted a save percentage of .939 and a 3-0-0-1 record. In his first appearance in January, he came in in relief and stopped all 12 shots he faced allowing the 67’s to come back and earn a victory in the shootout.

On the season:

FORWARDS

January – Matthew Maggio – Windsor Spitfires

December – Luca DelBelBelluz – Mississauga Steelheads

November – Kyle Jackson – North Bay Battalion

October – Tucker Robertson – Peterborough Petes

DEFENCEMEN

January – Christian Kyrou – Erie Otters

December – Kirill Kudryavtsev – Soo Greyhounds

November – Gavin While – Hamilton Bulldogs

October – Ty Nelson – North Bay Battalion

GOALTENDERS

January – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

December – Pavel Cajan – Kitchener Rangers

November – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

October – Brett Brochu – London Knights

Owen Beck – Mississauga Steelheads – Player Profile

Posted on January 29, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’	190	2-3-04	C	R	29th 2020	19th NA	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2018-19	ETAHL U15	Quinte Red Devils U16	29	16	18	34
2019-20	ETAHL U16	Quinte Red Devils U16	34	19	20	39
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY

Owen Beck of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by OHL Images

Production has never been an issue for the 19^th ranked North American Skater in NHL Central Scouting’s mid term rankings – Owen Beck of the Mississauga Steelheads. And he’s providing offense at the Ontario Hockey League level as well with 15 goals and 19 assists through 38 games. It was no surprise he was named the OHL Rookie of the Month in November.

The first thing you’ll notice about Beck is his skating. Flawless mechanics, great top end speed, initial steps great and superb edgework. If he’s not the best technical skater in the OHL Draft class, I don’t know who is. In today’s game that is all about skating and speed, Beck has that covered.

But skating alone doesn’t guarantee anything at the next level. The fact is that Beck thinks the game at such a high level and processes what is happening at great speed that he can make plays while flying at top speed. Combined with his vision and playmaking capabilities, those are dangerous combinations.

But there is more to Beck than that. His work ethic is extremely strong. Beck will never give up pursuit of the puck, battles along the wall or in the slot. But he isn’t reckless. Beck knows when to attack and when to “retreat” to defence. He has incredible hockey senses and IQ.

At the dot, Beck has the third most faceoff attempts in the OHL (790) third most wins (477) and the best faceoff percentage (60.4%) of any pivot that has taken more than 200 draws. With puck possession being as important as it is these days, he gives you a chance more times than not at starting with puck possession.

Beck also possesses an NHL ready shot with the power and accuracy to beat goaltenders. He can fire off one-timers, or use a wrister or snap shot. He has the full arsenal.

Beck’s game isn’t just offence. He is sound defensively, knows and understands positioning, his skating allows him to close in on the opposition, he gets into lanes and uses an active stick. The Mississauga coaching staff uses him to kill penalties and in the last minute to protect a lead, especially when the play is in their zone with a faceoff.

If there is one area I’d like to see improved, it’s adding some bulk and muscle. But you could say that about any player at this level. Once he bulks up and adds that strength, he’ll be tougher on the forecheck and in battles along the walls and in front of the opposition net.

Beck could turn into quite a find in the latter part of the first round for an NHL team.

Matyas Sapovaliv – Saginaw Spirit – Player Profile

Posted on January 22, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’3	180	2-12-2004	C	L	15^th Import	13th	CZECHIA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2020-21	Czechia U-20	Kladno U-20	6	4	7	11
2020-21	Czechia-2	Kladno	12	0	3	3
2020-21	U-17	Czechia	3	0	3	3
2020-21	WJC U-18	Czechia	3	0	0	0

Matyas Sapovaliv of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

I will admit that when NHL Central Scouting released it’s mid-term rankings, I was all giddy that they had Saginaw Spirit Centreman Matyas Sapovaliv ranked fourth among Ontario Hockey League prospects eligible for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. I was equally giddy when Sapovaliv appeared third among OHL players On Bob McKenzie’s mid-term list.

I will be the first to admit that Sapovaliv was not originally on my top-10. Having watched him at the Under-18 and some Under-17, I felt his skating was going to hold him back some. Well, credit to Sapovaliv as he put in the necessary work to improve both his mobility, agility and speed. There is more work to be done, but I am told he is putting in the extra effort and it will pay dividends.

Through Saginaw’s first 32 games this season, Sapovaliv has 10 goals and 16 assists which places him second among Spirit skaters. In the league he is fifth among rookies and just 5 points off the lead with games in hand on everyone ahead of him. His 10 goals come on 76 shots for a 13.2 shooting percentage. He is especially deadly on the powerplay where 6 of his 10 goals have come and easily leads his team in that department. He also leads his team in faceoff attempts (528), faceoff wins (271) and faceoff percentage (51.3%).

At 6’3” Sapovaliv has great size. While he uses that size, along with his reach effectively in different situations – protecting the puck and breaking up plays – I would like to see him use it to his advantage to win more battles and to drive to the net more often. He’s not soft by any means, but he could certainly use it to his advantage to dominate more at this level.

Sapovaliv is a shooter and a play maker. While I am impressed with his shot accuracy, ability to get it off quickly and that it has some mustard behind it, I am more impressed with his playmaking abilities. He sees the ice very well, has superb anticipation, and can thread the needle with a pass. He can slow the pace down and wait for the play to develop or allow his teammates to get into areas and then send a tape-to-tape pass. At the next level, I think his playmaking skills will translate better.

I am also impressed with Sapovaliv’s defensive game. He uses that long reach of his to break up plays, but he is also very adept at coming back into the slot and winning that vast majority of his battles there. As a center, he knows his role of coming back to help the defenders and he puts in the effort.

There is still half a season to go in the OHL. Sapovaliv just needs to keep on improving.

Danny Zhilkin – Guelph Storm – Player Profile

Posted on January 16, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’2”	185	12-19-2003	C	L	14^th 2019	27^th Mid	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2018-19	U-16 AAA	Toronto Marlboros	69	32	25	57
2018-19	GTHL U-16	Toronto Marlboros	33	11	12	23
2019-20	OHL	Guelph Storm	60	7	8	15
2019-20	WHC U-17	Canada Black	5	4	2	6
2020-21	WJC U-18	Canada U18	7	0	2	2
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY

Danny Zhilkin of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images

While Guelph Storm forward Danny Zhilkin (Daniil) has both Russian and Canadian citizenship, we list him as Canadian because he has already represented Canada at IIHF tournaments, and under their rules, once you make a decision and represent one country, that designation follows you throughout your career.

A handful of the independent scouting services available have Zhilkin ranked in the 41 to 43 range, so there is some consistency there. However, others like Craig Button (30^th), Sportsnet (25^th) and Consolidated Ranking (32^nd) have him inside the first round. NHL Central Scouting has him 27^th among North American skaters in their mid-term rankings. But opinions of those that follow the OHL closely are very split.

So, what are you getting with Zhilkin? Here’s my thoughts.

Well, you’re getting a player with good size at 6’2” that will need to add some mass to his 185-pound frame for one. You’re getting a player that plays with pace when he’s on. You’re getting a player that can bring you to your feet with electrifying moves – when he’s on.

Let’s start with some positives: Zhilkin certainly has all the skills and the tools to dominate in the OHL. He can beat defenders one-on-one almost with relative ease. He can keep possession of the puck. He can set up teammates. He can pass. He will go to the dirty areas to clean up rebounds or set himself in position to receive a pass and fire off a superb shot.

The negative to all that is ‘when he wants to’. At times he is too lackadaisical for me. Other times, he’s trying to beat everyone on the ice himself rather than utilizing his teammates.

Somewhat surprisingly, Zhilkin is a very good three zone player. He at least puts in the effort through the neutral zone and the defensive zone to disrupt the opposition and when he, or his teammates do and the puck is on his stick, his ability to transition is matched by few.

Zhilkin has gotten better as the season has progressed after a somewhat slow start. He has 10 goals and 14 helpers through 27 games at this point of the season, good for second among point getters on his squad. At this point, I expected him to be at least a point-per-game player and it is likely he will get there by the end of the season.

As I said earlier, the tools and the skillset are all there. If he can put it all together, he will be a fine addition to a team’s prospect stable.

Here’s just a sample of what he’s capable of, picking up the rebound in front of his net and going end to end.

62 OHL Players Included NHLL Central Scouting’s Mid Term Rankings

Posted on January 12, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League is proud to announce that 62 OHL players have been included on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings for the 2022 NHL Draft that takes place July 7-8 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC.

The list includes 41 OHL forwards, 14 defencemen and seven goaltenders.

A total of 10 OHL players are ranked inside the first round led by Kingston Frontenacs centreman Shane Wright, a former OHL Rookie of the Year Award recipient and exceptional status first overall pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.

“Shane is an excellent prospect and a guy that the scouting community has been tracking for a while now so everyone’s familiar with the attributes he can bring to a team,” OHL graduate Joey Tenute of NHL Central Scouting said. “He shows up every night, is a leader and plays every situation. He does what it takes all over the ice and any coach can rely on a player like that because he not only provides offense but is an all-around leader of a team … lead by example type of guy.”

Frontenacs teammate Paul Ludwinski joins Wright as a potential first round selection, being listed 29th among North American skaters.

Joining Czech forward Matyas Sapovaliv as one of two Saginaw Spirit players ranked inside the top-32, Russian defender Pavel Mintyukov comes in at number five on the list.

“Mintyukov, to me, is the best at his position for the 2022 draft,” said NHL Central Scouting Director Dan Marr. “He plays a very dynamic game utilizing his size, skating, smarts and skills to control the play in all zones and situations. The confidence, composure and degree of authority in which he takes charge and executes on plays places him in a category all to himself.”

The Spirit also boast the highest-ranked goaltender on the list in 17-year-old Shelby Township, Mich. native Andrew Oke, who is the eighth-ranked North American netminder.

The OHL’s first place Mississauga Steelheads also feature two players ranked inside the first round with 18-year-old forward Luca Del Bel Belluz at eleventh on the list and 17-year-old centreman Owen Beck at number 19.

The Guelph Storm join Kingston, Saginaw and Mississauga in producing another pair of players ranked inside the first round in first-year centreman Matthew Poitras at 23rd and sophomore talent Danny Zhilkin at 27th. Rookie defender Michael Buchinger came in just outside of the top-32, being ranked 36th on the list.

Former first overall 2020 OHL Priority Selection choice Ty Nelson of the North Bay Battalion is the highest-ranked Canadian-born defenceman at number 25 on the list.

Nineteen of the OHL’s 20 member teams feature at least one player included on the list, with the London Knights (8), Guelph Storm (6) and North Bay Battalion (5) leading the way.

2022 NHL Central Scouting Midterm Draft Rankings

SKATERS:

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM	POSITION
1	Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	C
5	Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	D
11	Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	C
13	Matyas Sapovaliv	Saginaw Spirit	C
19	Owen Beck	Mississauga Steelheads	C
23	Matthew Poitras	Guelph Storm	C
25	Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	D
27	Danny Zhilkin	Guelph Storm	C
28	Bryce McConnell-Barker	Soo Greyhounds	C
29	Paul Ludwinski	Kingston Frontenacs	C
35	David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	C
36	Michael Buchinger	Guelph Storm	D
38	Spencer Sova	Erie Otters	D
39	Jorian Donovan	Hamilton Bulldogs	D
42	Isaiah George	London Knights	D
46	Vinzenz Rohrer	Ottawa 67’s	C
47	Hunter Haight	Barrie Colts	C
52	Servac Petrovsky	Owen Sound Attack	C
61	Jake Karabela	Guelph Storm	C
62	Ruslan Gazizov	London Knights	LW
66	Liam Arnsby	North Bay Battalion	C
68	Gavin Hayes	Flint Firebirds	LW
75	Jackson Edward	London Knights	D
76	Cedrick Guindon	Owen Sound Attack	LW
77	Pano Fimis	Niagara IceDogs	C
88	Evan Konyen	Sudbury Wolves	RW
103	Kirill Kudryavtsev	Soo Greyhounds	D
107	Lucas Edmonds	Kingston Frontenacs	RW
109	Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	C
120	Samuel Mayer	Peterborough Petes	D
121	Vsevolod Gaidamak	Ottawa 67’s	C
124	Zakary Lavoie	Mississauga Steelheads	RW
129	Colton Smith	London Knights	LW
132	Rodwin Dionicio	Niagara IceDogs	D
137	Beau Jelsma	Barrie Colts	C
138	Brady Stonehouse	Ottawa 67’s	RW
142	Stuart Rolofs	Oshawa Generals	LW
152	Tnias Mathurin	North Bay Battalion	D
155	Aidan Castle	Niagara IceDogs	RW
160	Gavin Bryant	Owen Sound Attack	C
163	Brice Cooke	Niagara IceDogs	LW
179	Christian Kyrou	Erie Otters	D
182	Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	C
183	Tyler Savard	Soo Greyhounds	LW
188	Brody Crane	London Knights	LW
190	Sam Alfano	Peterborough Petes	RW
195	Roberto Mancini	Saginaw Spirit	D
196	Kirill Steklov	London Knights	D
200	Kocha Delic	Sudbury Wolves	C
204	James Hardie	Mississauga Steelheads	LW
210	Ryan Abraham	Windsor Spitfires	C
213	Landon Sim	London Knights	RW
217	Braeden Bowman	Guelph Storm	RW
219	Max Namestnikov	Sarnia Sting	C
224	Nolan Dann	Sarnia Sting	LW
LV	Simon Slavicek	Flint Firebirds	LW

GOALTENDERS:

RANK	GOALTENDER	TEAM
8	Andrew Oke	Saginaw Spirit
10	Nolan Lalonde	Erie Otters
12	Charlie Schenkel	Soo Greyhounds
14	Domenic Divincentiis	North Bay Battalion
15	Jacob Oster	Guelph Storm
16	Brett Brochu	London Knights
29	Patrick Leaver	Oshawa Generals

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