OHL ANNOUNCES 2022-23 COACHES POLL WINNERS

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the results of the Eastern and Western Conference Coaches Polls for the 2022-23 OHL Regular Season.

The OHL Coaches Poll provides member club coaches with the opportunity to recognize the top three players in 20 different skill categories within their own conference.

In the Eastern Conference, the Central Division champion North Bay Battalion were one of two teams with seven players included in the poll, led by captain and Florida Panthers prospect Liam Arnsby, one of two OHL players to finish first in three different categories including Best Body Checker, Best Defensive Forward and Best Penalty Killer. The Troops also boasted a dual first-place finisher in goaltender Domenic DiVincentiis, who topped both Best Puckhandling Goaltender and Best Shootout Goaltender. The Barrie Colts also featured seven different names on the poll, led by Smartest Player and Best Offensive Defenceman Brandt Clarke. Veteran defender Connor Punnett was also a favourite, appearing in four different categories as he was considered the Eastern Conference’s Best Shot Blocker while also being given consideration in Most Improved Player, Hardest Shot and Best Body Checker. Ottawa 67’s teammates Logan Morrison and Jack Matier both fared well, with the former being voted the Eastern Conference’s Best Playmaker and Best Stickhandler while he finished second in Smartest Player considerations. Matier appeared in four different categories, being voted Best Defensive Defenceman while also being recognized in Best Shot Blocker, Best Penalty Killer and Hardest Shot. Oshawa Generals overage veteran Ryan Gagnier also received plenty of attention, being voted the Conference’s Hardest Worker while also appearing in Best Defensive Forward and Best Penalty Killer voting.

Shifting to the Western Conference, the Sarnia Sting led the OHL with nine different players appearing on the poll. League assists leader Ty Voit was a first-place finisher in two categories including Best Playmaker and Best Stickhandler. Big Chicago Blackhawks prospect Ethan Del Mastro was voted the Western Conference’s Best Defensive Defenceman and Best Penalty Killer. The Sting also featured the Best Offensive Defenceman in Christian Kyrou. The West Division champion Windsor Spitfires trailed with eight players included, led by two-time first-place finisher Jacob Maillet who wound up as the Western Conference’s Best Defensive Forward and Most Underrated Player. Faring the best individually in the Western Conference, top 2023 NHL Draft prospect Colby Barlow of the Owen Sound Attack was voted the Western Conference’s Best Shot, Hardest Shot and Most Dangerous in the Goal Area. Other individual standouts included Detroit Red Wings prospect Amadeus Lombardi of the Flint Firebirds who finished as Smartest Player and second-best in both Best Playmaker and Best Stickhandler. Soo Greyhounds blueliner Kirill Kudryavtsev finished in the top-three of three separate categories including Best Shot Blocker, Best Defensive Defenceman and Most Underrated Player. In goal, London’s Brett Brochu was voted the Western Conference’s Best Shootout Goaltender and second-best Puckhandling Goaltender.

The Coaches Poll is tabulated when each team submits one nominee per category, and coaches then vote for the top three players for each category within their conference.  Players receive five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote, and one point for a third place vote.  Clubs are not permitted to vote for players from their own team allowing for a maximum of 45 possible points for each winner.

All 20 categories are listed below with Eastern Conference and Western Conference winners including their final point totals in brackets.

Most Underrated Player:

Eastern Conference:
1. Beau Jelsma, Barrie Colts (21)
2. Paul Christopoulos, North Bay Battalion (18)
3. Patrick Thomas, Hamilton Bulldogs (16)

Western Conference:
1. Jacob Maillet, Windsor Spitfires (21)
2. Braeden Bowman, Guelph Storm (19)
T-3. Kirill Kudryavtsev, Soo Greyhounds (12)
T-3. Marcus Limpar-Lantz, Sarnia Sting (12)

Most Improved Player:

Eastern Conference:
1. Sahil Panwar, Hamilton Bulldogs (23)
2. Connor Punnett, Barrie Colts (21)
3. Dylan Roobroeck, Oshawa Generals (20)

Western Conference:
1. Alex Christopoulos, Windsor Spitfires (35)
2. Tristan Bertucci, Flint Firebirds (23)
3. Max Namestnikov, Guelph Storm (13)

Smartest Player:

Eastern Conference:
1. Brandt Clarke, Barrie Colts (41) – finished t-1st in 2021-22
2. Logan Morrison, Ottawa 67’s (22) – finished 2nd in 2021-22
3. Tucker Robertson, Peterborough Petes (20) – finished 3rd in 2021-22

Western Conference:
1. Amadeus Lombardi, Flint Firebirds (39)
2. Shane Wright, Windsor Spitfires (12) – finished t-1st in Eastern Conference in 2021-22, 2nd in 2019-20
T-3. Sasha Pastujov, Sarnia Sting (9)
T-3. Cooper Walker, Guelph Storm (9)

Hardest Worker:

Eastern Conference:
1. Ryan Gagnier, Oshawa Generals (31)
2. Paul Ludwinski, Kingston Frontenacs (14)
3. Charlie Callaghan, Mississauga Steelheads (13)

Western Conference:
1. Matthew Maggio, Windsor Spitfires (30) – finished t-3rd in 2021-22
2. Zacharie Giroux, Flint Firebirds (18)
3. Mark Duarte, Soo Greyhounds (15)

Best Playmaker:

Eastern Conference:
1. Logan Morrison, Ottawa 67’s (27) – finished 1st in 2021-22
2. Evan Vierling, Barrie Colts (19)
3. Matvey Petrov, North Bay Battalion (18)

Western Conference:
1. Ty Voit, Sarnia Sting (35)
2. Amadeus Lombardi, Flint Firebirds (29)
3. Matthew Poitras, Guelph Storm (21)

Most Dangerous In Goal Area:

Eastern Conference:
1. Avery Hayes, Peterborough Petes (25)
2. Ethan Cardwell, Barrie Colts (20)
3. David Goyette, Sudbury Wolves (19)

Western Conference:
1. Colby Barlow, Owen Sound Attack (26)
2. Matthew Maggio, Windsor Spitfires (24)
3. Nolan Burke, Sarnia Sting (19)

Best Skater:

Eastern Conference:
1. J.R. Avon, Peterborough Petes (22) – finished 1st in 2021-22
2. Pavel Mintyukov, Ottawa 67’s (19)
3. Nick Lardis, Hamilton Bulldogs (13)

Western Conference:
1. Spencer Sova, Erie Otters (29)
2. Oliver Peer, Windsor Spitfires (21)
3. Hunter Haight, Saginaw Spirit (19)

Best Shot:

Eastern Conference:
1. Kyle McDonald, North Bay Battalion (30)
2. James Hardie, Mississauga Steelheads (20) – finished 2nd in 2021-22
3. Brennan Othmann, Peterborough Petes (18) – finished 1st in Western Conference in 2021-22

Western Conference:
1. Colby Barlow, Owen Sound Attack (38) – finished 3rd in 2021-22
2. Gavin Hayes, Flint Firebirds (21)
3. Francesco Arcuri, Kitchener Rangers (15)

Hardest Shot:

Eastern Conference:
1. Ty Nelson, North Bay Battalion (39)
2. Connor Punnett, Barrie Colts (20)
3. Jack Matier, Ottawa 67’s (11)

Western Conference:
T-1. Colby Barlow, Owen Sound Attack (27) – finished 3rd in 2021-22
T-1. Logan Mailloux, London Knights (27)
2. Michael Renwick, Windsor Spitfires (19)
3. Carson Rehkopf, Kitchener Rangers (11)

Best Stickhandler:

Eastern Conference:
1. Logan Morrison, Ottawa 67’s (30)
2. David Goyette, Sudbury Wolves (19)
3. Evan Vierling, Barrie Colts (16)

Western Conference:
1. Ty Voit, Sarnia Sting (30) – finished 2nd in 2021-22
2. Amadeus Lombardi, Flint Firebirds (20)
3. Filip Mesar, Kitchener Rangers (14)

Best on Face-Offs:

Eastern Conference:
1. Cameron Tolnai, Ottawa 67’s (25)
2. Lawson Sherk, Hamilton Bulldogs (15)
3. Jacob Frasca, Barrie Colts (14)

Western Conference:
1. Matyas Sapovaliv, Saginaw Spirit (22)
2. Ethan Hay, Flint Firebirds (21)
3. Sean McGurn, London Knights (17)

Best Body Checker:

Eastern Conference:
1. Liam Arnsby, North Bay Battalion (23) – finished 3rd in 2021-22
T-2. Charlie Callaghan, Mississauga Steelheads (20)
T-2. Connor Punnett, Barrie Colts (20)
3. Artem Grushnikov, Hamilton Bulldogs (13)

Western Conference:
1. Nolan Dillingham, Sarnia Sting (37)
2. Artyom Kulakov, Erie Otters (15)
T-3. Roberto Mancini, Saginaw Spirit (10)
T-3. Daniil Sobolev, Windsor Spitfires (10)

Best Shot Blocker:

Eastern Conference:
1. Connor Punnett, Barrie Colts (26)
2. Jack Matier, Ottawa 67’s (23) – finished 3rd in 2021-22
3. Tommy Budnick, Kingston Frontenacs (12)

Western Conference:
1. Cameron Morton, Erie Otters (22)
2. Kirill Kudryavtsev, Soo Greyhounds (18)
3. Chandler Romeo, Guelph Storm (12)

Best Defensive Forward:

Eastern Conference:
1. Liam Arnsby, North Bay Battalion (28) – finished 2nd in 2021-22
2. Ryan Gagnier, Oshawa Generals (21)
3. Cameron Tolnai, Ottawa 67’s (11)

Western Conference:
1. Jacob Maillet, Windsor Spitfires (22)
2. Ethan Hay, Flint Firebirds (20)
T-3. Nolan Burke, Sarnia Sting (14)
T-3. Cooper Walker, Guelph Storm (14) – finished 2nd in 2021-22

Best Penalty Killer:

Eastern Conference:
1. Liam Arnsby, North Bay Battalion (37) – finished 2nd in 2021-22
2. Ryan Gagnier, Oshawa Generals (22)
3. Jack Matier, Ottawa 67’s (15)

Western Conference:
1. Ethan Del Mastro, Sarnia Sting (28) – finished 1st in Eastern Conference in 2021-22
2. Reid Valade, Kitchener Rangers (16) – finished t-3rd in 2021-22
3. Matyas Sapovaliv, Saginaw Spirit (12)

Best Offensive Defenceman:

Eastern Conference:
1. Brandt Clarke, Barrie Colts (43) – finished 1st in 2021-22
2. Pavel Mintyukov, Ottawa 67’s (19)
3. Ty Nelson, North Bay Battalion (16) – finished 3rd in 2021-22

Western Conference:
1. Christian Kyrou, Sarnia Sting (27) – finished 2nd in 2021-22
T-2. Michael Buchinger, Guelph Storm (16)
T-2. Logan Mailloux, London Knights (16)
3. Dmitry Kuzmin, Flint Firebirds (13)

Best Defensive Defenceman:

Eastern Conference:
1. Jack Matier, Ottawa 67’s (32)
2. Braden Haché, Barrie Colts (20)
3. Paul Christopoulos, North Bay Battalion (12)

Western Conference:
1. Ethan Del Mastro, Sarnia Sting (38) – finished 1st in Eastern Conference in 2021-22
2. Kirill Kudryavtsev, Soo Greyhounds (12)
3. Nicholas DeAngelis, Windsor Spitfires (11)

Best Puck-Handling Goaltender:

Eastern Conference:
1. Domenic DiVincentiis, North Bay Battalion (32)
2. Michael Simpson, Peterborough Petes (18)
3. Ivan Zhigalov, Kingston Frontenacs (11)

Western Conference:
1. Tristan Lennox, Saginaw Spirit (29)
2. Brett Brochu, London Knights (28) – finished 1st in 2021-22
3. Ben Gaudreau, Sarnia Sting (10)

Best Shootout Shooter:

Eastern Conference:
1. Tucker Robertson, Peterborough Petes (32)
2. Kyle Jackson, North Bay Battalion (15)
3. James Hardie, Mississauga Steelheads (14)

Western Conference:
1. George Diaco, London Knights (20)
2. Filip Mesar, Kitchener Rangers (17)
3. Luca Del Bel Belluz, Sarnia Sting (16)

Best Shootout Goaltender:

Eastern Conference:
1. Domenic DiVincentiis, North Bay Battalion (33)
2. Collin MacKenzie, Ottawa 67’s (21)
3. Michael Simpson, Peterborough Petes (19)

Western Conference:
1. Brett Brochu, London Knights (34) – finished 1st in 2021-22
2. Marco Costantini, Kitchener Rangers (14)
T-3. Ben Gaudreau, Sarnia Sting (13) – finished t-2nd in 2021-22
T-3. Tristan Lennox, Saginaw Spirit (13)


About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.

Matthew Mania – Sudbury Wolves – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
HTWTDOBPOSSHOOTSOHL DRAFTNHLCSCOUNTRY
6’1190Janu 11, 2005DR60th 202162 N AUSA
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2020-2021AYHL U16North Jersey Avalanche116511
2020-2022USHLFargo Force4000
2021-2022U17Team USA4134
2021-2022OHLSudbury Wolves4921113
2022-2023OHLSudbury Wolves67102838
Matthew Mania of the Sudbury Wolves. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

Considering this was the second OHL season for Matthew Mania of the Sudbury Wolves it was a bit surprising to see how much more comfortable he became as the season progressed, at least on the offensive side of the game. Sure, you expect to see a development curve, but I expected some comfort level after playing 49 games a season ago.

Mania’s skating is his best asset and he uses it to drive the play from the back end. His superb acceleration often starts the transition from the defensive zone and his great agility and top end speed allow him to maneuver up the ice almost at will. But he didn’t start the season that way. As mentioned in the opening, it appeared he wasn’t comfortable in the beginning, or perhaps he lacked confidence but as the season progressed it all came to the forefront.

Once Mania gets moving up ice and gains the offensive zone, he has the vision and the playmaking skills to set up teammates for scoring opportunities. He is a smart player and knows when to slow down to wait for something to open up for him. However, it’s too soon to tell how all this will translate to the pro game.

Despite being an offensive dynamo, Mania needs to work on his defensive game. Sure, we say this about almost every defenceman at this level, but gets knocked around along the walls or in front of his net with relative ease. He definitely needs to get stronger in those areas. And you figure that with his skating, he could use that more effectively to keep opponents to the outside more effectively.

Still, we like the upside in Mania. He has it in spades and we will have him in the upper part of our draft rankings betting on that upside. If he had shown more progression in his own zone though, there’s no telling how high he could have been.

OHL PARTNERS WITH HEROIC MINDS AND WINMAR® TO EQUIP PLAYERS AND STAFF WITH ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced a new partnership in collaboration with presenting sponsor WINMAR®, teaming-up with Heroic Minds to offer additional mental health support to players and member team officials.

Players and staff from across the Ontario Hockey League will have access to the Heroic Minds platform developed by Kitchener Rangers alumnus Ben Fanelli (2009-14), who overcame a traumatic brain injury before going on to become OHL and CHL Humanitarian of the Year in 2013. Fanelli played in over 200 OHL games for the Rangers, graduating to complete a BA in Communications and Masters of Counselling & Psychotherapy while also serving as an Assistant Coach of the Waterloo Warriors U SPORTS men’s hockey program.

Heroic Minds arms athletes with tools and resources, enhancing the current approach to behavior change and highlighting the direct link between overall life skills and sport performance. The platform includes access to resources on psychoeducation, philosophy, psychology, leadership skills, communication skills, relationship skills and much more.

“One of the most important features in the platform is the ability to share practices with other users which inspires a culture of support and collective well-being,” said Fanelli, Chief Vision Officer at Heroic Minds. “We have seen the success of this over the past year in both the sport and corporate space.”

Starting in 2016 with the Heroic Minds Podcast, Fanelli interviewed over 100 people that had been through a tremendous amount of adversity in their lives including disease, amputation, immense pressure and loss, suicide and more. “I noticed that the way these individuals overcame their challenges was different than our current approach to mental health,” he observed. “The existing methodology constitutes taking action once someone is already anxious or depressed. Thus, we focus on the symptoms of anxiety and depression and direct people to take time off, meditate for five minutes or attend a workshop. We are not looking upstream to uncover the cause or what tools, ideas, and concepts could prevent things. Ultimately, we are leading people away from the experiences, self-reflections and ideas that can truly improve how they feel, think, and perform.”

The Heroic Minds platform will provide OHL players and staff with a tremendous mental health resource that can be accessed at any time, and will complement the mental health and suicide prevention training the League has been conducting in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association through the Talk Today program since 2014.

“We have a long-standing partnership with the OHL and this initiative is a great way to expand upon that partnership and to encompass more than just sport,” said WINMAR® President Glenn Woolfrey. “WINMAR®s’ strength is our people and to have this partnership with Heroic Minds and the OHL provides us the opportunity to continue our commitment to focus on individuals, with open meaningful dialogue within the communities that we serve around a topic that has been quietly hidden for too long.”

“Ben’s story and what he’s doing is super important for our players and we’re happy that, with the help of WINMAR®, we can provide them with these additional resources and supports,” added Brodie Barrick, the OHL’s Director of Recruitment and Player Services. “As someone who played in the OHL, I know that the tools being provided by Heroic Minds will go a long way towards the holistic development of student-athletes across the League.”

For more information on Heroic Minds, visit heroicminds.live/benfanelli or follow along on Instagram.

About Heroic Minds
Heroic Minds was born in 2018 when Kitchener Ranger (OHL) Alumni Ben Fanelli started the Heroic Minds Podcast and began his Master of Counselling and Psychology. Heroic Minds takes a proactive approach to mental well-being by offering psychoeducation, life skills and tools in a pragmatic, applicable and enjoyable way.

About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.

About WINMAR®
WINMAR® is a trusted network of 90 plus locations providing quality restoration services 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year from coast to coast.  WINMAR® is one of Canada’s fastest growing Property Restoration companies continually reviewing and enhancing its environmental sustainability, serving all aspects of the residential, commercial, industrial, and insurance network.

OHL Eastern Conference Playoff Preview

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Western Conference Preview can be found here.

(1) Ottawa 67’s vs (8) Oshawa Generals

From the drop of the first puck, the Ottawa 67’s have been the OHL’s best team while the Oshawa Generals didn’t qualify for the playoffs until the final weekend. Ottawa would finish a measly 49 points ahead of Oshawa. The 67’s would finish 4th in goals scored, the Generals 14th. The 67’s would finish 1st in goals against, the Generals 18th.

However, the Generals have the league’s third best powerplay versus seventh best for Ottawa. That powerplay will be in tough against Ottawa’s second-best penalty kill. Oshawa is tenth-best.  

Ottawa is led by Logan Morrison (free agent) who was acquired on trade deadline with 94 points. They also acquired star defenceman Pavel Mintyukov (Anaheim Ducks) who has 88 points. They have 7 twenty goal (or more) scorers on their roster and 3 more with 19 goals each.

Oshawa is led by veteran Ryan Gagnier (free agent) with 69 points, Stuart Rolofs (free agent) with 61 points and Calum Ritchie (draft eligible) with 55 points.

Prediction: Ottawa in 4 games.

Ottawa 67’sOshawa Generals
Regular season record51-12-3-226-36-1-5
Head-to-head7-0-1-01-5-0-2
Home record29-4-0-114-17-1-2
Away record22-8-3-112-19-0-3
Goals scored286235
Goals against171290
Powerplay overall23.8%25.6%
Powerplay at home26.1%25.6%
Powerplay away21.0%25.5%
Penalty kill overall84.1%78.0%
Penalty kill at home84.8%78.0%
Penalty kill away83.3%78.0%
Powerplay vs opponent41.9%28.6%
Penalty kill vs opponent71.4%58.1%
Leading after 1st26-3-2-013-5-0-2
Leading after 2nd41-0-0-020-2-0-2
Trailing after 1st7-8-1-14-22-0-1
Trailing after 2nd2-12-1-12-30-1-2
1-goal games13-2-3-211-8-1-5
2-goal games9-5-0-04-8-0-0
3 goal games12-4-0-06-7-0-0

Prediction: Ottawa in 4 games

(2) North Bay Battalion vs (7) Mississauga Steelheads

North Bay BattalionMississauga Steelheads
Regular season record48-17-2-131-31-6-0
Head-to-head4-2-0-02-4-0-0
Home record27-5-1-118-14-2-0
Away record21-12-1-013-17-4-0
Goals scored285226
Goals against183258
Powerplay overall22.9%19.9%
Powerplay at home25.0%21..3%
Powerplay away20.9%18.0%
Penalty kill overall87.1%72.5%
Penalty kill at home90.3%72.5%
Penalty kill away86.4%72.4%
Powerplay vs opponent27.6%13.6%
Penalty kill vs opponent84.4%73.9%
Leading after 1st29-0-0-112-1-1-0
Leading after 2nd37-1-0-120-2-2-0
Trailing after 1st8-13-1-06-18-3-0
Trailing after 2nd2-16-0-04-22-3-0
1-goal games9-5-2-119-6-6-0
2-goal games10-6-0-02-6-0-0
3 goal games12-4-0-04-7-0-0

North Bay has the OHL’s 9th best powerplay versus 16th best for Mississauga. To make matters worse for Mississauga, North Bay has the league’s best penalty kill versus the league’s worst for the Steelheads. Head-to-head, the two teams are closer than one might have expected.

This series puts North Bay’s 5th best offence against Mississauga’s 11th best defence and Mississauga’s 16th best offence against the league’s 2nd best defence.

North Bay is led by Matvey Petrov (Edmonton Oilers) with 93 points, Kyle Jackson and Ty Nelson (Seattle Kraken) with 83 and 76 points respectively. Mississauga is led by James Hardie (free agent) with 82 points, Zander Veccia (draft eligible) with 45 points and Luke Misa (2024 draft) with 43 points.

Prediction: North Bay in 4 games.

(3) Barrie Colts vs (6) Hamilton Bulldogs

Barrie ColtsHamilton Bulldogs
Regular season record42-17-6-333-30-5-0
Head-to-head2-2-0-02-2-0-0
Home record21-9-3-116-16-2-0
Away record21-8-3-217-14-3-0
Goals scored284226
Goals against239251
Powerplay overall25.3%20.7%
Powerplay at home28.3%19.3%
Powerplay away22.3%21.9%
Penalty kill overall81.6%77.3%
Penalty kill at home84.2%78.0%
Penalty kill away78.9%76.7%
Powerplay vs opponent27.3%37.5%
Penalty kill vs opponent62.5%72.7%
Leading after 1st21-5-1-013-3-2-0
Leading after 2nd25-2-2-120-1-0-0
Trailing after 1st11-8-4-16-22-2-0
Trailing after 2nd9-13-2-22-28-2-0
1-goal games17-4-6-312-4-5-0
2-goal games7-3-0-011-9-0-0
3 goal games10-5-0-05-8-0-0

The Colts have the leagues 4th best powerplay and penalty kill while Hamilton has the 13th best penalty kill and powerplay. Now that’s consistency, right? And they split the season series so this one has got to be close again, right?

Barrie has the 6th most potent offence while Hamilton is 15th. Barrie also boasts the 6th best defence while Hamilton 9th.

Barrie is led by Evan Vierling (drafted New York Rangers but unsigned and is now a free agent) with 95 points, Ethan Cardwell (San Jose Sharks) with 90 points and Jacob Frasca (free agent) with 69 points. Hamilton is led by Sahil Panwar (free agent) with 69 points, Nick Lardis (draft eligible) with 65 points and Patrick Thomas (draft eligible) with 56 points.

Prediction: Barrie in 5 games.

(4) Peterborough Petes vs (5) Sudbury Wolves

Peterborough PetesSudbury Wolves
Regular season record35-29-2-231-28-6-3
Head-to-head1-2-1-03-1-0-0
Home record18-13-1-218-11-3-2
Away record17-16-1-013-17-3-1
Goals scored247272
Goals against207260
Powerplay overall21.7%17.0%
Powerplay at home22.1%15.9%
Powerplay away21.3%18.1%
Penalty kill overall81.3%75.3%
Penalty kill at home80.2%77.7%
Penalty kill away82.4%73.3%
Powerplay vs opponent21.7%17.6%
Penalty kill vs opponent82.4%78.3%
Leading after 1st7-11-0-121-7-2-2
Leading after 2nd31-4-1-026-4-2-1
Trailing after 1st5-10-1-15-11-2-0
Trailing after 2nd1-18-1-04-19-2-0
1-goal games6-6-2-29-10-6-3
2-goal games8-14-0-07-4-0-0
3 goal games7-7-0-05-5-0-0

If this comes down to specialty teams then the Wolves may be in trouble. Peterborough has the 9th best powerplay in the league and the 6th best penalty kill. Sudbury has the leagues worst penalty kill and 3rd worst powerplay.

If specialty teams aren’t the difference then you put Sudbury’s 7th best offence against Peterborough’s 3rd best defence. And Sudbury’s 12th best defence would face Peterborough’s 12th best offence.

Sudbury is led by David Goyette (Seattle Kraken) with 92 points, Quentin Musty (draft eligible) with 78 points and Landon McCallum (free agent) with 66 points. Peterborough is led by Tucker Robertson (Seattle Kraken) with 90 points, Connor Lockhart (Vancouver Canucks) with 79 points and Avery Hayes Free agent) with 77 points.

Flip a coin on this one.

Prediction: Sudbury in 6 games.

ERIE OTTERS TO SELECT FIRST OVERALL IN 2023 OHL PRIORITY SELECTION PRESENTED BY REAL CANADIAN SUPERSTORE

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The results from the 2023 OHL Priority Selection Draft Lottery are in, and the Erie Otters will be selecting first on April 21-22 when OHL member teams build toward the future in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection Presented by Real Canadian Superstore.

Each of the four non-playoff teams participating in the Priority Selection Lottery, the 20th place Niagara IceDogs (40 percent chance), 19th place Erie Otters (30 percent chance), 18th place Soo Greyhounds (20 percent chance) and 17th place Kingston Frontenacs (10 percent chance), had adjusted proportionate odds of drawing the first overall selection. The final results were determined by a computerized random number generator, with the process overseen and certified by Mr. Robert Bayne, partner with the law firm Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP.

The coveted top spot came down to a reveal between the Otters and the Niagara IceDogs, who will be selecting second overall.

The Otters will be adding their first Jack Ferguson Award recipient since they made eventual OHL and CHL Player of the Year Connor McDavid their first overall selection back in 2012. Another current-day NHL star in Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan O’Reilly was also selected first overall by Erie in 2007.

The OHL Priority Selection will once again be held over the course of two days, with Rounds 1-3 taking place beginning at 7:00pm on Friday, April 21. The proceedings continue on Saturday, April 22 starting at 9:00am with Rounds 4-15. The Priority Selection will be produced by YourTV, and streamed for free in its entirety on CHL TV.

2023 OHL Priority Selection First Round Order of Selection:

  1. Erie Otters
  2. Niagara IceDogs
  3. Soo Greyhounds
  4. Kingston Frontenacs
  5. Niagara IceDogs*
  6. Oshawa Generals
  7. Mississauga Steelheads
  8. Brantford Bulldogs
  9. Sudbury Wolves
  10. Kitchener Rangers*
  11. Kitchener Rangers
  12. Owen Sound Attack
  13. Peterborough Petes
  14. Guelph Storm
  15. Flint Firebirds
  16. Saginaw Spirit
  17. Sarnia Sting
  18. London Knights
  19. Barrie Colts
  20. Windsor Spitfires
  21. North Bay Battalion
  22. Ottawa 67’s

*- indicates compensatory pick

The 2023 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore will see the top players born in 2007 within OHL jurisdiction eligible to be selected on April 21-22.

In addition to live streaming on CHL TV, the Priority Selection will also be covered extensively on the OHL’s Twitter, Instagram, Facebook accounts, as well as on the web at ontariohockeyleague.com.


About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.

OHL Western Conference Playoff Preview

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Usually when I do these previews, I am pretty good at it with a success rate in the high nineties percentile. But this season it’s a crapshoot like I have not seen before, especially after how some teams loaded up at trade deadline.

I will come out of this looking either very smart or very stupid, but hey, it’s what we do right? So, here is a look at how the playoff teams stack up in their respective series along with some quick notes and of course, my predictions:

(1) Windsor Spitfires vs (8) Kitchener Rangers

Windsor SpitfiresKitchener Rangers
Regular season record48-18-4-233-29-6-0
Head-to-head4-0-0-00-3-1-0
Home record25-5-2-219-11-4-0
Away record19-13-2-014-18-2-0
Goals scored320257
Goals against265240
Powerplay overall25.9%21.1%
Powerplay at home26.4%22.7%
Powerplay away25.4%19.5%
Penalty kill overall76.7%77.4%
Penalty kill at home75.5%76.5%
Penalty kill away77.8%78.3%
Powerplay vs opponent55.6%50.0%
Penalty kill vs opponent50.0%44.4%
Leading after 1st29-5-0-020-7-2-0
Leading after 2nd38-0-0-128-2-3-0
Trailing after 1st4-12-1-22-19-0-0
Trailing after 2nd2-16-0-02-25-3-0
1-goal games13-2-4-210-4-6-0
2-goal games4-3-0-02-4-0-0
3 goal games18-6-0-07-9-0-0

Talk about a team that went all in around trade deadline! The Windsor Spitfires added Shane Wright, Brett Harrison, Rodwin Dionicio, Aidan Castle and Jacob Homes to a roster that already had OHL leading scorer Matthew Maggio. The Rangers were no slouches either. They added Francesco Arcuri, Danny Zhilkin and Lleyton Moore.

The difference at the deadline is the Spitfires went from a good team to a great team. The Rangers on the other hand were inconsistent from the first puck drop. On paper, they should have been a good team but in the end are the eighth seed.

The Rangers best chance to defeat the Spitfires is to keep games close. Both teams can close it out when protecting the lead but that’s a tall task if the Spitfires are healthy and firing on all cylinders.

Prediction: Windsor in 5 games.

(2) London Knights vs (7) Owen Sound Attack

London KnightsOwen Sound Attack
Regular season record45-21-2-033-28-6-1
Head-to-head3-3-0-03-3-0-0
Home record22-11-1-017-12-5-0
Away record23-10-1-016-16-1-1
Goals scored269248
Goals against214258
Powerplay overall21..3%19.5%
Powerplay at home23.0%24.2%
Powerplay away19.7%14.5%
Penalty kill overall78.9%77.1%
Penalty kill at home76.9%74.3%
Penalty kill away80.4%74.3%
Powerplay vs opponent24.0%13.0%
Penalty kill vs opponent87.0%76.0%
Leading after 1st28-4-0-07-1-2-0
Leading after 2nd30-4-0-024-1-2-1
Trailing after 1st6-13-1-08-19-4-1
Trailing after 2nd7-15-1-03-24-4-0
1-goal games19-4-2-010-6-6-1
2-goal games5-5-0-05-6-0-0
3 goal games9-9-0-013-8-0-0

Yes, they split the season series. At trade deadline the Knights added Ryan Winterton and Ryan Humphrey, both with championship experience. Owen Sound added Landen Hookey, James Petrovski and Jackson Stewart.

London has the ability to shut things down and their blueline is solid with a good mix of defenders that can move the puck and shut it down with Logan Mailloux (Montreal Canadiens), Oliver Bonk (draft eligible), Jackson Edward (Boston Bruins) and Isaiah George (New York Islanders). That’s as good a top four as anybody. The key cog for London will be Brett Brochu in net, one of the best goaltenders in the OHL with something to prove.

Owen Sound has trouble scoring goals and are led by Colby Barlow (draft eligible) with 79 points in 59 games. However, the Attack offence is pretty spread out after Barlow with 4 other players scoring at least 20 goals.

Prediction: London in 6 games.

(3) Sarnia Sting vs (6) Guelph Storm

Sarnia StingGuelph Storm
Regular season record41-18-5-435-28-4-1
Head-to-head2-0-0-22-1-0-1
Home record21-7-4-219-11-3-1
Away record20-11-1-216-17-1-0
Goals scored298254
Goals against224280
Powerplay overall26.0%24.6%
Powerplay at home27.2%28.2%
Powerplay away24.6%19.8%
Penalty kill overall81.4%73.5%
Penalty kill at home82.5%77.1%
Penalty kill away80.3%69.0%
Powerplay vs opponent38.9%16.7%
Penalty kill vs opponent83.3%61.1%
Leading after 1st25-2-3-021-3-2-0
Leading after 2nd32-0-3-223-1-2-1
Trailing after 1st3-12-1-26-21-1-0
Trailing after 2nd5-16-1-18-24-1-0
1-goal games12-4-5-415-4-4-1
2-goal games4-4-0-06-5-0-0
3 goal games10-7-0-08-8-0-0

Two of the hottest teams since January 1 and both made some key acquisitions at the trade deadline. If this comes down to goaltending, the advantage goes to Sarnia with Ben Gaudreau (San Jose Sharks) a step ahead of Patrick Lever (undrafted) or the youngster Brayden Gillespie (draft eligible). If it comes down to special teams, Sarnia once again holds the advantage. Both teams possess quality powerplays with Sarnia’s being tops in the league while Guelph’s ranked fifth however, Guelph has the league’s second worst penalty kill while Sarnia was fourth best and Sarnia could feast on that.

The series features the two best playmakers in the league with Ty Voit (Toronto Maple Leafs) dishing the puck for Sarnia and Matthew Poitras (Boston Bruins) trying to work his magic for Guelph. Voit will be feeding pucks to 50 goal scorer Nolan Burke (Nashville Predators), 40 goal scorer Luca Del Bel Belluz (Columbus Blue Jackets) while Poitras will be feeding 39 goal scorer Max Namestnikov (draft eligible) and 33 goal scorer Braeden Bowman (undrafted).

Sarnia also holds the advantage on the blue line led by Christian Kyrou (Dallas Stars), Ethan Del Mastro (Chicago Blackhawks) and Ryan Mast (Boston Bruins).

Prediction: Sarnia in 6 games.

(4) Saginaw Spirit vs (5) Flint Firebirds

Saginaw SpiritFlint Firebirds
Regular season record36-27-3-235-28-4-1
Head-to-head5-3-0-03-4-1-0
Home record17-16-0-118-13-2-1
Away record19-11-3-117-15-2-0
Goals scored244291
Goals against244278
Powerplay overall23.8%20.2%
Powerplay at home20.9%21.5%
Powerplay away27.6%18.9%
Penalty kill overall78.5%78.3%
Penalty kill at home78.8%78.8%
Penalty kill away80.0%77.9%
Powerplay vs opponent27.6%25.0%
Penalty kill vs opponent75.0%72.4%
Leading after 1st17-5-1-022-5-1-1
Leading after 2nd23-1-1-025-1-0-0
Trailing after 1st10-17-0-07-14-2-0
Trailing after 2nd5-22-1-05-22-3-1
1-goal games13-5-3-211-7-4-1
2-goal games8-4-0-09-6-0-0
3 goal games7-9-0-06-5-0-0

This may be the most even series in the Western Conference. Flint has a very good offence led by Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings) and his 102 points. Gavin Hayes (Chicago Blackhawks) 81 points, Riley Piercy (undrafted) 70 points, Coulson Pitre (draft eligible 60 points and Dmitry Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets) provide a lethal offence.

Saginaw is led by Hunter Haight (Minnesota Wild) with 60 points Matyas Sapovaliv (Vegas Golden Knights) with 56 points and exceptional status rookie Michael Misa with 56 points (in 45 games). They also have 2024 draft eligible defenceman Zayne Parekh who set an OHL record for goals by a 16-year-old defenceman with 21.

This one will come down to the Western Conference fourth best defence (Saginaw) versus the third best offence (Flint).

Prediction: Flint in 7 games.

SAGINAW SPIRIT TO HOST 2024 MEMORIAL CUP PRESENTED BY KIA

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – For the first time in 26 years, the Memorial Cup presented by Kia will be hosted south of the border when next year the championship of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) will be held in Saginaw, Michigan. Although American cities have hosted the Memorial Cup on four separate occasions in the event’s 104-year history, never before has an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) American city held this prestigious tournament. 

Tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. EST / 10:00 a.m. PST, a press conference will be held at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw and be streamed live on CHL TV.

“We are thrilled to bring the Memorial Cup to the state of Michigan for the first time in the event’s history,” said CHL President Dan MacKenzie. “The Spirit and City of Saginaw submitted a remarkable bid and we have no doubt that they will do an outstanding job of hosting our CHL championship next year.”

Having arrived in Saginaw in 2002, the Spirit would be set to participate in their first-ever Memorial Cup next season. Over the last two decades, the three-time OHL West Division champions have seen over 55 of their players drafted by NHL teams, including Cole Perfetti, Filip Hronek, Owen Tippett, Brandon Saad and Vincent Trocheck, whose number 89 is the lone uniform retired by the Spirit franchise.

“On behalf of Dick Garber and the Saginaw Spirit franchise, we are grateful to the Memorial Cup Selection Committee. It is an honor for the community of Saginaw and the 400,000 people that call the Great Lakes Bay Region home to be the host of the 2024 Memorial Cup,” added Craig Goslin, President and Managing Partner of the Saginaw Spirit. “Saginaw is both honored and prepared. We respect and understand the significance that the Memorial Cup has in Canadian culture and we plan to illustrate this respect and honor throughout the event. It is our intent, that when it is completed, the CHL, all visiting players, staff, sponsors, fans and stakeholders, will leave by saying: ‘that was an exceptionally managed Memorial Cup and we had a fabulous experience.’”

Led by General Manager Dave Drinkill and Head Coach Chris Lazary, the Saginaw Spirit finished the 2022-23 season with a 36-27-3-2 record and will face off against the in-state rival Flint Firebirds in the first round of the OHL Playoffs beginning tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. EST / 4:05 p.m. PST on CHL TV. On the ice, the Spirit are highlighted by Exceptional Status forward Michael Misa, whose 56 points (22G, 34A) this past season were the most by an OHL rookie. The first pick of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection also averaged 1.24 points-per-game this season — the highest of any OHL Exceptional Status player and ahead of John Tavares’ 1.18 points-per-game average with the Oshawa Generals in 2005-06.

In addition to the 16-year-old Misa, the Spirit are filled with quality talent which includes team scoring leader Hunter Haight (a 2022 NHL second-round selection by the Minnesota Wild), Zayne Parekh (his 21 goals this season were the most by a 16-year-old defenseman in OHL history) and Matyas Sapovaliv, a Vegas Golden Knights second-round pick who scored a team-high 27 goals this season.

The Memorial Cup is one of the most coveted trophies in hockey. First awarded in 1919, in remembrance of the many soldiers who paid the supreme sacrifice for Canada in the First World War, the Memorial Cup was rededicated to the memory of all fallen Canadian Military Personnel in 2010.

Next year, in Saginaw, the Memorial Cup will be awarded for the 104th time in its history. The Spirit will be one of four teams to participate in the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Kia alongside the playoff champion from each of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and Western Hockey League (WHL). All games from the 2024 Memorial Cup will be nationally televised in Canada by TSN and RDS, as well as on NHL Network in the United States.

The 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia is scheduled to take place in less than two months, running from May 25 – June 4 in Kamloops, British Columbia. Viewers can watch all the action from this year’s CHL championship on NHL Network in the United States, along with TSN and RDS in Canada.

QUICK FACTS

  • An American City hasn’t hosted the Memorial Cup since Spokane held the honour in 1998 (which is where the Portland Winterhawks won their second & most recent Memorial Cup)
  • American cities have hosted the Memorial Cup four times in the event’s 104-year history and all of them have been in the United States Pacific Northwest (Portland – 1983 & 1986; Seattle – 1992; Spokane – 1998)
  • The first time an American city held the Memorial Cup was in 1983, when Portland both hosted the event & became the first non-Canadian based team to win the Memorial Cup
  • American CHL teams have won the Memorial Cup on four occasions, with the Chiefs being the last to accomplish the feat in 2008 (Portland Winterhawks – 1983 & 1998; Spokane Chiefs – 1991 & 2008)

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.

FIVE TEAMS ADVANCE TO 2023 OHL CUP FOLLOWING WILD CARD PLAY-IN VICTORIES

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – Five teams have secured their spots at the 2023 OHL Cup following Wild Card Play-In victories at Scotiabank Pond on Tuesday.

For the eighth time in event history a series of Wild Card Play-In games opened the action, determining the final qualifiers as the Toronto Nationals, Barrie Jr. Colts, Vaughan Kings advanced.

2023 OHL Cup Wild Card Play-In Results:

WC 1 – Toronto Nationals 8 vs. Ajax-Pickering Raiders 0
Nationals MVP – Ajay Rai (3G, 1A)
Ajax-Pickering MVP – Gianluca Meli
Recap – Stats

WC 2 – Barrie Jr. Colts 6 vs. Lambton Jr. Sting 2
Barrie MVP – Liam Conway (24 SV)
Lambton MVP – Callum Besley (32 SV)
Recap – Stats

WC 3 – Vaughan Kings 4 vs. Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs 0
Vaughan MVP – Carter Kostuch (1G, 1A)
Hamilton MVP – Logan Snyder (27 SV)
Recap – Stats

WC 4 – Don Mills Flyers 4 vs. Burlington Eagles 1
Don Mills MVP – Shamar Moses (2G)
Burlington MVP – Ivan Kastelan (25 SV)
Recap – Stats

WC 5 – Whitby Wildcats 3 vs. Central Ontario Wolves 1
Whitby MVP –  Ethan Proctor (1G)
Wolves MVP –  Francis Parish (1G)
Recap – Stats

The 2023 OHL Cup gets underway on Wednesday at 8:00am as the wild card entry Toronto Nationals begin the day against the GTHL champion Toronto Marlboros. All 20 teams are in action on Wednesday with 16 Round Robin games on the schedule. Round Robin play continues on Thursday and Friday before Quarter-Final and Semi-Final action on Saturday, concluding with Monday’s Championship Final at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. Tickets to the Championship Final can be purchased for $12.00 on TicketMaster.

All games are available live and on demand through GameOnStream.

The showcase provides fans and scouts one last opportunity to see many of the top U16 AAA players from across Ontario and parts of the United States compete for the OHL Cup performing against the best competition prior to the 2023 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore on April 21st and 22nd.

For news and updates on the 2023 OHL Cup, visit ohlcup.ca.

OHL ANNOUNCES TOP PERFORMERS OF THE MONTH FOR MARCH

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for regular season games played in March 2023, including Barrie Colts defenceman Brandt Clarke, North Bay Battalion goaltender Domenic DiVincentiis and North Bay Battalion rookie netminder Charlie Robertson.

OHL Player & Defenceman of the Month – Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts):
Los Angeles Kings prospect Brandt Clarke of the Barrie Colts is both the OHL Player and Defenceman of the Month, recording 11 goals, 11 assists and 22 points in nine games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-16. Clarke helped the Colts play to a March record of 8-2-0-1, recording points in all nine of his contests, including seven multi-point showings. Clarke recorded his first OHL career hat trick on Mar. 2nd as the Colts fell to the Hamilton Bulldogs 7-5. The 6-foot-2, 188lb. blueliner went on to register a pair of goals and assists including the game-tying goal on Mar. 15th against Mississauga as the Colts came up short in a shootout. Clarke closed out the month scoring another hat trick on top of a pair of helpers in a high-scoring 11-4 win over the Niagara IceDogs on Mar. 18th. This mark’s Clarke’s fourth career OHL Defenceman of the Month honour after he was previously recognized in February.

A 20-year-old from Nepean, Ont., Clarke knotted a Colts single-season club record with 23 goals from the back end, doing so in just 31 games. He finished the season fifth among OHL blueliners with 61 points (23-38–61) and has produced career totals that include 40 goals, 118 assists and a franchise record 158 points by a defenceman in 143 regular season outings. Now in his third season with the Colts, Clarke was voted to the League’s second all-star team in 2021-22, recording 59 points (11-48–59) in 55 games. The blueliner was Barrie’s first round (4th overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection from the Don Mills Flyers U16 program. He was a first round (8th overall) pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2021 NHL Draft, and signed a three-year entry level NHL contract with the club on Aug. 10, 2021. He played in nine games with Los Angeles earlier this season, recording two assists in the process, and was a Canadian World Junior gold medalist this past January.

OHL Goaltender of the Month – Domenic DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion):
Winnipeg Jets prospect Domenic DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion is the OHL Goaltender of the Month for the second time this season, playing to a 6-0-0-0 record with a 1.00 goals-against average, a .968 save percentage and three shutout victories. DiVincentiis made 181 saves last month, winning all six of his outings for the back-to-back Central Division champions. He stopped all 46 shots that came his way on Mar. 3rd as the Battalion blanked the Mississauga Steelheads 3-0. He turned aside the 27 shots he faced the following week at home as the Battalion defeated the London Knights by a score of 4-0 on Mar. 12th. He closed out March with his third shutout of the month and his fifth of the season, blocking all 15 shots he faced as North Bay blanked the Hamilton Bulldogs 4-0 on Mar. 23rd.

An 18-year-old Bolton, Ont. native, DiVincentiis led the OHL’s regular season with 36 wins, a 2.33 goals-against average and .919 save percentage over 48 games, all figures that establish new Battalion single season records. His five shutouts were tied for the OHL lead and equal a Battalion club mark. Helping backstop the Battalion to the Eastern Conference Championship Series last season, the 6-foot-2, 190lb. goaltender has played to a career mark of 50-17-2-1 with a 2.42 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 75 regular season games with North Bay. He was the OHL’s F.W. ‘Dinty’ Moore Trophy winner in 2021-22, posting a 2.59 goals-against average while also being voted to the League’s second all-rookie team. DiVincentiis was selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the seventh round (207th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft. He was originally North Bay’s sixth round (116th overall) pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Vaughan Kings U16 program.

OHL Rookie of the Month – Charlie Robertson (North Bay Battalion):
Draft eligible North Bay Battalion netminder Charlie Robertson is the OHL Rookie of the Month for March, playing to a 5-0-0-0 record with a 1.79 goals-against average and .942 save percentage with two shutouts. Robertson made 145 saves in March, winning all five of his outings to help the Battalion clinch a second-straight Central Division title. He stopped all 20 shots that came his way on Mar. 5th to earn his second OHL career shutout as the Battalion blanked the Niagara IceDogs 4-0. He returned to the crease on Mar. 10th, turning aside all 28 shots in a 3-0 win over the Oshawa Generals to earn his second consecutive shutout. Robertson closed out March with a 5-2 win over the Mississauga Steelheads on Mar. 26th, making 44 saves to earn first star recognition. Robertson is North Bay’s first OHL Rookie of the Month recipient since defenceman Cam Dineen, who last claimed the honour in January 2016.

A 17-year-old from London, Ont., Robertson finished the season with a 12-6-0-1 record, a 3.17 goals-against average, .892 save percentage and three shutouts in his 21 games. The 6-foot-3, 167Ib. netminder was North Bay’s seventh round (130th overall) pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection from the London Jr. Knights U16 program. He competed in the 2023 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, and was the OHL’s top-ranked goaltender on NHL Central Scouting’s Midseason Rankings, coming in at 12th in North America.

2022-23 OHL Performers of the Month:

Player of the Month:
March – Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
February – Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
January – Colby Barlow (Owen Sound Attack)
December – Francesco Pinelli (Kitchener Rangers)
November – Sean McGurn (London Knights)
October – Brennan Othmann (Flint Firebirds)

Defenceman of the Month:
March – Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
February – Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
January – Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
December – Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)
November – Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)
October – Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)

Goaltender of the Month:
March – Domenic DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
February – Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
January – Domenic DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
December – Anson Thornton (Barrie Colts)
November – Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
October – Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)

Rookie of the Month:
March – Charlie Robertson (North Bay Battalion)
February – Nate Krawchuk (Sudbury Wolves)
January – Liam Greentree (Windsor Spitfires)
December – Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit)
November – Oliver Bonk (London Knights)
October – Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit)


About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.

MIEDEMA AND MACKENZIE NAMED OHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, March 26, 2023.



Frontenacs’ Ethan Miedema Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

2023 NHL Draft prospect Ethan Miedema of the Kingston Frontenacs is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording six goals, two assists and eight points in three games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-6.

Recording two four-point nights last week, Miedema got things started with four goals in a 6-2 win over the Oshawa Generals on Wednesday. The four-goal effort was the first by a Frontenac since Warren Foegele last netted four in a game on Mar. 26, 2016. The 6-foot-4, 201 lb. forward closed out the weekend with a pair of goals and assists to earn first star honours as the Frontenacs defeated the Generals in a high-scoring 10-2 road win to wrap-up the season on Sunday.

An 18-year-old native of Cobourg, Ont., Miedema has produced nine goals, 12 assists and 21 points in 32 games since joining the Frontenacs in January. In total, Miedema recorded 20 goals, 32 assists and 52 points in 68 games between Windsor and Kingston in 2022-23. The former first round (4th overall) pick by the Spitfires in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection has registered 34 goals, 56 assists and 90 points in 133 career regular season games. Miedema competed in the Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in January, and was the 45th-ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midseason Rankings.

Also considered for the award this week, Anaheim Ducks prospect Sasha Pastujov of the Sarnia Sting produced two goals, seven assists and nine points in four games. Logan Morrison of the Ottawa 67’s contributed two goals and four assists for six points in a pair of victories.

2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 20 – Mar. 26: Ethan Miedema (Kingston Frontenacs)
Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
Mar. 6– Mar. 12: Sahil Panwar (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Christian Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Braeden Bowman (Guelph Storm)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Nolan Burke (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Sean McGurn (London Knights)
Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Sahil Panwar (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: James Hardie (Mississauga Steelheads)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Colby Barlow (Owen Sound Attack)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Bryce McConnell-Barker (Soo Greyhounds)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Connor Lockhart (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Evan Vierling (Barrie Colts)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Ryan Gagnier (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Quentin Musty (Sudbury Wolves)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Jorian Donovan (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Matthew Poitras (Guelph Storm)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Brody Crane (London Knights)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Matvey Petrov (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Deni Goure (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Tucker Robertson (Peterborough Petes)
 



67’s’ Collin MacKenzie Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Collin MacKenzie of the Ottawa 67’s is the OHL Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season, going 3-0 with a 1.35 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage.

Stopping a total of 81 shots last week, MacKenzie turned aside 30 of the 31 attempts that came his way on Thursday as Ottawa defeated the Peterborough Petes 4-1. The 6-foot, 171lb. netminder was back in the crease on Friday, stopping 26 of the 28 shots he faced as the 67’s shut down the Petes on back-to-back nights. MacKenzie closed out the weekend with a 5-1 win over the Barrie Colts, blocking 25 of the 26 shots he faced to earn Ottawa’s fifth consecutive win, establishing a franchise record with 51 wins and 107 points in the standings.

An 18-year-old from Elora, Ont., MacKenzie joined goaltending partner Max Donoso in receiving the Dave Pinkney Trophy presented to the goaltenders of the team that surrenders the fewest goals-against during the regular season. MacKenzie finished the season with a 21-2-3-0 record, a 1.88 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in 30 games. He set an OHL record on Oct. 21st in Sault Ste. Marie when he made 15 consecutive shootout saves in a 2-1 victory over the Greyhounds. MacKenzie was Ottawa’s eighth round (160th overall) pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Waterloo Wolves U16 program.

Also in the running for the award this week, rookie netminder Charlie Robertson of the North Bay Battalion recorded a two-win week with a 2.00 goals-against average, and .947 save percentage. Joey Costanzo of the Windsor Spitfires also played to a 2-0 mark with a 2.00 goals-against average and .941 save percentage.

2022-23 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 20 – Mar. 26: Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Liam Sztuska (Peterborough Petes)
Mar. 6 – Mar. 12: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Zach Bowen (London Knights)
Jan 30 – Feb. 5: Nate Krawchuk (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan 23 – Jan. 29: Jacob Oster (Oshawa Generals)
Jan 16 – Jan. 22: Mason Vaccari (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan 9 – Jan. 15: Matteo Drobac (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Marco Costantini (Kitchener Rangers)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Owen Flores (Niagara IceDogs)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Joe Ranger (Sudbury Wolves)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Carter George (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Ivan Zhigalov (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Alessio Beglieri (Mississauga Steelheads)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)


About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.