Around the OHL

Kaden Fulcher of the Hamilton Bulldogs and Kyle Keyser of the Oshawa Generals signed National Hockey League contracts yesterday with the Detroit Red Wings and the Boston Bruins respectively. Both goaltenders were eligible to re-enter the NHL Draft in June of 2018, but because they were invited to the squads on a professional tryout, the Wings and the Bruins had until 5:00 pm today to sign the goaltenders as undrafted free agents.

In a case where there is no PTO, NHL teams have until 5:00 pm on the first day of the Canadian Hockey League season to sign players as undrafted free agents.

Unconfirmed reports say the two goaltenders signed similar entry level contracts of $925,000 (the maximum allowed under the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement) and signing bonuses of $92,500 (again, the maximum allowable). Under the CBA, both are eligible to earn $10,500 per year from the Wings and Bruins while playing Major Junior, but it is unknown at this time if that was negotiated into their contract.

In my final draft rankings for 2017, Keyser was my third ranked goaltender from the OHL behind Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires (64^th overall, Vancouver Canucks) and Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds (72^nd overall Los Angeles Kings). Fulcher was fifth behind Jake McGrath of the Sudbury Wolves (undrafted).

You can check out my thoughts on Keyser and Fulcher from last season

Steenbergen and Baribeau lead undefeated Broncos and Remparts

Broncos’ Tyler Steenbergen named CHL Player of the Wee

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Arizona Coyotes prospect Tyler Steenbergen of the Swift Current Broncos is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending October 1 after recording nine points in two games including six goals and three assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-5.

Steenbergen’s two multi-point performances launched him into a tie atop the CHL scoring race and helped the Broncos continue their winning ways opening the 2017-18 season with a perfect 3-0-0-0 record.  On Wednesday night Steenbergen scored twice and picked up two assists in a 5-3 road win over the 2018 Mastercard Memorial Cup host Regina Pats, then collected five points on Friday night in Brandon including a career-high four goals as first star of a 7-2 win over the Wheat Kings.

A 19-year-old from Sylvan Lake, Alta., Steenbergen is playing his fourth season with the Broncos who selected him 12th overall in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.  Last season he tied for the WHL lead in goals with 51, while his 90 points in 72 games tied for ninth best and helped earn him a fifth round selection by the Coyotes in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Also considered for the award this week was overage forward Yvan Mongo of the Drummondville Voltigeurs who scored twice with five assists for seven points in two  games, and Florida Panthers prospect Jonathan Ang of the Peterborough Petes with three goals and four assists for seven points in three games.

2017-18 CHL Players of the Week:

Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Tyler Steenbergen (Swift Current Broncos)

Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Kole Lind (Kelowna Rockets)

Remparts’ Dereck Baribeau named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Minnesota Wild prospect Dereck Baribeau of the Quebec Remparts is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending October 1 after posting a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 0.50 and save percentage of .973.

Baribeau backstopped the Remparts to a pair of victories last week extending his personal winning-streak to four games as the club remains a perfect 4-0-0-0 to start the 2017-18 season.  His week included a 17-save effort on Friday night in a 3-1 victory over the Shawinigan Cataractes, followed by a 19-save shutout performance on Saturday where he earned first star honours in the 3-0 win against the Gatineau Olympiques.

The 18-year-old Quebec native is playing in his third QMJHL season and first full campaign with his hometown Remparts after beginning his career with the Val-d’Or Foreurs who selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft.  He played 12 games with Quebec after joining the club midway through last season posting a 5-4-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 3.19 and save percentage of .900.  So far this season he leads the league with a goals-against-average of 0.75 along with a save percentage of .965 which ranks second overall.  Baribeau joined the Wild organization just prior to this season signing with the club as a free agent on September 18.

Also considered for the award this week was recently signed Detroit Red Wings prospect Kaden Fulcher of the Hamilton Bulldogs who posted a 2-0-0-1 record including a shutout victory with 82 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.26 and save percentage of .953, and Prince George’s Tavin Grant who helped the Cougars earn their first win of the season with a 47-save performance shutting out the Portland Winterhawks.

2017-18 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week:

Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Dereck Baribeau (Quebec Remparts)

Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

As someone who has followed junior hockey since the early 1970’s, I can’t recall an off-season with so many changes in the front offices or behind the benches of Ontario Hockey League team’s. As of today, there will be 8 General Manager changes, 9 head coaching changes as well as 8 assistant coaches moving onto different, and in some cases, better opportunities.

That’s approaching near 50% level.

But why such a turnover?

The obvious answer is that National Hockey League teams are looking to acquire good young talent to, in the future, replace some aging coaches. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who didn’t believe NHL (or AHL) opportunities wouldn’t arise for Memorial Cup Champion and former Windsor Spitfires Coach Rocky Thompson, who accepted the head coaching job with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League. Or to the OHL Champion and Memorial Cup finalist former coach of the Erie Otters Kris Knoblauch, who will be behind the bench of the Philadelphia Flyers as an assistant.

Of all the coaching changes, if I had to choose one that comes as a surprise, it would be the former  Saginaw Spirit Head Coach Spencer Carbery hiring as an assistant coach of the Providence Bruins of the AHL. Even so, Carbery brings with him some credentials and his coaching style fits perfectly to what Bruins NHL coach Bruce Cassidy wants to accomplish.

Here is the list of coaching changes:

When it comes to General Managers, it is more a shuffling of the deck. The biggest surprise comes out of Kingston where Doug Gilmour and Darren Keily virtually swap roles. Gilmour said in a press release on July 13, that an upcoming tour for his new book Killer was the sole reason for the change as the tour would keep him away from performing his duties.

Kitchener Rangers’ GM Murray Heibert was all set to retire at the end of the 2016-2017 season but was convinced to stay on for one season as Director of Hockey operations. And there is the Flint Firebirds continuing saga (we won’t get into that). George Burnett moves on to take the GM role with the Guelph Storm and the OHL appoints Barclay Branch (formerly of the Sudbury Wolves) as the new GM.

Here is the list of General Manager changes:

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the regular season schedule of games for 2017-18.

#OHLOpeningWeek begins on Thursday September 21 with three games on the schedule including the defending Mastercard Memorial Cup champion Windsor Spitfires at home to the Saginaw Spirit, the OHL champion Erie Otters on the road against the Peterborough Petes, along with the Barrie Colts hosting the Ottawa 67’s.  In total, #OHLOpeningWeek features 20 games through Sunday September 24 and includes 16 home openers.

The 2017-18 schedule includes 681 games this season due to a special inter-league series between the Ottawa 67’s and the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques.  As part of their 50th anniversary celebrations, the 67’s will play their cross-river neighbours twice including in Ottawa on Sunday December 17 and in Gatineau on Friday January 12 with both games counting towards league standing.

Other highlights of the 2017-18 regular season schedule include the raising of OHL Championship banners on Saturday September 30 in Erie as the Otters play host to the Kitchener Rangers for their home opener.  The schedule also includes eight School Day games with morning puck drops.  On Wednesday November 1 the Otters host the Rangers and the 67’s host the Kingston Frontenacs for 10:30 am contests, followed by a trio of morning matchups on Wednesday November 15 including the Flint Firebirds hosting the Sarnia Sting, the Hamilton Bulldogs hosting the Petes, and the Mississauga Steelheads hosting the Otters.  On Wednesday November 29 the Frontenacs host the 67’s at 10:30 am, on Thursday February 8 the Bulldogs host the Colts at 10:30 am, and on Wednesday February 14 the Steelheads host the Rangers at 11:00 am.  Cogeco TV’s Hockey Day in the OHL returns for a fifth straight year taking place on Sunday January 28 with a broadcast triple-header that features Niagara at North Bay at 1:00 pm, Peterborough at Kingston at 4:00 pm, then Sarnia at Hamilton beginning at 7:00 pm.  The two busiest days of the calendar include Thursday December 28 and Friday January 26 that both feature all 20 teams in action, while six different dates feature nine games including Sunday October 29, Friday November 10, Sunday November 19, Friday November 24, Friday February 2, and Family Day on Monday February 19 with every game beginning at 2:00 pm.

The regular season wraps up on Sunday March 18 with five games scheduled before the top eight teams in each conference will compete for the J. Ross Robertson Cup in the 2018 OHL Playoffs.

CHL Special Events this season include the CIBC Canada Russia Series in OHL markets on Thursday November 9 in Owen Sound, and Monday November 13 in Sudbury.  The 2018 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is also hosted by the OHL this season and will be played on Thursday January 25 in Guelph.  The 2018 Mastercard Memorial Cup is set for May 17-27 in Regina, Saskatchewan, and will feature the OHL champion along with the host Pats, the Western Hockey League champion, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion competing in the 100th edition of the CHL’s prestigious national championship.

The 2017-18 campaign features milestones for several clubs including the Battalion’s 20th OHL season and 5th in North Bay, the 45th season for the Frontenacs, and the 55th season for the Rangers.

Divisional alignment remains the same for 2017-18 with all teams playing inter divisional rivals a minimum of six times including three games at home and three on the road, while teams will continue to play a minimum of one home and one road matchup against all 19 other clubs.

 The Ontario Hockey League continues the tradition of being primarily a weekend league in order to accommodate the student athlete with over 89% (607) games scheduled between Thursday and Sunday.  Friday continues to be the busiest night during the season with 187 games scheduled, followed by 163 on Saturdays, and 157 on Sundays.

Day – No. of Games (Percentage)

The entire 2017-18 OHL Regular Season Schedule is attached but can also be found online at www.ontariohockeyleague.com.

Help promote the launch of the 2017-18 OHL Regular Season on social media by using #OHLOpeningWeek.

• Spitfires become tenth host team, first since 2012 to win
• Windsor’s 12th straight win at Mastercard Memorial Cup ties Kamloops for most consecutive
• 3rd title equals Cornwall and Kamloops for most championships since introduction of round-robin in 1972
• Warren Rychel becomes 3rd GM to win three Mastercard Memorial Cups
• Jeremy Bracco becomes 24th player to win Mastercard Memorial Cup and World Junior Gold in same season
• OHL claims third straight Mastercard Memorial Cup for the first time
• Mastercard Memorial Cup Awards and All-Stars Announced

For the third time in franchise history the Windsor Spitfires are Mastercard Memorial Cup champions.

Fourth-year veteran Aaron Luchuk scored the game winner 5:07 into the third period as the host Spitfires defeated the OHL champion Erie Otters 4-3 before a capacity crowd of 6,519 at the WFCU Centre.

 Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Jeremy Bracco led the way with a goal and two helpers in the win, registering the lone assist on Luchuk’s game winning goal while Michael DiPietro made 32 saves and came up big late in the game.

 The Spitfires become the tenth host team to hoist the Memorial Cup since 1983 and first since the Shawinigan Cataractes did so in 2012.

• HIGHLIGHTS
• 2017 MASTERCARD MEMORIAL CUP AWARDS & ALL-STARS
• WINDSOR POST-GAME: ADDISON, LUCHUK, VILARDI, BRACCO
• WINDSOR POST-GAME: DiPIETRO, DiGIACINTO, COACH THOMPSON
• ERIE POST-GAME: COACH KNOBLAUCH, STROME, CIRELLI

“It’s so special winning at home, especially with this group of guys,” said DiPietro during post-game celebrations. “The crowd was so loud and played a big part in this, threw the momentum in our favour. They’re part of this too and helped us bring it home.”

Second-year Spitfires head coach Rocky Thompson put his club through a rigorous 44-day training regimen following their first round elimination from the OHL Playoffs. They came to the tournament in top condition, going undefeated with a pair of wins over Erie along with others against Saint John and Seattle.

“My guys are amazing,” said Thompson. “We saw what they’ve gone through here. We witnessed what they had to go through during that break. It’s an amazing feeling and an amazing thing that those guys did.

“Everybody bought in no matter who it was, staff, management, ownership and the players. They’re champions for a reason – they’re amazing.”

 A fiercely intense, furiously paced first period of hockey saw end-to-end action, blocked shots and big saves on both sides of the puck.

 The much sought-after first goal went to the Spitfires as Bracco converted on Windsor’s first power play of the night. The shifty winger jumped on a loose puck off a goalmouth scramble, sliding a puck through the legs of a stickless Troy Timpano at 13:01 as the sold out WFCU Centre erupted.

The Otters would respond though as captain Dylan Strome scored his seventh of the tournament just 49 seconds later. Strome’s quick wrister off the post and in came on a tremendous display of patience from defenceman Darren Raddysh who held the puck in at the offensive blue line before finding an open Strome for the finish with a cross-ice feed.

 Erie would lead for 52 seconds early in the second period as Warren Foegele redirected a Dylan Strome shot past DiPietro in the slot at 5:35 before Winnipeg Jets prospect Logan Stanley tied the score at two a shift later.

Stanley’s first goal since January 12th came on a wrist shot from the point through traffic that found its way past Timpano at 6:27.

The Otters regained the lead, pulling ahead 3-2 on a goal from blueliner TJ Fergus at 12:41. Erie’s fourth line of Ivan Lodnia, German Poddubnyi and Cameron Lizotte got the Otters on the board as the puck got back to the point for Fergus who fired a low release off a Spitfires defender and past DiPietro.

 The see-saw affair continued as Windsor went on the power play under two minutes later, setting up a perfectly executed passing play with Graham Knott providing the finish with his third of the tournament at 14:53. The Spitfires worked the puck down low for a cross-crease feed from Gabriel Vilardi to give him his second assist of the game and seventh of the tournament.

 The two clubs ended the second period tied at three as Erie led on the shot clock 24-17.

 Luchuk’s winner came 5:07 into the third as Bracco did the lion’s share of the work, busting down the wing to draw a pair of Erie defenders in before finding Luchuk coming down the middle as he beat Timpano over the glove to give Windsor a 4-3 lead. Luchuk managed to get free from his check as both clubs were in the midst of line changes, giving the speedy veteran ample time to pick a corner.

 The Otters made a late push, hitting a goal post inside the final two minutes of play but big saves from DiPietro carried the Spits to the final buzzer as they streamed onto the ice in celebration.

“We had our opportunities,” said Otters head coach Kris Knoblauch after his club outshot Windsor 35-22. “We hit two goal posts in the third, but you don’t always win them. I thought we could do it. We had a couple chances to really take control of the game.”

“I’m so proud of what we accomplished,” he concluded. “I’d like a Memorial Cup to go with it, but other than that it was a good run.”

Windsor’s 12th consecutive Mastercard Memorial Cup victory ties an event record set by the Kamloops Blazers between 1992-95. Their third title follows other championships in 2009 and 2010 and equals the Cornwall Royals (1972, 1980, 1981) and the Blazers (1992, 1994, 1995) for the most championships won since the introduction of the round robin format in 1972.

Spitfires general manager Warren Rychel (2009, 2010, 2017)  joins Matt Leyden (Oshawa Generals, 1939, 1940, 1944) and Bob Brown (Kamloops Blazers, 1992, 1994, 1995) as the third GM in Mastercard Memorial Cup history to win three career championships.

The Spits played to an overall record of 4-0 at the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup, outscoring opponents 18-8.

Seventeen-year-old goaltender Michael DiPietro earned the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy as the tournament’s most outstanding goaltender. The native of nearby Amherstburg, Ont. went 4-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.

Erie Otters captain Dylan Strome received the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as Mastercard Memorial Cup MVP. Strome led the tournament in goal-scoring with seven over his four contests, one shy of a tournament record. He finished tied with teammate Taylor Raddysh for the tournament lead in points with 11 (4-7–11).

Bracco, who led the Spitfires in scoring with eight points (3-5–8), became the 24th player in tournament history to hoist the Memorial Cup in the same year as having won World Junior Hockey Championship gold. Bracco claimed World Junior supremacy with the United States in January, becoming the first Spitfires player to accomplish both feats since Cam Fowler did so in 2010.

The Windsor Spitfires are the 99th champion in Mastercard Memorial Cup history, and the third straight champion from the Ontario Hockey League which marks the first time in the event’s modern era that the OHL has produced three straight winners.

• GAME CENTRE

2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup Awards:

Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player)

• Dylan Strome (Erie Otters)

Hap Emms Memorial Trophy (Outstanding Goaltender)

• Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

George Parsons Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike Player)

• Anthony Cirelli (Erie Otters)

Ed Chynoweth Trophy (Leading Scorer)

• Dylan Strome (Erie Otters) 7G – 4A – 11PTS

2017 MasterCard Memorial Cup All-Star Team:

F – Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)

F – Taylor Raddysh (Erie Otters)

F – Gabriel Vilardi (Windsor Spitfires)

D – Darren Raddysh (Erie Otters)

D – Mikhail Sergachev (Windsor Spitfires)

G – Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)