Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that defenceman Darren Raddysh of the Erie Otters is the 2016-17 recipient of the Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy awarded annually to the OHL’s Overage Player of the Year.
Raddysh led all overage players in scoring this season with 81 points in 62 games including 16 goals and 65 assists. His 81 points were tops among OHL defencemen and established a new Otters single season mark for production from the blueline. Raddysh is just the second defenceman following Andre Benoit (Kitchener 2004-05) to win the award in 34 years and joins former Otters Cory Pecker (2001-02) and Dane Fox (2013-14) as overage award recipients.
Darren Raddysh of the Erie Otters. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
“This award means a lot to me,” Raddysh said. “As an overage player, there aren’t too many guys left in the league from when I came in, and the group of guys up for it this year are all talented and well respected. To be selected as Overage Player of the Year is an incredible honour. I look back and am proud of all the hard work put in during my five-year career with the Otters leading to this award.”
A 21-year-old from Caledon, Ont., Raddysh was originally chosen by the Otters in the fifth round of the 2012 OHL Priority Selection. Over the course of his five-year OHL tenure he played in 274 regular season games accumulating 41 goals and 143 assists for 184 points. In addition to his single season mark, Raddysh leaves the Otters as the franchise’s all-time assists and points leader among defencemen surpassing marks of 119 and 150 set by Chris Campoli from 2000-04. Raddysh has also been instrumental in the Otters regular season success achieving a Canadian Hockey League record four-straight 50 win campaigns capped by a 2016-17 Midwest Division title and Hamilton Spectator Trophy.
“This is a great honour for Darren and the Erie Otters organization is extremely proud of his accomplishments, not just this season but over his career with the team,” said Otters General Manager Dave Brown. “This award is the culmination of his work and efforts the past five seasons to not only grow as a player, but shape his teammates around him. This season brought Darren numerous accolades including his marks in the Otters record book for defenceman scoring in a single season and in a career. And one thing that should not get overlooked is Darren’s participation and dedication to the culture change in Erie, helping to turn our organization into an institution dedicated to excellence. We’re thrilled for Darren’s accomplishments and are grateful to have him as a representative of the Erie Otters.”
The Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the Top Overage Player of the Year as selected by OHL General Managers. Teams were asked to submit a nominee for the award and were not permitted to vote for players from their own hockey club. Players received five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote and one point for a third place vote.
Raddysh received 62 points in the voting process, followed by runner-up and fellow defenceman Santino Centorame of the Owen Sound Attack who received 42 points, and goaltender Jeremy Brodeur of the Oshawa Generals who finished in third place with 23 voting points.
First presented in 1984, former winners of the trophy include Stan Drulia (Niagara Falls 1988-89), Bill Bowler (Windsor, 1994-95), Dan Tessier (Ottawa 99-00), Chad LaRose (Plymouth 2002-03), Ryan Callahan (Guelph, 2005-06), Jason Akeson (Kitchener 2010-11), Andrew Agozzino (Niagara 2011-12), Joseph Blandisi (Barrie 2014-15), and Kevin Labanc (Barrie 2015-16).
The Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy was donated by the trainers of the Ontario Hockey League, in memory of the late Leo Lalonde, former Chief Scout of OHL Central Scouting. Leo Lalonde was also formerly the Chief Scout for the Belleville Bulls as well as a scout for the Peterborough Petes.
Raddysh will be formally presented with the Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy at the 2016-17 OHL Awards Ceremony scheduled for June 8 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
67’s Sasha Chmelevski, Steelheads’ Stephen Gibson, Storm’s Quinn Hanna earn Academic Honours
Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the recipients of the league’s three Academic Player of the Year awards for the 2016-17 season.
Sasha Chmelevski of the Ottawa 67’s is the recipient of the Bobby Smith Trophy as Scholastic Player of the Year, with Stephen Gibson of the Mississauga Steelheads earning the Roger Neilson Memorial Award as the Top Post-Secondary School Student, and Quinn Hanna of the Guelph Storm named the Ivan Tennant Memorial Award recipient for Top High School Student.
All three players will be formally presented with their awards at the annual OHL Awards Ceremony on Thursday June 8. Chmelevski will be the OHL’s nominee for CHL Scholastic Player of the Year which will be announced on Saturday May 27 as part of the events at the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup in Windsor.
Bobby Smith Trophy (OHL Scholastic Player of the Year) – Sasha Chmelevski, Ottawa 67’s:
Sasha Chmelevski earns OHL Scholastic Player of the Year honours achieving a 98% average across his six Grade 12 courses. The 67’s forward studied British Literature, Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Anatomy and Physiology, Probability and Statistics, Psychology, and Physical Education through Michigan’s Virtual Charter Academy.
“I’m very humbled and honoured to win the Bobby Smith Award,” said Chmelevski. “I would like to thank my family, my school and teachers, our academic advisor and the Ottawa 67’s organization for allowing me to receive an education while playing hockey.”
The 17-year-old from Northville, Michigan, scored 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points in 58 games played during his first full season in the nation’s capital. The first round pick of the Sarnia Sting in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection joined the 67’s midway through last season and is now among the top OHL players eligible for the 2017 NHL Draft listed 43rd among North American players by NHL Central Scouting. Last season he was a finalist for the Ivan Tennant Award for Top High School Student.
“Sasha embodies the true meaning of dedication to hockey and academics,” said 67’s Academic Advisor Eileen Duffin. “He approaches his studies as a mature, disciplined and self-motivated student. An American player who wanted to complete his high school studies with a Michigan State Diploma, Sasha took advantage of the opportunity to take online university level courses and completed his Diploma almost a term earlier than his peers. Few players can manage to work as independently as Sasha does with a regular daily schedule at home or on the road. His post-secondary goals are lofty, as he investigates studying medicine or optometry, all dependent on his equally lofty hockey goals.”
Each year the Bobby Smith Trophy is presented to the OHL Scholastic Player of the year who best combines high standards of play and academic excellence. The trophy is in honour of Bobby Smith, a former Ottawa 67’s star who exhibited a standard of excellence in both of these areas. First presented in 1980, Chmelevski is the fourth member of the 67’s following Doug Smith (1980-81), Ryan Kuwabara (1989-90), and Danny Battochio (2005-06) to claim the award named after one of their own. Past winners also include three-time winner Dustin Brown (Guelph 2001-03), Steven Stamkos (Sarnia 2007), Matt Duchene (Brampton 2009), Dougie Hamilton (Niagara 2011), Darnell Nurse (Sault Ste. Marie 2013), back-to-back recipient Connor McDavid (Erie 2014-15), and Nicolas Hague (Mississauga 2016).
Finalists for the award include fellow 2017 NHL Draft prospects Alex Formenton of the London Knights and Nick Suzuki of the Owen Sound Attack.
Sasha Chmelevski of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Roger Neilson Memorial Award (Top Post-Secondary Student) – Stephen Gibson, Mississauga Steelheads:
Stephen Gibson is a Ryerson University student excelling in Business courses that include Human Resources Management, Intro to Financial Accounting, Principles of Marketing, and Microeconomics. This marks the second straight season the Top Post-Secondary Student is also a member of the Steelheads as Gibson follows former teammate Damian Bourne who earned the award in 2015-16.
“I am honoured to be this year’s recipient of the Roger Neilson Award,” said Gibson. “I value the importance of education, and the Ontario Hockey League allows me to achieve this, while pursuing my goal of playing pro hockey. I’d like to thank the Steelheads organization and academic support staff, including academic advisor Lauren Wilson, for helping me coordinate my classes and exams in consideration of my rigorous hockey schedule.”
The 20-year-old from Kitchener, Ont., is playing in his third full season with the Steelheads who chose him in the seventh round of the 2013 OHL Priority Selection. On the ice the defenceman contributed three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 65 games for the Central Division champions.
“Awards like these reflect positively on the strides that our academic program has taken over the past few seasons,” said Steelheads Assistant General Manager Jan Egert. “It’s a great honour for players like Stephen Gibson and Damian Bourne to be rewarded for their academic achievements, and for players who take education while playing in the OHL very seriously to be recognized. There is no shortage of candidates on our hockey club that deserve recognition for their post-secondary academic achievements this season, including players like Jacob Ramalho, Austin Osmanski, Marcus Dickerson, and Nicolas Hague.”
The Roger Neilson Memorial Award is named in honour of the Hall of Fame Coach who served behind the Peterborough Petes bench in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Neilson, a former high school teacher, was a pioneer in stressing the importance of education to all of his players. First presented in 2005, past recipients include two-time winners Danny Battochio (Ottawa 2005-06) and Derek Lanoue (Windsor 2010-11), followed by Kyle Pereira (Guelph 2012), Daniel Altshuller (Oshawa 2013), Patrick Watling (Sault Ste. Marie 2014), and Justin Nichols (Guelph 2015).
Finalists for the award include Jacob Golden of the London Knights, and Austin Hall of the Guelph Storm for the second straight season.
Ivan Tennant Memorial Award (Top Academic High School Student) – Quinn Hanna, Guelph Storm:
Guelph Storm rookie Quinn Hanna achieved a 96% average during the 2016-17 academic year with a full six-course Grade 12 workload at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School where he studied University English, University Physics, University Biology, Religious Education, University Calculus and Vectors, and University Chemistry.
“It’s a huge honour to win this year’s Ivan Tennant Academic Award,” said Hanna. “I was very fortunate to have such a supportive group of people surrounding me this year with the Guelph Storm including Mike Kelly and academic advisor Coleen Driscoll. The list goes on and includes my teammates, coaches, billets and teachers. I can’t thank them enough for the time and energy they put into helping me pursue my academic goals this year.”
The 18-year-old from Peterborough, Ont., was chosen by the Storm in the fifth round of the 2015 OHL Priority Selection. The defenceman played in 37 games this season with four points including his first career goal scored on February 10 against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
“Quinn is simply an exceptional student athlete,” said Storm Academic Advisor Coleen Driscoll. “He is conscientious, dedicated and a very bright young man. This commitment to his academics has enabled him to continue to achieve incredible success in the classroom carrying one of the most demanding course loads for any high school student. Quinn has dedicated himself to his studies, holding himself to an extremely high standard, while effectively balancing his hockey commitments. He is currently considering post-secondary studies in Biomedical Engineering but is also entertaining studies in Astrophysics in the future. Regardless of his program of study, I have no doubt his level of excellence will be maintained.”
The Ivan Tennant Memorial Award is given to the Top Academic High School Player and is named in honour of Ivan Tennant, who spent a lifetime combining hockey and education. He was the Kitchener Rangers’ Education Consultant for 20 years and a key figure on the OHL’s Education Consultant’s Committee. First presented in 2005, Hanna is the second member of the Storm to receive the award following Adam Craievich in 2014. Past recipients also include brothers Matt and Adam Pelech (Sarnia 2005 and Erie 2012), Freddie and Dougie Hamilton (Niagara 2009 and 2010), and recent winners Stephen Dhillon (Niagara 2015) and Kyle Keyser (Flint 2016).
Finalists for the award include Colton Incze of the Niagara IceDogs, along with Cade Robinson of the Erie Otters and Dennis Busby of the Flint Firebirds.
All 20 of the OHL’s member clubs provide nominees for each award with the Bobby Smith Trophy nominees representing the 2016-17 OHL Scholastic Team:
2016-17 OHL Scholastic Team: Barrie Colts – Kyle Heitzner Erie Otters – Alex DeBrincat
Flint Firebirds – Ty Dellandrea Guelph Storm – Nate Schnarr
Hamilton Bulldogs – Matthew Strome* Kingston Frontenacs – Brett Neumann Kitchener Rangers – Riley Damiani London Knights – Alex Formenton Mississauga Steelheads – Nicolas Hague* Niagara IceDogs – Ben Jones North Bay Battalion – Adam McMaster Oshawa Generals – Kyle Keyser* Ottawa 67’s – Sasha Chmelevski Owen Sound Attack – Nick Suzuki Peterborough Petes – Zach Gallant* Saginaw Spirit – Damien Giroux Sarnia Sting – Ryan McGregor Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds – Conor Timmins* Sudbury Wolves – Owen Lalonde Windsor Spitfires – Michael DiPietro*
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that forward Alex Barré-Boulet of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada is the CHL Player of the Week for the playoff week ending April 23 after scoring five goals and five assists for 10 points in four games with a plus-minus rating of plus-3.
Barré-Boulet recorded a trio of multi-point performances last week for the Armada who came back to defeat the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in a seven-game QMJHL quarter-final series, followed by a two-game split to open league semi-final action against the Charlottetown Islanders. Last Monday night he contributed three assists in the Armada’s 4-1 Game 6 win over the Titan to even the series, then earned first star honours in Game 7 on Tuesday scoring his first career playoff hat-trick and adding an assist in the 7-1 series-clinching victory. Although held off the scoresheet in a 3-0 loss to the Islanders in Game 1 of round three action on Friday, Barré-Boulet led the offensive charge in Saturday’s Game 2 with two goals and an assist as first star of the 5-4 win.
A 19-year-old from Montmagny, QC, Barré-Boulet is playing in his third QMJHL season and first with the Armada who acquired him midway through this season from the Drummondville Voltigeurs. The 5’10’’, 158 lb, centre currently leads the QMJHL playoff scoring race with 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points through 13 games after finishing the regular season campaign 11th in league scoring with 81 points in 65 games including 33 points in 28 games for Blainville-Boisbriand.
Also considered for the award this week was last week’s recipient Reid Gardiner of the Kelowna Rockets who scored three goals and two assists for five points in two games of the WHL’s Western Conference Final against the Seattle Thunderbirds. In the OHL, Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters scored three goals and four assists for seven points across three games which included a Game 7 win over the London Knights and a 1-1 series split in the Western Conference Final against the Owen Sound Attack.
2016-17 CHL Post-Season Players of the Week: Apr. 17 – Apr. 23: Alex Barré-Boulet (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Apr. 10 – Apr. 16: Reid Gardiner (Kelowna Rockets)
Apr. 3 – Apr. 9: Giorgio Estephan (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
Mar. 27 – Apr. 2: Ethan Bear (Seattle Thunderbirds)
Mar. 20 – Mar. 26: Sam Steel (Regina Pats)
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that goaltender Matthew Mancina of the Mississauga Steelheads is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the playoff week ending April 23 after posting a 2-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 1.50 and save percentage of .944.
Mancina made 51 saves last week for the Steelheads in a pair of road victories giving the Steelheads a 2-0 series lead in the OHL’s Eastern Conference Championship Series against the Peterborough Petes. In Game 1 on Thursday he made 27 saves in the 5-3 win, then earned second star honours in Game 2 on Saturday with his first career playoff shutout powered by a 24-save performance in the 3-0 triumph. The victory improved the Steelheads’ perfect playoff road record to 8-0 and marked a sixth straight playoff win for the club and Mancina. With a 2-1 double overtime victory on Monday, the Steelheads now have a commanding 3-0 series lead.
A 20-year-old from Tecumseh, Ont., Mancina is playing in his fourth OHL season but first with the Steelheads after being acquired from the Petes prior to the 2016-17 campaign. So far this post-season he carries a 7-1 record with a goals-against-average of 2.12 and save percentage of .916. Originally a third round choice of the Guelph Storm in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection, Mancina’s OHL tenure has included 157 regular season games including 76 victories between his three clubs.
Also considered for the award this week was Tyler Brown of the Regina Pats who made 74 saves spread out across a Game 7 win over the Swift Current Broncos and a 1-1 series split in the WHL’s Eastern Conference Final against the Lethbridge Hurricanes for an overall record of 2-1 with a goals-against-average of 1.53 and save percentage of .937. In the QMJHL, Carolina Hurricanes prospect Callum Booth of the Saint John Sea Dogs went 1-1 including an overtime loss in semi-final action against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens making 72 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.65 and save percentage of .947.
2016-17 Vaughn CHL Playoff Goaltenders of the Week:
Apr. 17 – Apr. 23: Matthew Mancina (Mississauga Steelheads)
Apr. 10 – Apr. 16: Dylan Wells (Peterborough Petes)
Apr. 3 – Apr. 9: Joseph Raaymakers (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Mar. 27 – Apr. 2: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Mar. 20 – Mar. 26: Kyle Jessiman (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)
2016-17 Vaughn CHL Regular Season Goaltenders of the Week:
Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Cole Kehler (Portland Winterhawks)
Mar. 6 – Mar. 12: Callum Booth (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Matthew Villalta (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Zach Sawchenko (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Zach Sawchenko (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Ryan McGill of the Owen Sound Attack is the 2016-17 recipient of the Matt Leyden Trophy awarded annually to the OHL’s Coach of the Year.
McGill led the Attack to an all-time franchise best record of 49-15-2-2 for 102 points finishing with the league’s second best regular season totals, just one point shy of the first place Erie Otters. The 49 wins and 102 points surpass the club’s previous highs of 46 and 97 set during the Attack’s 2010-11 championship campaign led by the late Mark Reeds who also earned Coach of the Year honours that season.
Ryan McGill of the Owen Sound Attack. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
“I’m very humbled to receive this award,” said McGill. “All of our staff members and all of our players share in this award because without their dedication to excellence every day we wouldn’t be where we are today. Their approach to getting better every day has been nothing short of spectacular.”
With McGill behind the bench for his second OHL campaign, the Attack were the league’s most improved team from 2015-16 increasing their win total by 17 and point total by 27 which were both tops among all 20 member teams. This season the Attack set a new franchise record with a 15-game winning-streak from December 9 to January 26 and surrendered a league-low 177 goals against. On special teams the Attack boasted the OHL’s best power play at 28.4% efficiency, while their penalty kill ranked third at 83.5%.
“Ryan was a terrific hire two years ago and has been engaged with this group from the first time we all got together last year,” said Attack General Manager Dale DeGray. “He is a perfectionist that expects his players to want to put in the same amount of time and preparation that he does. That dedication rubs off on the players and we’ve seen what can happen through that hard work and passion.”
Prior to joining the Attack, the 48-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alberta, served behind the bench for the Western Hockey League’s Kootenay Ice as Head Coach for three seasons from 2012-15 earning WHL Coach of the Year honours in 2013. He began his coaching career with the Ice organization in 1996, spending six years with the franchise, culminating with Ed Chynoweth Cup and Mastercard Memorial Cup titles in his final season as Head Coach in 2002. McGill’s other coaching ventures have included time as the Head Coach of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights and Quad City Flames from 2002-09 before taking on an assistant coaching role with the NHL’s Calgary Flames from 2009-11. McGill’s time behind the bench follows a lengthy playing career that included 151 NHL contests with Chicago, Philadelphia and Edmonton on the blue line between 1991-95. A graduate of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, he also spent time with the Lethbridge and Swift Current Broncos in his junior career that spanned four seasons from 1985-89. He played an integral role with the Tigers in their unforgettable 1987-88 season that saw them capture their second straight WHL Championship before also hoisting the Memorial Cup for the second consecutive year. McGill was Chicago’s second round (29th overall) pick in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft.
The Matt Leyden Trophy has been awarded annually to the OHL’s Coach of the Year as selected by his peers since 1972. The award is in recognition of the contributions of Matt Leyden, past President of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1965-67, and former manager of the Oshawa Generals who spent more than 50 years with the team.
In a first round of balloting, teams vote for the top coaches within their own conference. The top three nominees from both the Eastern and Western conferences are declared finalists. A second round of voting is then conducted on a league wide basis where teams vote for any of the six finalists. At no time during the voting can a team vote for their own candidate. Coaches receive five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote and one point for a third place vote.
McGill finished first in the voting process with 81 points, with last year’s award recipient Kris Knoblauch of the Erie Otters finishing in second place with 53 voting points, and Drew Bannister of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds who finished in third place with 16 voting points.
Most recent Matt Leyden Trophy recipients include Kris Knoblauch (Erie 2016), Sheldon Keefe (Sault Ste. Marie 2015), D.J Smith (Oshawa 2014), Mike Vellucci (Plymouth 2013), Greg Gilbert (Saginaw 2012), Mark Reeds (Owen Sound 2011), Dale Hunter (London 2010), and Bob Boughner (Windsor 2009). Boughner, Hunter, and Vellucci are among the list of 10 coaches who have won the award multiple times along with Brian Kilrea, Bert Templeton, George Burnett, Peter DeBoer, Gary Agnew, Terry Crisp, and Craig Hartsburg.
The Matt Leyden Trophy will be formally presented to McGill at the 2016-17 OHL Awards Ceremony taking place on Thursday June 8 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. He will be the OHL’s nominee for Canadian Hockey League Coach of the Year to be announced on Saturday May 27 as part of the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup.
Twelve series are in the books in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs and the Conference Finals are set to begin with Peterborough hosting Mississauga for the Bobby Orr Trophy as the Eastern Conference Championship while Owen Sound travels to Erie to challenge the regular season champs for the Wayne Gretzky Trophy in the Western Conference.
Of the 12-series completed, I was able to pick 11 correct series winners, but only 6 of those in the correct number of games. The one I did miss on I had the correct 7 games, but picked Hamilton over Kingston in round 1, which of course, Kingston took in a game 7 thrilling overtime.
Here’s a look back at round one and two predictions and results:
Series
Prediction
Results
(1) Peterborough vs (8) Niagara
Peterborough in 6
Peterborough 4-0
(2) Mississauga vs (7) Ottawa
Mississauga in 5
Mississauga 4-2
(3) Oshawa vs (6) Sudbury
Oshawa in 6
Oshawa 4-2
(4) Kingston vs (5) Hamilton
Hamilton in 7
Kingston 4-3
(1) Erie vs (8) Sarnia
Erie in 4
Erie 4-0
(2) SSM vs (7) Flint
SSM in 5
SSM 4-1
(3) Owen Sound vs (6) Kitchener
Owen Sound in 5
Owen Sound 4-1
(4) London vs (5) Windsor
London in 7
London 4-3
Series
Prediction
Results
(1) Peterborough vs (4) Kingston
Peterborough in 6
Peterborough 4-0
(2) Mississauga vs (3) Oshawa
Mississauga in 7
Mississauga 4-1
(1) Erie vs (4) London
Erie in 6
Erie 4 -3
(2) SSM vs (3) Owen Sound
Owen Sound in 6
Owen Sound 4-2
Eastern Conference Final – Bobby Orr Trophy
(1) Peterborough vs (2) Mississauga
Peterborough
Mississauga
Overall Record
42-21-2-3
34-21-6-7
Head-to-Head
3-1-0-0
0-2-0-1
Home Record
24-7-2-1
16-11-4-3
Away Record
18-14-0-2
18-10-2-4
Goals For
239 – 38
240 – 45
Goals Against
221 – 18
219 – 31
Powerplay
20.7% – 26.1%
19.7% – 27.8%
Penalty Kill
80.7% – 75.0%
80.6% – 73.9%
Draft Eligible Players to Watch
Cole Fraser (D)
Nicolas Hague (D)
Zach Gallant (C)
Owen Tippett (RW)
Nick Isaacson (LW)
Shaw Boomhower (C)
Matyas Svoboda (LW)
It’s only fitting that the conference final comes down to the top two teams from the regular season. Peterborough has yet to lose in these playoffs, sweeping both Niagara and Kingston. Mississauga was forced to a 6-game series versus Ottawa and 5 games versus Oshawa. This series is one that puts defence against offence.
In goal, we have the playoff’s second best goaltender in Peterborough’s Dylan Wells going up against Mississauga rookie netminder Jacob Ingham. While the Petes hold an advantage in goal, I don’t think the spread is as wide as some are making it out to be.
During the season series, Logan DeNoble, Kyle Jenkins, and Matthew Timms led the way with 4 points apiece. Christopher Paquette also had 4 points, but all of his damage came while with the Niagara IceDogs.
For Mississauga, Villi Saarijarvi and Michael McLeod each had 8 points in the 4 games, followed by Spencer Watson with 4 points in 2 games.
Prediction: Peterborough in 6 games
Western Conference Final – Wayne Gretzky Trophy
(1) Erie vs (3) Owen Sound
Erie
Owen Sound
Overall Record
50-15-2-1
49-15-2-2
Head-to-Head
4-1-1-0
2-4-0-0
Home Record
30-2-1-1
27-4-1-2
Away Record
20-13-1-0
22-11-1-0
Goals For
319 – 51
297 – 42
Goals Against
182 – 29
177 – 23
Powerplay
27.2% – 27.3%
28.6% – 20.8%
Penalty Kill
83.4% – 74.2%
83.4% – 87.0%
Draft Eligible Players to Watch
Ivan Lodnia (C)
Sean Durzi (D)
Markus Phillips (D)
Zachary Roberts (LW)
Jonah Gadjovich (LW)
Maksim Sushko (RW)
Nick Suzuki (C)
As exciting as the Erie/London and Owen Sound/Sault Ste Marie series were, this series will be that and plus some. Erie was the top team in the regular season, but one could make the argument that Owen Sound was the best team in the league during the second half. Despite Erie winning the season series, 5 of the 6 matches between the two took place before Christmas – the unofficial half-way point. Owen Sound took the final meeting 4-2 on February 28th.
We’re looking at two high powered offenses that both play extremely well on defence. They are both strong on specialty teams although Erie’s penalty kill took a bit of a tumble in the playoffs as did Owen Sound’s powerplay.
In goal, the Attack have arguably the OHL’s best netminder in Michael McNiven up against Troy Timpano (if the Otters stick with their starter), who had a couple of rough outings against the Knights. It’s the one area where the Attack hold a distinct advantage.
Alex DeBrincat led the way in the season series with 5 goals, 6 assists and 11 points in the 6 meetings, followed by the Raddysh brothers, Taylor with 8 and Darren with 7. For Owen Sound, Jonah Gadjovich and Nick Suzuki led the way with 6 points apiece followed by Kevin Hancock with 5.
When you break down these two teams and look at experience, defence, discipline, and offense, there isn’t a clear-cut winner. So, for me, it all comes down to goaltending.
Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that defenceman Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm is the 2016-17 recipient of the Emms Family Award presented to the OHL’s Rookie of the Year.
Merkley led all OHL rookies with 55 points in 62 games played scoring 12 goals and 43 assists positioning him eighth overall among all OHL defenders. He became the first rookie in franchise history to lead the team in scoring, and is the first OHL defenceman since London’s Rick Corriveau in 1987-88 to lead all rookies in scoring.
Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
“It is an honour to be selected as the OHL Rookie of the Year,” said Merkley. “Knowing that there are so many talented first year players, makes the award extra special. I would like to thank my teammates and the Storm organization for all their help and support.”
The 16-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., selected first overall by the Storm in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection, is just the second member of the organization to earn the award following fellow Storm first overall pick Jeff O’Neill during the 1992-93 season. Merkley’s 55 points are the most by a Storm 16-year-old since O’Neill’s 79 during his first campaign.
“Being selected as OHL Rookie of the Year is a special honour, but one that Ryan richly deserves,” said Mike Kelly, Guelph’s departing General Manager. “Even as a 16-year-old, Ryan was a critical part of a very young Guelph Storm Hockey team, and he provided our fans, and fans throughout the OHL with some spectacular hockey memories. As good as Ryan was this past year, he will be even more special in upcoming seasons.”
Merkley joined the OHL after earning GTHL Player of the Year honours with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and made an immediate impact with recognition as the OHL’s Rookie of the Month for October and December and represented Team Canada Red at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Sault Ste. Marie. He recorded 16 multi-point performances during 2016-17 and was voted third in both the Best Playmaker and Best Stickhandler categories in the Western Conference Coaches Poll.
First presented in 1973, Emms Family Award recipients include Wayne Gretzky (Sault Ste. Marie 1977-78), Joe Thornton (Sault Ste. Marie 1995-96), Rick Nash (London 2000-01), Taylor Hall (Windsor 2007-08), and most recently Alex DeBrincat (Erie 2014-15), and Alex Nylander (Mississauga 2015-16). Merkley is the eighth player to earn the Emms Family Award after also earning the Jack Ferguson Award as the first overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection beginning with O’Neill, Patrick O’Sullivan (Mississauga 2001-02), Rob Schremp (Mississauga 2002-03), John Tavares (Oshawa 2005-06), Aaron Ekblad (Barrie 2011-12), Connor McDavid (Erie 2012-13), and Travis Konecny (Ottawa 2013-14).
The Emms Family Award was donated by Leighton “Hap” Emms, former owner of the Barrie, Niagara Falls, and St. Catharines OHL franchises. The award is selected by all 20 member club General Managers. Teams were asked to submit only one nominee from their own club for consideration on the ballot and were not permitted to vote for the player from their own hockey club. Players received five points for a first vote, three points for a second place vote, and one point for a third place vote.
Merkley earned 75 of a possible 95 voting points ahead of forward Akil Thomas of the Niagara IceDogs who finished second with 44 voting points and forward Allan McShane of the Oshawa Generals who finished in third with 24 voting points.
The Emms Family Award will be formally presented to Merkley at the OHL’s annual Awards Ceremony at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Thursday June 8. He will be the OHL’s nominee for CHL Rookie of the Year to be announced at the Mastercard Memorial Cup on Saturday May 27.
Merkley was also announced to the OHL’s First All-Rookie Team alongside NHL Draft prospect Eemeli Rasanen of the Kingston Frontenacs on defence, and goaltender Jacob Ingham of the Mississauga Steelheads. First team forwards include McShane at centre, Thomas at right wing, and Kingston’s Linus Nyman at left wing. Second team honours went to NHL Draft prospects Adam Ruzicka of the Sarnia Sting, Alex Formenton of the London Knights, and Greg Meireles of the Kitchener Rangers at forward, while 16-year-olds Giovanni Vallati of Kitchener, and Owen Lalonde of the Sudbury Wolves comprise the defence. Second team goaltending honours went to Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
The OHL All-Rookie Teams were also selected by the OHL’s General Managers. Players were voted on initially by position within their conference receiving five points for a first place vote, three for a second place vote, and one for a third. Top vote getters in each position made up the final ballot that was then circulated to all 20 teams.
2016-17 OHL All-Rookie Teams (voting points in brackets):
First Team: Centre – Allan McShane, Oshawa Generals (85) Left Wing – Linus Nyman, Kingston Frontenacs (73) Right Wing – Akil Thomas, Niagara IceDogs (93) Defence – Ryan Merkley, Guelph Storm (91) Defence – Eemeli Rasanen, Kingston Frontenacs (74) Goaltender – Jacob Ingham, Mississauga Steelheads (73)
Second Team:
Centre – Adam Ruzicka, Sarnia Sting (51) Left Wing – Alex Formenton, London Knights (38) Right Wing – Greg Meireles, Kitchener Rangers (39) Defence – Giovanni Vallati, Kitchener Rangers (44) Defence – Owen Lalonde, Sudbury Wolves (39) Goaltender – Matthew Villalta, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (70)
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that forward Reid Gardiner of the Kelowna Rockets is the CHL Player of the Week for the playoff week ending April 16 after recording 12 points including six goals and six assists in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-2.
Gardiner took over the WHL Playoff scoring lead with a trio of multi-point performances pacing the Rockets to a second round series victory over the Portland Winterhawks. In Game 3 last Tuesday he chipped in two assists despite a 4-2 loss, then elevated his play in Wednesday’s Game 4 scoring two goals and two assists as first star of the 7-2 victory. He wrapped up his week and the series in Friday’s Game 5 with a career-high six-point effort contributing to all six Rockets goals by netting four of his own and setting up two in the 6-2 victory. The Rockets will now compete in the WHL’s Western Conference Championship Series against the Seattle Thunderbirds beginning Friday.
A 21-year-old from Humboldt, Sask., the fifth year WHL veteran has 22 points in 11 playoff games thus far including 12 goals and 10 assists following a regular season campaign where he produced 37 points including 18 goals and 19 assists in 28 games. Gardiner played his first four seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders who selected him in the first round of the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft before beginning this season with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Also considered for the award this week was Los Angeles Kings prospect Spencer Watson of the Mississauga Steelheads who scored five goals and one assist for six points in three games helping his club advance to the OHL’s Eastern Conference Final in a five-game series win over the Oshawa Generals. In the QMJHL, Ottawa Senators prospect Filip Chlapik scored once with four assists for five points in two games helping his Charlottetown Islanders advance with a four-game series win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.
2016-17 CHL Post-Season Players of the Week: Apr. 10 – Apr. 16: Reid Gardiner (Kelowna Rockets)
Apr. 3 – Apr. 9: Giorgio Estephan (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
Mar. 27 – Apr. 2: Ethan Bear (Seattle Thunderbirds)
Mar. 20 – Mar. 26: Sam Steel (Regina Pats)
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Edmonton Oilers prospect Dylan Wells of the Peterborough Petes is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the playoff week ending April 16 after posting a 2-0 record with a goals-against-average of 1.50 and save percentage of .957.
Dylan Wells of the Peterborough Petes. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Wells made 66 saves in a pair of road victories last week backstopping the Petes to a berth in the OHL’s Eastern Conference Championship Series following a four-game series win over the Kingston Frontenacs. He made 33 saves in both contests including last Tuesday in Game 3 where he earned first star honours in a 3-1 victory, and Thursday’s Game 4 where the Petes clinched the series with a 6-2 victory for their eight-straight win this post-season. In that contest, Wells etched his name in team records becoming the first Petes goaltender and just the ninth OHL netminder all-time to score a goal after firing a shot from behind his own goal-line across the ice and into the empty cage. The Petes will now face the Mississauga Steelheads in round three action beginning Thursday.
A 19-year-old from St. Catharines, Ont., Wells is playing in his third OHL season with the Petes after being chosen by the club in the second round of the 2014 OHL Priority Selection. This season he carried a 33-15-2-2 record for the East Division champs with a goals-against-average of 3.07 and save percentage of .916. The fifth round pick of the Oilers in the 2016 NHL Draft has an eight-game winning-streak to open the post-season where both his GAA and SV% have improved to marks of 1.94 and .944 respectively.
Also considered for the award this week was Julio Billia of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens who made 71 saves in three games of the QMJHL Quarter-Finals against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies posting a 2-1 record with a goals-against-average of 1.34 and save percentage of .947. In the WHL, Tyler Brown of the Regina Pats made 159 saves in four games of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the Swift Current Broncos posting a 2-2 record with a goals-against-average of 2.48 and save percentage of .930.
2016-17 Vaughn CHL Playoff Goaltenders of the Week:
Apr. 10 – Apr. 16: Dylan Wells (Peterborough Petes)
Apr. 3 – Apr. 9: Joseph Raaymakers (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Mar. 27 – Apr. 2: Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Mar. 20 – Mar. 26: Kyle Jessiman (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)
2016-17 Vaughn CHL Regular Season Goaltenders of the Week:
Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Cole Kehler (Portland Winterhawks)
Mar. 6 – Mar. 12: Callum Booth (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Matthew Villalta (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Zach Sawchenko (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Zach Sawchenko (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the two schedule scenarios for the 2017 OHL Western Conference Championship Series for the Wayne Gretzky Trophy to begin this Friday April 21, 2017.
The third round series will feature the Owen Sound Attack against the winner between the Erie Otters and London Knights who complete their Western Conference Semi-Final Series tonight with Game 7 in Erie. Click here for a special Game 7 preview. The Attack advanced on Sunday following a 4-2 series win over the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
During the 2016-17 regular season the Attack finished with a franchise best record of 49-15-2-2 for 102 points in the Midwest Division behind only the Otters who finished with 103 points powered by a 50-15-2-1 record and ahead of the Knights who finished with 99 points from a 46-15-3-4 record. The Attack played both teams six times during regular season play carrying a 2-4 record against the Otters and a 4-1-0-1 record against the Knights with two of their wins by shootout.
The Western Conference Champion receives the Wayne Gretzky Trophy named in honour of the Hockey Hall of Fame member who played for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in 1977-78. Since the two conference division in 1999, the Attack have captured the Wayne Gretzky Trophy once in franchise history back in 2011, while the Otters secured Western Conference titles in 2015 and 2002. The Knights are the defending Wayne Gretzky Trophy winners and have won a total of six times including 2016, 2013, 2012, 2006, 2005, and 1999.
Owen Sound has never faced Erie in post-season play but have met London six different times including the first round in 2016 (4-2 LDN), first round in 2011 (4-2 OS), first round in 2007 (4-0 LDN), second round in 2006 (4-2 LDN), third round in 1999 (4-1 LDN), and first round in 1992 (4-1 LDN).
WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES SCHEDULE SCENARIOS:
SCENARIO 1: SERIES “G” ERIE OTTERS (1) vs. OWEN SOUND ATTACK (3) Game 1, Fri., April 21 Owen Sound at Erie, 7:00
Game 2, Sat., April 22 Owen Sound at Erie, 7:00
Game 3, Mon., April 24 Erie at Owen Sound, 7:00
Game 4, Wed., April 26 Erie at Owen Sound, 7:00
Game 5, Fri., April 28 Owen Sound at Erie, 7:00*
Game 6, Sun., April 30 Erie at Owen Sound, 2:00*
Game 7, Mon., May 1 Owen Sound at Erie, 7:00*
*if necessary #ERvsOS
SCENARIO 2: SERIES “G” OWEN SOUND ATTACK (3) vs. LONDON KNIGHTS (4)
Game 1, Fri., April 21 Owen Sound at London, 7:30
Game 2, Sun., April 23 Owen Sound at London, 2:00
Game 3, Mon., April 24 London at Owen Sound, 7:00
Game 4, Wed., April 26 London at Owen Sound, 7:00
Game 5, Fri., April 28 London at Owen Sound, 7:30*
Game 6, Sat., April 29 Owen Sound at London, 7:00*
Game 7, Mon., May 1 London at Owen Sound, 7:00*
*if necessary #OSvsLDN
OHL Writers 