OHL Cup

GTHL’s Mississauga Rebels, ALLIANCE’s London Jr. Knights win league titles, Cambridge Hawks officially qualify.

Tuesday action includes 4 Wild Card Play-In Games beginning at 2:00 pm, and 4 Round-Robin contests starting at 7:00 pm.

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the thirteenth and final edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting Staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament which takes place March 14-20, 2017.  All games will be played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 20.

Final Minor Midget Rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 13

RANK	TEAM	LEAGUE	LAST WEEK	WEEKS RANKED
1	London Jr. Knights*	ALLIANCE	1	13
2	Whitby Wildcats*	OMHA	2	13
3	Mississauga Rebels*	GTHL	4	13
4	Toronto Marlboros*	GTHL	3	13
5	Vaughan Kings*	GTHL	5	7
6	Quinte Red Devils*	OMHA	6	8
7	Waterloo Wolves*	ALLIANCE	7	10
8	Brampton 45’s*	OMHA	8	4
9	Ajax-Pickering Raiders*	OMHA	9	13
10	Toronto Jr. Canadiens*	GTHL	10	4
	Honourable Mention
	Toronto Titans	GTHL	–	0
	Mississauga Reps	GTHL	–	10
	Cambridge Hawks*	ALLIANCE	–	0
	Mississauga Senators	GTHL	–	8

*Officially qualified for 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament Powered by Under Armour

Minor Midget playoff action wrapped up over the weekend in both the GTHL and ALLIANCE with the Mississauga Rebels and London Jr. Knights emerging victorious in their respective league finals.  The Rebels overtook the Toronto Marlboros 8-6 in points, while the top ranked Knights defeated the Waterloo Wolves 7-1 in points.  The Cambridge Hawks also became the final team to secure an OHL Cup berth defeating the Kitchener Jr. Rangers 2 games to 0 qualifying as the ALLIANCE’s third entry.

The 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour begins on Tuesday afternoon with four Wild Card Play-In Games followed by four Round-Robin contests.  The schedule for the Wild Card Play-In Games has been revised from the original release to accommodate travel in the anticipated inclement weather.

The original Wild Card 1 matchup between the Grey Bruce Highlanders and the Toronto Nationals scheduled for 10:00 amwill now be played at 3:15 pm, while the Wild Card 2 matchup between the Mississauga Senators and the York Simcoe Express originally scheduled for 12:00 pm will now be played at 5:15 pm.  Both games will now be played on Rink 2 at Toronto’s Scotiabank Pond.

2017 OHL Cup Wild Card Play-In Schedule:

Tuesday March 14, 2017
WC 3 – 2:00 pm – Mississauga Reps (GTHL) vs. Halton Hurricanes (OMHA) – Rink 1
WC 1 – 3:15 pm –  Grey Bruce Highlanders (OMHA) vs. Toronto Nationals (GTHL) – Rink 2
WC 4 – 4:00 pm – Toronto Titans (GTHL) vs. Kitchener Jr. Rangers (ALLIANCE) – Rink 1
WC 2 – 5:15 pm – Mississauga Senators (GTHL) vs. York-Simcoe Express (OMHA) – Rink 2

The four winners of the Wild Card Play-In Games will join 16 other clubs who earned their qualification through league play and regional representation.

2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament Powered by Under Armour Alignment:

Nash Division:
Mississauga Rebels (GTHL Champ)
Quinte Red Devils (OMHA Bronze)
Cambridge Hawks (ALLIANCE 3rd)
Elite Hockey Group (USA Invite)
WC1

Subban Division:
London Jr. Knights (ALLIANCE Champ)
Brampton 45s (OMHA Silver)
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL Semi-Finalist)
TPH Thunder (USA Invite)
WC2

Shanahan Division:
Toronto Marlboros (GTHL Finalist)
Ajax-Pickering Raiders (OMHA Semi-Finalist)
Eastern Ontario Wild (HEO Rep)
Thunder Bay Kings (HNO Rep)
WC3

Lindros Division:
Whitby Wildcats (OMHA Gold)
Waterloo Wolves (ALLIANCE Finalist)
Vaughan Kings (GTHL Semi-Finalist)
Team NOHA (NOHA Rep)
WC4

Tuesday March 14, 2017 Round-Robin:

Scotiabank Pond 1
7:00 pm Quinte Red Devils vs. Mississauga Rebels
8:45 pm Whitby Wildcats vs. Vaughan Kings

Scotiabank Pond 2
7:15 pm Toronto Jr. Canadiens vs. London Jr. Knights
9:00 pm Ajax-Pickering Raiders vs. Toronto Marlboros

The showcase provides fans and scouts one last opportunity to see many of the top minor midget aged players from across Ontario and parts of the United States compete for the OHL Cup performing against the best competition prior to the 2017 OHL Priority Selection.

History:

Last season the York Simcoe Express captured their second OHL Cup title and first since 2004 with a 2-1 overtime win over the Toronto Marlboros.  Current North Bay Battalion rookie Rhys Forhan scored both Express goals, while goaltender Andrei Berezinskiy earned tournament MVP honours playing to a 5-0 record with a 2.09 goals-against-average.

The 2016 OHL Priority Selection featured 12 players chosen in the first round who competed in the OHL Cup including Ryan Merkley (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 1^st overall Guelph Storm), Owen Lalonde (Windsor Jr. Spitfires – 2^nd overall Sudbury Wolves), Danil Antropov (Toronto Marlboros – 6^th overall Oshawa Generals), Kirill Nizhnikov (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 7^th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Barrett Hayton (Toronto Red Wings – 9^th overall Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), Peter Stratis (Mississauga Rebels – 11^th overall Ottawa 67’s), Akil Thomas (Toronto Marlboros – 12^th overall Niagara IceDogs), Adam McMaster (Niagara North – 13^th overall North Bay Battalion), Tyler Weiss (Don Mills Flyers – 15^th overall Sarnia Sting), Nathan Dunkley (Quinte Red Devils – 17^th overall Kingston Frontenacs), Allan McShane (Toronto Marlboros – 19^th overall Erie Otters), and Jack McBain (Don Mills Flyers – 20^th overall Barrie Colts).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Robby Fabbri (Mississauga Rebels/St. Louis Blues), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Arizona Coyotes), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/New Jersey Devils), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/Nashville Predators), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

This season the OHL and GTHL announced a new three-year partnership with Under Armour that includes title sponsorship of the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament.  The OHL and GTHL have also announced a five-year partnership extension ensuring the event will continue to be hosted by the GTHL through 2021.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the final schedule for the 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

Games will be played March 14-18 in Toronto at Scotiabank Pond, until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday, March 20.

The action begins next Tuesday morning at 10:00 am with the first of four Wild Card ‘Play-In’ Games where eight teams will compete for the final four tournament entries. All matchups were randomly drawn last night, Tuesday March 7, with eligible teams determined by the Tournament Selection Committee.

2017 OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour Wild Card Play-In Schedule:

Tuesday March 14, 2017
WC 1 – 10:00 am Grey Bruce Highlanders vs. Toronto Young Nationals
WC 2 – 12:00 pm Mississauga Senators vs. York Simcoe Express
WC 3 – 2:00 pm Mississauga Reps vs. Halton Hurricanes
WC 4 – 4:00 pm Toronto Titans vs. Cambridge Hawks or Kitchener Jr. Rangers (TBD)

The four winning teams will join 16 other clubs who earned their qualification through league play and regional representation. The 40-game Round-Robin tournament commences next Tuesday night at 7:00 pm continuing through Friday evening, March 17, followed by Quarter-Final and Semi-Final action on Saturday, Mach 18, wrapping up with the Championship Final on Monday, March 20.

2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament Powered by Under Armour Alignment:

Nash Division:
GTHL (1) (Winner of Toronto Marlboros vs. Mississauga Rebels series)
Quite Red Devils (OMHA Bronze)
ALLIANCE (3) (Winner of Kitchener Jr. Rangers vs. Cambridge Hawks series)
Elite Hockey Group (USA Invite)
WC1

Subban Division:
ALLIANCE (1) (Winner of London Jr. Knights vs. Waterloo Wolves series)
Brampton 45s (OMHA Silver)
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL Semi-Finalist)
TPH Thunder (USA Invite)
WC2

Shanahan Division:
GTHL (2) (Runner-up of Toronto Marlboros vs. Mississauga Rebels series)
Ajax-Pickering Raiders (OMHA Semi-Finalist)
Eastern Ontario Wild (HEO Rep)
Thunder Bay Kings (HNO Rep)
WC3

Lindros Division:
Whitby Wildcats (OMHA Gold)
ALLIANCE (2) (Runner-up of London Jr. Knights vs. Waterloo Wolves series)
Vaughan Kings (GTHL Semi-Finalist)
Team NOHA (NOHA Rep)
WC4

2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament Powered by Under Armour Final Schedule:

Tuesday March 14, 2017

Round-Robin: Scotiabank Pond 1
7:00 pm Quinte Red Devils vs. GTHL (1)
8:45 pm Whitby Wildcats vs. Vaughan Kings

Scotiabank Pond 2
7:15 pm Toronto Jr. Canadiens vs. ALLIANCE (1)
9:00 pm Ajax-Pickering Raiders vs. GTHL (2)

Wednesday March 15, 2017

Scotiabank Pond 1
9:00 am ALLIANCE (2) vs. NOHA
10:45 am TPH Thunder vs. Brampton 45s
12:30 pm ALLIANCE (1) vs. WC2
2:15 pm WC3 vs. GTHL (2)
4:00 pm ALLIANCE (2) vs. Whitby Wildcats
5:45 pm WC1 vs. Elite Hockey Group
7:30 pm NOHA vs. Vaughan Kings
9:15 pm WC2 vs. Brampton 45s

Scotiabank Pond 2
8:30 am Eastern Ontario Wild vs. Thunder Bay Kings
10:15 am Elite Hockey Group vs. ALLIANCE (3)
12:00 pm WC1 vs. GTHL (1)
1:45 pm Vaughan Kings vs. WC4
3:30 pm TPH Thunder vs. Toronto Jr. Canadiens
5:15 pm ALLIANCE (3) vs. Quite Red Devils
7:00 pm Ajax-Pickering Raiders vs. Eastern Ontario Wild
8:45 pm Thunder Bay Kings vs. WC3

Thursday March 16, 2017

Scotiabank Pond 1
8:30 am Quinte Red Devils vs. Elite Hockey Group
10:15 am NOHA vs. Whitby Wildcats
12:00 pm Brampton 45s vs. ALLIANCE (1)
1:45 pm ALLIANCE (2) vs. WC4

Scotiabank Pond 2
9:00 am ALLIANCE (3) vs. WC1
10:45 am Eastern Ontario Wild vs. GTHL (2)
12:30pm Ajax-Pickering Raiders vs. WC3
2:15 pm WC2 vs. Toronto Jr. Canadiens

Friday March 17, 2017

Scotiabank Pond 1
8:00 am WC4 vs. Whitby Wildcats
9:45 am GTHL (2) vs. Thunder Bay Kings
11:30 am GTHL (1) vs. Elite Hockey Group
1:15 pm WC1 vs. Quinte Red Devils
3:00 pm WC4 vs. NOHA
4:45 pm ALLIANCE (1) vs. TPH Thunder

Scotiabank Pond 2
8:30 am TPH Thunder vs. WC2
10:15 am Vaughan Kings vs. ALLIANCE (2)
12:00 pm Toronto Jr. Canadiens vs. Brampton 45s
1:45 pm WC3 vs. Eastern Ontario Wild
3:30 pm Thunder Bay Kings vs. Ajax-Pickering Raiders
5:15 pm GTHL (1) vs. ALLIANCE (3)

Saturday March 18, 2017

Quarter-Final Playoff Round:

Scotiabank Pond 1
10:30 am Quarter-Final 2 – 1^ST Place Shanahan Division vs. 2^ND Place Subban Division
12:15 pm Quarter-Final 4 – 1^ST Place Lindros Division vs. 2^ND Place Nash Division

Scotiabank Pond 2
10:00 am Quarter-Final 1 – 1^ST Place Subban Division vs. 2^ND Place Shanahan Division
11:45 am Quarter-Final 3 – 1^ST Place Nash Division vs. 2^ND Place Lindros Division

Semi-Final Playoff Round:

Scotiabank Pond 1
6:00 pm Semi-Final 1 – Winner Quarter-Final 1 vs. Winner Quarter-Final 2
8:00 pm Semi-Final 2 – Winner Quarter-Final 3 vs. Winner Quarter-Final 4

Monday March 20, 2017

Mattamy Athletic Centre

6:30 pm Championship Final – Winner Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner Semi-Final 2

Monday’s Championship Final will be broadcast live on Sportsnet Ontario. 

The showcase provides fans and scouts one last opportunity to see many of the top minor midget aged players from across Ontario and parts of the United States compete for the OHL Cup performing against the best competition prior to the 2017 OHL Priority Selection.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

ALLIANCE’s Waterloo Wolves Officially Qualify for OHL Cup along with OMHA’s Whitby Wildcats, Brampton 45’s, Quinte Red Devils, and Ajax-Pickering Raiders.

Wild Card Play-In Matchups including Selection Committee Invites to be announced tonight at 7 PM LIVE via Facebook.com/GTHLHockey

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the twelfth edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting Staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament which takes place March 14-20, 2017.  All games will be played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 20.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 12

RANK	TEAM	LEAGUE	LAST WEEK	WEEKS RANKED
1	London Jr. Knights*	ALLIANCE	1	12
2	Whitby Wildcats*	OMHA	3	12
3	Toronto Marlboros*	GTHL	4	12
4	Mississauga Rebels*	GTHL	2	12
5	Vaughan Kings*	GTHL	6	6
6	Quinte Red Devils*	OMHA	5	7
7	Waterloo Wolves*	ALLIANCE	8	9
8	Brampton 45’s*	OMHA	9	3
9	Ajax-Pickering Raiders*	OMHA	7	12
10	Toronto Jr. Canadiens*	GTHL	10	3
	Honourable Mention
	Toronto Titans	GTHL	–	0
	Mississauga Reps	GTHL	–	10
	Kitchener Jr. Rangers	ALLIANCE	–	0
	Mississauga Senators	GTHL	–	8

*Officially qualified for 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament Powered by Under Armour

Four OMHA clubs have officially qualified for tournament entry following the league’s championship weekend where the host Whitby Wildcats emerged victorious earning gold over the Brampton 45’s.  The Quinte Red Devils claimed tournament bronze over the fourth place Ajax-Pickering Raiders, while the Grey-Bruce Highlanders finished fifth and will compete for tournament entry in one of four Wild Card Play-In Games.

The Waterloo Wolves also secured a berth for OHL Cup action advancing to the ALLIANCE finals defeating the Kitchener Jr. Rangers in a thrilling 9-7 series win in points.  Waterloo is currently battling the top ranked London Jr. Knights for the league championship, with Kitchener competing against fellow ALLIANCE semi-finalist Cambridge Hawks in a four-point series to determine the league’s third official entry.  The fourth place club will compete in a Wild Card Play-In Game.

The GTHL’s Mississauga Reps and Toronto Titans have also secured a position in the Wild Card Play-In Games by winning their Wild Card Series matchups 8-6 in points over the Mississauga Senators and Toronto Young Nationals respectively.

Tournament Structure:

16 of the 20 spots in the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour are guaranteed through league competition.  The 16 guaranteed spots continue to include all four GTHL Semi-Finalists, and the top four teams that place at the OMHA Championship.  Three teams from the ALLIANCE will still be guaranteed a spot in the tournament including the Champion and Finalist, along with the winner of a best-of-three Semi-Final Wild Card Series to be played between the losers of the two league Semi-Finals.  Also as in past years, two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition, while both an HNO and NOHA representative will also compete.  New in 2017, the final guaranteed spot is awarded to HEO but represented by their previous year Bantam Championship team who will be reassembled for tournament competition.  This season, HEO’s entry will be members of the 2016 Bantam Champion Eastern Ontario Wild.

Wild Card Games:

The final four entries at the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour will be Wild Cards determined among eight teams that will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario.  The eight competing teams aiming for the final four tournament spots will continue to include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship, and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series.  As introduced in 2016, two spots in Wild Card games will be reserved for GTHL teams.  The two competing GTHL teams will be determined through a pair of Wild Card Play-In Series matchups involving the four GTHL teams who qualified for the playoffs but lost in the first round.  One spot in a Wild Card will also be reserved for the winner of an OMHA SCTA Consolation Game that features both teams who lost in the SCTA Tournament Semi-Final.  The OMHA teams eligible for this matchup will be determined annually based on the league not hosting the OMHA Championship.  Finally, the three remaining teams who will compete in the Wild Card matchups will be named by the Tournament Selection Committee.  The Committee will evaluate and review a team’s post-season success as the first criteria for selection, with additional criteria to include regular season play and tournament play.  All four Wild Card games will take place onTuesday March 14 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the eight competing teams on Tuesday March 7.

History:

Last season the York Simcoe Express captured their second OHL Cup title and first since 2004 with a 2-1 overtime win over the Toronto Marlboros.  Current North Bay Battalion rookie Rhys Forhan scored both Express goals, while goaltender Andrei Berezinskiy earned tournament MVP honours playing to a 5-0 record with a 2.09 goals-against-average.

The 2016 OHL Priority Selection featured 12 players chosen in the first round who competed in the OHL Cup including Ryan Merkley (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 1^st overall Guelph Storm), Owen Lalonde (Windsor Jr. Spitfires – 2^nd overall Sudbury Wolves), Danil Antropov (Toronto Marlboros – 6^th overall Oshawa Generals), Kirill Nizhnikov (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 7^th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Barrett Hayton (Toronto Red Wings – 9^th overall Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), Peter Stratis (Mississauga Rebels – 11^th overall Ottawa 67’s), Akil Thomas (Toronto Marlboros – 12^th overall Niagara IceDogs), Adam McMaster (Niagara North – 13^th overall North Bay Battalion), Tyler Weiss (Don Mills Flyers – 15^th overall Sarnia Sting), Nathan Dunkley (Quinte Red Devils – 17^th overall Kingston Frontenacs), Allan McShane (Toronto Marlboros – 19^th overall Erie Otters), and Jack McBain (Don Mills Flyers – 20^th overall Barrie Colts).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Robby Fabbri (Mississauga Rebels/St. Louis Blues), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Arizona Coyotes), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/New Jersey Devils), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/Nashville Predators), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

This season the OHL and GTHL announced a new three-year partnership with Under Armour that includes title sponsorship of the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament.  The OHL and GTHL have also announced a five-year partnership extension ensuring the event will continue to be hosted by the GTHL through 2021.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

 

OMHA Championship Weekend March 3-5 to determine league’s OHL Cup Qualifiers

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the eleventh edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting Staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament which takes place March 14-20, 2017.  All games will be played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 20.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 11

RANK	TEAM	LEAGUE	LAST WEEK	WEEKS RANKED
1	London Jr. Knights*	ALLIANCE	1	11
2	Mississauga Rebels*	GTHL	2	11
3	Whitby Wildcats	OMHA	3	11
4	Toronto Marlboros*	GTHL	4	11
5	Quinte Red Devils	OMHA	5	6
6	Vaughan Kings*	GTHL	7	5
7	Ajax-Pickering Raiders	OMHA	8	11
8	Waterloo Wolves	ALLIANCE	6	8
9	Brampton 45’s	OMHA	–	2
10	Toronto Jr. Canadiens*	GTHL	10	2
	Honourable Mention
	Toronto Titans	GTHL	–	0
	Kitchener Jr. Rangers	ALLIANCE	–	0
	Mississauga Senators	GTHL	–	8
	Mississauga Reps	GTHL	9	10

*Officially qualified for 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament Powered by Under Armour

The OMHA Championship Tournament takes place this weekend, March 3-5 in Whitby, featuring five clubs including the host Wildcats, Quinte Red Devils, Ajax-Pickering Raiders, Brampton 45’s, and Grey-Bruce Highlanders.  The top four finishers officially receive OHL Cup qualification while the fifth place team will have the opportunity to compete in one of the tournament’s Wild Card Play-In Games.  Also competing in a Wild Card Play-In Game from the OMHA are the Halton Hurricanes who defeated the Guelph Gryphons in the SCTA’s Consolation.

Tournament Structure:

16 of the 20 spots in the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour are guaranteed through league competition.  The 16 guaranteed spots continue to include all four GTHL Semi-Finalists, and the top four teams that place at the OMHA Championship.  Three teams from the ALLIANCE will still be guaranteed a spot in the tournament including the Champion and Finalist, along with the winner of a best-of-three Semi-Final Wild Card Series to be played between the losers of the two league Semi-Finals.  Also as in past years, two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition, while both an HNO and NOHA representative will also compete.  New in 2017, the final guaranteed spot is awarded to HEO but represented by their previous year Bantam Championship team who will be reassembled for tournament competition.  This season, HEO’s entry will be members of the 2016 Bantam Champion Eastern Ontario Wild.

Wild Card Games:

The final four entries at the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour will be Wild Cards determined among eight teams that will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario.  The eight competing teams aiming for the final four tournament spots will continue to include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship, and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series.  As introduced in 2016, two spots in Wild Card games will be reserved for GTHL teams.  The two competing GTHL teams will be determined through a pair of Wild Card Play-In Series matchups involving the four GTHL teams who qualified for the playoffs but lost in the first round.  One spot in a Wild Card will also be reserved for the winner of an OMHA SCTA Consolation Game that features both teams who lost in the SCTA Tournament Semi-Final.  The OMHA teams eligible for this matchup will be determined annually based on the league not hosting the OMHA Championship.  Finally, the three remaining teams who will compete in the Wild Card matchups will be named by the Tournament Selection Committee.  The Committee will evaluate and review a team’s post-season success as the first criteria for selection, with additional criteria to include regular season play and tournament play.  All four Wild Card games will take place on Tuesday March 14 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the eight competing teams on Wednesday March 8.

History:

Last season the York Simcoe Express captured their second OHL Cup title and first since 2004 with a 2-1 overtime win over the Toronto Marlboros.  Current North Bay Battalion rookie Rhys Forhan scored both Express goals, while goaltender Andrei Berezinskiy earned tournament MVP honours playing to a 5-0 record with a 2.09 goals-against-average.

The 2016 OHL Priority Selection featured 12 players chosen in the first round who competed in the OHL Cup including Ryan Merkley (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 1^st overall Guelph Storm), Owen Lalonde (Windsor Jr. Spitfires – 2^nd overall Sudbury Wolves), Danil Antropov (Toronto Marlboros – 6^th overall Oshawa Generals), Kirill Nizhnikov (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 7^th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Barrett Hayton (Toronto Red Wings – 9^th overall Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), Peter Stratis (Mississauga Rebels – 11^th overall Ottawa 67’s), Akil Thomas (Toronto Marlboros – 12^th overall Niagara IceDogs), Adam McMaster (Niagara North – 13^th overall North Bay Battalion), Tyler Weiss (Don Mills Flyers – 15^th overall Sarnia Sting), Nathan Dunkley (Quinte Red Devils – 17^th overall Kingston Frontenacs), Allan McShane (Toronto Marlboros – 19^th overall Erie Otters), and Jack McBain (Don Mills Flyers – 20^th overall Barrie Colts).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Robby Fabbri (Mississauga Rebels/St. Louis Blues), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Arizona Coyotes), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/New Jersey Devils), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/Nashville Predators), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

This season the OHL and GTHL announced a new three-year partnership with Under Armour that includes title sponsorship of the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament.  The OHL and GTHL have also announced a five-year partnership extension ensuring the event will continue to be hosted by the GTHL through 2021.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

ALLIANCE’s London Jr. Knights secure tournament entry

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the tenth edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting Staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament which takes place March 14-20, 2017.  All games will be played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 20.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 10

RANK	TEAM	LEAGUE	LAST WEEK	WEEKS RANKED
1	London Jr. Knights*	ALLIANCE	1	10
2	Mississauga Rebels*	GTHL	2	10
3	Whitby Wildcats	OMHA	3	10
4	Toronto Marlboros*	GTHL	4	10
5	Quinte Red Devils	OMHA	5	10
6	Waterloo Wolves	ALLIANCE	6	7
7	Vaughan Kings*	GTHL	10	4
8	Ajax-Pickering Raiders	OMHA	8	10
9	Mississauga Reps	GTHL	7	10
10	Toronto Jr. Canadiens*	GTHL	–	1
	Honourable Mention
	Toronto Young Nationals	GTHL	9	9
	Brampton 45’s	OMHA	–	1
	York Simcoe Express	OMHA	–	0
	Mississauga Senators	GTHL	–	8

*Officially qualified for 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament Powered by Under Armour

The ALLIANCE’s London Jr. Knights are the latest team to officially qualify for tournament entry by advancing to their league championship following an 8-0 semi-final series win in points over the Cambridge Hawks.  The Jr. Knights will face the winner between the Waterloo Wolves and Kitchener Jr. Rangers, while the Hawks also await the conclusion of that series for another opportunity to secure a tournament berth as the two Semi-Finalists compete in a third place series for OHL Cup qualification.

Tournament Structure:

16 of the 20 spots in the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour are guaranteed through league competition.  The 16 guaranteed spots continue to include all four GTHL Semi-Finalists, and the top four teams that place at the OMHA Championship.  Three teams from the ALLIANCE will still be guaranteed a spot in the tournament including the Champion and Finalist, along with the winner of a best-of-three Semi-Final Wild Card Series to be played between the losers of the two league Semi-Finals.  Also as in past years, two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition, while both an HNO and NOHA representative will also compete.  New in 2017, the final guaranteed spot is awarded to HEO but represented by their previous year Bantam Championship team who will be reassembled for tournament competition.  This season, HEO’s entry will be members of the 2016 Bantam Champion Eastern Ontario Wild.

Wild Card Games:

The final four entries at the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour will be Wild Cards determined among eight teams that will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario.  The eight competing teams aiming for the final four tournament spots will continue to include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship, and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series.  As introduced in 2016, two spots in Wild Card games will be reserved for GTHL teams.  The two competing GTHL teams will be determined through a pair of Wild Card Play-In Series matchups involving the four GTHL teams who qualified for the playoffs but lost in the first round.  One spot in a Wild Card will also be reserved for the winner of an OMHA SCTA Consolation Game that features both teams who lost in the SCTA Tournament Semi-Final.  The OMHA teams eligible for this matchup will be determined annually based on the league not hosting the OMHA Championship.  Finally, the three remaining teams who will compete in the Wild Card matchups will be named by the Tournament Selection Committee.  The Committee will evaluate and review a team’s post-season success as the first criteria for selection, with additional criteria to include regular season play and tournament play.  All four Wild Card games will take place on Tuesday March 14 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the eight competing teams on Wednesday March 8.

History:

Last season the York Simcoe Express captured their second OHL Cup title and first since 2004 with a 2-1 overtime win over the Toronto Marlboros.  Current North Bay Battalion rookie Rhys Forhan scored both Express goals, while goaltender Andrei Berezinskiy earned tournament MVP honours playing to a 5-0 record with a 2.09 goals-against-average.

The 2016 OHL Priority Selection featured 12 players chosen in the first round who competed in the OHL Cup including Ryan Merkley (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 1^st overall Guelph Storm), Owen Lalonde (Windsor Jr. Spitfires – 2^nd overall Sudbury Wolves), Danil Antropov (Toronto Marlboros – 6^th overall Oshawa Generals), Kirill Nizhnikov (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 7^th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Barrett Hayton (Toronto Red Wings – 9^th overall Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), Peter Stratis (Mississauga Rebels – 11^th overall Ottawa 67’s), Akil Thomas (Toronto Marlboros – 12^th overall Niagara IceDogs), Adam McMaster (Niagara North – 13^th overall North Bay Battalion), Tyler Weiss (Don Mills Flyers – 15^th overall Sarnia Sting), Nathan Dunkley (Quinte Red Devils – 17^th overall Kingston Frontenacs), Allan McShane (Toronto Marlboros – 19^th overall Erie Otters), and Jack McBain (Don Mills Flyers – 20^th overall Barrie Colts).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Robby Fabbri (Mississauga Rebels/St. Louis Blues), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Arizona Coyotes), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/New Jersey Devils), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/Nashville Predators), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

This season the OHL and GTHL announced a new three-year partnership with Under Armour that includes title sponsorship of the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament.  The OHL and GTHL have also announced a five-year partnership extension ensuring the event will continue to be hosted by the GTHL through 2021.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

GTHL’s Toronto Jr. Canadiens and Vaughan Kings secure tournament entry

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the ninth edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting Staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament which takes place March 14-20, 2017.  All games will be played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 20.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 9

RANK	TEAM	LEAGUE	LAST WEEK	WEEKS RANKED
1	London Jr. Knights	ALLIANCE	1	9
2	Mississauga Rebels*	GTHL	2	9
3	Whitby Wildcats	OMHA	3	9
4	Toronto Marlboros*	GTHL	4	9
5	Quinte Red Devils	OMHA	8	4
6	Waterloo Wolves	ALLIANCE	7	6
7	Mississauga Reps	GTHL	5	9
8	Ajax-Pickering Raiders	OMHA	9	9
9	Toronto Young Nationals	GTHL	6	9
10	Vaughan Kings*	GTHL	–	3
	Honourable Mention
	Toronto Jr. Canadiens*	GTHL	–	0
	Brampton 45’s	OMHA	–	1
	York Simcoe Express	OMHA	–	0
	Mississauga Senators	GTHL	10	8

*Officially qualified for 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament Powered by Under Armour

The GTHL’s Toronto Jr. Canadiens and Vaughan Kings are the latest two teams to officially qualify for tournament entry joining the Mississauga Rebels and Toronto Marlboros in their league Semi-Finals.  The Jr. Canadiens defeated the Toronto Young Nationals 8-6 in points, while the Kings beat the Mississauga Reps 8-4 in first round playoff series action.  The GTHL’s Semi-Final matchups consist of the Marlboros against the Kings and the Rebels against the Jr. Canadiens, while the four teams eliminated in the first round are competing for the opportunity to qualify by way of the tournament’s Wild Card scenario.  GTHL Wild Card Play-In Series matchups currently underway include the Young Nationals against the Toronto Titans, and the Reps against the Mississauga Senators.

Tournament Structure:

16 of the 20 spots in the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour are guaranteed through league competition.  The 16 guaranteed spots continue to include all four GTHL Semi-Finalists, and the top four teams that place at the OMHA Championship.  Three teams from the ALLIANCE will still be guaranteed a spot in the tournament including the Champion and Finalist, along with the winner of a best-of-three Semi-Final Wild Card Series to be played between the losers of the two league Semi-Finals.  Also as in past years, two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition, while both an HNO and NOHA representative will also compete.  New in 2017, the final guaranteed spot is awarded to HEO but represented by their previous year Bantam Championship team who will be reassembled for tournament competition.  This season, HEO’s entry will be members of the 2016 Bantam Champion Eastern Ontario Wild.

Wild Card Games:

The final four entries at the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour will be Wild Cards determined among eight teams that will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario.  The eight competing teams aiming for the final four tournament spots will continue to include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship, and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series.  As introduced in 2016, two spots in Wild Card games will be reserved for GTHL teams.  The two competing GTHL teams will be determined through a pair of Wild Card Play-In Series matchups involving the four GTHL teams who qualified for the playoffs but lost in the first round.  One spot in a Wild Card will also be reserved for the winner of an OMHA SCTA Consolation Game that features both teams who lost in the SCTA Tournament Semi-Final.  The OMHA teams eligible for this matchup will be determined annually based on the league not hosting the OMHA Championship.  Finally, the three remaining teams who will compete in the Wild Card matchups will be named by the Tournament Selection Committee.  The Committee will evaluate and review a team’s post-season success as the first criteria for selection, with additional criteria to include regular season play and tournament play.  All four Wild Card games will take place onTuesday March 14 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the eight competing teams on  Wednesday March 8.

History:

Last season the York Simcoe Express captured their second OHL Cup title and first since 2004 with a 2-1 overtime win over the Toronto Marlboros.  Current North Bay Battalion rookie Rhys Forhan scored both Express goals, while goaltender Andrei Berezinskiy earned tournament MVP honours playing to a 5-0 record with a 2.09 goals-against-average.

The 2016 OHL Priority Selection featured 12 players chosen in the first round who competed in the OHL Cup including Ryan Merkley (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 1^st overall Guelph Storm), Owen Lalonde (Windsor Jr. Spitfires – 2^nd overall Sudbury Wolves), Danil Antropov (Toronto Marlboros – 6^th overall Oshawa Generals), Kirill Nizhnikov (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 7^th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Barrett Hayton (Toronto Red Wings – 9^th overall Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), Peter Stratis (Mississauga Rebels – 11^th overall Ottawa 67’s), Akil Thomas (Toronto Marlboros – 12^th overall Niagara IceDogs), Adam McMaster (Niagara North – 13^th overall North Bay Battalion), Tyler Weiss (Don Mills Flyers – 15^th overall Sarnia Sting), Nathan Dunkley (Quinte Red Devils – 17^th overall Kingston Frontenacs), Allan McShane (Toronto Marlboros – 19^th overall Erie Otters), and Jack McBain (Don Mills Flyers – 20^th overall Barrie Colts).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Robby Fabbri (Mississauga Rebels/St. Louis Blues), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Arizona Coyotes), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/New Jersey Devils), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/Nashville Predators), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

This season the OHL and GTHL announced a new three-year partnership with Under Armour that includes title sponsorship of the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament.  The OHL and GTHL have also announced a five-year partnership extension ensuring the event will continue to be hosted by the GTHL through 2021.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

GTHL’s Mississauga Rebels, Toronto Marlboros first to secure tournament entry

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the eighth edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting Staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament which takes place March 14-20, 2017.  All games will be played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 20.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 8

RANK	TEAM	LEAGUE	LAST WEEK	WEEKS RANKED
1	London Jr. Knights	ALLIANCE	1	8
2	Mississauga Rebels	GTHL	4	8
3	Whitby Wildcats	OMHA	3	8
4	Toronto Marlboros	GTHL	5	8
5	Mississauga Reps	GTHL	2	8
6	Toronto Young Nationals	GTHL	6	8
7	Waterloo Wolves	ALLIANCE	7	5
8	Quinte Red Devils	OMHA	10	3
9	Ajax-Pickering Raiders	OMHA	9	8
10	Mississauga Senators	GTHL	8	8
	Honourable Mention
	Brampton 45’s	OMHA	–	1
	Toronto Jr. Canadiens	GTHL	–	0
	York Simcoe Express	OMHA	–	0
	Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs	OMHA	–	5

The GTHL’s Mississauga Rebels and Toronto Marlboros have become the first two teams to officially qualify for tournament entry by advancing to their league Semi-Finals.  The Rebels defeated the Mississauga Senators 8-2 in points, while the Marlboros defeated the Toronto Titans 8-2 in points in first round playoff series action.  The Senators and Titans will still have an opportunity to qualify through the tournament’s Wild Card scenario by first competing in a Wild Card Play-In Series involving the league’s other two non-Semi-Final teams still to be determined.

Tournament Structure:

16 of the 20 spots in the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour are guaranteed through league competition.  The 16 guaranteed spots continue to include all four GTHL Semi-Finalists, and the top four teams that place at the OMHA Championship.  Three teams from the ALLIANCE will still be guaranteed a spot in the tournament including the Champion and Finalist, along with the winner of a best-of-three Semi-Final Wild Card Series to be played between the losers of the two league Semi-Finals.  Also as in past years, two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition, while both an HNO and NOHA representative will also compete.  New in 2017, the final guaranteed spot is awarded to HEO but represented by their previous year Bantam Championship team who will be reassembled for tournament competition.  This season, HEO’s entry will be members of the 2016 Bantam Champion Eastern Ontario Wild.

Wild Card Games:

The final four entries at the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour will be Wild Cards determined among eight teams that will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario.  The eight competing teams aiming for the final four tournament spots will continue to include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship, and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series.  As introduced in 2016, two spots in Wild Card games will be reserved for GTHL teams.  The two competing GTHL teams will be determined through a pair of Wild Card Play-In Series matchups involving the four GTHL teams who qualified for the playoffs but lost in the first round.  One spot in a Wild Card will also be reserved for the winner of an OMHA SCTA Consolation Game that features both teams who lost in the SCTA Tournament Semi-Final.  The OMHA teams eligible for this matchup will be determined annually based on the league not hosting the OMHA Championship.  Finally, the three remaining teams who will compete in the Wild Card matchups will be named by the Tournament Selection Committee.  The Committee will evaluate and review a team’s post-season success as the first criteria for selection, with additional criteria to include regular season play and tournament play.  All four Wild Card games will take place onTuesday March 14 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the eight competing teams onWednesday March 8.

History:

Last season the York Simcoe Express captured their second OHL Cup title and first since 2004 with a 2-1 overtime win over the Toronto Marlboros.  Current North Bay Battalion rookie Rhys Forhan scored both Express goals, while goaltender Andrei Berezinskiy earned tournament MVP honours playing to a 5-0 record with a 2.09 goals-against-average.

The 2016 OHL Priority Selection featured 12 players chosen in the first round who competed in the OHL Cup including Ryan Merkley (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 1^st overall Guelph Storm), Owen Lalonde (Windsor Jr. Spitfires – 2^nd overall Sudbury Wolves), Danil Antropov (Toronto Marlboros – 6^th overall Oshawa Generals), Kirill Nizhnikov (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 7^th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Barrett Hayton (Toronto Red Wings – 9^th overall Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), Peter Stratis (Mississauga Rebels – 11^th overall Ottawa 67’s), Akil Thomas (Toronto Marlboros – 12^th overall Niagara IceDogs), Adam McMaster (Niagara North – 13^th overall North Bay Battalion), Tyler Weiss (Don Mills Flyers – 15^th overall Sarnia Sting), Nathan Dunkley (Quinte Red Devils – 17^th overall Kingston Frontenacs), Allan McShane (Toronto Marlboros – 19^th overall Erie Otters), and Jack McBain (Don Mills Flyers – 20^th overall Barrie Colts).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Robby Fabbri (Mississauga Rebels/St. Louis Blues), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Arizona Coyotes), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/New Jersey Devils), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/Nashville Predators), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

This season the OHL and GTHL announced a new three-year partnership with Under Armour that includes title sponsorship of the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament.  The OHL and GTHL have also announced a five-year partnership extension ensuring the event will continue to be hosted by the GTHL through 2021.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the sixth edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting Staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament which takes place March 14-20, 2017.  All games will be played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 20.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 6

RANK	TEAM	LEAGUE	LAST WEEK	WEEKS RANKED
1	London Jr. Knights	ALLIANCE	1	6
2	Mississauga Reps	GTHL	2	6
3	Whitby Wildcats	OMHA	3	6
4	Mississauga Rebels	GTHL	4	6
5	Toronto Marlboros	GTHL	5	6
6	Toronto Young Nationals	GTHL	7	6
7	Mississauga Senators	GTHL	6	6
8	Waterloo Wolves	ALLIANCE	9	3
9	Ajax-Pickering Raiders	OMHA	8	6
10	Quinte Red Devils	OMHA	–	1
	Honourable Mention
	Brampton 45’s	OMHA	–	1
	Toronto Jr. Canadiens	GTHL	–	0
	Toronto Titans	GTHL	–	0
	Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs	OMHA	10	5

Tournament Structure:

16 of the 20 spots in the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour are guaranteed through league competition.  The 16 guaranteed spots continue to include all four GTHL Semi-Finalists, and the top four teams that place at the OMHA Championship.  Three teams from the ALLIANCE will still be guaranteed a spot in the tournament including the Champion and Finalist, along with the winner of a best-of-three Semi-Final Wild Card Series to be played between the losers of the two league Semi-Finals.  Also as in past years, two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition, while both an HNO and NOHA representative will also compete.  New in 2017, the final guaranteed spot is awarded to HEO but represented by their previous year Bantam Championship team who will be reassembled for tournament competition.  This season, HEO’s entry will be members of the 2016 Bantam Champion Eastern Ontario Wild.

Wild Card Games:

The final four entries at the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour will be Wild Cards determined among eight teams that will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario.  The eight competing teams aiming for the final four tournament spots will continue to include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship, and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series.  As introduced in 2016, two spots in Wild Card games will be reserved for GTHL teams.  The two competing GTHL teams will be determined through a pair of Wild Card Play-In Series matchups involving the four GTHL teams who qualified for the playoffs but lost in the first round.  One spot in a Wild Card will also be reserved for the winner of an OMHA SCTA Consolation Game that features both teams who lost in the SCTA Tournament Semi-Final.  The OMHA teams eligible for this matchup will be determined annually based on the league not hosting the OMHA Championship.  Finally, the three remaining teams who will compete in the Wild Card matchups will be named by the Tournament Selection Committee.  The Committee will evaluate and review a team’s post-season success as the first criteria for selection, with additional criteria to include regular season play and tournament play.  All four Wild Card games will take place onTuesday March 14 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the eight competing teams onWednesday March 8.

History:

Last season the York Simcoe Express captured their second OHL Cup title and first since 2004 with a 2-1 overtime win over the Toronto Marlboros.  Current North Bay Battalion rookie Rhys Forhan scored both Express goals, while goaltender Andrei Berezinskiy earned tournament MVP honours playing to a 5-0 record with a 2.09 goals-against-average.

The 2016 OHL Priority Selection featured 12 players chosen in the first round who competed in the OHL Cup including Ryan Merkley (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 1^st overall Guelph Storm), Owen Lalonde (Windsor Jr. Spitfires – 2^nd overall Sudbury Wolves), Danil Antropov (Toronto Marlboros – 6^th overall Oshawa Generals), Kirill Nizhnikov (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 7^th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Barrett Hayton (Toronto Red Wings – 9^th overall Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), Peter Stratis (Mississauga Rebels – 11^th overall Ottawa 67’s), Akil Thomas (Toronto Marlboros – 12^th overall Niagara IceDogs), Adam McMaster (Niagara North – 13^th overall North Bay Battalion), Tyler Weiss (Don Mills Flyers – 15^th overall Sarnia Sting), Nathan Dunkley (Quinte Red Devils – 17^th overall Kingston Frontenacs), Allan McShane (Toronto Marlboros – 19^th overall Erie Otters), and Jack McBain (Don Mills Flyers – 20^th overall Barrie Colts).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Robby Fabbri (Mississauga Rebels/St. Louis Blues), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Arizona Coyotes), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/New Jersey Devils), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/Nashville Predators), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

This season the OHL and GTHL announced a new three-year partnership with Under Armour that includes title sponsorship of the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament.  The OHL and GTHL have also announced a five-year partnership extension ensuring the event will continue to be hosted by the GTHL through 2021.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the fifth edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting Staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament which takes place March 14-20, 2017.  All games will be played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 20.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 5

RANK	TEAM	LEAGUE	LAST WEEK	WEEKS RANKED
1	London Jr. Knights	ALLIANCE	1	5
2	Mississauga Reps	GTHL	2	5
3	Whitby Wildcats	OMHA	4	5
4	Mississauga Rebels	GTHL	3	5
5	Toronto Marlboros	GTHL	6	5
6	Mississauga Senators	GTHL	5	5
7	Toronto Young Nationals	GTHL	7	5
8	Ajax-Pickering Raiders	OMHA	8	5
9	Waterloo Wolves	ALLIANCE	10	2
10	Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs	OMHA	9	5
	Honourable Mention
	Brampton 45’s	OMHA	–	1
	Quinte Red Devils	OMHA	–	0
	Toronto Jr. Canadiens	GTHL	–	0
	Toronto Titans	GTHL	–	0

Tournament Structure:

16 of the 20 spots in the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour are guaranteed through league competition.  The 16 guaranteed spots continue to include all four GTHL Semi-Finalists, and the top four teams that place at the OMHA Championship.  Three teams from the ALLIANCE will still be guaranteed a spot in the tournament including the Champion and Finalist, along with the winner of a best-of-three Semi-Final Wild Card Series to be played between the losers of the two league Semi-Finals.  Also as in past years, two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition, while both an HNO and NOHA representative will also compete.  New in 2017, the final guaranteed spot is awarded to HEO but represented by their previous year Bantam Championship team who will be reassembled for tournament competition.  This season, HEO’s entry will be members of the 2016 Bantam Champion Eastern Ontario Wild.

Wild Card Games:

The final four entries at the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour will be Wild Cards determined among eight teams that will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario.  The eight competing teams aiming for the final four tournament spots will continue to include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship, and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series.  As introduced in 2016, two spots in Wild Card games will be reserved for GTHL teams.  The two competing GTHL teams will be determined through a pair of Wild Card Play-In Series matchups involving the four GTHL teams who qualified for the playoffs but lost in the first round.  One spot in a Wild Card will also be reserved for the winner of an OMHA SCTA Consolation Game that features both teams who lost in the SCTA Tournament Semi-Final.  The OMHA teams eligible for this matchup will be determined annually based on the league not hosting the OMHA Championship.  Finally, the three remaining teams who will compete in the Wild Card matchups will be named by the Tournament Selection Committee.  The Committee will evaluate and review a team’s post-season success as the first criteria for selection, with additional criteria to include regular season play and tournament play.  All four Wild Card games will take place onTuesday March 14 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the eight competing teams on Wednesday March 8.

History:

Last season the York Simcoe Express captured their second OHL Cup title and first since 2004 with a 2-1 overtime win over the Toronto Marlboros.  Current North Bay Battalion rookie Rhys Forhan scored both Express goals, while goaltender Andrei Berezinskiy earned tournament MVP honours playing to a 5-0 record with a 2.09 goals-against-average.

The 2016 OHL Priority Selection featured 12 players chosen in the first round who competed in the OHL Cup including Ryan Merkley (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 1^st overall Guelph Storm), Owen Lalonde (Windsor Jr. Spitfires – 2^nd overall Sudbury Wolves), Danil Antropov (Toronto Marlboros – 6^th overall Oshawa Generals), Kirill Nizhnikov (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 7^th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Barrett Hayton (Toronto Red Wings – 9^th overall Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), Peter Stratis (Mississauga Rebels – 11^th overall Ottawa 67’s), Akil Thomas (Toronto Marlboros – 12^th overall Niagara IceDogs), Adam McMaster (Niagara North – 13^th overall North Bay Battalion), Tyler Weiss (Don Mills Flyers – 15^th overall Sarnia Sting), Nathan Dunkley (Quinte Red Devils – 17^th overall Kingston Frontenacs), Allan McShane (Toronto Marlboros – 19^th overall Erie Otters), and Jack McBain (Don Mills Flyers – 20^th overall Barrie Colts).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Robby Fabbri (Mississauga Rebels/St. Louis Blues), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Arizona Coyotes), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/New Jersey Devils), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/Nashville Predators), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

This season the OHL and GTHL announced a new three-year partnership with Under Armour that includes title sponsorship of the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament.  The OHL and GTHL have also announced a five-year partnership extension ensuring the event will continue to be hosted by the GTHL through 2021.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the fourth edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting Staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament which takes place March 14-20, 2017.  All games will be played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 20.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour – Week 4

RANK	TEAM	LEAGUE	LAST WEEK	WEEKS RANKED
1	London Jr. Knights	ALLIANCE	1	4
2	Mississauga Reps	GTHL	3	4
3	Mississauga Rebels	GTHL	2	4
4	Whitby Wildcats	OMHA	4	4
5	Mississauga Senators	GTHL	5	4
6	Toronto Marlboros	GTHL	6	4
7	Toronto Young Nationals	GTHL	7	4
8	Ajax-Pickering Raiders	OMHA	8	4
9	Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs	OMHA	9	4
10	Waterloo Wolves	ALLIANCE	–	1
	Honourable Mention
	Brampton 45’s	OMHA	10	1
	Quinte Red Devils	OMHA	–	0
	Toronto Jr. Canadiens	GTHL	–	0
	York Simcoe Express	OMHA	–	0

Tournament Structure:

16 of the 20 spots in the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour are guaranteed through league competition.  The 16 guaranteed spots continue to include all four GTHL Semi-Finalists, and the top four teams that place at the OMHA Championship.  Three teams from the ALLIANCE will still be guaranteed a spot in the tournament including the Champion and Finalist, along with the winner of a best-of-three Semi-Final Wild Card Series to be played between the losers of the two league Semi-Finals.  Also as in past years, two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition, while both an HNO and NOHA representative will also compete.  New in 2017, the final guaranteed spot is awarded to HEO but represented by their previous year Bantam Championship team who will be reassembled for tournament competition.  This season, HEO’s entry will be members of the 2016 Bantam Champion Eastern Ontario Wild.

Wild Card Games:

The final four entries at the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour will be Wild Cards determined among eight teams that will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario.  The eight competing teams aiming for the final four tournament spots will continue to include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship, and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series.  As introduced in 2016, two spots in Wild Card games will be reserved for GTHL teams.  The two competing GTHL teams will be determined through a pair of Wild Card Play-In Series matchups involving the four GTHL teams who qualified for the playoffs but lost in the first round.  One spot in a Wild Card will also be reserved for the winner of an OMHA SCTA Consolation Game that features both teams who lost in the SCTA Tournament Semi-Final.  The OMHA teams eligible for this matchup will be determined annually based on the league not hosting the OMHA Championship.  Finally, the three remaining teams who will compete in the Wild Card matchups will be named by the Tournament Selection Committee.  The Committee will evaluate and review a team’s post-season success as the first criteria for selection, with additional criteria to include regular season play and tournament play.  All four Wild Card games will take place onTuesday March 14 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the eight competing teams onWednesday March 8.

History:

Last season the York Simcoe Express captured their second OHL Cup title and first since 2004 with a 2-1 overtime win over the Toronto Marlboros.  Current North Bay Battalion rookie Rhys Forhan scored both Express goals, while goaltender Andrei Berezinskiy earned tournament MVP honours playing to a 5-0 record with a 2.09 goals-against-average.

The 2016 OHL Priority Selection featured 12 players chosen in the first round who competed in the OHL Cup including Ryan Merkley (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 1^st overall Guelph Storm), Owen Lalonde (Windsor Jr. Spitfires – 2^nd overall Sudbury Wolves), Danil Antropov (Toronto Marlboros – 6^th overall Oshawa Generals), Kirill Nizhnikov (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 7^th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Barrett Hayton (Toronto Red Wings – 9^th overall Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), Peter Stratis (Mississauga Rebels – 11^th overall Ottawa 67’s), Akil Thomas (Toronto Marlboros – 12^th overall Niagara IceDogs), Adam McMaster (Niagara North – 13^th overall North Bay Battalion), Tyler Weiss (Don Mills Flyers – 15^th overall Sarnia Sting), Nathan Dunkley (Quinte Red Devils – 17^th overall Kingston Frontenacs), Allan McShane (Toronto Marlboros – 19^th overall Erie Otters), and Jack McBain (Don Mills Flyers – 20^th overall Barrie Colts).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Robby Fabbri (Mississauga Rebels/St. Louis Blues), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Arizona Coyotes), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/New Jersey Devils), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/Nashville Predators), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

This season the OHL and GTHL announced a new three-year partnership with Under Armour that includes title sponsorship of the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament.  The OHL and GTHL have also announced a five-year partnership extension ensuring the event will continue to be hosted by the GTHL through 2021.

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.