Generals’ Kenny Huether named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that forward Kenny Huether of the Oshawa Generals is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending February 4 after scoring three goals and four assists for seven points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-5. 

Huether produced a pair of multi-point performances that helped the Generals finish the weekend with two straight victories climbing into a tie for fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with a 25-23-3-0 record.  Following a 7-1 loss to the Kingston Frontenacs on Friday, Huether put together a first star effort on Saturday in Peterborough scoring one of five first period goals for the Generals and assisting on two which led to an 8-2 road win over their rival Petes.  His week wrapped up Sunday with a season-high four points including two goals and two assists earning second star honours in a 6-3 win over the Windsor Spitfires. 

Kenny Huether of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Kenny Huether of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

A 20-year-old from Londesborough, Ont., Huether is playing in his fourth season in Oshawa after being chosen by the club in the ninth round of the 2013 OHL Priority Selection.  The overage forward is currently the longest serving General with his tenure dating back to the 2014-15 season which included an OHL and Mastercard Memorial Cup title.  In 236 career games he’s compiled 145 points including 39 points in 51 games this season with a team-high 24 goals. 

Watch video highlights of Huether and the Generals against the Petes and Spitfires. 

Huether wasn’t the only General to have a strong week as Domenico Commisso tallied three goals and four assists for seven points in three games.  A pair of Barrie Colts were also considered for the award after each recording seven points in three games including top NHL Draft prospect Andrei Svechnikov with six goals and one assist, and Ottawa Senators prospect Aaron Luchuk with two goals and five assists.  In goal, Los Angeles Kings prospect Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds posted a 3-0-0-0 record including one shutout making 69 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.64 and save percentage of .932.

2017-18 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week:

Jan. 29 – Feb. 4: Kenny Huether (Oshawa Generals)
Jan. 22 – Jan. 28: Jeremy Helvig (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan. 15 – Jan. 21: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 14: Taylor Raddysh (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 25 – Dec. 31: Ben Jones (Niagara IceDogs)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Joseph Garreffa (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

OHL Top Performers of the Month for January

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for regular season games played in January 2018, including Niagara IceDogs forward Sam Miletic, Mississauga Steelheads defenceman Nicolas Hague, Barrie Colts rookie Andrei Svechnikov and Kitchener Rangers netminder Mario Culina.

OHL Player of the Month – Sam Miletic (Niagara IceDogs):

Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Sam Miletic of the Niagara IceDogs is the OHL Player of the Month for January after leading all players with 25 points including 12 goals, 13 assists over 13 games with a plus/minus rating of plus-7. Acquired by the IceDogs early in the month, Miletic recorded 15 of his 25 points with his new club including a four-point effort on Jan. 26th against Sarnia, completing a hat-trick on the overtime winner. He had a total of seven multi-point efforts including two-goal outings on Jan. 7th with the London Knights against the North Bay Battalion as well as on Jan. 12th with the IceDogs against the Barrie Colts. Miletic earned first star of the game honours three different times, helping the IceDogs play to a 5-2-1-1 record since acquiring him as they lead the Central Division.

A 20-year-old native of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Miletic sits fourth in OHL scoring with 69 points and tied for third in league assists with 45. Signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins to a three-year entry level NHL contract this past fall, Miletic was originally a 15th round pick of the London Knights in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection. He’s recorded 138 points (64-74–138) over his 144-game OHL career.

OHL Defenceman of the Month – Nicolas Hague (Mississauga Steelheads):

Vegas Golden Knights prospect Nicolas Hague of the Mississauga Steelheads is the OHL Defenceman of the Month for January, leading all blueliners with 16 points including five goals and 11 assists over 10 games. The 6-foot-5, 216Ib. Hague registered five multi-point outings last month including three assists on Jan. 3rd at Erie. He ended January with back-to-back three point efforts that both included a goal and two assists on Jan. 26th against Peterborough and again on Jan. 28th against Sudbury. Hague enters February on a three-game goal-scoring streak after helping the Steelheads play to an 8-2-0-0 record in the month of January.

A 19-year-old native of Kitchener, Ont., Hague leads the Steelheads in scoring with 56 points including 25 goals and 31 assists in 46 games. Mississauga’s all-time leader in points by a defenceman, Hague set a single-season franchise record for goals by a blueliner when he scored his 21st back on Jan. 5th against Kitchener. His 25 goals are the most by an OHL defenceman since Anthony DeAngelo and Jordan Subban both reached the mark during the 2014-15 season. Hague represented Team OHL in the 2017 CIBC Canada-Russia Series back in November and was a second round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights this past summer. He was Mississauga’s second round pick in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection.

OHL Rookie of the Month – Andrei Svechnikov (Barrie Colts):

For the second time this season, Barrie Colts forward Andrei Svechnikov is the OHL Rookie of the Month. The top-ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings released earlier this month, Svechnikov led OHL rookies with 17 points including nine goals and eight assists over 11 games in January. Svechnikov returned from the 2018 World Junior Hockey Championship where he represented Russia to register points in 10 of 11 games, entering the month of February on a six-game run of multi-point performances. He had a pair of two-goal games including Jan. 19th at Mississauga as well as Jan. 31st at Owen Sound.

A 17-year-old native of Barnaul, Russia, Svechnikov leads OHL rookies with 23 goals to go with 15 assists for 38 points in just 27 games after missing time with an injury. The 6-foot-3, 184Ib. left-handed shot was the first overall pick of the 2017 CHL Import Draft and represented Team Orr in the recent 2018 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month – Mario Culina (Kitchener Rangers):

Overage netminder Mario Culina of the Kitchener Rangers is the Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month for January. Suiting up for both the Rangers and Sudbury Wolves this month, Culina played to an overall record of 6-1-1-0, posting a 1.74 goals-against average, a .946 save percentage and two shutouts over eight games. He is a perfect 6-0-0-0 since joining the Rangers on Jan. 8th. His month was headlined by back-to-back shutout efforts including a 34-save performance on Jan. 17th at Niagara followed by a 36-save showing at home to the Erie Otters on Jan. 19th. He enters the month of February on a six-game winning streak, making over 30 saves in three of his last four games.

A 20-year-old native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Culina joined the Sudbury Wolves in late November after starting the season with the Ryerson University Ram’s Men’s Hockey team. A Mastercard Memorial Cup champion with Windsor last spring, Culina has posted a 2.61 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and 8-5-2-0 record in 16 games this season, improving to 31-18-4-1 in his OHL career. He was originally signed as a free agent by the Windsor Spitfires in September 2015.

2017-18 OHL Performers of the Month:

Player of the Month:

January – Sam Miletic (Niagara IceDogs)

December – Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)

November – Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)

October – Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)

Defenceman of the Month:

January – Nicolas Hague (Mississauga Steelheads)

December – Evan Bouchard (London Knights)

November – Evan Bouchard (London Knights)

October – Sean Durzi (Owen Sound Attack)

Rookie of the Month:

January – Andrei Svechnikov (Barrie Colts)

December – Rasmus Sandin (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)

November – Blade Jenkins (Saginaw Spirit)

October – Andrei Svechnikov (Barrie Colts)

Vaughn Goaltender of the Month:

January – Mario Culina (Kitchener Rangers)

December – Matthew Villalta (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)

November – Matthew Villalta (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)

October – Justin Fazio (Sarnia Sting)

Frontenacs’ Jeremy Helvig named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Carolina Hurricanes prospect Jeremy Helvig of the Kingston Frontenacs is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending January 28 after posting a 3-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 1.63 and save percentage of .942. 

Jeremy Helvig of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Jeremy Helvig of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Helvig becomes just the second goaltender to earn the weekly honour this season after turning aside 81 shots across three victories over East Division competition.  He helped the Frontenacs improve their record to 25-16-4-3 putting them in a third place tie in the Eastern Conference standings following a 28-save shutout performance on Sunday that earned first star honours in a 2-0 triumph over the Peterborough Petes.  His week also included a first star effort on Friday with 26 saves as part of a 4-1 win over the Oshawa Generals, followed by 27 saves on Saturday in Ottawa backstopping the Fronts to a 5-4 overtime win against the 67’s. 

A 20-year-old from Markham, Ont., Helvig is playing in his fourth season with the Frontenacs who chose him in the third round of the 2013 OHL Priority Selection.  So far this season he carries a record of 21-12-4-3 with two shutouts and is among the league leaders in goals-against-average and save percentage with marks of 2.58 and .920 respectively.  His two shutouts this season bring his career-total to 10 and build upon the all-time franchise record of nine which he established back on December 28.  Helvig was a fifth round pick by the Hurricanes in the 2016 NHL Draft. 

Watch video highlights of Helvig and the Frontenacs against the Generals, 67’s, and Petes. 

Also considered for the award this week was Frontenacs forward Gabriel Vilardi, a Los Angeles Kings prospect, who led the league with nine points in three games including three goals and six assists.  Kitchener Rangers Kole Sherwood (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Adam Mascherin (Florida Panthers) both earn honourable mention for producing eight points in three games including three goals and five assists. 

2017-18 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week:

Jan. 22 – Jan. 28: Jeremy Helvig (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan. 15 – Jan. 21: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 14: Taylor Raddysh (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 25 – Dec. 31: Ben Jones (Niagara IceDogs)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Joseph Garreffa (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

Sting’s Jordan Kyrou named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that St. Louis Blues prospect Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending January 21 after leading the league with 11 points in three games including two goals and nine assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-6. 

Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Kyrou becomes the league’s first two-time award recipient this season after recording a trio of multi-point performances to reclaim the OHL scoring lead and help the Sting win all three games last week to extend their winning-streak to seven.  On Wednesday night he contributed three assists and earned third star honours in a 6-3 road win over the Flint Firebirds, then scored a goal and two assists on Friday as first star of a 5-3 win over top ranked Sault Ste. Marie bringing an end to the Greyhounds 29-game point streak.  Kyrou’s week wrapped up Sunday with another first star effort tallying five points including the game-winning goal plus four assists in a 6-5 road victory over the Oshawa Generals.  This extended his personal point-streak to seven games dating back to December 8 as the Sting now hold an overall record of 32-12-2-0 following weekend action. 

A 19-year-old from Toronto, Ont., Kyrou is playing in his fourth season with the Sting who chose him in the second round of the 2014 OHL Priority Selection.  The captain now has 23 goals and a league-high 50 assists for 73 points in just 35 games.  Kyrou was one of eight current OHL players to help Canada win gold at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo producing 10 points in seven games.  He was a second round pick by the Blues in the 2016 NHL Draft. 

Watch video highlights of Kyrou and the Sting against the Firebirds, Greyhounds, and Generals. 

Also considered for the award this week was Vegas Golden Knights prospect Nick Suzuki of the Owen Sound Attack with five goals and three assists for eight points in three games, and Minnesota Wild prospect Dmitry Sokolov of the Barrie Colts with four goals and four assists for eight points in three games.  In goal, Mario Culina of the Kitchener Rangers went 3-0-0-0 with two shutout victories making a total of 98 saves for a goals-against-average of 0.67 and save percentage of .980.

2017-18 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week:

Jan. 15 – Jan. 21: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 14: Taylor Raddysh (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 25 – Dec. 31: Ben Jones (Niagara IceDogs)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Joseph Garreffa (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

Greyhounds’ Taylor Raddysh named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Taylor Raddysh of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending January 14 after leading the league with nine points in three games including four goals and five assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-5. 

Raddysh returned to OHL action following a gold medal performance with Canada’s National Junior Team and delivered three multi-point efforts in his first week with the Greyhounds helping them earn a trio of victories to extend their point-streak to 29.  In his Greyhounds debut last Wednesday, Raddysh scored twice and earned second star honours in a 3-1 win over the Saginaw Spirit.  His week continued Friday with two assists in a 5-2 win over the Owen Sound Attack, then wrapped up Saturday with a season-high five points including two goals and three assists as first star of a 7-4 victory against the Mississauga Steelheads.  Raddysh has points in his last 11 OHL games dating back to November 23, while the Greyhounds remain first place in the overall league standings with a 37-3-2-1 record which includes 28 wins and one shootout loss in their last 29 contests. 

A 19-year-old from Caledon, Ont., Raddysh is playing in his fourth OHL season after being chosen by the Erie Otters in the first round of the 2014 OHL Priority Selection.  The 2017 OHL champion played 213 career games in Erie amassing 102 goals and 151 assists for 253 points including 44 points in 30 games this season before being acquired by the Greyhounds in a trade on January 6.  Raddysh recorded five points across seven games in his second straight World Junior helping Canada earn gold for the 17th time.  He was selected by the Lightning in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft. 

Watch video highlights of Raddysh and the Greyhounds against the Spirit, Attack, and Steelheads. 

Also considered for the award this week was Nikita Korostelev of the Peterborough Petes with four goals and four assists for eight points in three games, and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Sam Miletic who scored four goals and three assists for seven points in his first three games with the Niagara IceDogs.  In goal, Boston Bruins prospect Kyle Keyser of the Oshawa Generals posted a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory making 77 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.50 and save percentage of .963.

2017-18 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week:

Jan. 8 – Jan. 14: Taylor Raddysh (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 25 – Dec. 31: Ben Jones (Niagara IceDogs)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Joseph Garreffa (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

 

Steelheads’ Owen Tippett named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Florida Panthers prospect Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending January 7 with seven goals and three assists for 10 points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-3. 

Tippett welcomed 2018 with three multi-point performances leading the Steelheads to three straight victories to start the new year improving their Central Division record to 17-22-0-1.  He earned first star honours in all three games last week beginning Wednesday night with two goals and one assist in a 5-3 road win over the Erie Otters.  Back at home Thursday facing top ranked Sault Ste. Marie, Tippett scored a natural hat-trick in the first period, the first of his career, then tallied a shootout marker to secure a 4-3 win snapping the Greyhounds 23-game win-streak.  His week wrapped up Friday in Kitchener scoring two goals and two assists for his first four-point effort of the season to extend his personal point-streak to seven games in a 6-2 triumph over the Rangers. 

Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

An 18-year-old from Peterborough, Ont., Tippett is playing in his third season with the Steelheads who chose him fourth overall in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection.  After beginning the season in the NHL with one goal in seven games, Tippett has scored 17 goals with 19 assists for 36 points in 23 OHL games since November 10.  Last season Tippett set a Steelheads record with 44 goals as part of a 75-point campaign and would become the top OHL player chosen in the 2017 NHL Draft going tenth overall to the Panthers. 

Watch video highlights of Tippett and the Steelheads against the Otters and Rangers.

Also considered for the award this week was Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Sam Miletic of the London Knights producing 10 points in four games including four goals and six assists, and Dallas Stars prospect Jason Robertson of the Kingston Frontenacs with nine points in three games including three goals and six assists.  In goal, Los Angeles Kings prospect Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds posted a 2-0-0-1 record making 73 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.80 and save percentage of .936.

2017-18 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week:

Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 25 – Dec. 31: Ben Jones (Niagara IceDogs)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Joseph Garreffa (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires) 

IceDogs’ Ben Jones named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Vegas Golden Knights prospect Ben Jones of the Niagara IceDogs is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending December 31 scoring twice with five assists for seven points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-3.

Ben Jones of the Niagara IceDogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Ben Jones of the Niagara IceDogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Jones helped the IceDogs close 2017 with three-straight victories following the holiday break improving their Central Division record to 19-11-3-2 which ranks third overall in the Eastern Conference.  The Dogs took to the road for their first two games after Christmas with stops in North Bay and Sudbury where Jones contributed an assist on Thursday as part of a 3-2 overtime victory against the Battalion, and scored a goal with two assists on Friday earning first star honours in a 7-4 win over the Wolves.  Back home Sunday for a New Year’s Eve matchup against Hamilton, Jones extended his point-streak to a career-high eight games and reached the century mark for career-points with another goal and two assist performance as second star of a 7-3 win over the East leading Bulldogs.

An 18-year-old from Waterloo, Ont., Jones is playing in his third season with the IceDogs after being chosen by Niagara seventh overall in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection.  He currently leads the IceDogs in scoring and is tied for 19th among all OHL skaters with 41 points in 35 games including a new career-high 14 goals.  His 100 career points includes 32 goals and 68 assists recorded across 159 games.  This past June in Chicago, Jones was a seventh round pick by the Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Watch video highlights of Jones and the IceDogs against the Battalion, Wolves, and Bulldogs.

Also considered for the award this week was Montreal Canadiens prospect Will Bitten who scored two goals and five assists for seven points in three games for the Bulldogs, and Florida Panthers prospect Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads who scored three goals with four assists for seven points in three games.  In goal, Leo Lazarev of the Barrie Colts made 82 saves while posting a 2-0-0-0 record along with a goals-against-average of 1.50 and save percentage of .965.

2017-18 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week:

Dec. 25 – Dec. 31: Ben Jones (Niagara IceDogs)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Joseph Garreffa (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

Greyhounds’ Morgan Frost named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Philadelphia Flyers prospect Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending December 17 after leading the league with eight points in three games including four goals and four assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-9. 

Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Frost wrapped up the first half of the 2017-18 season with three-straight multi-point performances extending his personal point-streak to 11 while helping extend the team’s winning-streak to 20.  On Wednesday night he earned first star honours with two goals in a 4-1 win over the Flint Firebirds, then contributed two assists on Friday as the Greyhounds squeaked out a victory over the Kitchener Rangers by a 4-3 score in the game’s dying seconds.  His week wrapped up Saturday with his second four-point effort of the season netting two goals and two assists as second star of a 7-1 win over the Guelph Storm.  The Greyhounds enter the holiday break with a 29-3-2-0 record and are just five wins away from equalling the 1983-84 Rangers who produced 25 consecutive wins. 

An 18-year-old from Aurora, Ont., Frost is playing in his third season with the Greyhounds who chose him in the fourth round of the 2015 OHL Priority Selection.  He currently ranks third in OHL scoring with 19 goals and 36 assists for 55 points in 33 games and carries a league-high plus-minus rating of plus-42.  Last season he scored 20 goals and 42 assists for 62 points in 67 games before being selected by the Flyers in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft.  Frost was signed by Philadelphia to a three-year entry-level contract in August. 

Watch video highlights of Frost and the Greyhounds against the Firebirds, Rangers, and Storm. 

Also considered for the award this week was Greyhounds’ defenceman Mac Hollowell who scored once with six assists for seven points in three games, and Kyle Maksimovich of the Erie Otters who scored four goals and two assists for six points in three games.  In goal, New Jersey Devils prospect Evan Cormier of the Saginaw Spirit posted a 2-1-0-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 1.80 and save percentage of .955 while becoming the club’s all-time shutout leader with six.

2017-18 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week:

Dec. 11 – Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Joseph Garreffa (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

 

Battalion’s Justin Brazeau named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Justin Brazeau of the North Bay Battalion is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending December 10 after leading the league with eight points in three games scoring five goals and three assists. 

Brazeau recorded a pair of multi-point performances that helped the Troops earn a pair of victories on home ice to maintain their hold on third place in the Central Division standings.  He contributed to 80% of the Battalion’s total offense last week beginning Thursday night by scoring twice including the game-winner and adding one assist as first star of a 4-3 win over the Mississauga Steelheads.  The win was the tenth of the season for the Battalion and number 682 all-time for head coach Stan Butler who moved into fourth on the OHL wins list ahead of Larry Mavety.  Brazeau was held to just one assist on Friday in a 3-1 loss to the top ranked Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds but rebounded with the best game of his OHL career later that weekend.  It was Sunday where the power forward scored his first hat-trick including another game-winner while assisting on Luke Burghardt’s Teddy Bear Toss goal to earn first star honours in a 5-2 win over the Barrie Colts. 

A 19-year-old from New Liskeard, Ont., Brazeau is playing in his third season with the Battalion who chose him in the 13th round of the 2014 OHL Priority Selection.  The 6’5’’, 221lb winger is currently tied for 18th in league scoring with 36 points in 31 games while his 23 goals are third among OHL leaders.  His goal output has already surpassed the 22 he tallied last season as he stands just one point shy of equalling his 37-point total recorded in 67 games played in 2016-17.  In September Brazeau attended Training Camp with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent invite. 

Watch video highlights of Brazeau and the Battalion against the Steelheads, Greyhounds, and Colts. 

Also considered for the award this week was overage forward Aaron Luchuk of the Windsor Spitfires and Florida Panthers prospect Adam Mascherin of the Kitchener Rangers who both scored five goals and two assists for seven points in three contests highlighted by hat-trick performances in the same game head-to-head last Tuesday night.  In goal, Stephen Dhillon of the Niagara IceDogs posted a 2-0-0-0 record including one shutout making 59 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .967.

2017-18 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week:

Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Joseph Garreffa (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

Rangers’ Joseph Garreffa named OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Joseph Garreffa of the Kitchener Rangers is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending December 3 after leading the league with eight points, all assists, in three games while recording a plus-minus rating of plus-3. 

Joseph Garreffa of the Kitchener Rangers. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Joseph Garreffa of the Kitchener Rangers. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Garreffa helped the Rangers collect three comeback wins last week delivering back-to-back four-assist performances against the Owen Sound Attack.  The forward turned defenceman earned first star honours on Wednesday night in Owen Sound as the Rangers erased a 4-2 deficit with a trio of third period tallies skating to a 5-4 victory.  On home ice Friday, the third year blue shirt was recognized as the game’s second star as the Rangers once again battled back from a 4-2 third period hole this time emerging triumphant in overtime with Garreffa intercepting a clearing attempt and feeding Kole Sherwood for his second straight game-winner.  Kitchener improved their first place Midwest Division record to 18-9-2-0 on Sunday following a 3-2 overtime road win against the Erie Otters after trailing 2-0 early in the first period. 

An 18-year-old from Toronto, Ont., the 5’6’’, 167lb Garreffa was a third round pick by the Rangers in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection.  He is currently second in team scoring with 28 points in 29 games powered by five goals and 23 assists after scoring 25 times in 2016-17 with 35 assists for 60 points in 68 games.  His 23 helpers are tied for 11th overall among league leaders with 13 of them coming with the man advantage good enough for a fifth place tie in the power play assist category.

Watch video highlights of Garreffa and the Rangers on the road against the Attack, at home against the Attack, and on the road against the Otters. 

Also considered for the award this week was Dallas Stars prospect Jason Robertson of the Kingston Frontenacs with seven assists in three games, and Colorado Avalanche prospect Conor Timmins with three goals and three assists for six points in three games helping the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds extend their winning-streak to a team record 14-straight.  In goal, Vancouver Canucks prospect Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires made 69 saves in a pair of victories including one by shutout posting a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .972.

 2017-18 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week:

Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Joseph Garreffa (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
Sept. 25 – Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)