Battalion’s Zach Bratina named Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that forward Zach Bratina of the North Bay Battalion is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending October 18 after leading the league with nine points in four games scoring an impressive eight goals and one assist with a plus-minus rating of plus-7.

Bratina helped the Battalion claim six of a possible eight points this past week highlighted by the first two hat-trick performances of his career.  On Thanksgiving Monday afternoon, Bratina netted three goals including the game-winner and earned first star honours in the 5-3 victory over the Mississauga Steelheads.  Then on Thursday night, Bratina scored a natural hat-trick tallying all three goals in the third period while adding one assist for a career-high four-point game.  The milestone helped him earn first star honours for the second straight game and led the Battalion to a 5-1 win over the Oshawa Generals.  Bratina also scored a goal on Friday night despite a 3-1 loss to the Sudbury Wolves, and once on Sunday as part of a 4-3 win over the Niagara IceDogs earning second star honours.

Zach Bratina - courtesy Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Zach Bratina – courtesy Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Bratina, a 19-year-old from Lindsay, ON, is playing in his fourth career OHL season and third with the Battalion after being a first round pick of the Plymouth Whalers in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection.  He currently ranks tied for ninth in OHL scoring with 13 points in nine games but his 11 goals are good for second best in the league and just one shy of his career-best.  Prior to the 2015-16 season, Bratina attended the New York Rangers Rookie Camp as a free agent invite.

Watch video highlights of Bratina and the Battalion against the Steelheads, Generals, and IceDogs.

Also considered for the award this week was Philadelphia Flyers prospect and Ottawa 67’s captain Travis Konecny who collected eight assists in three games, and 2016 NHL Draft prospect Adam Mascherin of the Kitchener Rangers with four goals and three assists for seven points in four games extending his season-long point-streak to nine games.  In goal, St. Louis Blues prospect Luke Opilka of the Rangers went 3-0-0-0 recording his first career OHL shutout while posting a goals-against-average of 1.32 and save percentage of .950.

Pioneer

2015-16 Pioneer Energy OHL Players of the Week:

Oct. 12 – Oct. 18: Zach Bratina (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 5 – Oct. 11: Hunter Garlent (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 28 – Oct. 4: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 27: Zack Bowman (Flint Firebirds)

Petes’ Hunter Garlent named Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that forward Hunter Garlent of the Peterborough Petes is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending October 11 after leading the league with eight points in three games scoring twice with six assists and a plus-minus rating of plus-7.

Garlent helped the Petes grab four of a possible six points on their West Division road trip lifting the club into a first place tie in the OHL’s Eastern Conference standings with 10 points.  Held without a point in the Petes’ 4-1 loss to the Windsor Spitfires on Thursday, Garlent rebounded with a goal and two assists on Saturday in a 7-2 victory over the Saginaw Spirit.  Then on Sunday, Garlent matched his career-high with a five-point performance scoring once with four assists in a 6-4 win over the Flint Firebirds.

Garlent, a 20-year-old from Thorold, ON, is playing in his fifth career OHL season and third with the Petes after being a first round pick of the Guelph Storm in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection.  Currently tied for second in OHL scoring with 11 points in eight games, Garlent has now scored 70 goals and 123 assists for 193 points in 232 career OHL regular season games.

Also considered for the award was last week’s recipient Alex DeBrincat who scored four goals and two assists for six points in two games helping the Erie Otters stay undefeated with a perfect 6-0-0-0 record, and Dante Salituro who scored four goals and one assist for five points in three games helping the Ottawa 67’s extend their winning-streak to four.  In goal, Lucas Peressini of the Kingston Frontenacs posted a 2-0-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 1.48 and save percentage of .955.

Pioneer

2015-16 Pioneer Energy OHL Players of the Week:

Oct. 5 – Oct. 11: Hunter Garlent (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 28 – Oct. 4: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 27: Zack Bowman (Flint Firebirds)

Otters’ Alex DeBrincat named Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that 2016 NHL Draft prospect Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending October 4 after recording five goals in two games with a plus-minus rating of plus-5.

DeBrincat helped the Otters earn a pair of victories last week to improve their record to 4-0-0-0 as the only remaining undefeated team in the OHL.  The club posted a 3-2 shootout triumph over the Flint Firebirds in Saturday night’s home opener, and also earned a 6-1 road victory over the Niagara IceDogs last Thursday with DeBrincat setting a franchise regular season single game record with a five-goal performance as the game’s first star.  He opened the scoring in that contest with his second goal of the season at the 10 minute mark of the first period, then broke a 1-1 tie with his second of the game early in the second period.  DeBrincat completed his hat-trick 53 seconds later before setting career-highs with goals four and five midway through the second and third periods respectively.  While former teammate Connor McDavid netted five goals in a single playoff game last April, DeBrincat is the first OHL player to record five goals in a regular season game since both Nick Ritchie of the Peterborough Petes, and Andreas Athanasiou of the Barrie Colts in February, 2014.

DeBrincat, a 17-year-old from Detroit, Michigan, earned OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year honours in 2014-15 after scoring 51 goals and 53 assists for 104 points in 68 games.  With six goals and one assist through three games of the 2015-16 campaign, DeBrincat is eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft and was one of seven OHL players listed as first round candidates by NHL Central Scouting in their September ‘Players to Watch’ list.

Watch video highlights of DeBrincat and the Otters against the IceDogs.

Also considered for the award this week was fellow 2016 NHL Draft prospect Logan Brown of the Windsor Spitfires who led the league with six points in two games scoring once with five assists, while forward Dante Salituro recorded four assists in one game played helping the Ottawa 67’s to a 5-1 victory over the Hamilton Bulldogs.  In goal, New Jersey Devils prospect Mackenzie Blackwood of the Barrie Colts posted a 2-1-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 1.33 and save percentage of .960.

Pioneer

2015-16 Pioneer Energy OHL Players of the Week:

Sept. 28 – Oct. 4: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters)
Sept. 21 – Sept. 27: Zack Bowman (Flint Firebirds)

Firebirds’ Zack Bowman named Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that goaltender Zack Bowman of the Flint Firebirds is the first Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the 2015-16 regular season after posting a 2-0-0-0 record including one shutout with a goals-against-average of 0.96 and a save percentage of .966.

Bowman made 58 saves in two games earning first star honours in both contests for the Firebirds who opened their inaugural season with a pair of victories over Michigan I-75 rivals the Saginaw Spirit.  In Thursday night’s season opener, Bowman stopped all 24 shots he faced on the road earning his first career OHL shutout blanking the Spirit 3-0.  In Saturday night’s home opener, Bowman turned aside 34 shots then stopped all three Spirit shootout attempts backstopping the Firebirds to a 3-2 victory in the first ever OHL game played at the Dort Federal Event Center.

Bowman, an 18-year-old from St. Catharines, ON, is playing in his third career OHL season after being selected by the Plymouth Whalers in the fourth round of the 2013 OHL Priority Selection.  In 34 career games he carries a 7-15-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 4.30 and save percentage of .883.

Watch video highlights of Bowman and the Firebirds against the Spirit on Thursday and Saturday nights.

Honourable mention for the award this week goes to 2016 NHL Draft prospect Matthew Tkachuk of the London Knights who led the league with six points in his first two career OHL games scoring twice with four assists.  Tkachuk’s week also included a three-point performance on Thursday night in Buffalo competing for Team Roenick at the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game.  Also considered for the award was Stephen Harper of the Hamilton Bulldogs and Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Mangiapane of the Barrie Colts who both scored three goals with two assists for five points in two games.

2015-16 Pioneer Energy OHL Players of the Week:

Sept. 21 – Sept. 27: Zack Bowman (Flint Firebirds)