Vaughn CHL Team of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

The Canadian Hockey League today announced the 18th edition of the Vaughn CHL Team of the Week for the 2019-20 season based on individual performances from Jan. 20-26.

Leading the way is Flint Firebirds captain and Dallas Stars first-round pick Ty Dellandrea who wrapped up the week with 10 points counting six goals and four assists over three games. Dellandrea began the week on a high note putting up two goals and two assists for four points in Wednesday’s 7-4 road win over the Soo Greyhounds in which he also claimed second-star honours. For his efforts, Dellandrea was recognized as the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week.

Also up front is Portland Winterhawks centre and 2020 NHL Draft prospect Seth Jarvis who recorded four goals and five assists for nine points over a pair of appearances. Against the Tri-City Americans on Friday, Jarvis matched a season-high of five points as he finished with two goals and three assists to help his club to an 8-2 victory in which he was also recognized as the game’s first star. Given his successful showing, Jarvis was honoured as the WHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week.

Rounding out the forward ranks is Sherbrooke Phoenix captain and Pittsburgh Penguins first-round pick Samuel Poulin who registered eight points counting five goals and three assists over a pair of contests. Poulin’s best showing came against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Friday as he put up five points and tied a franchise-record with four goals while adding one assist to help claim a 10-1 victory and first-star honours. For his efforts, Poulin was recognized as the Ultramar QMJHL Player of the Week.

Leading the blue line is Lethbridge Hurricanes defenceman and Penguins prospect Calen Addison who impressed with nine assists over a trio of appearances. Addison’s top showing came against the Regina Pats on Friday as he finished with a season-high of five points – all coming as helpers – en route to a 7-2 road victory and first-star recognition.

Partnering on the back end is Addison’s teammate in Hurricanes blue liner Alex Cotton who wrapped up the week with two goals and five assists for seven points over three games. The stretch included back-to-back three-point efforts versus the Moose Jaw Warriors and Regina Pats with the former counting a trio of assists in a 7-1 road victory in which Cotton was recognized as the game’s third star.

Between the pipes, Barrie Colts netminder and Vancouver Canucks draft pick Arturs Silovs shined over a pair of appearances and 123 minutes of ice time in which he came away with a pair of victories. Against the Oshawa Generals on Thursday, Silovs turned aside 19 shots en route to a 5-0 victory and his first career shutout to earn second-star honours. In all, Silovs wrapped up the week with a miniscule 0.98 goals-against average coupled with an outstanding .964 save percentage.

 

OHL CUP POWERED BY UNDER ARMOUR MINOR MIDGET TOP-10 RANKINGS

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

OHL Cup Top 10

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the ninth edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2020 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The 2020 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour and hosted by the GTHL is scheduled for March 17-23 and will feature 20 teams from across Ontario and the United States showcasing many of the top players eligible for the 2020 OHL Priority Selection.  All games will be played at Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday, March 23.

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.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2020 OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour – Week 9

RANK TEAM LEAGUE LAST WEEK WEEKS RANKED
1 Quinte Red Devils OMHA 1 9
2 Toronto Titans GTHL 3 9
3 Toronto Jr. Canadiens GTHL 2 9
4 Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs ALLIANCE 4 9
5 Toronto Nationals GTHL 5 9
6 Southern Tier Admirals OMHA 6 9
7 Vaughan Kings GTHL 8 5
8 Hamilton Huskies ALLIANCE 9 7
9 Toronto Marlboros GTHL 10 9
10 Mississauga Senators GTHL 7 6
Honourable Mention:
Waterloo Wolves ALLIANCE – 4
Whitby Wildcats OMHA – –
London Jr. Knights ALLIANCE – 1

GTHL regular season action continued this past weekend with the conclusion of the 2020 Youth Olympics and the Toronto Titans are up into the second spot in the Week 9 edition of the OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour Minor Midget Top-10 Rankings. The Vaughan Kings, Hamilton Huskies and Toronto Marlboros join them in ascending up the list while the Mississauga Senators fell three spots to 10th. The Quinte Red Devils are the top-ranked team for the eighth consecutive week as they rounded out their regular season with a 28-5-3 record.

History:
Last season the Don Mills Flyers overcame a 4-1 deficit to defeat the Toronto Red Wings 6-5 as Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs) set up Brennan Othmann (Flint Firebirds) for the overtime winning goal. The Flyers added both OHL Cup and GTHL Championships to their incredible season that saw them lose just once. An exceptional status player who was selected by the Kingston Frontenacs with the first overall pick of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Wright was named Tournament MVP with 18 points over seven contests, one shy of Connor McDavid’s 2012 event record.

The 2019 OHL Priority Selection featured 15 players chosen in the first round who competed for the OHL Cup including Shane Wright (Don Mills Flyers – 1st overall Kingston Frontenacs), Brennan Othmann (Don Mills Flyers – 2nd overall Flint Firebirds), Brandt Clarke (Don Mills Flyers – 4th overall Barrie Colts), Wyatt Johnston (Toronto Marlboros – 6th overall Windsor Spitfires), Benjamin Gaudreau (Team NOHA – 7th overall Sarnia Sting), Ryan Winterton (Whitby Wildcats – 8th overall Hamilton Bulldogs), Liam Arnsby (Don Mills Flyers – 9th overall North Bay Battalion), Ethan Del Mastro (Toronto Marlboros – 12th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Francesco Pinelli (Toronto Red Wings – 13th overall Kitchener Rangers), Danny Zhilkin (Toronto Marlboros -14th overall Guelph Storm), Landon McCallum (Brantford 99’ers – 15th overall Sudbury Wolves), Brett Harrison (London Jr. Knights – 16th overall Oshawa Generals), Jacob Holmes (York-Simcoe Express – 18th overall Soo Greyhounds), Connor Punnett (North Central Predators – 19th overall Saginaw Spirit) and Jack Matier (Team NOHA – 21st overall Ottawa 67’s).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Dylan Strome (Toronto Marlboros/Chicago Blackhawks), Travis Konecny (Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs/Philadelphia Flyers), Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Montreal Canadiens), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/Arizona Coyotes), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/Toronto Maple Leafs), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/New Jersey Devils), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

HOCKEY CANADA NAMES PROGRAM OF EXCELLENCE MANAGEMENT GROUP, NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM HEAD COACH FOR 2020-21 SEASON

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Boyd, Mondou and Millar to oversee U17, U18 and U20 programs; Tourigny to lead Canada’s National Junior Team

Hockey Canada

CALGARY, Alta. – Preparations for the 2020-21 season are underway, and Hockey Canada will be working with three accomplished Canadian Hockey League (CHL) executives as part of its Program of Excellence management group.

James Boyd (Mississauga, Ont./Ottawa, OHL) will make his debut as a member of the POE management group with the under-17 program, guiding three Canadian teams at the 2020 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Charlottetown and Summerside, P.E.I. Martin Mondou (Grand-Mère, Que./Shawinigan, QMJHL) and Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont./Moose Jaw, WHL) return to the program for the third-consecutive year, with Mondou taking over the under-18 program for the 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and Millar advising the under-20 program and Canada’s National Junior Team.

The management group will work alongside Shawn Bullock (Wainwright, Alta.), Hockey Canada’s director of men’s national teams, and head scout Brad McEwen (Whitewood, Sask.), as well as Hockey Canada’s national teams staff. Day-to-day operations for the POE management group include assisting in coach and player selections, supporting the coaching staffs and providing input during camps and tournaments throughout the season.

In addition, André Tourigny (Nicolet, Que./Ottawa, OHL) has been named the head coach of Canada’s National Junior Team for the upcoming season. Tourigny returns to the team after helping Canada to a gold medal at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship as an assistant coach.

“We are excited to provide consistency to our Program of Excellence by welcoming Martin and Alan back to the program at the U18 and U20 levels, and to have James guide our U17 group,” said Bullock. “We are also thrilled to have André return to Canada’s National Junior Team and build on the momentum from winning a gold medal at the 2020 World Juniors. We believe these four men will provide outstanding leadership as we prepare for the upcoming season, and their experience will prove to be a great asset as we continue to build and excel at all levels of the program.”

Boyd will oversee the under-17 program for the first time after serving as director of operations for Team Canada White at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He previously served as an assistant coach at the 2003 U18 Junior World Cup and 2004 IIHF U18 World Championship, and was the head coach of Team Ontario at the 2005 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Boyd has been the general manager of the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) since 2017, leading the team to the OHL Championship Series in 2019 after winning the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the OHL’s best regular-season team. He also spent time with the Belleville Bulls (1999-2004), Toronto St. Michael’s Majors and Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (2004-12), and Mississauga Steelheads (2012-17) of the OHL, leading the Majors to a runner-up finish at the 2011 Memorial Cup.

Mondou will take over the under-18 program after leading the under-17 program the last two seasons, which included the 2018 and 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenges. He has been general manager of the Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) since the 2007-08 season, leading the Cataractes to the QMJHL final in 2009 and 2016, and to a Memorial Cup championship in 2012. Mondou won the Trophée Maurice-Fillion as QMJHL general manager of the year in 2014-15.

Millar moves up to the under-20 program after overseeing the under-18 program for the past two seasons, which included a gold and silver medals with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2018 and 2019. Millar was named director of hockey operations for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2010, and became general manager in 2012. He has also spent time with the Sarnia Sting, Guelph Storm and St. Michael’s Majors of the OHL, winning a league championship with the Storm in 1998.

Tourigny takes over as head coach of Canada’s National Junior Team after winning a gold medal as an assistant at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship. He is currently in his third season as head coach and vice-president of hockey operations with the Ottawa 67’s, where he won the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHL coach of the year in 2018-19. Tourigny previously spent 11 seasons with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (2002-13) and one season with the Halifax Mooseheads (2016-17) of the QMJHL. He also spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche (2013-15) and Ottawa Senators (2015-16) in the National Hockey League. He led Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team to a gold medal as head coach at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and won gold as an assistant at the 2008 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament. Tourigny also won back-to-back silver medals as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Junior Team at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2010 and 2011.

The Program of Excellence will continue to be overseen by Tom Renney (Cranbrook, B.C.), Hockey Canada CEO; Scott Smith (Bathurst, N.B.), Hockey Canada president and COO; Dan MacKenzie (Guelph, Ont.), CHL president; David Branch (Bathurst, N.B.), OHL commissioner; Gilles Courteau (Trois-Rivières, Que.), QMJHL commissioner; and Ron Robison (Indian Head, Sask.), WHL commissioner.

For more information on the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, and Twitter.

FIREBIRDS’ TY DELLANDREA NAMED OHL ‘ON THE RUN’ PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Dellandrea

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Dallas Stars prospect Ty Dellandrea of the Flint Firebirds is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week with 10 points including six goals and four assists over three games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-7.

Dellandrea claims the honour for the second time this season, helping the Firebirds skate to a perfect 3-0 week with wins over Sault Ste. Marie and Guelph. The fourth-year captain scored twice and added two assists in Wednesday’s 7-4 road win over the Greyhounds, netting the third period game winner while earning second star honours. He picked up where he left off on Friday, recording two goals and an assist to register his 200th career OHL point in a 7-5 road win over the Storm. Friday’s first star performance paved the way for another strong outing back on home ice Saturday night as Dellandrea once again scored twice and tallied an assist in a 4-1 win over the visiting Storm to garner second star recognition. The dependable centreman went 37-for-69 (53.6%) in the faceoff circle as the Firebirds extended their winning streak to four games, securing a four-point cushion on fifth place in the Western Conference.

A 19-year-old native of Port Perry, Ont., Dellandrea leads the Firebirds with 57 points (26-31–57) over 35 games this season. He’s registered four consecutive two-goal outings and racked up 15 points (8-7–15) over his last four games. The recent Canadian National Junior Team gold medalist boasts a franchise-leading 203 points (88-115–203) over his 219-game OHL regular season career. Dellandrea was originally Flint’s first round (5th overall) pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection. The Dallas Stars selected him in the first round (13th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft.

Also considered for the award this week were Oshawa Generals forward Philip Tomasino who put up 10 points (4-6–10) over four games as well as Barrie Colts netminder Arturs Silovs, who went 2-0 with a 0.98 goals-against average, .964 save percentage and his first career OHL shutout.

HIGHLIGHTS: Dellandrea’s four-point night in the Soo
HIGHLIGHTS: Dellandrea comes up big in Guelph
HIGHLIGHTS: Dellandrea nets three points in win over Storm

OTR_2017_Logo

2019-20 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Jan. 20 – Jan. 26: Ty Dellandrea (Flint Firebirds)
Jan. 15 – Jan. 19: Mitchell Hoelscher (Ottawa 67’s)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 12: Philip Tomasino (Oshawa Generals)
Dec. 30 – Jan. 5: Jacob Ingham (Kitchener Rangers)
Dec. 18 – Dec. 29: Joseph Garreffa (Ottawa 67’s)
Dec. 10 – Dec. 15: Jacob Ingham (Kitchener Rangers)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 8: Ty Dellandrea (Flint Firebirds)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 1: Marco Rossi (Ottawa 67’s)
Nov. 19 – Nov. 24: Riley McCourt (Flint Firebirds)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 17: Jan Jenik (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Nov. 5 – Nov. 10: Cam Hillis (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 3: Connor McMichael (London Knights)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 27: Nico Daws (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 14 – Oct. 20: Hunter Jones (Peterborough Petes)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 13: Mack Guzda (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 6: Philip Tomasino (Niagara IceDogs)
Sept. 26 – Sept. 29: Connor McMichael (London Knights)
Sept. 19 – Sept. 22: Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (Peterborough Petes)

OHL CUP POWERED BY UNDER ARMOUR MINOR MIDGET TOP-10 RANKINGS

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

OHL Cup

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the eighth edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2020 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The 2020 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour and hosted by the GTHL is scheduled for March 17-23 and will feature 20 teams from across Ontario and the United States showcasing many of the top players eligible for the 2020 OHL Priority Selection.  All games will be played at Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday, March 23.

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.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2020 OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour – Week 8

RANK TEAM LEAGUE LAST WEEK WEEKS RANKED
1 Quinte Red Devils OMHA 1 8
2 Toronto Jr. Canadiens GTHL 2 8
3 Toronto Titans GTHL 3 8
4 Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs ALLIANCE 4 8
5 Toronto Nationals GTHL 5 8
6 Southern Tier Admirals OMHA 6 8
7 Mississauga Senators GTHL 8 5
8 Vaughan Kings GTHL 9 4
9 Hamilton Huskies ALLIANCE 7 6
10 Toronto Marlboros GTHL 10 8
Honourable Mention:
Waterloo Wolves ALLIANCE – 4
Mississauga Reps GTHL – 1
Whitby Wildcats OMHA – –

The eighth edition of the weekly Top 10 Rankings includes the Mississauga Senators and Vaughan Kings both rising one spot while the Mississauga Reps return to the honourable mention category. GTHL Minor Midget AAA action will resume on Saturday following a lengthy hiatus to accommodate the 2020 Youth Olympics in Lausanne, Switzerland as Canada prepares to face Finland in Wednesday’s bronze medal game. The ALLIANCE Minor Midget regular season came to an end on Sunday, with the fourth-ranked Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs finishing atop the standings with a 25-0-8 record. The OMHA SCTA also concluded its regular season this past week, with the sixth-ranked Southern Tier Admirals leading the pack at 24-3-5.

History:
Last season the Don Mills Flyers overcame a 4-1 deficit to defeat the Toronto Red Wings 6-5 as Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs) set up Brennan Othmann (Flint Firebirds) for the overtime winning goal. The Flyers added both OHL Cup and GTHL Championships to their incredible season that saw them lose just once. An exceptional status player who was selected by the Kingston Frontenacs with the first overall pick of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Wright was named Tournament MVP with 18 points over seven contests, one shy of Connor McDavid’s 2012 event record.

The 2019 OHL Priority Selection featured 15 players chosen in the first round who competed for the OHL Cup including Shane Wright (Don Mills Flyers – 1st overall Kingston Frontenacs), Brennan Othmann (Don Mills Flyers – 2nd overall Flint Firebirds), Brandt Clarke (Don Mills Flyers – 4th overall Barrie Colts), Wyatt Johnston (Toronto Marlboros – 6th overall Windsor Spitfires), Benjamin Gaudreau (Team NOHA – 7th overall Sarnia Sting), Ryan Winterton (Whitby Wildcats – 8th overall Hamilton Bulldogs), Liam Arnsby (Don Mills Flyers – 9th overall North Bay Battalion), Ethan Del Mastro (Toronto Marlboros – 12th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Francesco Pinelli (Toronto Red Wings – 13th overall Kitchener Rangers), Danny Zhilkin (Toronto Marlboros -14th overall Guelph Storm), Landon McCallum (Brantford 99’ers – 15th overall Sudbury Wolves), Brett Harrison (London Jr. Knights – 16th overall Oshawa Generals), Jacob Holmes (York-Simcoe Express – 18th overall Soo Greyhounds), Connor Punnett (North Central Predators – 19th overall Saginaw Spirit) and Jack Matier (Team NOHA – 21st overall Ottawa 67’s).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Dylan Strome (Toronto Marlboros/Chicago Blackhawks), Travis Konecny (Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs/Philadelphia Flyers), Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Montreal Canadiens), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/Arizona Coyotes), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/Toronto Maple Leafs), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/New Jersey Devils), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.

67’s’ MITCHELL HOELSCHER NAMED OHL ‘ON THE RUN’ PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Hoelscher

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that New Jersey Devils prospect Mitchell Hoelscher of the Ottawa 67’s is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week with a league-leading eight points including five goals and three assists over three games.

Hoelscher becomes the third different Ottawa player to earn the distinction this season, helping the CHL’s top-ranked 67’s take three straight victories to improve to 34-7-0-0. The veteran centreman scored in Friday’s 5-4 shootout win over the Flint Firebirds before registering a career-high four points, collecting a goal and an assist on both the power play and penalty kill in a 5-0 blanking of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Hoelscher wrapped up the weekend with two goals and an assist as Ottawa skated to a 5-3 road win over the Oshawa Generals, maintaining a nine-point cushion atop the Eastern Conference standings.

A soon-to-be 20-year-old native of Elora, Ont., Hoelscher has points in seven of his last eight games, contributing to an overall total of 53 (25-27–53) in 41 games to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-34. The third-year veteran has collected 123 points (48-75–123) over 182 career OHL regular season games and proved valuable in Ottawa’s Eastern Conference title last spring, picking up 13 points (6-7–13) over 18 playoff contests. The Waterloo Wolves Minor Midget graduate was a third round (56th overall) pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection. The Devils selected Hoelscher in the sixth round (172nd overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft.

Also considered for the award this week were Carolina Hurricanes first round pick Ryan Suzuki of the Saginaw Spirit who recorded seven points (4-3–7) over three games along with Hoelscher’s Ottawa 67’s teammate Jack Quinn who also put up seven points (5-2–7) over three outings.

• HIGHLIGHTS: Hoelscher scores in win over Flint
• HIGHLIGHTS: Hoelscher’s career-high four point game
• HIGHLIGHTS: Hoelscher scores twice as 67’s beat Generals

OTR_2017_Logo

2019-20 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Jan. 15 – Jan. 19: Mitchell Hoelscher (Ottawa 67’s)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 12: Philip Tomasino (Oshawa Generals)
Dec. 30 – Jan. 5: Jacob Ingham (Kitchener Rangers)
Dec. 18 – Dec. 29: Joseph Garreffa (Ottawa 67’s)
Dec. 10 – Dec. 15: Jacob Ingham (Kitchener Rangers)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 8: Ty Dellandrea (Flint Firebirds)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 1: Marco Rossi (Ottawa 67’s)
Nov. 19 – Nov. 24: Riley McCourt (Flint Firebirds)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 17: Jan Jenik (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Nov. 5 – Nov. 10: Cam Hillis (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 3: Connor McMichael (London Knights)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 27: Nico Daws (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 14 – Oct. 20: Hunter Jones (Peterborough Petes)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 13: Mack Guzda (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 6: Philip Tomasino (Niagara IceDogs)
Sept. 26 – Sept. 29: Connor McMichael (London Knights)
Sept. 19 – Sept. 22: Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (Peterborough Petes)

Foerster, Zary power Team White to victory at Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

HAMILTON — Three-point efforts from Barrie Colts right-wing Tyson Foerster and Kamloops Blazers centre Connor Zary lifted Team White to a 5-3 win at the 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Hamilton on Thursday.

Trailing 2-1 after 20 minutes of action, Foerster put up back-to-back markers to open the middle frame with each drawing a helper from Zary. Team White’s scoring succession continued just over three minutes after Foerster’s second of the night when Brandon Wheat Kings blue-liner Braden Schneider skated in to the right circle before grabbing a quick pass from Foerster and netting the eventual game winner.

Tyson Foerster To Prospects Game
Tyson Foerster of the Barrie Colts competes at the Top Prospects Sport Testing Combine. Photo by Brandon Taylor / CHL Images

“I think my linemates and everyone was really skilled out there. We had some really good chemistry and I was able to find the net,” Foerster said postgame. “I think Zary is really skilled and made some great passes. He’s really smart and I was glad to have him as my centerman.”

The 41st ranked prospect in NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Report, Foerster was honoured as Team White’s Player of the Game following the victory.

“I felt good out there and as the game went on it just got better, so it was a good game tonight,” added Zary, who ranked 12th in the midterm assessment. “Obviously something clicked there tonight (with Foerster) and everything worked out well.”

Also lighting the lamp for Team White on Thursday included Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Kaiden Guhle and Saginaw Spirit centre Cole Perfetti, while finding the scoresheet for the opposition was Saint John Sea Dogs blue-liner Jeremie Poirier, Chicoutimi Sagueneens centre Dawson Mercer, and Ottawa 67’s right-wing Jack Quinn.

“It was a tough loss but it was a good experience,” said Quinn, the ninth-ranked North American skater and Team Red’s Player of the Game. “I wanted to showcase myself like everyone else, work hard, and compete hard, and I think that’s what I did. I wasn’t expecting (to win Player of the Game) but it’s definitely a pretty big honour.”

Between the pipes, Victoria Royals netminder Brock Gould impressed in playing the full 60 minutes for Team Red after top-ranked goaltender Nico Daws of the Guelph Storm suffered an upper-body injury in warm-up. In all, Gould wrapped up the night with 27 saves, coming just two short of the event record set by Roberto Luongo (Val-d’Or Foreurs) in 1997. At the opposite end for Team White, Samuel Hlavaj (Sherbrooke Phoenix) stopped 11 of 13 shots while Dylan Garand (Kamloops Blazers) turned aside 10 of 11 pucks.

The 25th edition of the annual prospect showcase paid tribute to former NHL Director of Central Scouting Jim Gregory, a longtime builder of the sport and former Ontario Hockey League general manager who passed away in October at age 83. In honour of his significant impact, in the 2012 the Canadian Hockey League announced that the Player of the Game awards at the annual Top Prospects Game would be named in his honour, while this season the OHL also launched the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award in recognition of the GM who best excels in his role.

The 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game marked another successful event that drew more than 300 talent evaluators from hockey’s highest level and a crowd of over 6,400 enthusiastic junior hockey supporters to Hamilton in what was ultimately another instant classic.

Game Summary
Highlights

For more information please visit http://kubotatopprospects.ca.

CHL player suspended eight games for inadvertent violation of anti-doping rule

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

(Toronto, Ontario – January 16, 2020) – The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) today announced that Dylan Myskiw a goaltender with the London Knights has been suspended for eight games following a violation of the CHL Drug Education & Anti-Doping Policy. This was the result of a urine sample during in-competition doping control which revealed the presence of a prohibited substance found within a post-workout supplement. The supplement was purchased from a reliable commercial vendor and unbeknownst to the player contained the prohibited substances.

The player and the team cooperated thoroughly throughout the investigative process.

The CHL in conjunction with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) is committed to the ongoing education of all our players relative to drug-free sport and look forward to continuing to work with CCES and our teams to support the health and welfare of all players.

OHL THIS WEEK: JANUARY 16 TO 19, 2020

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

OHL This Week

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020

Toronto, Ont. – It’s a special Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game edition of the OHL This Week. Here’s the scoop on what’s happening Thursday in Hamilton into a full weekend of OHL action with nine games on both Friday and Saturday.

KUBOTA CHL/NHL TOP PROSPECTS GAME SET FOR THURSDAY IN HAMILTON:
The 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game returns to Ontario on Thursday January 16th in Hamilton as 40 of the Canadian Hockey League’s top draft eligible players bring fans and scouts out to see a best-on-best competition.
READ MORE / PHOTO GALLERY – TOP PROSPECTS ARRIVE IN HAMILTON

THE BOOK ON THE OHL’S TOP PROSPECTS WITH NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING DIRECTOR DAN MARR:
NHL Central Scouting Director Dan Marr provides his insights on four of the OHL’s top prospects ahead of the Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. He takes a closer look at Sudbury’s Quinton Byfield, Erie’s Jamie Drysdale, Saginaw’s Cole Perfetti and Ottawa’s Marco Rossi.
WATCH

RISING STARS BYFIELD AND DRYSDALE ENJOYING THE RIDE TOGETHER:
NHL Central Scouting’s second and third ranked North American skaters Quinton Byfield and Jamie Drysdale are enjoying the journey to the 2020 NHL Draft together. The two Canadian National Junior Team gold medalists are competing in the Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.
READ MORE

STING’S PERREAULT DRAWING FROM PRO INFLUENCES:
It’s amazing what kind of wisdom can be drawn from a combined 43 years of National Hockey League experience, just ask Sarnia Sting forward Jacob Perreault, who continues to benefit from a well-travelled trifecta of hockey influencers.
READ MORE

PERFETTI DOING BIG THINGS IN SAGINAW:
Coming off a tremendous rookie campaign, Saginaw Spirit sophomore Cole Perfetti has an opportunity to be the first player in club history to go top-10 at the NHL Draft.
READ MORE

57 OHL PLAYERS INCLUDED ON NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING’S MIDTERM DRAFT RANKINGS:
Sudbury’s Quinton Byfield, Erie’s Jamie Drysdale, Saginaw’s Cole Perfetti and Ottawa’s Marco Rossi account for four of the top five ranked North American skaters on the NHL Central Scouting Midterms.All 20 of the OHL’s member teams feature at least one player included on the list, with the Soo Greyhounds (7), Windsor Spitfires (6), Erie Otters (5) and Guelph Storm (5) leading the way.
FULL RANKINGS

67’s, SPITFIRES AND PETES IN KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS:
The Ottawa 67’s remain the top-ranked team in the CHL this week while the Windsor Spitfires and Peterborough Petes round out the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Kitchener Rangers and Saginaw Spirit remain honourable mentions for a second straight week.
FULL RANKINGS

COSKEY, TOMASINO AND MERKLEY NAMED TO VAUGHN CHL TEAM OF THE WEEK:
Saginaw’s Cole Coskey, Oshawa’s Philip Tomasino and London’s Ryan Merkley have been named to the Vaughn CHL Team of the Week.
READ MORE

GENERALS’ TOMASINO NAMED OHL ‘ON THE RUN’ PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Nashville Predators prospect Philip Tomasino of the Oshawa Generals is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending January 12th. Tomasino earns the award for the second time this season after making his mark in his first weekend as a General. He put up three consecutive two-goal performances in wins over Windsor, Sarnia and Peterborough.
READ MORE

WAWANESA OHL PLAYS OF THE WEEK – JANUARY 15, 2020:
Without further ado, we present a red hot edition of Wawanesa OHL Plays of the Week, featuring some of the nicest goals scored across the League this season. The newest Oshawa General Philip Tomasino gets things started shorthanded on the back hand before Sudbury Wolves addition Matej Pekar shows off the eyes in the back of his head. Erie’s Jamie Drysdale puts his best moves on display with a nifty centering feed for Austen Swankler and London Knights star Connor McMichael wows us with a between the legs beauty. Flint’s Ty Dellandrea finishes things off with an unassisted, shorthanded overtime game winner.
WATCH

VAUGHN SAVES OF THE WEEK – JANUARY 14, 2020:
It’s that time again. Let’s roll back the tape for Vaughn Saves, featuring the best saves across the Ontario Hockey League. Press play and check out the fine work of Owen Sound’s Mack Guzda, Windsor’s Kari Piiroinen, Ottawa’s Cedrick Andree, Soo’s Bailey Brkin, Hamilton’s Zachary Roy, Oshawa’s Jordan Kooy, Sudbury’s Mitchell Weeks, Mississauga’s Kai Edmonds, Windsor’s Xavier Medina and Niagara’s Andrew MacLean.
WATCH

CHL SHOWDOWN – WEEK ENDING JANUARY 12, 2020:
Flint Firebirds forward Ty Dellandrea is the OHL’s representative in this week’s CHL Showdown featuring one great play from all three leagues.
WATCH & VOTE AT CHLSHOWDOWN.CA

FOUR PLAYERS SCORE FIRST OHL GOALS:
Sudbury’s Adam Samuelsson, Hamilton’s Gavin White, Niagara’s A.J. Cook and Mississauga’s Rylan Bowers all scored first career OHL goals this past week.
WATCH

OHL WEEKEND NOTEBOOK – JANUARY 13, 2020:
The OHL Weekend Notebook recaps the weekend that was with news, information and interesting facts from both on and off the ice. Here are 10 of the leading stories from this past weekend.
READ MORE

OHL CUP POWERED BY UNDER ARMOUR MINOR MIDGET TOP 10 RANKINGS:
The Quinte Red Devils are on top of the rankings for a sixth consecutive week while the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, Toronto Titans, Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs and Toronto Nationals continue to trail in spots two through five. The Southern Tier Admirals are up one slot to sixth  while the Vaughan Kings continue to trend in the right direction, rising to ninth ahead of the Toronto Marlboros who round out the Top 10.
FULL RANKINGS

#PLAYERSFIRST – OHL SUPPORT AND PLAYER WELFARE:
The OHL takes extreme pride in the player environment and fostering a safe place for young men to develop both as hockey players and as people. Saginaw Spirit graduate Kris Bennett, who now plays U SPORTS Men’s Hockey at the University of New Brunswick, shares how the OHL #TalkToday program positively impacted his time in the League.
FACT OF THE WEEK / ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

5 QUESTIONS WITH OTTAWA 67’s FORWARD MARCO ROSSI:
Ever since joining the Canadian Hockey League last season as the 18th overall pick in the 2018 Import Draft, Austrian forward Marco Rossi has been one to watch for the Ottawa 67’s. He quickly developed into one of the league’s elite offensive playmakers and not only leads the Ontario Hockey League in scoring but has solidified himself as a top prospect for the 2020 NHL Draft.
READ MORE

PETES HONOUR COLIN CAMPBELL WITH BANNER RAISING CEREMONY:
The Peterborough Petes paid tribute to former defenceman, long-time NHL player and executive Colin Campbell on Saturday night prior to a 4-0 shutout win over the Ottawa 67’s. A native of Tillsonburg, Ont., Campbell was a part of Peterborough’s 1972 Robertson Cup championship squad alongside familiar names in Bob Gainey, Stan Jonathan and Doug Jarvis.
WATCH

TOP 2020 NHL DRAFT PROSPECT JAN MYSAK COMMITS TO BULLDOGS:
The Hamilton Bulldogs have received a commitment from top 2020 NHL Draft prospect Jan Mysak, who comes off representing his native Czech Republic at the 2020 World Juniors. The 17-year-old had registered nine points (5-4–9) through 26 games with the HC Litvinov Czech Extraliga squad this season and was the ninth-ranked skater on NHL Central Scouting’s International Midterm Rankings.
READ MORE

NHL DRAFT PROSPECT NICK MALIK COMMITS TO GREYHOUNDS:
The Soo Greyhounds have received a commitment from 17-year-old Czech netminder Nick Malik who they selected in the first round of the 2019 CHL Import Draft. Malik represented the Czech Republic this past Christmas at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship along with fellow Greyhound Jaromir Pytlik. One year ago he was a member of his home country’s entry at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
READ MORE

RYLAN BOWERS COMMITS TO STEELHEADS:
The Mississauga Steelheads have received a commitment from 2018 12th round OHL Priority Selection choice Rylan Bowers. The 17-year-old has appeared in 33 games with the Listowel Cyclones (GOJHL) this season and registered 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists). The Komoka, Ontario native was selected to represent his minor hockey association at the OHL Gold Cup in 2018, where he recorded 1 point (1 goal) over 4 games.
READ MORE

WOLVES ADD BYFIELD TO LEADERSHIP GROUP:
The Sudbury Wolves announced prior to Sunday’s game against Mississauga that Quinton Byfield will serve as an alternate captain with the club. Byfield recently returned from the World Junior Championship where he won gold with Team Canada. The 17-year-old Newmarket, Ont. native leads the Wolves in scoring with 63 points in 32 games this season including 25 goals. The highly ranked NHL prospect has already surpassed his point totals from his rookie season in half the number of games.
READ MORE

SPITFIRES GRAD SLATER DOGGETT NAMED U SPORTS TOP 8 ACADEMIC ALL-CANADIAN:
U SPORTS announced Thursday the student-athletes selected as Top 8 Academic All-Canadians for the 2018-19 season. Among them, Queen’s Gaels men’s hockey star Slater Doggett was recognized with the honour. Doggett played three OHL seasons between the Kingston Frontenacs and Windsor Spitfires from 2012-15.
READ MORE

RANGERS CHIEF OPERATION OFFICER STEVE BIENKOWSKI TO RETIRE IN JUNE 2020:
After 18 years as the Kitchener Rangers Chief Operating Officer & Governor, Steve Bienkowski has announced his plan to retire in June 2020. Bienkowski became the Rangers first Chief Operating Officer in addition to its permanent OHL Governor in 2002 after serving six years on the Rangers Executive Committee. Synonymous with professionalism on and off the ice, he has been essential to the Rangers success for nearly 40 years.
READ MORE

DATES UNVEILED FOR 13TH ANNUAL OHF/OHL U15 PROGRAM OF EXCELLENCE CAMPS:
The dates are set for the 13th annual OHF/OHL U15 Program of Excellence Camps. Held in April and May of this year across Ontario, the camps will focus on a variety of on and off-ice sessions, helping to ensure players are provided with the most up-to-date development strategies.  
READ MORE

ROGERS HOMETOWN HOCKEY TOUR COMES TO HAMILTON:
The Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is in Hamilton on Thursday, followed by the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour as hosts Ron MacLean and Tara Slone share Steeltown’s best hockey stories. OHL grads Shayne Corson and Steve Thomas will be on hand for the weekend.
FULL SCHEDULE AT HOMETOWNHOCKEY.COM

COMMUNITY CORNER:

Quinton Byfield launches Q’s Kids: Top NHL Draft prospect Quinton Byfield has partnered with NEO Kids Foundation for his new Q’s Kids initiative. Ahead of his gold medal performance with the Canada’s National Junior Team, Quinton invited three NEO kids and their families to a Sudbury Wolves game as his special guests, and has plans to host many more families over the course of the second half of the season. As part of the program, Byfield will continue to invite families to games, providing tickets, popcorn, and special shirts for the kids. Byfield will meet with the families, sign autographs, and join them on a tour of the dressing room following the game.
READ MORE AT SUDBURYWOLVES.COM

Firebirds tour Ottawa Senators facility: During their day off on Thursday ahead of Friday’s tilt with the Ottawa 67’s, the Firebirds were welcomed to the Canadian Tire Centre for a behind-the-scenes look at the Ottawa Senators’ digs as former OHL Coach of the Year D.J. Smith provided a tour.
PHOTO GALLERY AT FLINTFIREBIRDS.COM

Knights to honour Patrick Kane with jersey retirement on Friday: The London Knights will retire Patrick Kane’s number 88 prior to puck drop on Friday when they play host to the Sudbury Wolves. Kane, who was named CHL Rookie of the Year following a 145-point season in 2006-07, has gone on to put up nearly 1,000 points over 951 career NHL contests over 13 seasons, hoisting the Stanley Cup three different times.
READ MORE

Toonie Hot Dog Day in Ottawa: Fans coming out to Saturday afternoon’s tilt with the visiting Hamilton Bulldogs at TD Place will be able to purchase hot dogs for a toonie. The 67’s examined five reasons to attend Saturday’s game.
FULL INFO AT OTTAWA67s.COM

Bell Let’s Talk Night, SickKids Night in Peterborough: Saturday’s clash with the Flint Firebirds will be the Peterborough Petes’ Bell Let’s Talk Game, aimed at recognizing the initiative’s tenth anniversary and continuing to encourage meaningful conversation around mental health. The first 2,000 fans will receive toques courtesy of Bell Let’s Talk, and clappers will be available at their booth during the game. The Niagara IceDogs will be visiting the Petes this Sunday in a makeup game for the previously scheduled Dec. 14. matchup. SickKids night will see a pre-game ceremony featuring Oliver, a local boy who has been treated at SickKids for Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or brittle bone disease. There will also be a chuck-a-puck during the second intermission where proceeds from all pucks purchased will support SickKids. Fans will also be able to attend a post-game skate where Petes players will be signing autographs and have availability for photos.
MORE DETAILS AT GOPETESGO.COM

IceDogs host Blood Drive in honour of Tucker Tynan: On Jan. 28, the Niagara IceDogs will be hosting a Blood Drive at the St. Catharines Blood Donor Clinic with goaltender Tucker Tynan in mind. People are welcome to attend between 3-7 pm, and attendees will receive a $2 voucher to any upcoming IceDogs home game.
READ MORE AT NIAGARAICEDOGS.NET

Rangers join goaltender Jacob Ingham for ’68’ Blood Drive: Join Kitchener Rangers goaltender #68, Jacob Ingham, and support Hockey Gives Blood and Canadian Blood Services by making a donation during the Rangers’ 68 Blood Drive. Starting January 24th and running until March 31st, fans can sign up under the Kitchener Rangers team ID to make a donation on behalf of Ingham.
FULL INFORMATION AT KITCHENERRANGERS.COM

ALUMNI NOTES:

DeBoer takes over as head coach in Vegas: The Vegas Golden Knights hired former two-time OHL Coach of the Year Peter DeBoer as their new head coach on Wednesday, replacing Gerard Gallant behind the bench. DeBoer, who began the season as head coach of the San Jose Sharks, takes over at the helm in Vegas with a Golden Knights club that is currently 24-19-6 for fifth in the Pacific Division. The 51-year-old native of Dunnville, Ont. coached in the OHL from 1993-2008, winning three OHL Championships and a Memorial Cup along the way. He’s worked in the NHL since 2008-09, holding down jobs with Florida, New Jersey, San Jose and now Vegas.

Spezza plays in 1100th NHL contest: OHL graduate Jason Spezza suited up in his 1,100th career NHL game on Tuesday, recording an assist as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New Jersey Devils 7-4. The 36-year-old Spezza has played parts of 17 NHL seasons since he was the second overall pick by the Ottawa Senators in the 2001 NHL Draft. Spezza, who played in the OHL as an underage player, played five seasons between Brampton, Mississauga, Windsor and Belleville from 1998-2002. He’s accumulated 933 points (338-595–933) over his 1,100 game NHL regular season career.

Wilson becomes youngest forward in Caps franchise history to play 500 games: OHL graduate Tom Wilson suited up in his 500th career NHL contest on Monday, becoming the youngest forward in Capitals franchise history to do so. The 25-year-old Toronto, Ont. native had an assist as the Caps defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0. Wilson was Washington’s first round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. The big power winger played three OHL seasons with the Plymouth Whalers from 2010-13, recording 91 points (35-56–91) over 125 regular season games. Wilson has 31 points (13-18–31) over 46 games in Washington this season.

Bunnaman scores first NHL goal: Former Kitchener Rangers captain Connor Bunnaman scored his first career NHL goal with the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday. The 21-year-old from Guelph, Ont. has appeared in six games with the Flyers this season after registering five points (4-1–5) through 21 games with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Bunnaman, who was Philadelphia’s fourth round pick in 2016, played four seasons in Kitchener from 2014-18.

Smith scores first NHL goal: Kitchener Rangers graduate Givani Smith scored his first career NHL goal on Tuesday. The Detroit Red Wings forward found the back of the net in a loss to the New York Islanders. Smith has played in 11 games and recorded a pair of points in the process. The former second round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft spent last season and the beginning of this season with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. He played four OHL seasons between the Barrie Colts, Guelph Storm and Kitchener Rangers from 2014-18.

Griffith taking his best shots in AHL: London Knights graduate Seth Griffith got some good advice from his dad Brian over the offseason, getting to work on improving his shot. The 27-year-old Wallaceburg, Ont. native has racked up 32 points, including 18 goals over 39 games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose this season, affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets. Griffith, who won back-to-back OHL Championships in London in 2012 and 2013, has now spent seven seasons in the pro ranks, appearing in 79 NHL contests along the way. He was originally a fifth round pick of the Boston Bruins in 2012 in the midst of a four-year career in London. The Winnipeg Free Press’ Mike Sawatzky has more.
READ MORE AT WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM

 

KEY MATCHUPS:

Sudbury Wolves at London Knights
Friday, January 17th

The Central Division leaders are heading to London on Friday, with Sudbury hungry for what could be their first win over the London Knights in five years.

Newest member of the Wolves, Matej Pekar, has proven to be a strong addition. His welcome party last weekend included seven points in three games, notably five assists in Friday’s 8-2 blowout of the North Bay Battalion.

Since rejoining the lineup following his gold medal performance at the World Juniors, newly appointed alternate captain Quinton Byfield put up six points of his own last weekend, and also put forth a five-point showing in front of the Troops that saw two goals and three assists, earning him OHL first star honours on the night.

With regards to the guys in green, Connor McMichael will look to follow up on last weekend’s flashy performance. His seven point total over the course of a three-in-three included a hat trick in Saturday’s tilt against Saginaw, as well as a flashy between-the-legs display in one of two goals he put past the Soo Greyhounds as part of a 7-1 victory. Columbus Blue Jackets draftee Liam Foudy and San Jose Sharks first rounder Ryan Merkley both put up six points.

The Knights, who tie the Kitchener Rangers at 54 points and just one point back of the Western Conference leading Windsor Spitfires, hold a 9-0-0-0 record over the course of the last five seasons against the Wolves. This will be the second and final meetup of the two clubs this season.

Saginaw Spirit at Windsor Spitfires
Sunday, January 19th

It’s a tilt we’re familiar with. The battle of the top of the West Division will see the visiting Saginaw Spirit face off against the conference-leading Windsor Spitfires Sunday afternoon.

The Spits took lead of the conference once again following their overtime win over the Kitchener Rangers, who trail just one point back of first in the Midwest. Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Tyler Angle continues to lead all Windsor skaters with 46 points (21-25-46) to his name, and Nashville Predators pick Egor Afanasyev, last Sunday’s overtime hero, sits directly behind with 45 points (18-27-45).

Over on Saginaw’s side, New York Islanders prospect Cole Coskey will be skating in off a five-goal weekend, and top NHL Draft prospect Cole Perfetti will look to see his point streak reach a 12th game.

The sixth of eight matchups on the season, both clubs are no stranger to the depth on either side. The Spits will, however, see a new opponent in Carolina Hurricanes prospect Ryan Suzuki, who joined the Spirit last week and registered three assists in two games.

The Spirit currently hold a 3-2-0-0 tally against the Spits. Last season’s eight-game regular season series between the two proved to be an even one, with a 4-4-0-0 record on Windsor’s side and a 4-3-1-0 record in favour of Saginaw.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Thursday January 16th:
Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, Hamilton, Ont. – 7:00pm on Sportsnet and NHL Network

Friday January 17th:
Hamilton at Kingston – 7:00pm
Barrie at Niagara – 7:00pm
Flint at Ottawa – 7:00pm
Erie at Sarnia – 7:05pm
Saginaw at Soo – 7:07pm
Owen Sound at Guelph – 7:30pm
North Bay at Kitchener – 7:30pm
Sudbury at London – 7:30pm
Mississauga at Oshawa – 7:35pm

Saturday January 18th:
Hamilton at Ottawa – 2:00pm
Sudbury at Sarnia – 4:05pm
Kitchener at Guelph – 7:00pm
North Bay at Niagara – 7:00pm
Flint at Peterborough – 7:05pm
Soo at Saginaw – 7:05pm
Erie at Windsor – 7:05pm
Mississauga at Barrie – 7:30pm
Oshawa at Owen Sound – 7:30pm

Sunday January 19th:
Flint at Kingston – 2:00pm
Guelph at Kitchener – 2:00pm
Erie at London – 2:00pm
Saginaw at Windsor – 2:05pm
Niagara at Peterborough – 2:05pm
Ottawa at Oshawa – 6:05pm

OHL CUP POWERED BY UNDER ARMOUR MINOR MIDGET TOP-10 RANKINGS

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

OHL Cup

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the seventh edition of the weekly minor midget rankings for the 2020 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The 2020 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour and hosted by the GTHL is scheduled for March 17-23 and will feature 20 teams from across Ontario and the United States showcasing many of the top players eligible for the 2020 OHL Priority Selection.  All games will be played at Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday, March 23.

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.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2020 OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour – Week 7

RANK TEAM LEAGUE LAST WEEK WEEKS RANKED
1 Quinte Red Devils OMHA 1 7
2 Toronto Jr. Canadiens GTHL 2 7
3 Toronto Titans GTHL 3 7
4 Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs ALLIANCE 4 7
5 Toronto Nationals GTHL 5 7
6 Southern Tier Admirals OMHA 7 7
7 Hamilton Huskies ALLIANCE 6 5
8 Mississauga Senators GTHL 8 4
9 Vaughan Kings GTHL 10 3
10 Toronto Marlboros GTHL 9 7
Honourable Mention:
Waterloo Wolves ALLIANCE – 4
London Jr. Knights ALLIANCE – 1
Whitby Wildcats OMHA – –

The Quinte Red Devils are on top of the rankings for a sixth consecutive week while the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, Toronto Titans, Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs and Toronto Nationals continue to trail in spots two through five. The Southern Tier Admirals are up one slot to sixth  while the Vaughan Kings continue to trend in the right direction, rising to ninth ahead of the Toronto Marlboros who round out the Top 10.

History:
Last season the Don Mills Flyers overcame a 4-1 deficit to defeat the Toronto Red Wings 6-5 as Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs) set up Brennan Othmann (Flint Firebirds) for the overtime winning goal. The Flyers added both OHL Cup and GTHL Championships to their incredible season that saw them lose just once. An exceptional status player who was selected by the Kingston Frontenacs with the first overall pick of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Wright was named Tournament MVP with 18 points over seven contests, one shy of Connor McDavid’s 2012 event record.

The 2019 OHL Priority Selection featured 15 players chosen in the first round who competed for the OHL Cup including Shane Wright (Don Mills Flyers – 1st overall Kingston Frontenacs), Brennan Othmann (Don Mills Flyers – 2nd overall Flint Firebirds), Brandt Clarke (Don Mills Flyers – 4th overall Barrie Colts), Wyatt Johnston (Toronto Marlboros – 6th overall Windsor Spitfires), Benjamin Gaudreau (Team NOHA – 7th overall Sarnia Sting), Ryan Winterton (Whitby Wildcats – 8th overall Hamilton Bulldogs), Liam Arnsby (Don Mills Flyers – 9th overall North Bay Battalion), Ethan Del Mastro (Toronto Marlboros – 12th overall Mississauga Steelheads), Francesco Pinelli (Toronto Red Wings – 13th overall Kitchener Rangers), Danny Zhilkin (Toronto Marlboros -14th overall Guelph Storm), Landon McCallum (Brantford 99’ers – 15th overall Sudbury Wolves), Brett Harrison (London Jr. Knights – 16th overall Oshawa Generals), Jacob Holmes (York-Simcoe Express – 18th overall Soo Greyhounds), Connor Punnett (North Central Predators – 19th overall Saginaw Spirit) and Jack Matier (Team NOHA – 21st overall Ottawa 67’s).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Dylan Strome (Toronto Marlboros/Chicago Blackhawks), Travis Konecny (Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs/Philadelphia Flyers), Mitch Marner (Vaughan Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs), Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Max Domi (Don Mills Flyers/Montreal Canadiens), Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames), Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/Arizona Coyotes), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/Toronto Maple Leafs), P.K Subban (Markham Islanders/New Jersey Devils), and Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning).

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.