Toronto, ON – Ontario Hockey League action heads into the tenth week of the regular season schedule with 27 games beginning tonight through Sunday.
Here’s a look at what’s going on around the league:
AT THE RINKS:
$5 student tickets, Special Olympics Night in Peterborough on Thursday: Peterborough and area elementary, high school, college, and university students can purchase tickets for just $5 to see the Petes battle the Sarnia Sting on Thursday. Thursday’s game is also the annual Special Olympics fundraiser. Before the game, Peterborough Deputy Police Chief Tim Farquharson will take part in the ceremonial puck drop along with Special Olympics athlete Jessey Campbell. There will be various activities throughout the game in support of local Special Olympics initiatives.
Battalion supports Special Olympics on Thursday: The Troops host their annual Big Ticket Night in support of Special Olympics on Thursday against Hamilton. There will be three signed NHL jerseys available for auction at the game including uniforms from Kris Letang, Scott Hartnell and a blank Nashville Predators jersey signed by James Neal. Special Olympic athletes and law enforcement officials will be in attendance, including some local athletes who will be competing in the upcoming Special Olympics Ontario Winter Games. A bucket pass will occur during the second period and the Troops hope the 7th man will donate generously to this great cause. All proceeds from the game will go to Special Olympics Ontario.
IceDogs host Teddy Bear Toss on Friday: The Niagara IceDogs host their ninth annual Teddy Bear Toss on Friday night at home to the North Bay Battalion. Stuffed animals collected will be donated to Victim Services Niagara, an organization that assists children and families involved in traumatic or tragic circumstances. Additionally, some teddy bears will be donated to Niagara Regional Police Service Sergeant Neal Orlando’s bear and a book program, where a toy is paired with a new book and given to children as a Christmas present. For more information please visit niagaraicedogs.net.
Spitfires collecting cans for a cause: The Windsor Spitfires are teaming up with AM 800 CKLW in their Cans For A Cause campaign in advance of the holiday season. Spits fans can bring canned food items to the game on Friday night as the Spitfires host the Saginaw Spirit. Donations will go towards AM 800’s 12th annual Cans For A Cause campaign.
Bears take flight in Kingston on Friday: The Kingston Frontenacs host their annual Teddy Bear Toss on Friday night at home to the Guelph Storm.
Teddy Bear Toss in Erie on Saturday: Bring your bears! When the Otters score their first goal let ’em fly! All teddy bears collected on Saturday will be donated to the Salvation Army.
Movember Night in Saginaw on Saturday: The Saginaw Spirit celebrate Movember on Saturday night at home to the Windsor Spitfires. Don’t miss out on the post-game autograph session that features a team poster giveaway!
Attack host annual Bears in Blue Night on Saturday: The Owen Sound Attack take the fight to men’s cancers on Saturday at home to the London Knights. The Attack will suit up in specially themed blue jerseys that will be auctioned off to raise funds for the fight against men’s cancers. The Attack are also selling other merchandise including toques and mitts!
Bulldogs host Country Night on Saturday: The Hamilton Bulldogs are hosting their Country Night this Saturday against the Mississauga Steelheads. Fans are encouraged to dress up and wear their country gear! There will be lots of great prizing and giveaways including a chance to win a Molson mini beer fridge. KX 94.7 will also be giving away three pairs of suite tickets to an upcoming concert at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton.
Wolves collecting food and toys on Saturday: The Sudbury Wolves are holding a non-perishable food donation and will also be collecting toys in front of the building when they host the Flint Firebirds on Saturday. Lucky fans who donate will have the chance to win great prizes!
Skate with the Frontenacs on Sunday: The Kingston Frontenacs will be holding a post-game skate for season ticket holders on Sundayfollowing their matchup with the Sarnia Sting. Fans will have the opportunity to meet their favourite Frontenacs! Sunday is also Girl Guides Day in Kingston.
Sparky’s Toy Drive in Windsor on Sunday: The Windsor Spitfires are collecting new, un-opened toys to be donated to Sparky’s Toy Drive on Sunday afternoon when they host the London Knights. They’re especially in search of toys for children 8-14 years old and gifts for girls 11-17 years old. For more information please visit windsorspitfires.com.
COMMUNITY CORNER:
Jeff O’Neill warmup jersey auction underway: Warmup jerseys worn by Storm players prior to recognizing Jeff O’Neill as one of the franchise’s all-time greats on Saturday are now up for auction. The vintage O’Neill warmup jerseys are all signed by Jeff and the Storm player who wore them, with proceeds from the sale all being donated to Special Olympics Canada. The jersey auction will run throughMonday November 30th at 6:00pm. For more information please visit guelphstorm.com.
Steelheads partner with Enersource to deliver educational programs: Enersource and the Mississauga Steelheads are pleased to announce the launch of a new educational program, designed for elementary school children. The ‘Enersource More than Energy Tour’ has been created to help educate children on important issues that face today’s youth. Program organizers will work with school staff to create presentations that meet curriculum needs, while educating children on behavioural and social matters. The presentations will then be delivered by hockey players from the Mississauga Steelheads roster, who will speak to students on a variety of topics, including: teamwork; inclusiveness; responsibility; nutrition; and the importance of academic/athletic balance. For more information please visit mississaugasteelheads.com.
Spirit busy in the community: On Monday November 23rd Spirit Players David Ovsjanniov, Will Petschenig, Michael Holmes, and Evan Cormier joined volunteers from the Great Lakes Bay Region to pack over 900 care packages to send to the brave men and women who are currently fighting overseas during the holidays. On Tuesday November 24th Spirit Players Mike Davies, Kris Bennett, and Dylan Sadowy paid a visit to Arthur Eddy Elementary School in Saginaw. During the visit players read stories to kindergarten classrooms, demonstrated how to put on hockey equipment and shared the importance of working hard in school to accomplish your goals.
Rangers’ Henderson and Franzen put on Captain’s Clinic: Kitchener Rangers forwards Jake Henderson and Gustaf Franzen paid a visit to Our Lady of Fatimah School on Tuesday as part of the Rangers’ Captain’s Clinics Program. These clinics focus on the importance of health and physical activity while teaching fundamental hockey skills. Students were able to practice their newly learned skills and utilize them in a short game with Jake and Gustaf before a Q&A session with the two Rangers.
Petes fans can support Canadian Cancer Society until Friday: Donations for the Peterborough Petes Pink in the Rink fundraising campaign are being accepted through Friday November 27. For a donation of $20 to the Canadian Cancer Society, the Petes will print the name of someone who has or continues to battle cancer, or who lost a fight to cancer on each commemorative jersey to be worn by the Petes on Saturday February 6, 2016 in their Pink In the Rink Night against the Ottawa 67’s. For more information please visitgopetesgo.com.
STING’S PAVEL ZACHA RECEIVES WEEKLY HONOURS:
New Jersey Devils prospect Pavel Zacha of the Sarnia Sting is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 22 after scoring three goals and three assists for six points in two games with a plus-minus rating of plus-2. Zacha helped the Sting win both games last week extending the club’s winning-streak to three and improving their record to 13-7-2-0 where they stand second place in the West Division standings with 28 points. His week was highlighted by a career-high five-point performanceon Saturday night scoring his first career hat-trick and adding two assists as first star of a 6-2 win over the Niagara IceDogs.
TIP TOP TAILORS OHL PLAYS OF THE WEEK – WEEK 9:
The Ottawa 67’s headline the ninth edition of the Tip Top Tailors OHL Plays of the Week with magic at both ends of the ice!
GETTING ON THE BOARD: FIRST OHL GOALS IN 2015-16:
Check out the players who have scored their first OHL goal in the past week! 100 different players have accomplished the milestone this season! Click on a player’s name below to watch his first OHL goal!
Nick Deakin-Poot, Jakob Mayenschein, Ryan McLeod, Joseph Mizzi, Jacob Paquette
62 OHL PLAYERS ON NHL DRAFT RADAR:
62 players from the Ontario Hockey League were listed among NHL Central Scouting’s November ‘Players to Watch’ list for the 2016 NHL Draft which takes place June 24–25 in Buffalo, New York.
11 OHL skaters received an ‘A rating’ indicating a first round candidate with a group that includes 2014 OHL Priority Selection first overall pick Jakob Chychrun of the Sarnia Sting, OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters, the London Knights’ trio of Max Jones, Olli Juolevi, and Matthew Tkachuk, and the Mississauga Steelheads threesome of Michael McLeod, Alexander Nylander and Nathan Bastian. Full Rankings
OHL GAME SUMMARIES FEATURE NEW LOOK:
Ontario Hockey League game summaries have a new look this weekend with the addition of faceoff statistics joining the recent implementation of individual shots on goal tracking. Game Summary
ALUMNI NOTES:
Kane enjoying career-high 16-game point streak: London Knights graduate Patrick Kane continues to lead the NHL in scoring and is in the midst of a career-high 17-game point streak. Kane has amassed 10 goals, 18 assists and 28 points throughout his run and becomes the first player in Blackhawks franchise history to record points in 17 straight games since Denis Savard in 1987-88. He is currently tied with Dallas’ Jamie Benn for the NHL scoring lead. Kane spent the 2006-07 season in London, earning CHL Rookie of the Year honours with 62 goals, 83 assists and 145 points in 58 games before being selected first overall by Chicago in the 2007 NHL Draft.
Shane Prince scores first NHL goal: Ottawa 67’s graduate Shane Prince scored his first two NHL goals in Wednesday’s 5-3 Ottawa Senators victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Prince scored the first two goals of the game in his 15th career NHL contest, giving him two goals, four assists and six points in 13 games this season. Prince was a second round pick of the Senators in the 2011 NHL Draft. He played in 244 career OHL games from 2008-12 between Kitchener and Ottawa, amassing 86 goals, 134 assists and 220 points.
Canucks recall Andrey Pedan: Guelph Storm graduate Andrey Pedan has been called up by the Vancouver Canucks. The 22 year-old Russian rearguard has appeared in 15 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets this season, recording a goal, six assists and seven points. Pedan was traded to Vancouver last November after spending two full seasons in the New York Islanders system. Pedan played three seasons in Guelph from 2010-2013, appearing in 174 games while recording 26 goals, 70 assists and 96 points.
Ducks recall John Gibson: While it’s not his first NHL call-up, John Gibson has been recalled by the Anaheim Ducks after spending the first portion of the season with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The Kitchener Rangers graduate was Anaheim’s second round pick in 2011 and has appeared in 27 career NHL games since 2013. The Pittsburgh, PA, native spent two seasons in Kitchener from 2011-13, going 38-19-0-1 with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage.
Altshuller leads ECHL goaltenders: Oshawa Generals graduate Daniel Altshuller leads all ECHL goaltenders with a 1.50 goals-against average through eight games this season. Altshuller is currently playing with the Florida Everblades, the ECHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes. His sparkling goals-against average is accompanied by a 7-1-0-0 record, a .942 save percentage and two shutouts. Altshuller played with the Oshawa Generals from 2011-2014, appearing in 140 games while recording a 2.80 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and a record of 78-47-3-5.
Camp, Gibson named coaches of CIS Selects squad: Former OHL head coach Shawn Camp and OHL graduate Brett Gibson have been named to the coaching staff of the CIS Selects squad that will square off with Canadian World Junior hopefuls on December 12th and 13th at the MasterCard Centre in Toronto. Camp is currently in his ninth season behind the bench at the University of Guelph following almost a decade of CHL coaching experience in Hull and Guelph. Camp led the Guelph Storm to an OHL title in 2004. Brett Gibson is currently in his 10th season behind the bench at Queen’s University, having been named the OUA East and CIS coach of the year in 2014. Gibson played four seasons in the OHL from 1996-2000 with Erie, North Bay and London.
Brace, Locke tied for AUS scoring lead: OHL graduates Cameron Brace and Eric Locke are currently tied for the AUS lead in scoring. The two 22 year-olds both have 22 points in 13 games on the season with Brace (11-11–22) suiting up for UNB and Locke (10-12–22) representing St. Fx. Brace spent five seasons in the OHL from 2009-14, recording 106 goals, 100 assists and 206 points in 265 games between Owen Sound and Belleville. The Markham, ON, native won an OHL title with Owen Sound in 2011. Locke was a seventh round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2013 who appeared in 223 games over five seasons with Windsor, Barrie and Saginaw. Locke recorded 116 goals, 135 assists and 251 career points.
KEY WEEKEND MATCHUPS:
Kitchener Rangers (18-2-3-0) vs. Erie Otters (19-3-1-0)
Thursday November 26 at Erie
The Kitchener Rangers will be out to settle the score with the Erie on Thursday after dropping a 5-2 loss to the Otters on home ice last week. The top two teams in the CHL this have both won eight of their last 10 contests. They’ll square off in a big matchup to kick-off a busy weekend around the league.
Peterborough Petes (11-9-2-2) vs. Oshawa Generals (10-12-2-1)
Friday November 27 at Oshawa / Saturday November 28 at Peterborough
The Peterborough Petes have turned heads of late with a balanced attack and strong goaltending. They’ll face their age old rival, the Oshawa Generals in a home-and-home set this weekend. The Generals sit three points behind Peterborough in the East Division and will try and close that gap with a pair of wins this weekend.
London Knights (15-4-1-1) vs. Windsor Spitfires (15-6-3-0)
Sunday November 29 at Windsor
The Knights and Spitfires lock horns for the fourth time this season, with Windsor having taken two out of the three past encounters. The two sides swapped 6-3 verdicts in late October and prepare to meet twice in two weeks with a follow-up meeting on Friday December 4th in London.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
Thursday, November 26
Kitchener at Erie – 7:00pm
Sault Ste. Marie at Niagara – 7:00pm
Hamilton at North Bay – 7:00pm
Sarnia at Peterborough – 7:05pm
Owen Sound at Barrie – 7:30pm
Friday, November 27
Guelph at Kingston – 7:00pm
North Bay at Niagara – 7:00pm
Sarnia at Ottawa – 7:00pm
Hamilton at Sudbury – 7:00pm
Saginaw at Windsor – 7:05pm
Barrie at Kitchener – 7:30pm
Owen Sound at London – 7:30pm
Erie at Mississauga – 7:30pm
Peterborough at Oshawa – 7:35pm
Saturday, November 28
Guelph at Ottawa – 1:00pm
Sault Ste. Marie at Erie – 7:00pm
Mississauga at Hamilton – 7:00pm
Flint at Sudbury – 7:00pm
Oshawa at Peterborough – 7:05pm
Windsor at Saginaw – 7:05pm
Niagara at Barrie – 7:30pm
London at Owen Sound – 7:30pm
Sunday, November 29
Sarnia at Kingston – 2:00pm
Sault Ste. Marie at Kitchener – 2:00pm
Flint at North Bay – 2:00pm
Mississauga at Oshawa – 2:05pm
London at Windsor – 2:05pm
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