Press Release

Toronto, ON – Ontario Hockey League action heads into the sixth week of the regular season schedule with 24 games beginning tonight through Sunday.

 Here’s a look at what’s going on around the league:

AT THE RINKS:

Spitfires go pink on Thursday night: Thursday is Pink in the Rink Night in Windsor when the Spitfires host the Flint Firebirds. Wear pink in support of International Dragon Boat For the Cure! All those who purchase tickets in advance will get a free rally towel. The Spitfires’ pink game worn jerseys will be auctioned off online from November 15-22.

Halloween costume contest in Barrie: Get your costumes out Colts fans! Dress up and attend the Colts’ Thursday night home game against the Erie Otters for a chance to win great prizes!

Battalion distribute rally towels on CAA Night: The first 500 fans into the North Bay Memorial Gardens on Thursday will receive a free rally towel courtesy of CAA. Cheer on the Troops as they take on the Ottawa 67’s. One lucky fan will come away with a $500 CAA gift card!

Friday night costume contest in Sault Ste. Marie: Show your Halloween spirit on Friday night at the Essar Centre as the Hounds battle the Ottawa 67’s! The first 50 kids to sign up for the costume contest will receive a free loot bag and the top three costumes will receive a prize! Sign up at the Greyhounds Marketing table beside the Hound Pound!

IceDogs host annual Halloween game: The IceDogs will host their annual Halloween game on Friday night at home to the Sarnia Sting. Fans are encouraged to dress up in costume for the game and all kids in attendance that wear a costume will receive a treat bag from the IceDogs. Kids in costume will also be invited to take part in a second intermission parade on the ice!

Halloween Spooktacular in Sudbury: All youngsters aged 12 and under wearing a costume will be admitted to Friday night’s Wolves game for the low price of $5 and receive a free popcorn! Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes in attendance and you won’t want to miss pumpkin curling during the second intermission!

Pink in the Rink in Kingston: The Kingston Frontenacs hold their annual Pink in the Rink game against the Peterborough Petes on Friday night, raising funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. Fans can purchase a ‘Pink Pack’ for $25. It includes a game ticket, a special Pink in the Rink T-Shirt, as well as a $5 donation back to the Canadian Cancer Society (included in the $25). Pink Pack quantities are limited, so buy yours today at Frontenacs Originals located at Rogers K-Rock Centre, Cataraqui Centre, or at the Canadian Cancer Society – Kingston location!

COLTS’ KEVIN LABANC RECEIVES WEEKLY HONOURS:

The Ontario Hockey League today announced that San Jose Sharks prospect Kevin Labanc of the Barrie Colts is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending October 25 after leading the league with nine points in three games scoring twice with seven assists along with a plus-minus rating of plus-3. Labanc had three multi-point games last week helping the Colts earn three straight victories to move into first place in the Central Division standings with 16 points.

TIP TOP TAILORS OHL PLAYS OF THE WEEK – WEEK 5:

A wicked backhander from Alexander Nylander headlines the fifth edition of the Tip Top Tailors OHL Plays of the Week. Some nifty passing on goals by Drake Rymsha, Kyle Maksimovich and Max Jones also makes the highlight reel. Watch the Tip Top Tailors OHL Plays of the Week

GETTING ON THE BOARD: FIRST OHL GOALS IN 2015-16:

70 different players have scored their first OHL goal this season! Revisit their exciting milestones right here! Click on a player’s name below to watch his first OHL goal! 

Vladislav Barulin, Daniel Beaudoin, Justin Brazeau, Robbie Burt, Chase Campbell, Cole Candella, Cole Carter, Jacob Cascagnette, Lucas Chiodo, Sasha Chmelevski, C.J. Clarke, Ryan Cranford, Cam Dineen, Sean Durzi, MacKenzie Entwistle, Stepan Falkovsky, Christian Fischer, Morgan Frost, Ben Garagan, Brady Gilmour, Christian Girhiny, Ben Gleason, Brendan Harrogate, Jake Henderson, Noel Hoefenmayer, Aiden Jamieson, Dane Johnstone, Ben Jones, Max Jones, Olli Juolevi, Boris Katchouk, Max Kislinger, Jack Kopacka, David Levin, Vanya Lodnia, Lukas Lofquist, Alan Lyszczarczyk, Riley MacRae, Zachary Magwood, Kirill Maksimov, Ryan McGregor, Greg Meireles, Mitchell Mendonca, Jarrett Meyer, Christian Mieritz, Daniel Muzito-Bagenda, Julius Nattinen, Alex Nylander, Tyler Parsons, J.J. Piccinich, Zack Pittman, Isaac Ratcliffe, Daniel Robertson, Jason Robertson, Vili Saarijarvi, Jordan Sambrook, Eddie Schulz, Mikhail Sergachev, Kole Sherwood, Nicolas Sicoly, Jalen Smereck, Dmitry Sokolov, Matthew Strome, Matthew Struthers, Nick Suzuki, Robert Thomas, Owen Tippett, Matthew Tkachuk, Makar Tokarev, Gabe Vilardi

MILESTONE WATCH:

The 2015-16 season is still young, but a few notable milestones have already been reached. Here’s a look at what’s happening in the record books. 

Smith sets Battalion franchise wins mark: North Bay Battalion goaltender Jake Smith won his 65th career OHL game on October 18th, surpassing Bryan Pitton for first in Battalion franchise history. Full Story

Williams becomes Otters’ franchise wins leader: Erie Otters goaltender Devin Williams won his 73rd career OHL game on October 28th, surpassing Josh Disher for first in Otters franchise history. Full Story

Knights’ Dale Hunter two wins away from 600: London Knights head coach Dale Hunter enters the weekend with 598 career OHL victories. Hunter is set to become the sixth coach in league history to win 600 games, joining Brian Kilrea, Bert Templeton, Larry Mavety, Stan Butler and George Burnett. His .696 winning percentage is the highest of any coach in OHL history to have coached over 400 games. The Knights host Windsor on Friday before traveling to Saginaw and Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday and Sunday.

ALUMNI NOTES:

Darnell Nurse scores first goal in NHL debut: It didn’t take Darnell Nurse long to make a splash in the NHL. The Soo Greyhounds graduate scored in his first NHL game on Tuesday night, rushing through the middle and over the blueline to blow a slapshot over the shoulder of Minnesota’s Devan Dubnyk. Nurse, who was a seventh overall pick by the Oilers in the 2014 NHL Draft, started his 2015-16 season appearing in six games with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors where he recorded one assist. Nurse registered 36 goals, 98 assists and 134 points over 221 career OHL regular season games.

Sam Bennett scores first NHL regular season goal: Though he scored in the playoffs last spring, Kingston Frontenacs graduate Sam Bennett buried his first NHL regular season goal on Wednesday. Quickly becoming a fan favourite in Calgary for his grit and competitiveness, Bennett has a goal and two assists in nine contests this season. He was Calgary’s first round, fourth overall pick in 2014.

Kane, Seguin among NHL’s early season scoring leaders: OHL graduates Patrick Kane and Tyler Seguin are among the NHL’s early season scoring leaders. A former Plymouth Whalers centreman, Seguin sits third in the league with four goals, nine assists and 13 points in nine contests. A two-time NHL All-Star and Stanley Cup Champion in 2011, Seguin has helped the Dallas Stars get out to a 7-2-0 start to their season for first place in the Central Division. Kane is currently fourth in NHL scoring with five goals, seven assists and 12 points in nine games. The 2007 CHL Rookie of the Year and three-time Stanley Cup Champion continues to produce.

Khokhlachev tied for AHL scoring lead: Entering his third full AHL season, Alexander Khokhlachev is among the league’s top producers. The former Windsor Spitfires forward has two goals, nine assists and 11 points through seven games. Khokhlachev, who led the P-Bruins in scoring with 43 points last season, has appeared in four career NHL games with Boston.

Vail, Szydlowski off to hot starts in ECHL: OHL graduates Brady Vail and Shawn Szydlowski are off to strong starts in the ECHL. A Windsor Spitfires graduate, Vail has three goals, five assists and eight points through his first three contests with the Orlando Solar Bears, the ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Erie Otters grad Shawn Szydlowski has two goals, six assists and eight points through his first four games with the Fort Wayne Komets, the ECHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche.

Three OHL grads sign with Brampton Beast: OHL graduates Michael Vernace (Brampton Battalion), Luke Pither (Barrie Colts) and Jamie Wise (Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors) have all signed with the Brampton Beast, the ECHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens. Vernace, whose 72 points in 2005-06 is the highest single-season total ever recorded by a Battalion defenceman, has 22 games of NHL experience with the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning. Pither, who recorded 97 points during his overage season with Barrie in 2009-10, returns from playing in Europe where he spent last season with Klagenfurter of the Austrian Elite League. Wise, who scored 31 goals with Mississauga in 2011-12, split last season between the AHL and the ECHL after a two year stint playing at Ryerson University.

Welychka leads OUA in scoring: Belleville Bulls graduate Brett Welychka enters the weekend as the OUA’s leading scorer. The Carleton University forward has six goals, seven assists and 13 points in just five games including two four-point outings and his first career OUA hat-trick. Fellow OHL graduates Justice Dundas (12 pts.) and Liam Heelis (11 pts.) trail close behind.

Locke leads AUS in scoring: Saginaw Spirit graduate Eric Locke is currently leading the AUS in scoring with five goals, four assists and nine points in five games. The St. Francis Xavier X-Men forward has paced his club to a 3-1-1 start. Fellow OHL graduate Cameron Brace (7 pts.) is also among the league leaders.

KEY WEEKEND MATCHUPS:

Erie Otters (9-1-1-0) vs. Barrie Colts (8-4-0-0)
Thursday October 29 at Barrie

A pair of the best teams from each conference clash in Barrie on Thursday night. The Erie Otters try and get back on track after a hiccup last weekend that saw them drop decisions against Kingston and Saginaw. Slovakian blueliner Erik Cernak joins the club on the road this week as the Otters take on a Colts team that went 3-0 last weekend and leads the Central Division with 16 points.

Kingston Frontenacs (9-2-1-1) vs. Oshawa Generals (5-7-2-0)
Sunday November 1 at Oshawa

The Oshawa Generals meet the red hot Kingston Frontenacs for the third time this season and are still in the hunt for their first win against their rivals to the east. Oshawa’s struggles against Kingston over the past year have been well documented and the Fronts have continued that trend in 2015-16 with wins by scores of 3-2 in OT and more recently, a 1-0 game on October 18th. The Frontenacs enter the weekend as winners of four straight while the Generals try and get back on track.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE: 

Thursday, October 29
Mississauga at Niagara – 7:00pm
Ottawa at North Bay – 7:00pm
Flint at Windsor – 7:05pm
Kitchener at Peterborough – 7:05pm
Erie at Barrie – 7:30pm

Friday, October 30
Oshawa at Sudbury – 7:00pm
Peterborough at Kingston – 7:00pm
Sarnia at Niagara – 7:00pm
Owen Sound at Saginaw – 7:05pm
Ottawa at Sault Ste. Marie – 7:07pm
Hamilton at Mississauga – 7:30pm
North Bay at Kitchener – 7:30pm
Windsor at London – 7:30pm

Saturday, October 31
Guelph at Windsor – 1:05pm
Barrie at Hamilton – 2:00pm
Owen Sound at Flint – 2:00pm
Sarnia at Erie – 7:00pm
London at Saginaw – 7:05pm

Sunday, November 1
Barrie at Mississauga – 2:00pm
Guelph at Kitchener – 2:00pm
Niagara at North Bay – 2:00pm
Ottawa at Sudbury – 2:00pm
London at Sault Ste. Marie – 2:07pm
Kingston at Oshawa – 6:05pm

CATCH ALL OF THE ACTION ON OHL LIVE

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the roster for Team Russia that will compete in the 2015 CHL Canada Russia Series which begins on Monday November 9 in Kelowna, BC.

A team of 23 Russian players will travel across Canada as part of the 13th annual series playing six games against CHL competition from November 9-19 in preparation for the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship which takes places this winter in Finland.

The 23 Russian players includes three goaltenders, eight defencemen, and 12 forwards and features 6’5’’ Los Angeles Kings prospect Alexander Dergachev who was a member of the 2015 Russian National Junior Team that earned a silver medal at last year’s World Junior Championship.  Team Russia is led once again by head coach Valery Bragin who coached in last year’s event as well as the 2011 and 2010 series prior to earning medals at all three corresponding World Juniors including silver in Toronto 2015, silver in Calgary 2012, and gold in Buffalo 2011.

An additional 11 Russian-born CHL players will compete in various games of the series including Philadelphia Flyers first round pick Ivan Provorov of the Brandon Wheat Kings who also earned silver as a member of the Russian National Junior Team last season.  Provorov will compete in both games against Team WHL November 9 in Kelowna and November 10 in Kamloops along with fellow Flyers prospect Radel Fazleev of the Calgary Hitmen, New York Rangers prospect Sergey Zborovskiy of the Regina Pats, and Ivan Nikolishin of the Red Deer Rebels.

OHL players competing for Russia include St. Louis Blues prospect Dmitrii Sergeev of the Kitchener Rangers, and Los Angeles Kings prospect Damir Sharipzyanov of the Owen Sound Attack.  Both defencemen will compete for their country against Team OHL in Owen Sound on November 12, while defenceman Aleksandar Mikulovich of the Niagara IceDogs will compete for Team Russia on November 16 in Windsor.

Four QMJHL players will suit up for Russia in the final two games of the series taking place November 17 in Rouyn-Noranda and November 19 in Halifax led by Detroit Red Wings first round pick Evgeny Svechnikov of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.  Fellow Cape Breton forward Maxim Lazarev will also compete, along with Nashville Predators second round pick Yakov Trenin of the Gatineau Olympiques, and Colorado Avalanche prospect Sergei Boikov of the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Last season Russia captured their third series victory in 12 years over the CHL winning 11-7 in points.

2015 CHL Canada Russia Series – Team Russia:

Most recent club team listed in brackets

*indicates players who competed in 2014 CHL Canada Russia Series

^indicates players who competed in 2015 National Junior Team Summer Development Camp in Calgary

Goaltenders:

Anton Krasotkin (Loko Yaroslavl – MHL)

Maxim Tretiak (Zvezdka Chekhov – VHL)^
Alexander Trushkov (Khimik Voskresensk – VHL)^

Defencemen:

Kirill Ablaev (Spartak Moscow – KHL)

Ilya Dervuk (Avangard Omsk – KHL)^

Ilya Kolganov (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod – KHL)

Alexander Shchemerov (Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg – KHL)

Kirill Tsulygin (Salavat Yulaev Ufa – KHL)

Artem Volkov (Dynamo Moscow – KHL)

Mikhail Yuzeyev (Yuzhny Ural Orsk – VHL)^

Nikita Zhuldikov (Traktor Chelyabinsk – KHL)^

Forwards:

Semyon Afonasevsky (Traktor Chelyabinsk – KHL)^

Alexander Dergachev (SKA St. Petersburg – KHL)*

Ivan Igumnov (Dynamo Balashikha – VHL)

Marat Khayrullin (Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk – KHL)^

Artur Lauta (Avangard Omsk – KHL)^

Kirill Pilipenko (Dynamo Balashikha – VHL)

Alexander Protapovich (Bars Kazan – VHL)^

Andrey Svetlakov (CSKA Moscow – KHL)^

Daniil Vovchenko (Severstal Cherepovets – KHL)*

Egor Yakovlev (Admiral Vladivostok – KHL)

Nikita Yazkov (Metallurg Novokuznetsk – KHL)

Artem Zhelezkov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk – KHL)

WHL players on Team Russia:

Radel Fazleev (Calgary Hitmen)^

Ivan Nikolishin (Red Deer Rebels)*

Ivan Provorov (Brandon Wheat Kings)*

Sergey Zborovskiy (Regina Pats)

 OHL Players on Team Russia:

Aleksandar Mikulovich (Niagara IceDogs)

Dmitrii Sergeev (Kitchener Rangers)

Damir Sharipzyanov (Owen Sound Attack)*^

 QMJHL Players on Team Russia:

Sergei Boikov (Drummondville Voltigeurs)^

Maxim Lazarev (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)*

Evgeny Svechnikov (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)*^

Yakov Trenin (Gatineau Olympiques)

Staff:

Head Coach – Valery Bragin

Assistant Coach – Anvar Gatiyatulin

Assistant Coach – Alexander Boykov

Assistant Coach – Vladimir Kulikov

Video Coach – Vladislav Krutskikh

General Manager – Alexei Kochetkov

Doctor – Alexander Borodin

Physiotherapist – Artem Timofeev

Equipment Manager – Alexander Rezepov

Media Manager – Petr Tereshchenkov

 The schedule for the 2015 Canada Russia Series is as follows:

Game 1 – Monday, November 9 at Kelowna, BC
Game 2 – Tuesday, November 10 at Kamloops, BC
Game 3 – Thursday, November 12 at Owen Sound, ON

Game 4 – Monday, November 16 at Windsor, ON

Game 5 – Tuesday, November 17 at Rouyn-Noranda, QC

Game 6 – Thursday, November 19 at Halifax, NS

The 2015 Canada Russia series is supported by CHL associate sponsors, BMO Bank of Montreal, Cooper Tire, autoTRADER.ca and Sherwin-Williams. All six games will be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.

For more information including how to purchase tickets please visit http://canadarussia.chl.ca.

Single tickets now available for Dawson Creek and Fort St. John B.C.

 Monday October 19, 2015

CALGARY, Alta. – The three Canadian team rosters are set, and single-game tickets are now on sale for the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, coming up Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C.

 The Canadian players have been assigned to one of three teams – Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red, and Team Canada White.

The three rosters include three players who were not part of the 66 players originally named on Oct. 9. Defencemen Jarrod Gourley, Alexander Krief (Chicoutimi Sagueneens) and Elijah Roberts (Kitchener Rangers) have been added as injury replacements, taking the place of Brady Lyle (North Bay Battalion), Max Martin (Prince George Cougars) and Reilly Webb (Hamilton Bulldogs), who are unable to participate in the tournament.

The 66 players were selected by Ryan Jankowski, Hockey Canada’s director of player personnel, together with Joël Bouchard, a member of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence management group, and regional scouts Carl Bouchard (Quebec), Barclay Branch (Ontario), Wade Klippenstein (West), Kevin Mitchell (Atlantic) and Darrell Woodley (Ontario).

“We have three very competitive teams with plenty of talent, thanks to Ryan Jankowski, Joël Bouchard and all our regional scouts,” said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations and national teams. “This will be a tremendous experience for these players, who are putting on the Team Canada jersey for the first time in international competition. We know it will be special for them, and for the fans who will be out to cheer them on.”

The 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge brings together the top players in the world born in 1999 or later. The three Canadian teams will be joined by the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, and the United States, forming two groups of four teams. All eight teams will qualify for the quarter-finals, with the winners advancing to the semifinals, and losers facing off in placement games. The full schedule can be found here.

The 22-game tournament will officially kick off Nov. 1 at the Encana Events Centre in Dawson Creek with Team Canada Black taking on Team Canada White, while Team Canada Red opens its tournament against Finland at the North Peace Arena in Fort St. John. Both cities will also host two pre-tournament games on Oct. 30.

Single-game tickets are now available for $10 for pre-tournament games, $15 for preliminary round, $20 for quarter-final and semifinal, and $25 for the bronze medal game and gold medal game. In addition to the single-game tickets, a limited number of ‘Family 4-Pack’ (pre-tournament and preliminary round) are also available, as well as evening packages. For more information on tickets and pricing, including how to purchase, CLICK HERE.

The gold-medal game is Saturday, Nov. 7 in Dawson Creek at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT, and will be shown on TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcasters, along with the bronze-medal game and the semifinal played in Dawson Creek. All other tournament games, including 12 preliminary-round games, four quarter-finals, two placement games and the semifinal played in Fort St. John, will be available live through FASTHockey webcasts at www.hockeycanada.ca/wu17.

Since the first World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (then known as the Quebec Esso Cup) in 1986, more than 1,500 NHL draft picks have played in the tournament, including 12 of the last 15 first-overall selections (Ilya Kovalchuk, 2001; Rick Nash, 2002; Marc-André Fleury, 2003; Alexander Ovechkin, 2004; Erik Johnson, 2006; Patrick Kane, 2007; John Tavares, 2009; Taylor Hall, 2010; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 2011; Nathan MacKinnon, 2013; Aaron Ekblad, 2014; Connor McDavid, 2015).

 For more information on the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, visit www.hockeycanada.ca/wu17 or follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/worldu17 or www.twitter.com/hc_wu17.

59 CHL players (24 OHL, 20 WHL, 15 QMJHL) selected to represent Canada in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C.

CALGARY, Alta. – Dreams will come true for the 66 young men who’ve been selected to represent Canada in their first international competition when they take to the ice at the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C.

 Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League released the full event roster on Friday; over the next few weeks, the Canadians will be named to one of three squads – Canada Black, Canada Red, and Canada White. Prior to 2014, Canada was represented by five regional teams: Atlantic, Ontario, Pacific, Quebec, and West.

 CHL Players:

 Goaltenders:

Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)

Kyle Jessiman (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)

Ian Scott (Prince Albert Raiders)

Matthew Welsh (Charlottetown Islanders)

 Defencemen:

Yan Aucoin (Baie-Comeau Drakkar)

Evan Bouchard (London Knights)

Jakob Brahaney (Kingston Frontenacs)

Josh Brook (Moose Jaw Warriors)

Jocktan Chainey (Shawinigan Cataractes)

Antoine Crête-Belzile (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)

Hayden Davis (Niagara IceDogs)

Walter Flower (Halifax Mooseheads)

Jérémy Groleau (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)

Nolan Kneen (Kamloops Blazers)

Brady Lyle (North Bay Battalion)

Max Martin (Prince George Cougars)

Jacob Paquette (Kingston Frontenacs)

Markus Phillips (Owen Sound Attack)

Jonathan Smart (Kelowna Rockets)

Scott Walford (Victoria Royals)

Nick Watson (Lethbridge Hurricanes)

Reilly Webb (Hamilton Bulldogs)

 Forwards:

Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Spokane Chiefs)

Jordan Bellerive (Lethbridge Hurricanes)

Shawn Boudrias (Charlottetown Islanders)

Maxime Comtois (Victoriaville Tigres)

Louis-Philip Côté (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)

Brett Davis (Lethbridge Hurricanes)

MacKenzie Entwistle (Hamilton Bulldogs)

Zach Gallant (Peterborough Petes)

Brady Gilmour (Saginaw Spirit)

Cody Glass (Portland Winterhawks)

James Hamblin (Medicine Hat Tigers)

Dawson Holt (Vancouver Giants)

Peyton Hoyt (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)

Ben Jones (Niagara IceDogs)

Austen Keating (Ottawa 67’s)

Jake Leschyshyn (Regina Pats)

David Levin (Sudbury Wolves)

Stelio Mattheos (Brandon Wheat Kings)

Ryan McLeod (Mississauga Steelheads)

Antoine Morand (Acadie-Bathurst Titan)

Brett Neumann (Erie Otters)

Kyle Olson (Tri-City Americans)

Hayden Ostir (Spokane Chiefs)

Josh Paterson (Saskatoon Blades)

Michael Rasmussen (Tri-City Americans)

Isaac Ratcliffe (Guelph Storm)

Brendan Semchuk (Vancouver Giants)

Matthew Strome (Hamilton Bulldogs)

Matthew Struthers (Owen Sound Attack)

Jack Studnicka (Oshawa Generals)

Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)

Joël Teasdale (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)

Robert Thomas (London Knights)

Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)

Joseph Veleno (Saint John Sea Dogs)

Gabe Vilardi (Windsor Spitfires)

Alex-Oliver Voyer (Rimouski Oceanic)

“We have had a chance to get a look at these players through this summer’s development camp, and as they started their season”, said Ryan Jankowski, Hockey Canada’s director of player personnel. “We have assembled a strong group for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.”

The 66 players were selected by Jankowski, together with Joël Bouchard, a member of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence management group, and regional scouts Carl Bouchard (Quebec), Barclay Branch (Ontario), Wade Klippenstein (West), Kevin Mitchell (Atlantic) and Darrell Woodley (Ontario). These same gentlemen are charged with making up the three Team Canada rosters, which will be announced the week prior to the tournament’s start.

“It’s an exciting step for these players to represent their country for the first time, and we have a very talented group who will certainly give the fans in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John a lot to cheer about,” said Shawn Bullock, senior manager of hockey operations and men’s national teams for Hockey Canada. “We’re happy with the depth we’re seeing with the under-17 group; it bodes well for the future of our program as these players look to progress through our system to the under-18 and junior programs.”

The 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge brings together the top players in the world born in 1999 or later. The three Canadian teams will be joined by the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, and the United States, forming two groups of four teams. All eight teams will qualify for the quarter-finals, with the winners advancing to the semifinals, and losers facing off in placement games. The full schedule can be found here.

The 22-game tournament will officially kick off Nov. 1 at the Encana Events Centre in Dawson Creek with Canada Black taking on Canada White, while Canada Red opens its tournament against Finland at the North Peace Arena in Fort St. John. Both cities will also host two pre-tournament games on Oct. 30.

Full-tournament ticket packages are still available, as well as new, $80 evening-only packages which include six games. In addition, A ‘Family 4-Pack’ (pre-tournament and preliminary round) is also available, starting at $25 for four tickets.

 Limited quantities are still available of all ticket packages. Single-game ticket information will be announced closer to the start of the tournament. For more information on tickets, including how to purchase, CLICK HERE.

The gold medal game is Saturday, Nov. 7 in Dawson Creek at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT, and will be shown on TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcasters, along with the bronze-medal game and the semifinal played in Dawson Creek. All other tournament games, including 12 preliminary-round games, four quarter-finals, two placement games and the semifinal played in Fort St. John, will be available live through FASTHockey webcasts at www.hockeycanada.ca/wu17.

Since the first World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (then known as the Quebec Esso Cup) in 1986, more than 1,500 NHL draft picks have played in the tournament, including 12 of the last 15 first-overall selections (Ilya Kovalchuk, 2001; Rick Nash, 2002; Marc-André Fleury, 2003; Alexander Ovechkin, 2004; Erik Johnson, 2006; Patrick Kane, 2007; John Tavares, 2009; Taylor Hall, 2010; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 2011; Nathan MacKinnon, 2013; Aaron Ekblad, 2014; Connor McDavid, 2015).

 For more information on the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, visit www.hockeycanada.ca/wu17 or follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/worldu17 or www.twitter.com/hc_wu17.

Toronto, ON – Ontario Hockey League action heads into the third week of the regular season schedule with an extended weekend that includes 24 games from Thursday night through Monday afternoon.

AT THE RINKS

67’s tackle women’s cancers on Friday – The Ottawa 67’s take the fight to women’s cancers this Friday night when they host the Oshawa Generals.

Spirit host annual ‘Pink Out’ game Saturday night – The Saginaw Spirit are taking their annual stand against Breast Cancer on Saturday night at the Dow Event Center in their annual ‘Pink Out’ game. Fans can buy a $13 fundraising ticket online, with $5 from each purchase going to the St. Mary’s of Michigan Breast Care Fund. The Spirit will be sporting pink jerseys that will be auctioned off post-game, with proceeds going to charity. For more details on the Spirit’s ‘Pink Out’ Night, visit saginawspirit.com.

Bulldogs give out magnet schedules on Monday – Get your Hamilton Bulldogs magnet schedule on Monday at FirstOntario Centre when the London Knights are in town. Fans can also get in on a great Thanksgiving Family 4 Pack deal that includes 4 hot dogs, 4 soft drinks and 4 popcorns for just $20!

Rangers support the Food Bank of Waterloo – The Kitchener Rangers will be supporting the Food Bank of Waterloo on Mondayafternoon at home to the Sudbury Wolves. Fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items for donation. Financial contributions will also be accepted, with each dollar donated providing food for three meals while also helping the Food Bank of Waterloo inch closer to its goal of providing 435,000 meals and 14 weeks of essential food this fall. Food items needed most include but are not limited to: canned fish & meat, peanut butter, canned fruit and dry beans. For more information, visit kitchenerrangers.com.

OTTERS’ ALEX DeBRINCAT RECEIVES WEEKLY HONOURS

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.

FREE FRIDAY: WATCH FREE OHL HOCKEY ON OHL LIVE!

Catch all of Friday night’s action absolutely free! Use the promo code ‘FREEFRIDAY’ at ohllive.com and tune in! Fans can watch on a wide range of devices including PC, tablet and mobile.

TIP TOP TAILORS OHL PLAYS OF THE WEEK – WEEK 2

Catch up on the greatest plays from around the league this past week, including Barrie’s Kevin Labanc, a great pass from North Bay goaltender Jake Smith to teammate Zach Bratina, a nifty London Knights powerplay goal from Aaron Berisha, one of Alex DeBrincat’s five goals against the Niagara IceDogs and a stickhandling clinic from Mississauga’s Alex Nylander! Catch the second edition of the Tip Top Tailors OHL Plays of the Week!

GETTING ON THE BOARD: FIRST OHL GOALS IN 2015-16

34 different players have scored their first OHL goal this season! Revisit their exciting milestones right here! Click on a player’s name below to watch his first OHL goal!

Vladislav Barulin, Robbie Burt, Cole Candella, Sasha Chmelevski, Ryan Cranford, Christian Fischer, Brady Gilmour, Christian Girhiny,Brendan Harrogate, Jake Henderson, Noel Hoefenmayer, Aiden Jamieson, Olli Juolevi, Boris Katchouk, Jack Kopacka, David Levin,Lukas Lofquist, Mitchell Mendonca, Jarrett Meyer, Christian Mieritz, Daniel Muzito-Bagenda, Alex Nylander, J.J. Piccinich, Zack Pittman, Isaac Ratcliffe, Daniel Robertson, Eddie Schulz, Mikhail Sergachev, Kole Sherwood, Matthew Strome, Nick Suzuki, Owen Tippett, Matthew Tkachuk, Gabe Vilardi

ALUMNI NOTES

Leafs claim Corrado off waivers – The Toronto Maple Leafs have claimed former Sudbury Wolves and Kitchener Rangers defenceman Frank Corrado off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks. Corrado appeared in 10 games with the Canucks last season, spending most of the year with their AHL affiliate in Utica. The Comets made a deep run to the Calder Cup Finals as Corrado suited up in 18 playoff contests.

Hamilton brothers reunited in Flames organization – The Calgary Flames have acquired Freddie Hamilton from the Colorado Avalanche, reuniting him with brother Dougie Hamilton in the Flames organization. The two Hamiltons suited up with the Niagara IceDogs from 2009-2012, making it to the OHL Finals in 2012. Freddie Hamilton spent most of the 2014-15 season with the AHL’s Worcester Sharks where he had nine goals, 21 assists and 30 points in 52 games. He played in 18 NHL games between San Jose and Colorado.

Lalande signs KHL contract – Former Belleville Bulls goaltender Kevin Lalande will continue his career in the KHL this season, recently inking a two-year contract with Dinamo Minsk out of Belarus. Lalande attended the Minnesota Wild’s training camp on a tryout basis before returning to Europe where he has spent the past five seasons. Lalande played in Belleville from 2003-2007, appearing in 131 games and was drafted in the fifth round of the 2005 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames.

Kulda to play pro in Finland – Former Peterborough Petes defenceman Arturs Kulda will continue his career in Finland this season, signing with Jokerit of the KHL. The 27 year-old Latvian blueliner played two seasons with the Petes from 2006-2008. After a North American pro career that included 260 AHL games and 15 NHL contests spent between Atlanta and Winnipeg, Kulda has spent the past three seasons in Russia.

KEY WEEKEND MATCHUPS

Barrie Colts (4-1-0-0) vs. Niagara IceDogs (1-4-0-0)
Thursday October 8 at Niagara

The Niagara IceDogs get another crack at the divisional opponent Barrie Colts on home ice after dropping a 4-1 decision last weekend. The IceDogs look to turn around a 1-4 start to the season and put an end to their four game slide.

The Colts enter the weekend as the CHL’s sixth ranked team. They’re led in scoring by overage forward Justin Scott who has nine points (1-8–9) in five games. Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood currently leads all goaltenders with a 1.38 goals-against average and a .963 save percentage.

Windsor Spitfires (3-0-1-0) vs. Kitchener Rangers (2-0-1-0)
Friday October 9 at Kitchener

The Windsor Spitfires enter the weekend on a three game winning streak and were recognized with an honourable mention in the latest edition of the BMO CHL Top-10 Rankings. The loss of overage defenceman Trevor Murphy to the American Hockey League hasn’t slowed the Spits down as defencemen Jalen Chatfield and Mikhail Sergachev have pitched in offensively from the back end with a pair of goals each. Sixteen year-old centreman Gabe Vilardi has three goals through his first four OHL contests.

The Rangers come off a successful northern road trip with wins in North Bay and Sudbury last weekend. A well-balanced club, the Rangers are led in scoring by draft eligible winger Adam Mascherin who has two goals, two assists and four points in three games.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE: 

Thursday, October 8
Barrie at Niagara – 7:005pm
Peterborough at Windsor – 7:00pm

Friday, October 9
Mississauga at Kingston – 7:00pm
Niagara at Erie – 7:00pm
Oshawa at Ottawa – 7:00pm
Hamilton at Sarnia – 7:05pm
Saginaw at Sault Ste. Marie – 7:07pm
Owen Sound at Guelph – 7:30pm
Sudbury at London – 7:30pm
Windsor at Kitchener – 7:30pm

Saturday, October 10
Windsor at Erie – 7:00pm
Peterborough at Saginaw – 7:05pm
North Bay at Sault Ste. Marie – 7:07pm
London at Owen Sound – 7:30pm
Ottawa at Barrie – 7:30pm
Sarnia at Flint – 7:30pm

Sunday, October 11
Kitchener at Mississauga – 2:00pm
Ottawa at Owen Sound – 2:00pm
Sudbury at Sarnia – 2:05pm
Peterborough at Flint – 5:00pm

Monday, October 12
London at Hamilton – 2:00pm
Mississauga at North Bay – 2:00pm
Sudbury at Kitchener – 2:00pm
Guelph at Oshawa 2:05pm

CATCH ALL OF THE ACTION ON OHL LIVE

The Ontario Hockey League today announced the results of a review of an incident which took place in a game played in Hamilton on the 4^th of October, 2015, involving the Bulldogs and the visiting Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Hockey Club.

The incident reviewed was a match penalty assessed to player Keigan Goetz of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for checking to the head.

Based on such review, it is the position of the League that player Keigan Goetz shall be suspended for twelve (12) games, dating from but not including the game of Sunday, October 4^th, 2015.

Click here for video/rationale of the Keigan Goetz suspension.