12 OHL, 27 CHL PLAYERS INVITED TO CANADA’S NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM SELECTION CAMP

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

WJC Invites

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League is pleased to announce that 12 OHL players have been named to Hockey Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp set to take place December 9-12 at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ont.

Two OHL goaltenders, three defencemen and seven forwards are part of the 31-man camp roster consisting of other players from across the Canadian Hockey League vying for a chance to represent Canada at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ostrava and Trinec, Czech Republic from December 26 to January 5.

The roster was selected by Hockey Canada head scout Brad McEwen (Whitewood, Sask.), Shawn Bullock (Wainwright, Alta.), director of men’s national teams for Hockey Canada, and Mark Hunter (Petrolia, Ont./London Knights), the U20 lead for the Program of Excellence management group. Head coach Dale Hunter (Petrolia, Ont./London Knights) and assistant coaches Mitch Love (Quesnel, B.C./Saskatoon Blades), André Tourigny (Nicolet, Que./Ottawa 67’s) and Alan Letang (Renfrew, Ont./Owen Sound Attack) also provided input, along with coaches and general managers across the Canadian Hockey League.

“After a long evaluation process through summer camp, the early weeks of the CHL season and the Canada-Russia Series, we are nearing the final steps in selecting the roster that will represent Canada at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship,” said McEwen. “We are expecting a highly competitive camp from these 31 players, and we know there will be many difficult decisions when it comes time to select the players who will wear the Maple Leaf in the Czech Republic.”

Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection Camp will be held in Oakville, Ont., and will feature a pair of games against a team of U SPORTS all-stars on Dec. 11-12. Tickets for selection camp are available at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets, starting at $15 plus fees.

The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on Boxing Day when Canada takes on the United States at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partners, will air all 31 games at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, providing wall-to-wall game coverage and analysis throughout the tournament.

Canada has won 31 medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship since 1977, including 17 gold, nine silver and five bronze. Team Canada last took home gold in Buffalo in 2018.

12 OHL PLAYERS NAMED TO CANADA’S NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM SELECTION CAMP:

Goaltenders:
Nico Daws (Guelph Storm)
Hunter Jones (Peterborough Petes)*

Defencemen:
Kevin Bahl (Ottawa 67’s)*
Jamie Drysdale (Erie Otters)
Thomas Harley (Mississauga Steelheads)*

Forwards:
Quinton Byfield (Sudbury Wolves)
Ty Dellandrea (Flint Firebirds)
Aidan Dudas (Owen Sound Attack)*
Liam Foudy (London Knights)*
Connor McMichael (London Knights)*
Cole Perfetti (Saginaw Spirit)
Akil Thomas (Niagara IceDogs)*

*Hockey Canada National Junior Team Summer Development Camp invitee

For more information on Hockey Canada, Canada’s National Junior Team and the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, Twitter and #WorldJuniors.

CHL Players Invited to Selection Camp:

Goaltenders:
Nico Daws (Guelph Storm)
Joel Hofer (Portland Winterhawks)
Hunter Jones (Peterborough Petes)
Olivier Rodrigue (Moncton Wildcats)

Defencemen:
Calen Addison (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
Kevin Bahl (Ottawa 67’s)
Bowen Byram (Vancouver Giants)
Jamie Drysdale (Erie Otters)
Thomas Harley (Mississauga Steelheads)
Jared McIsaac (Halifax Mooseheads)
Braden Schneider (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Ty Smith (Spokane Chiefs)

Forwards:
Quinton Byfield (Sudbury Wolves)
Dylan Cozens (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
Ty Dellandrea (Flint Firebirds)
Aidan Dudas (Owen Sound Attack)
Nolan Foote (Kelowna Rockets)
Liam Foudy (London Knights)
Benoit-Olivier Groulx (Halifax Mooseheads)
Peyton Krebs (Winnipeg ICE)
Alexis Lafreniere (Rimouski Oceanic)
Raphael Lavoie (Halifax Mooseheads)
Connor McMichael (London Knights)
Dawson Mercer (Drummondville Voltigeurs)
Jakob Pelletier (Moncton Wildcats)
Cole Perfetti (Saginaw Spirit)
Akil Thomas (Niagara IceDogs)

67’s’ MARCO ROSSI NAMED OHL ‘ON THE RUN’ PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Rossi

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that draft eligible Ottawa 67’s centreman Marco Rossi is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week with 11 points including six goals and five assists along with a plus/minus rating of plus-8 in three games.

Rossi helped the 67’s combine to score 21 goals over three games, extending their winning streak to seven while also becoming the OHL’s first 20 game winner. Rossi played a big part in Wednesday’s 11-6 road win over the Kingston Frontenacs, recording a career-high six points including his first OHL hat-trick. Ottawa’s big line of Rossi, Austen Keating and Joseph Garreffa combined for 17 points in the lopsided victory. Rossi added a goal and an assist in Friday’s 4-3 overtime win over visiting Oshawa before finishing the weekend with two goals and an assist in a first star performance as the 67’s defeated the North Bay Battalion 6-1. Rossi earned star of the game recognition in each of his three contests, rounding out Sunday’s action on a nine-game point streak.

An 18-year-old from Feldkirch, Austria, Rossi sits fifth in OHL scoring with 49 points (16-33–49) over 21 games. He’s tied for the league lead in points-per-game (2.33) with London’s Connor McMichael and has also won 59.1% of his faceoffs. An ‘A’ rated skater on NHL Central Scouting’s November ‘Players to Watch’ List, Rossi burst onto the OHL scene in 2018-19, recording 65 points (29-36–65) over 53 games as a rookie, helping the 67’s reach the Rogers OHL Championship Series. He was Ottawa’s first round (18th overall) pick in the 2018 CHL Import Draft.

Also considered for the award this week was Rossi’s Ottawa 67’s teammate Austen Keating who put up 11 points (4-7–11) over three games, tying a 67’s franchise record with seven points in Wednesday’s win over Kingston. Niagara IceDogs rookie netminder Tucker Tynan was also on the radar after backstopping the IceDogs to back-to-back road wins, posting a 2.00 goals-against average and .943 save percentage.

• HIGHLIGHTS: Rossi’s six-point night
• HIGHLIGHTS: Rossi chips in with a goal and an assist
• HIGHLIGHTS: Rossi’s first star performance

OTR_2017_Logo

2019-20 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week – Regular Season:
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 Writers Draft Eligible Player of the Month for November

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
Rossi, Marco
Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by OHL Images

You will not find a better offensive output then the one Ottawa 67’s Marco Rossi put up in the month of November. The 5’9”, 187-pound centerman put up an astounding 10 goals and 16 assists in just 12 games for the 67’s.

Rossi had a night to remember on November 17, 2019 as he netted 3 goals along with 3 helpers against the Kingston Frontenacs. Here’s the impressive thing about Rossi’s numbers: even if you could magically take away that 6-point game versus the Fronts, he still would have out produced his fellow draft eligible players.

Rossi was held off the score sheet just once. That came on November 11 against the Oshawa Generals. Rossi had 2 multi-goal games in the month, 4 multi-assist games and 7 multi-point games. Despite Rossi’s performances, he was not named the game’s first star at any time in November. However, he was named second star on four occasions and third star in two others.

Also considered was Oshawa Generals netminder Zachary Paputsakis, the only netminder to keep Rossi off the scoresheet in the month of November.

Paputsakis posted a 4-4-0-1 record with a sparkling .918 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against-average.

Our previous players of the month

October – Cole Perfetti – Saginaw Spirit

OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders as of November

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Jamie Drysdale of the Erie Otters. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Well, the calendar has flipped to December and that means it’s time to prepare for the Holidays and Canadian Hockey League teams prepare for the loss of many players heading to the World Junior Championships, not just for Canada, but almost every nation participating.

While there will be a few players eligible for the 2020 National Hockey League Draft participating in the annual event, for others it will be a time to step up and show what they are made of while moving up in lineups to help their respective junior teams compensate for the loss of their stars.

Canada will release the roster of those players attending the Team Canada camp Monday December 2 while other nations will follow shortly thereafter.

So, while we all wait and prepare for that news, here’s a look at the draft eligible statistical leaders among OHL players eligible for the NHL Draft for the first time.

While we take great care in compiling stats, always refer to the OHL Website for official stats.

Points Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 27 17 30 47
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 20 14 32 46
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 26 13 29 42
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 23 16 19 35
Jamie Drysdale Erie Otters 27 5 25 30
Jack Quinn Ottawa 67’s 25 14 15 29
Jacob Perreault Sarnia Sting 22 12 16 28
Jaromir Pytlik Soo Greyhounds 26 10 16 26
Hayden Fowler Erie Otters 25 12 13 25
Rory Kerins Soo Greyhounds 26 12 12 24
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player Team GP G GPG
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 27 17 0.63
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 23 16 0.70
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 20 14 0.70
Jack Quinn Ottawa 67’s 25 14 0.56
Zayde Wisdom Kingston Frontenacs 25 14 0.56
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 26 13 0.50
Jacob Perreault Sarnia Sting 22 12 0.55
Hayden Fowler Erie Otters 25 12 0.48
Rory Kerins Soo Greyhounds 26 12 0.46
Logan Morrison Hamilton Bulldogs 25 11 0.44
Assist Leaders
Player Team GP A APG
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 20 32 1.60
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 27 30 1.11
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 26 29 1.12
Jamie Drysdale Erie Otters 27 25 0.93
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 23 19 0.83
Jacob Perreault Sarnia Sting 22 16 0.73
Jaromir Pytlik Soo Greyhounds 26 16 0.62
Ruben Rafkin Windsor Spitfires 23 15 0.65
Jack Quinn Ottawa 67’s 25 15 0.60
Oliver Suni Oshawa Generals 25 15 0.60
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Jamie Drysdale Erie Otters 27 5 25 30
Jack Thompson Sudbury Wolves 27 9 11 20
Ruben Rafkin Windsor Spitfires 23 1 15 16
Alec Belanger Ottawa 67’s 25 3 12 15
Ryan O’Rourke Soo Greyhounds 17 5 8 13
Lleyton Moore Kitchener Rangers 25 1 11 12
Ville Ottavainen Kitchener Rangers 23 4 6 10
Dylan Robinson Windsor Spitfires 23 2 7 9
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player Team GP +/-
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 20 +27
Ryan O’Rourke Soo Greyhounds 17 +13
Shawn Spearing Peterborough Petes 22 +12
Jack Quinn Ottawa 67’s 25 +12
Mark Wooley Owen Sound Attack 21 +11
Quinton Byfield Sudbury Wolves 27 +11
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 26 +10
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 23 +9
Dylan Robinson Windsor Spitfires 23 +9
Kirill Steklov London Knights 23 +9
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player Team GP PIM M/G
Hayden Fowler Erie Otters 25 42 1.68
Ryan O’Rourke Soo Greyhounds 17 29 1.706
Ruben Rafkin Windsor Spitfires 23 27 1.174
Gerard Keane London Knights 22 26 1.182
Riley Piercey Barrie Colts 23 26 1.13
Faceoff Leaders
Player Team GP FOA FOW %
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 20 421 247 58.7
Hayden Fowler Erie Otters 25 138 76 55.1
Will Cuylle Windsor Spitfires 23 111 61 55.0
Cole Perfetti Saginaw Spirit 26 109 59 54.1
Rory Kerins Soo Greyhounds 27 465 248 53.3
Longest Goal Scoring Streak
Player Team From To Gms Goals
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 11/17 11/30 5 8
Longest Assist Streak
Player Team From To Gms Assts
Marco Rossi Ottawa 67’s 9/21 11/3 10 21
Longest Point Streak
Player Team From To Gms Pts
Tyson Foerster Barrie Colts 10/24 11/17 13 22
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player Team GP Min GA Avg
Zachary Paputsakis Oshawa Generals 13 643 29 2.71
Brett Brochu London Knights 12 617 28 2.72
Nick Chenard Owen Sound Attack 5 246 13 3.17
Will Cranley Ottawa 67’s 9 437 26 3.57
Owen Bennett Guelph Storm 7 400 24 3.60
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player Team GP SH SVS SV%
Tucker Tynan Niagara IceDogs 21 828 756 0.913
Zachary Paputsakis Oshawa Generals 13 320 291 0.909
Brett Brochu London Knights 12 287 259 0.902
Nick Chenard Owen Sound Attack 5 131 118 0.901
Marco Costantini Hamilton Bulldogs 16 552 491 0.889
Goaltending Leaders – Shutouts
Player Team GP SO
Will Cranley Ottawa 67’s 9 1
Zachary Paputsakis Oshawa Generals 13 1
Brett Brochu London Knights 12 1

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week eleven edition of the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2019-20 season.  The weekly rankings of the CHL’s Top-10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 11

Rank: Team: Last Week Ranked: Total Weeks Ranked:
1 Sherbrooke Phoenix (20-3-2-0) 1 11
2 Moncton Wildcats (19-5-0-0) 2 5
3 Windsor Spitfires (15-3-3-0) 6 4
4 Everett Silvertips (16-5-1-0) 3 5
5 Chicoutimi Sagueneens (18-5-2-0) 4 11
6 Prince Albert Raiders (16-5-3-1) 5 8
7 Ottawa 67’s (17-6-0-0) 9 9
8 Oshawa Generals (16-6-0-1) 7 9
9 Portland Winterhawks (15-5-1-2) – 2
10 Guelph Storm (14-4-1-3) – 1
Honourable Mention:
Edmonton Oil Kings (15-5-4-2) 8 10
Peterborough Petes (16-6-1-1) 10 3
London Knights (14-5-1-1) – 4

Vaughn CHL Team of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

The Canadian Hockey League today announced the 10th edition of the Vaughn CHL Team of the Week for the 2019-20 season based on individual performances from Nov. 18-24.

Headlining the forward ranks is Lethbridge Hurricanes centre Logan Barlage who finished with nine points counting three goals and six assists over three appearances. His top performance came with a season-high five-point effort against the Red Deer Rebels on Saturday in which he finished with one goal and four assists in an 11-2 win that earned him third-star honours. For his efforts, Barlage was recognized as the WHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week.

Also up front is London Knights centre and Washington Capitals first-round pick Connor McMichael whose week saw him finish with eight points counting three goals and five assists over a trio of appearances. McMichael, who is currently riding a 14-game point streak, put up his best showing of the week with a four-point night against the rival Kitchener Rangers on Friday in which he recorded a hat-trick and added one assist to power his squad to a 5-1 road victory and claim first-star honours.

Rounding out the forward ranks is Kamloops Blazers right-wing Zane Franklin who impressed over three contests in collecting five goals and two assists for seven points. With all three performances seeing Franklin record at least two points, his best showing came against the Prince George Cougars on Friday as he notched two goals and added one assist in the 4-3 final that saw him claim third-star recognition.

On the blue line, Flint Firebirds rearguard Riley McCourt shined across three appearances as he finished the week with three goals and five assists for eight points. Against the Sarnia Sting on Wednesday, McCourt was a top performer for his squad as he tallied four assists – three of which came on the man advantage – in the 6-4 final. That performance helped McCourt earn recognition as the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week.

Rounding out the beck end is Knights blue-liner and San Jose Sharks first-round pick Ryan Merkley, who has continued to impress in his first season in London as he finished the week with two goals and five assists for seven points across three games. His best showing came against the Rangers on Friday as he finished with three assists and third-star recognition in the eventual 5-1 road victory.

Between the pipes, Victoriaville Tigres rookie netminder Nikolas Hurtubise was nearly unbeatable across his first two appearances of the season as he stopped a combined 64 shots over 120 minutes to come away with a pair of victories. His most impressive effort came in a 30-save outing against the Quebec Remparts on Saturday in which he recorded his first career shutout in a 2-0 win. In all, Hurtubise wrapped up the week with an incredible 0.50 goals-against average and .985 save percentage, earning him recognition as the Ultramar QMJHL Player of the Week.

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

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

OHL Cup

Top-ranked Toronto Jr. Canadiens lead the way into this weekend’s Whitby Silver Stick Tournament

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the debut 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 1

Rank: Team:
1 Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)
2 Quinte Red Devils (OMHA)
3 Toronto Nationals (GTHL)
4 Toronto Marlboros (GTHL)
5 Southern Tier Admirals (OMHA)
6 Toronto Titans (GTHL)
7 Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs (ALLIANCE)
8 Waterloo Wolves (ALLIANCE)
9 York-Simcoe Express (OMHA)
10 Mississauga Reps (GTHL)
Honourable Mention:
Hamilton Huskies (ALLIANCE)
Whitby Wildcats (OMHA)
Vaughan Kings (GTHL)

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/New Jersey Devils), 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.

FIREBIRDS’ RILEY McCOURT NAMED OHL ‘ON THE RUN’ PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

McCourt

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that fourth-year defenceman Riley McCourt of the Flint Firebirds is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week with eight points including three goals and five assists over three games.

• HIGHLIGHTS: McCourt’s career-high four assists
• HIGHLIGHTS: McCourt scores twice, adds assist in victory
• HIGHLIGHTS: McCourt scores game winner against Attack

McCourt becomes the first defenceman to win the award this season after recording points in all three of his outings last week, helping the Firebirds go 2-1 to remain in the thick of things in a highly competitive Western Conference. He was a bright spot for the Firebirds in a Wednesday night 6-4 road loss to the Sarnia Sting, recording a career-high four assists as Flint scored three power play markers. McCourt earned first star honours in Friday’s 4-3 win over the visiting Soo Greyhounds, finishing with two goals and an assist including the game winning goal before scoring another game winner in Saturday’s 5-4 triumph over visiting Owen Sound. McCourt racked up 10 shots on goal in Saturday’s win for a total of 21 over his three performances last week.

A 19-year-old native of St. Catharines, Ont., McCourt sits tied for fifth in scoring among OHL blueliners with 24 points (9-15–24) over 23 contests this season. His 86 shots on goal are second among the league’s defencemen. The 5-foot-11, 173Ib. left-shot rearguard has put up 79 points (21-58–79) over 135 career OHL regular season games between Flint and Hamilton dating back to the 2016-17 season. He was Hamilton’s third round (45th overall) pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection from the Niagara North Stars Minor Midgets. McCourt attended rookie camp with the Boston Bruins this past September.

Also considered for the award this week OHL scoring co-leader Connor McMichael of the London Knights who joined McCourt with eight points (3-5–8) last week. Knights goaltender Dylan Myskiw was also in the running after going 2-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average, .966 save percentage and one shutout in a pair of road wins.

2019-20 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week – Regular Season:
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)

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
Top 10

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week ten edition of the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2019-20 season.  The weekly rankings of the CHL’s Top-10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 10

Rank: Team: Last Week Ranked: Total Weeks Ranked:
1 Sherbrooke Phoenix (19-2-2-0) 1 10
2 Moncton Wildcats (17-5-0-0) 3 4
3 Everett Silvertips (14-4-1-0) 4 4
4 Chicoutimi Sagueneens (16-4-2-0) 8 10
5 Prince Albert Raiders (14-4-3-1) 5 7
6 Windsor Spitfires (12-3-3-0) 7 3
7 Oshawa Generals (14-5-0-1) 2 8
8 Edmonton Oil Kings (14-4-3-2) 6 10
9 Ottawa 67’s (15-6-0-0) 9 8
10 Peterborough Petes (15-6-1-0) 10 3
Honourable Mention:
Guelph Storm (12-4-1-2) – 0
Rimouski Oceanic (14-5-1-3) – 1
Portland Winterhawks (12-5-1-2) – 1

Vaughn CHL Team of the Week

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

The Canadian Hockey League today announced the ninth edition of the Vaughn CHL Team of the Week for the 2019-20 season based on individual performances from Nov. 11-17.

Leading the forward ranks is Hamilton Bulldogs centre Jan Jenik, whose week totaled 10 points counting five goals and five assists over three contests. Jenik, who carries a CHL best point-streak with at least one point in all 20 of his appearances this season, put up his best showing this week with a five-point night against the North Bay Battalion on Thursday in which he finished with a hat-trick plus two assists en route to a 5-1 victory and first-star honours. For his efforts, the Arizona Coyotes prospect was recognized as the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week.

Also up front is Ottawa 67’s overage left-wing Joseph Garreffa, who wrapped up the week with five goals and four assists for nine points across three appearances. Currently riding a four-game point streak, Garreffa had a productive weekend in first posting a hat-trick and one assist in Saturday’s 4-2 victory over the Flint Firebirds before following up that effort the next night in recording two goals and two assists to guide his club to a 6-3 win versus the Sarnia Sting and pick up his second-straight first-star honour.

Rounding out the forward ranks is Shawinigan Cataractes centre Mavrik Bourque who recorded nine points counting four goals and five assists over three appearances. The 2020 NHL Draft hopeful, who projects as a second-round selection in NHL Central Scouting’s latest Players to Watch report, is currently riding a 10-game point streak, a stretch which includes Tuesday’s five-point finish against the Saint John Sea Dogs in which he tallied one goal and four assists in the 8-5 victory that saw him claim second-star honours. For his efforts, Bourque was named the Ultramar QMJHL Player of the Week.

The blue line is led by another 2020 NHL Draft eligible in Sea Dogs rearguard Jeremie Poirier, whose productive week saw him finish with six points counting two goals and four assists over three appearances. Against the Cataractes on Tuesday, Poirier impressed with a power play goal plus three assists to claim third-star honours. The Quebec native projects as a first-round selection in the coming NHL Draft in Montreal.

Joining the back end is Mississauga Steelheads veteran defenceman Liam Ham who wrapped up the week with one goal and five assists for six points over three contests. Against the Sting on Friday, the Newmarket, Ont., native came up big in collecting four points – all coming as assists – that helped guide his club to a 6-2 victory in a performance that recognized him with third-star honours.

Between the pipes, Val-d’Or Foreurs netminder Jonathan Lemieux shined in two appearances and 125 minutes of action that saw him turn aside a combined 82 shots for back-to-back victories over the Sea Dogs and Halifax Mooseheads. Lemieux was busiest against the Sea Dogs, stopping 49 of 52 shots to lead his club to a 7-3 victory that also saw him earn second-star honours. In all, Lemieux wrapped up the week with a 1.92 goals-against average and .953 save percentage.