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Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings
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Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week six 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 6
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AFANASYEV AND OKHOTYUK TO REPRESENT RUSSIA IN 2019 CIBC CANADA RUSSIA SERIES
Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League, in association with the Canadian Hockey League and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, announced today that Windsor Spitfires forward Egor Afanasyev and Ottawa 67’s defenceman Nikita Okhotyuk will represent Russia in the upcoming 2019 CIBC Canada Russia Series.
Team OHL will compete against Afanasyev, Okhotyuk and Russian National Junior Team hopefuls in Game 3 of the series on Thursday, November 7 in Kitchener before Game 4 takes place on Monday, November 11 in London.
A second round (45th overall) pick of the Nashville Predators in the 2019 NHL Draft, Afanasyev is in his first OHL season with the Windsor Spitfires after his rights were acquired from the Ottawa 67’s in December 2018. The 18-year-old from Moscow, Russia has 12 points (5-7–12) through his first 11 games of the 2019-20 season and recently signed a three-year entry-level NHL contract with the Predators last week. Afanasyev was originally Ottawa’s sixth round pick in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection.
The 6-foot-3, 205Ib. winger represented Russia at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, BC, recording five points (2-3–5) in as many games.
A second round (61st overall) pick of the New Jersey Devils in the 2019 NHL Draft, Okhotyuk made his season debut last weekend after recovering from injury to begin 2019-20. The 18-year-old from Chelyabinsk, Russia is in his third OHL season after recording 17 points (2-15–17) over 56 games with the 67’s last season, helping guide the team to an Eastern Conference championship. The 6-foot-1, 198Ib. rearguard was Ottawa’s first round (16th overall) pick in the 2017 CHL Import Draft.
Okhotyuk represented Russia at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., suiting up in six games as Russia claimed bronze. He wore the ‘C’ for Russia at the 2017 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, recording three points (1-2–3) in five contests. He also represented his country in the 2018 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship in Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk, Russia, recording two assists in five contests.
In 16 years of competition, the Russian National Junior Team has played to a record of 33-60-0-3, winning last year’s series by an 11-7 mark in points.
2019 CIBC Canada Russia Series Schedule:
Game 1 – Monday November 4 at Saint John, NB
Game 2 – Tuesday November 5 at Moncton, NB
Game 3 – Thursday November 7 at Kitchener, ON
Game 4 – Monday November 11 at London, ON
Game 5 – Wednesday November 13 at Saskatoon, SK
Game 6 – Thursday November 14 at Prince Albert, SK
The 2019 CIBC Canada Russia series is proudly supported by title partner CIBC, and associate sponsors Kia Canada, Cooper Tires, and Kubota Canada. All games will be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
For event information including how to purchase tickets please visit http://chlcanadarussia.ca.
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Vaughn CHL Team of the Week
The Canadian Hockey League today announced the fifth edition of the Vaughn CHL Team of the Week for the 2019-20 season based on individual performances from Oct. 14-20.
The forward ranks are headlined by Sherbrooke Phoenix left-wing and Pittsburgh Penguins first-round pick Samuel Poulin, whose week concluded with 12 points counting six goals and six assists across three appearances. Poulin’s top performance came Sunday in a phenomenal two-goal, six-assist showing against the Shawinigan Cataractes that set a franchise record for points in a single game marking the first eight point game in the QMJHL in a decade. For his efforts, Poulin was named the Ultramar QMJHL Player of the Week.
Also up front is Rimouski Oceanic overage centre Cedric Pare, who matched Poulin’s 12-point output over three games also putting up six goals with six assists. Pare, who sits second in QMJHL scoring with 32 points on the season, is currently riding an 11-game point streak, with his most impressive performance coming in a six-point night against the Quebec Remparts on Sunday in which he finished with four goals and two assists to claim first-star recognition.
Sarnia Sting overage right-wing Sean Josling rounds out the forward ranks following a week in which he finished with six goals and five assists for 11 points in three games. That stretch included Friday’s five-point outing against the Oshawa Generals in which Josling claimed first-star honours after notching three goals and two assists to hand the first-place club its first loss this season.
Leading the way on the back end is Ottawa 67’s rearguard Noel Hoefenmayer, who put up six points counting four goals and two assists over three games. Hoefenmayer’s best performance came Sunday as the overager recorded his first career hat-trick, including the overtime winner in a 5-4 final versus the Hamilton Bulldogs to come away with first-star honours.
Rounding out the blue line is Regina Pats newly acquired defenceman Zach Wytinck, whose third and fourth appearances since joining the team from the Brandon Wheat Kings saw him register a total of five points counting one goal with four assists. All four helpers came in Saturday’s shootout win over the Red Deer Rebels, including a secondary assist on Austin Pratt’s game-tying goal with only 15 seconds remaining in the final frame to help the overage defender earn third-star honours.
Between the pipes, Kamloops Blazers netminder and 2020 NHL Draft hopeful Dylan Garand was nearly unbeatable over two appearances as he stopped 48 of 49 shots to find the win column twice and come away with a 0.50 goals-against average and .980 save performance. The stretch included Friday’s 23-save effort against the Vancouver Giants that saw Garand notch his first shutout of the season, helping him claim WHL Eli Wilson Goaltending Goaltender of the Week honours.
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Is There a Rejuvenation in the Cards for Billy Constantinou?
Many in the hockey world expected the name Billy Constantinou to be one of the 217 names called out at this past summer’s National Hockey League Draft from Vancouver British Columbia. While no one expected it to be from the podium on Friday June 21, it was expected to come from one of the 31 tables set up on the Rogers Arena floor the next day.
But when the Stanley Cup Champion St Louis Blues announced that they were selecting Jeremy Michel with the 217th and final pick of the draft, Constantinou’s name had not been called and many were left wondering what happened.
All was not lost for the young and talented defenceman (as it shouldn’t be). He received an invitation to the Los Angeles Kings’ development camp in the summer and again to their training camp in September where, by most accounts, he impressed the Kings’ brass.
The Kings will certainly be keeping an eye on Constantinou as he strives to hear his name called next summer as he re-enters the NHL Draft and it shouldn’t come as a surprise if it is the Kings that call out his name in Montreal in 2020.
It’s not something new for the Kings. Back in 2011 they invited undrafted defenceman and Soo Greyhound Colin Miller to development camp and followed him closely during the 2011-2012 season. And they called out Miller’s name in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft.
So why the pass on draft day?
Your guess is as good as anyone’s. Constantinou is a talented defenceman with great mobility. He can elude the forecheck and at times makes it look so easy. He is very good at creating offence. He needs some work on defending, but you can say that about any defencemen at this level.
Things started out promising for Constantinou during the 2018-2019 season, that being his draft season. He amassed 4 goals and 11 assists in 22 games playing for the mighty Niagara IceDogs. Then came a trade to the lowly Kingston Frontenacs.
At the time of the trade, Constantinou was neck-and-neck with Dallas Stars first round pick, 18th overall, Thomas Harley in scoring among draft eligible defencemen. He was fifth among all draft eligible skaters in helpers to that point.
Once with the Frontenacs, his numbers dropped. In 44 contests with the Fronts, Constantinou scored 6 times while accumulating 12 helpers. Those aren’t bad numbers, but he ended up a minus-58 patrolling the Fronts blueline. And that, in my opinion, is indicative of a young and rebuilding Kingston organization.
That leads us to some questions that need to be asked. Was Constantinou a beneficiary of playing on a stacked Niagara squad? Does he possess the hockey IQ to play with a more talented roster? Is he more what we saw in Kingston, or is he somewhere in between?
This season should provide some answer to those questions. Through 8 games with the Fronts, Constantinou had a goal with 5 helpers. Pretty good numbers to say the least. But he was again in the minus column at minus-7. That is indicative of the type of season it was going to be as Kingston continued on its rebuilding path.
But on October 15th, 2019 the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds came calling and acquired Constantinou for the low price of a 4th round pick in 2020, a 4th round pick in 2021 and a 3rd round pick in 224.
It’s a small sample size, just 3 games into his Greyhounds career, but Constantinou has a goal and 2 assists for the Greyhounds. And for the first time since he tied on the skates with Niagara, he’s on the positive side of the ledger with a plus-3.
Now, we’ll get to see whether he can keep up with a more talented roster.
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60 Teams. One App: The Future of Hockey in your Hand
Canadian Hockey League and Adept Mobile team up to launch new mobile app
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League in association with Adept Mobile are proud to announce the launch of an industry leading mobile app to CHL fans from coast-to-coast.
The future of hockey is now truly available in your hand with the new product becoming the official mobile home of the CHL which includes national events, all three regional leagues, and all 60 teams.
“We’re excited to launch the new CHL App delivering one home for fans of all 60 CHL teams,” said Mark Dickie, CHL Director of Digital Operations. “The project represents a true collaboration across all CHL leagues and teams with the shared goal of enhancing fan engagement in our communities. The app is a big step in continuing to advance the CHL’s digital offering and brings fans the mobile experience that they expect. We look forward to continuously developing this platform and utilizing its features to grow the CHL brand and bring fans closer to the game.”
CHL App users can customize their experience to follow their favourite team and gain access to league wide content such as news, video, highlights, and results with an advanced stats and game centre platform. Exclusive content from CHL Fanbase including local and nationally driven contests and promotions will help users engage with their favourite team in a way like never before, while opt in features such as push notifications and geo targeting will help teams interact with their fans providing unique experiences at home and in venue.
“This has been one of the most enjoyable and challenging projects we have worked on as a company and we are just getting started,” said Gabe Smallman, President of Adept Mobile. “We couldn’t be more excited to continue to innovate with the CHL now that a successful launch has taken place.”
The CHL App is now available for download in the App Store and on Google Play.
About the Canadian Hockey League:
The Canadian Hockey League is the world’s largest development hockey league with 52 Canadian and eight American teams participating in the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.
About Adept Mobile:
Adept Mobile has been specializing in sports apps for over a decade. The sports industry is not just one of our verticals – it is our ENTIRE focus. It is our PASSION.
The Adept Mobile Platform provides engagement to fans and key services to the organizational vital stakeholders:
• Digital • Ticketing • Marketing • Sponsorship • Business Intelligence • Venue Operations.
Adept believes the future of technology is deep, rock-solid integrations with best-in-class specialized service providers.
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Canadian rosters unveiled for 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
Black, Red and White are set, and the 66 Canadians know which colour they’ll wear on the Prairies.
Source: Canadian rosters unveiled for 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
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PETES’ HUNTER JONES NAMED OHL ‘ON THE RUN’ PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Minnesota Wild prospect Hunter Jones of the Peterborough Petes is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week of regular season action running from October 14th through the 20th with a 3-0 record, 1.67 goals-against average and .943 save percentage.
- HIGHLIGHTS: Jones makes 28 saves for third straight win
- HIGHLIGHTS: Jones earns first star with 32-save effort in Ottawa
- HIGHLIGHTS: Jones backstops Petes past Bulldogs in home opener
Jones earns the award for the first time in his OHL career after backstopping the Petes to a perfect 3-0 record. He made 22 saves in Thursday’s home opening win over the Hamilton Bulldogs before posting back-to-back road wins with one goal allowed on Friday and Sunday. Jones earned first star honours, turning aside 32 of 33 shots on Friday night in Ottawa as the Petes defeated the 67’s 3-1. He proceeded to stop 28 of 29 in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over the CHL’s top-ranked Oshawa Generals, earning his 40th career OHL win in the process.
A 19-year-old native of Brantford, Ont., Jones is off to a 9-1-0-0 start to the 2019-20 season, posting a league-leading 2.41 goals-against average along with a .919 save percentage and one shutout. He owns a career 40-34-2-2 record over 82 career OHL regular season contests, posting a 3.54 goals-against average and .896 save percentage with four shutouts. Originally Peterborough’s fifth round pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection, Jones was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Also considered for the award this week was Sarnia Sting forward Sean Josling who helped his team recover from an 0-7 start with three straight wins, recording 11 points (6-5–11) in the process. Draft eligible Saginaw Spirit forward Cole Perfetti also had a strong week, putting up 10 points (3-7–10) over three games as the Spirit went 3-0.
2019-20 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week – Regular Season:
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)
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Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings
| Wednesday October 16, 2019
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week five 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 5
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24 OHL PLAYERS TO REPRESENT CANADA AT 2019 WORLD UNDER-17 HOCKEY CHALLENGE
Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League is pleased to announce that Hockey Canada has selected 24 OHL players to represent Canada at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, set for Nov. 2-9 in Medicine Hat, Alta., and Swift Current, Sask.
A grand total of 66 players will be divided into three teams – Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red and Team Canada White – and will compete against the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the United States in their quest for a gold medal.
The 24 OHL players selected by Hockey Canada consist of 18 forwards, five defencemen and one goaltender. The figure includes a total of 18 players chosen in the first round of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.
Each of the OHL’s 20 member teams are represented on the list led by the Flint Firebirds, Owen Sound Attack, Peterborough Petes and Sudbury Wolves each with two players selected.
OHL Players on Canadian Teams:
Goaltenders:
Benjamin Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)*
Defencemen:
Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)*
Ethan Del Mastro (Mississauga Steelheads)*
Isaac Enright (Niagara IceDogs)*
Jacob Holmes (Soo Greyhounds)*
Connor Punnett (Saginaw Spirit)*
Forwards:
Liam Arnsby (North Bay Battalion)*
J.R. Avon (Peterborough Petes)*
Jack Beck (Ottawa 67’s)
Ethan Burroughs (Owen Sound Attack)
Brett Harrison (Oshawa Generals)*
Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)*
Braeden Kressler (Flint Firebirds)
Kaleb Lawrence (Owen Sound Attack)
Connor Lockhart (Erie Otters)*
Landon McCallum (Sudbury Wolves)*
Max McCue (London Knights)
Mason McTavish (Peterborough Petes)*
Brennan Othmann (Flint Firebirds)*
Francesco Pinelli (Kitchener Rangers)*
Chase Stillman (Sudbury Wolves)
Ryan Winterton (Hamilton Bulldogs)*
Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs)*
Danny Zhilkin (Guelph Storm)*
* – first round 2019 OHL Priority Selection choice
In July, 46 OHL players were invited to participate in Canada’s national under-17 development camp and introduced to the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence. The players chosen to represent Canada at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge were selected by Brad McEwen (Whitewood, Sask.), head scout for Hockey Canada, with assistance from U17 Program of Excellence management group lead Martin Mondou (Grand-Mère, Que./Shawinigan, QMJHL), as well as regional scouts Rob Simpson (Ontario), Jason Smart (West), Darren Sutherland (Atlantic), Shaun Sutter (West) and Darrell Woodley (Ontario).
“After a successful development camp with the top young players in the country, there were many difficult decisions made to select the 66 players that will compete at this year’s World Under-17 Hockey Challenge,” said McEwen. “We feel this group exemplifies the values of the Program of Excellence and will represent Canada with pride as we compete for a gold medal this November.”
The tournament opens with all three Canadian teams in action Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. MT; Team Canada Red takes on Russia at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex in Swift Current and Team Canada Black faces off against Team Canada White at the Canalta Centre in Medicine Hat.
TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will air the semifinal in Medicine Hat on Friday, Nov. 8, as well as the bronze and gold medal games on Saturday, Nov. 9; please check local listings for details. Media accreditation for the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge can be requested online.
Prior to the start of play, the teams will take to the ice for pre-tournament games Thursday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. MT. Team Canada Black will match up against Finland at the Crescent Point Wickenheiser Centre in Shaunavon, Sask., Sweden will play the Czech Republic at the Centennial Regional Arena in Brooks, Alta., Team Canada White will face off against Russia at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex in Swift Current and Team Canada Red will meet the United States at the Canalta Centre in Medicine Hat.
After a successful ticket launch, event organizers have announced that single-game tickets will be available for purchase starting at $10 for youth and $15 for adults on Oct. 16, and can be purchased online at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.
Medicine Hat and Swift Current will receive the net proceeds from all ticket sales as a legacy of the event to support grassroots hockey within their communities. Additionally, recent editions of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge have resulted in as much as $6 million in economic impact within the host communities.
More than 1,800 NHL draft picks have suited up since the inception of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (previously known as the Quebec Esso Cup) in 1986, including 14 first-overall draft picks since 2001 (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; Auston Matthews, 2016; Jack Hughes, 2019).
For more information on the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter.
OHL Writers 