OHL Writers

OTTERS ANNOUNCE MATTHEW SCHAEFER AS FIRST OVERALL PICK OF 2023 OHL PRIORITY SELECTION PRESENTED BY REAL CANADIAN SUPERSTORE

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League in association with the Erie Otters Hockey Club today announced that 15-year-old defenceman Matthew Schaefer of the Halton Hurricanes U16 program will be the first overall pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore.

The announcement was made at a news conference held at Erie Insurance Arena, introducing Schaefer and his family to the organization and local media.

“I’m so honoured to be picked by such a great organization,” said Schaefer. “It still just doesn’t feel real at all – all the amazing players that have come through this organization and ended up in the NHL.

“It’s a great feeling,” he added. “I just want to get started working this summer, and I can’t wait for training camp. I’m a hard-working player that will compete every day and will play whatever role the Erie Otters want me to.”

Schaefer follows Otters franchise cornerstones Connor McDavid (2012) and Ryan O’Reilly (2007) as the third first overall selection in the organization’s history, making him Erie’s highest-drafted blueliner. He joins a franchise that has also produced the likes of NHL talent in Dylan Strome (Washington Capitals), Alex DeBrincat (Ottawa Senators), Jamie Drysdale (Anaheim Ducks), Adam Pelech (NY Islanders) and Connor Brown (Washington Capitals) among several others.

“Matthew is clearly a dominant player in his age-group,” said Otters General Manager and Executive Vice-President Dave Brown. “He can carry the tempo of a game, he can change a game in a moment with his explosive speed, ability, his edges and his hockey IQ. He’s a big kid with all the intangibles and the skill set that a smaller, mobile defenceman would have. He’s also a natural-born leader and that’s something that organizations need, and our organization can definitely use more of that.”

Hailing from Hamilton, Ont., Schaefer put together an outstanding season on the Halton blue line, producing 12 goals, 20 assists and 32 points over 25 games for the Hurricanes, who finished first place in the OMHA’s SCTA circuit with a regular season record of 31-2-3. Schaefer had a memorable experience representing Ontario at the 2023 Canada Games in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island in February, scoring the overtime winner to push Ontario to a gold medal finish, defeating Saskatchewan 3-2. Schaefer will be eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft.

Schaefer is the 2023 recipient of the Jack Ferguson Award presented annually to the player selected first overall in the OHL Priority Selection. The “Fergie” recognizes the dedication and contributions made by Jack Ferguson during his 25 year association with the OHL, first as a scout with the Ottawa 67’s and followed by his appointment as head of the OHL’s Central Scouting Bureau in 1981 as its Director of Central Scouting.

“Matthew is an elite defenceman in this age group and he continued his strong play since playing U16 last season as an underage,” said Darrell Woodley, Director of OHL Central Scouting. “He is a powerful defender that has speed to burn and he uses it in all three zones. He can be a one-man breakout as his foot speed allows him to beat forecheckers and make a good heads-up pass or continue though the neutral zone with the puck, as he is not afraid to lead the play and create offence. He uses his outstanding skating ability to defend with the best of them as he closes on players fast and gives them little time and space to make plays. He has a great understanding for the game and knows what each situation calls for.”

WATCH: 2023 #OHLDraft Prospect Profile: Matthew Schaefer

Join Matthew Schaefer as he hears his name called to kick-off the first round of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection Draft Show presented by Real Canadian Superstore beginning at 7:00pm on Friday night. The OHL Priority Selection will once again be held over the course of two days, with Rounds 1-3 taking place on Friday. The proceedings continue on Saturday, April 22 starting at 9:00am with Rounds 4-15. The Priority Selection will be streamed for free in its entirety on CHL TV. Fans can also watch complete Day 1 coverage produced by YourTV on community stations and across the province on OHL Action Pak ch. 463.

Winners of the Jack Ferguson Award Include:
1981 Dan Quinn, Belleville Bulls
1982 Kirk Muller, Guelph Platers
1983 Trevor Stienburg, Guelph Platers
1984 Dave Moylan, Sudbury Wolves
1985 Bryan Fogarty, Kingston Canadians
1986 Troy Mallette, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
1987 John Uniac, Sudbury Wolves
1988 Drake Berehowsky, Kingston Raiders
1989 Eric Lindros, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
1990 Pat Peake, Detroit Ambassadors
1991 Todd Harvey, Detroit Ambassadors
1992 Jeff O’Neill, Guelph Storm
1993 Alyn McCauley, Ottawa 67’s
1994 Jeff Brown, Sarnia Sting
1995 Daniel Tkaczuk, Barrie Colts
1996 Rico Fata, London Knights
1997 Charlie Stephens, Toronto St. Michael’s Majors
1998 Jay Harrison, Brampton Battalion
1999 Jason Spezza, Mississauga IceDogs
2000 Patrick Jarrett, Mississauga IceDogs
2001 Patrick O’Sullivan, Mississauga IceDogs
2002 Robbie Schremp, Mississauga IceDogs
2003 Patrick McNeill, Saginaw Spirit
2004 John Hughes, Belleville Bulls
2005 John Tavares, Oshawa Generals
2006 Steven Stamkos, Sarnia Sting
2007 Ryan O’Reilly, Erie Otters
2008 John McFarland, Sudbury Wolves
2009 Daniel Catenacci, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
2010 Alex Galchenyuk, Sarnia Sting
2011 Aaron Ekblad, Barrie Colts
2012 Connor McDavid, Erie Otters
2013 Travis Konecny, Ottawa 67’s
2014 Jakob Chychrun, Sarnia Sting
2015 David Levin, Sudbury Wolves
2016 Ryan Merkley, Guelph Storm
2017 Ryan Suzuki, Barrie Colts
2018 Quinton Byfield, Sudbury Wolves
2019 Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs
2020 Ty Nelson, North Bay Battalion
2021 Quentin Musty, Sudbury Wolves
2022 Michael Misa, Saginaw Spirit
2023 Matthew Schaefer, Erie Otters

About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.

67’s’ CAMERON EARNS MATT LEYDEN TROPHY AS OHL COACH OF THE YEAR

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Dave Cameron of the Ottawa 67’s is the recipient of the Matt Leyden Trophy awarded annually to the OHL’s Coach of the Year.

Closing out his second season at the helm for the 67’s, Cameron steered Ottawa to a Hamilton Spectator Trophy, finishing first place in the OHL’s regular season standings with a record of 51-12-3-2 for a franchise-record 107 points. Cameron’s 67’s surrendered a league-low 171 goals, produced the OHL’s best home record of 29-4-0-1 and boasted a second-ranked penalty kill, operating at 84.1 percent.

“The Matt Leyden Trophy is the ultimate team award,” said Cameron of the honour. “I wouldn’t be here without the hard work of my players, coaching and support staff, and management group.”

The 67’s got off to a remarkable start to their season, winning nine consecutive games and owning a record of 18-1 by mid-November. They went on to finish the season with a mark of 41-0 when leading after two periods, and ended-up finished tied for the second-most shorthanded goals in the OHL with 16. Ottawa played to a mark of 13-2-3-2 in one-goal games.

“Dave’s boundless energy, knowledge, and passion for teaching the game were driving forces behind our 67’s record-breaking 2022-23 regular season,” stated 67’s General Manager James Boyd. “In addition to our on-ice success, Dave’s continuous promotion of community service, and academics has reinforced our positive team culture, both at and away from the rink.”

A native of Charlottetown, PEI, Cameron has spent eight seasons between Head and Assistant Coaching assignments in the National Hockey League along with an additional four in the American Hockey League. He’s coached a total of 12 seasons in the OHL dating back to 1997-98 when he broke in with the Soo Greyhounds. His tenure has also included four seasons with the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors from 2000-04, a stretch in which he led the club to four consecutive Eastern Conference Championship Series appearances. He made two more East Final appearances as Head Coach of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors over a four-year span between 2007-11, guiding the Majors to an Eastern Conference title in 2011. Cameron’s Majors reached the Memorial Cup Championship Final as tournament hosts that same year, falling to the Saint John Sea Dogs by a score of 3-1. He became the 15th coach in OHL history to win 400 games on Nov. 4th, 2022, and owns a career OHL coaching record of 440-289-40 with 45 ties over his 814-game regular season career.

Cameron emerged as the front-runner for this year’s award, while colleagues Dale Hunter of the London Knights, Ryan Oulahen of the North Bay Battalion and Chris Lazary of the Saginaw Spirit finished in a three-way tie for second place in the voting.

The Matt Leyden Trophy has been awarded annually to the OHL’s Coach of the Year as selected by his peers since 1972. The award is in recognition of the contributions of Matt Leyden, past president of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1965-67, and former manager of the Oshawa Generals who spent more than 50 years with the team.

Cameron becomes the third different Ottawa 67’s coach to claim the award, following two-time winner André Tourigny who received the honour in both 2019 and 2020. OHL coaching legend Brian Kilrea has his name on the Matt Leyden Trophy a record total of five times, last winning in 2003.

Cameron will be the OHL’s nominee for the Brian Kilrea Canadian Hockey League Coach of the Year Award, presented at the CHL Awards Ceremony on Saturday, June 3 during the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia which takes place in Kamloops, British Columbia. Cameron will be formally presented with the Matt Leyden Trophy at the OHL’s Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, June 14 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

For a complete history of OHL award winners, visit ontariohockeyleague.com.

ELEVEN OHL PLAYERS REPRESENTING CANADA AT 2023 IIHF WORLD UNDER-18 HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League is proud to congratulate 11 players on being named to Canada’s roster for the 2023 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship set to take place from April 20-30 in Basel and Porrentruy, Switzerland.

Hockey Canada announced its 22-player National Men’s Under-18 Team roster Saturday morning. Soo Greyhounds Head Coach John Dean will serve as an Assistant alongside Canadian Head Coach Jeff Truitt (Prince Albert Raiders, WHL).

OHL PLAYERS NAMED TO CANADA’S NATIONAL MEN’S UNDER-18 TEAM ROSTER:

Goaltenders:
Joey Costanzo (Windsor Spitfires)

Defencemen:
Cam Allen (Guelph Storm)
Tristan Bertucci (Flint Firebirds)
Quinton Burns (Kingston Frontenacs)
Andrew Gibson (Soo Greyhounds)

Forwards:
Colby Barlow (Owen Sound Attack)
Nick Lardis (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Angus MacDonell (Mississauga Steelheads)
Porter Martone (Mississauga Steelheads)
Alex Pharand (Sudbury Wolves)
Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)

“We are excited to unveil the 22 players who will wear the Maple Leaf at the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship, as we believe this group brings a lot of talent and experience from the Canadian Hockey League and international competition,” said Alan Millar, Director of Player Personnel for Hockey Canada. “We know this group is excited for the opportunity to compete for a gold medal and will represent Canada with pride in Switzerland.”

Colby Barlow (Owen Sound Attack) scored the overtime winner with eight seconds remaining in Sunday’s 6-5 pre-tournament victory over Finland. Nick Lardis (Hamilton Bulldogs) scored a pair of goals while defenceman Quinton Burns (Kingston Frontenacs) also found the back of the net.

Canada opens the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship against Sweden on April 20 at 8:30 a.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. PT. It will also take on Germany on April 21, Slovakia on April 23, and Czechia on April 24 to round out the preliminary round before the tournament wraps up with the bronze and gold medal games on April 30. TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partners, will broadcast select tournament games, including all Team Canada games.

Since 2002, Canada has won four gold medals at the IIHF U18 World Championship (2003, 2008, 2013, 2021), in addition to one silver (2005) and three bronze (2012, 2014, 2015).

For more information on the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship, please visit the official tournament website at 2023.U18worlds.hockey.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

56 OHL PLAYERS INCLUDED ON NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING’S FINAL DRAFT RANKINGS

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League is proud to announce that 56 OHL players have been included on NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings for the 2023 NHL Draft to be held June 28-29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

The list includes 30 OHL forwards, 19 defencemen and seven goaltenders.

A total of eight OHL skaters are ranked inside the first round led by Owen Sound Attack 46-goal scorer Colby Barlow along with Oshawa Generals centreman Calum Ritchie and Sudbury Wolves winger Quentin Musty at 12, 13 and 14 in North America respectively. London Knights defenceman Oliver Bonk comes in at 20, followed by wingers Nick Lardis of the Hamilton Bulldogs (27), Carson Rehkopf of the Kitchener Rangers (29) and defencemen Andrew Gibson of the Soo Greyhounds (31) and Tristan Bertucci of the Flint Firebirds (32).

The Firebirds feature the OHL’s highest-ranked goaltender in Nathan Day (12), who comes off a strong showing in the second half of the regular season that carried over into the playoffs.

Nineteen of the OHL’s 20 member teams are represented on the list, led by the Flint Firebirds, London Knights and Sudbury Wolves with five players ranked. The Erie Otters, Hamilton Bulldogs, Kingston Frontenacs, Ottawa 67’s and Saginaw Spirit each feature four players on the list.

OHL Players Included on NHL Central Scouting Final Draft Rankings

SKATERS:

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM	POS
12	Colby Barlow	Owen Sound Attack	LW
13	Calum Ritchie	Oshawa Generals	C
14	Quentin Musty	Sudbury Wolves	LW
20	Oliver Bonk	London Knights	D
27	Nick Lardis	Hamilton Bulldogs	LW
29	Carson Rehkopf	Kitchener Rangers	LW
31	Andrew Gibson	Soo Greyhounds	D
32	Tristan Bertucci	Flint Firebirds	D
33	Beau Akey	Barrie Colts	D
34	Quinton Burns	Kingston Frontenacs	D
37	Coulson Pitre	Flint Firebirds	RW
38	Carey Terrance	Erie Otters	C
41	Hunter Brzustewicz	Kitchener Rangers	D
46	Cam Allen	Guelph Storm	D
50	Ethan Miedema	Kingston Frontenacs	LW
51	Easton Cowan	London Knights	RW
54	Luca Pinelli	Ottawa 67’s	C
57	Brad Gardiner	Ottawa 67’s	C
69	Cole Brown	Hamilton Bulldogs	LW
70	Matthew Mania	Sudbury Wolves	D
72	Matthew Mayich	Ottawa 67’s	D
77	Alex Pharand	Sudbury Wolves	C
79	Denver Barkey	London Knights	C
83	Ethan Hay	Flint Firebirds	C
88	Cooper Foster	Ottawa 67’s	C
94	Konnor Smith	Peterborough Petes	D
100	Luke McNamara	Saginaw Spirit	C
106	Anthony Romani	North Bay Battalion	C
114	Rodwin Dionicio	Windsor Spitfires	D
126	Owen Outwater	Kingston Frontenacs	C
129	Ondrej Molnar	Erie Otters	LW
130	Matthew Soto	Kingston Frontenacs	RW
131	Florian Xhekaj	Hamilton Bulldogs	LW
134	Matthew Andonovski	Kitchener Rangers	D
136	James Petrovski	Owen Sound Attack	D
142	Angus MacDonell	Mississauga Steelheads	C
155	Blake Smith	Flint Firebirds	D
160	Alexis Daviault	Erie Otters	D
161	Jacob Julien	London Knights	C
173	Donovan McCoy	Peterborough Petes	D
174	Joey Willis	Saginaw Spirit	C
177	Braeden Bowman	Guelph Storm	RW
178	Djibril Toure	Sudbury Wolves	D
182	Spencer Sova	Erie Otters	D
190	Beau Jelsma	Barrie Colts	C
191	Kocha Delic	Sudbury Wolves	C
198	Alex Christopoulos	Windsor Spitfires	RW
209	Lucas Moore	Hamilton Bulldogs	D
214	Calem Mangone	Saginaw Spirit	RW

GOALTENDERS:

RANK	GOALTENDER	TEAM
12	Nathan Day	Flint Firebirds
13	Charlie Robertson	North Bay Battalion
15	Zach Bowen	London Knights
25	Charlie Schenkel	Soo Greyhounds
27	Owen Flores	Niagara IceDogs
29	Andrew Oke	Saginaw Spirit
32	Corbin Votary	Owen Sound Attack

For NHL Central Scouting’s complete final rankings for the 2023 NHL Draft, visit nhl.com.

VIERLING AND GAUDREAU NAMEDOHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of playoff games ending Sunday, April 16th.

Colts’ Evan Vierling Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

Barrie Colts forward Evan Vierling is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording seven assists in three games.

Vierling played a big part in Barrie’s Game 6 win over the Hamilton Bulldogs on Monday night, recording four assists in the 5-4 road win. He picked up a primary assist on Ethan Cardwell’s series-clincher, a goal that came with just 10 seconds remaining in the third period, marking the final OHL game at Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre for at least three seasons. Vierling was back producing to open Barrie’s second round matchup against the North Bay Battalion on Friday, picking up two assists in a 3-2 overtime win. He had the primary assist on Josh Kavanagh’s deciding goal. Vierling left Sunday’s Game 2 against North Bay with an injury, but managed to pick-up an assist in the 5-2 loss.

A 20-year-old overage forward from Aurora, Ont., Vierling led the Colts with 95 points including 35 goals and 60 assists over 60 games this past season. He finished tied for the team lead with 10 power play goals, had a plus-18 rating and seven game-winners in his fourth OHL season, wrapping-up his career with 213 points (75-138–213) over 218 regular season games. Vierling has 13 points (1-12–13) through seven playoff outings. A former first round (2nd overall) pick of the Flint Firebirds in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection, Vierling attended training camp with the Columbus Blue Jackets last October.

Also considered for the award this week, Barrie Colts teammate Ethan Cardwell, a recent signing by the San Jose Sharks, recording three goals, three assists and six points in three games last week. London Knights centreman Sean McGurn was also productive with six points (2-4–6) in three games.

2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Playoffs:
Apr. 10 – Apr. 16: Evan Vierling (Barrie Colts)
Apr. 3 – Apr. 9: Luca Pinelli (Ottawa 67’s)
Mar. 27 – Apr. 2: Matyas Sapovaliv (Saginaw Spirit)

2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 20 – Mar. 26: Ethan Miedema (Kingston Frontenacs)
Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
Mar. 6– Mar. 12: Sahil Panwar (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Christian Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Braeden Bowman (Guelph Storm)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Nolan Burke (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Sean McGurn (London Knights)
Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Sahil Panwar (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: James Hardie (Mississauga Steelheads)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Colby Barlow (Owen Sound Attack)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Bryce McConnell-Barker (Soo Greyhounds)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Connor Lockhart (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Evan Vierling (Barrie Colts)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Ryan Gagnier (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Quentin Musty (Sudbury Wolves)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Jorian Donovan (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Matthew Poitras (Guelph Storm)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Brody Crane (London Knights)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Matvey Petrov (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Deni Goure (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Tucker Robertson (Peterborough Petes)

Sting’s Ben Gaudreau Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

San Jose Sharks prospect Ben Gaudreau of the Sarnia Sting is the OHL Goaltender of the Week, playing to a mark of 2-0 with a 0.47 goals-against average, .983 save percentage and one shutout.

Gaudreau helped the Sting take a 2-0 series lead over the Saginaw Spirit in their Western Conference Semi-Final series. Gaudreau’s week started with a 26-save shutout against Saginaw in Game 1, earning first star honours as the Sting prevailed by a score of 3-0 on home ice. The shutout set a new Sting franchise mark, making him the first Sarnia netminder to ever record two playoff shutouts. Gaudreau turned-in another first star showing in Game 2 on Sunday, turning aside 33 shots as the Sting outlasted the Spirit 2-1 in overtime.

A 20-year-old native of Corbeil, Ont., Gaudreau went 24-12-3-3 with a 3.07 goals-against average and .889 save percentage over 44 games in his third OHL season. The 6-foot-2, 172Ib. puck stopper owns a career mark of 53-43-8-5 with a 3.60 goals-against average, .890 save percentage and three shutouts over 116 regular season games since being selected in the first round (7th overall) by the Sting in 2019. So far in these playoffs, Gaudreau is 6-1 with a 2.24 goals-against average and .909 save percentage. Gaudreau, who won gold with Canada’s National Junior Team this past January, was selected by San Jose in the third round (81st overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft.

Also considered for the award this week, Michael Simpson of the Peterborough Petes went 1-1 with a 2.01 goals-against average and .934 save percentage as the Petes drew even with the Ottawa 67’s in their second round series. Gaudreau’s series counterpart Tristan Lennox of the Saginaw Spirit was also solid, going 1-2 with a 2.26 goals-against average and .925 save percentage over three games.

2022-23 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Playoffs:
Apr. 10 – Apr. 16: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)
Apr. 3 – Apr. 9: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Mar. 27 – Apr. 2: Marco Costantini (Kitchener Rangers)

2022-23 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 20 – Mar. 26: Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Liam Sztuska (Peterborough Petes)
Mar. 6 – Mar. 12: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Zach Bowen (London Knights)
Jan 30 – Feb. 5: Nate Krawchuk (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan 23 – Jan. 29: Jacob Oster (Oshawa Generals)
Jan 16 – Jan. 22: Mason Vaccari (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan 9 – Jan. 15: Matteo Drobac (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Marco Costantini (Kitchener Rangers)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Owen Flores (Niagara IceDogs)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Joe Ranger (Sudbury Wolves)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Carter George (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Ivan Zhigalov (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Alessio Beglieri (Mississauga Steelheads)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)

TORONTO JR. CANADIENS CROWNED CHAMPIONS OF 2023 U14 OHL CUP PRESENTED BY DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Dominic Tiano

Oakville, Ont. – The Toronto Jr. Canadiens have twin OHL Cup titles in 2023. After the U16 squad hoisted the OHL Cup on Apr. 3rd at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, the U14 Jr. Canadiens bested the Barrie Jr. Colts on Sunday at Joshua’s Creek Arena, being crowned champions of the 2nd annual event presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario and hosted by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association.

The Jr. Canadiens climbed out to a 2-0 lead before Barrie battled back to tie things at two. Lucas Quain scored the deciding goal on the power play with 5:40 to go in the middle frame, giving the Jr. Canadiens enough to be crowned champions in 2023.

“All the hard work paid off and it feels great,” said Quain after the final buzzer. “We’ve worked hard since training camp and I’m glad to see this group improve as the season went on.”

“At the beginning of the year we all set goals,” said Jr. Canadiens head coach Matt Viola. “Every kid on the team wrote it down on a piece of paper. I am happy for all these boys to have accomplished something they’ll remember forever.”

Noah Laus and Connor Adam also scored for the Jr. Canadiens while Keaton Ardagh picked up two assists, including one on Quain’s game-winner.

For Barrie’s part, the Jr. Colts had goals from Kaden Rolling and Benjamin Marling, who finished as the top-scoring defenceman in the showcase with eight points (6-2–8) in five games.

Goaltenders received Player of the Game honours for their respective teams as Jr. Canadiens netminder Ethan Maniaci and Barrie’s Malcolm Rose were both excellent in the Championship Final.

Jr. Canadiens teammates Jax Pereira (6-4–10) and Keaton Ardagh (2-6–8) finished atop the tournament scoring list.

“We always talk about ups and downs, peaks and valleys during the year and you know, this tournament is a prime example of that,” Viola added. “Right now, I’m just super happy the boys came together at the right time, and now we get the hoist the trophy.”

The Jr. Canadiens started the showcase with a 5-0 blanking of the OMHA champion Halton Hurricanes on Friday morning before defeating the NOHA’s North Bay Trappers 5-1 on Friday afternoon. JRC skated to a 4-3 double-overtime win over the Sun County Panthers in Saturday’s Quarterfinal as Jax Pereira emerged as the hero to push his team into the semis. The Jr. Canadiens, who came into the showcase as the GTHL’s third entry, defeated the GTHL champion Don Mills Flyers 5-3 on Sunday morning to advance to the Championship Final.

The U14 OHL Cup trophy was presented to the Jr. Canadiens by OHL Director of Recruitment and Player Services Brodie Barrick alongside the OMHA’s Director of Business Development and Marketing Derek Polowyk.

Tournament action was streamed live via GameOnStream, with archived action available at u14ohlcup.gameonstream.com.

For full results and statistics from the 2023 U14 OHL Cup presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario, visit u14ohlcup.ca.

TEAM STAMKOS REIGNS SUPREME AT 2023 OHL DEVELOPMENT COMBINE PRESENTED BY DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Dominic Tiano

Oshawa, Ont. – The 2023 OHL Development Combine presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario wrapped up on Sunday at the Tribute Communities Centre, with Team Stamkos coming away as champions of the annual event.

76 draft eligible prospects had the opportunity to showcase their on-ice skills in a series of games played before scouts and general managers to assist in their evaluation prior to the OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore to be held on Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22.

The games brought an end to the two-day event that also included on and off-ice skills testing on Saturday. (Top finishers below)

Saturday’s events included on and off-ice testing. Off-ice drills conducted by Elite Training Systems consisted of vertical and horizontal jumps, pro-agility sprints, grip strength and pull-ups. The on-ice portion included skills testing on both players and goaltenders performed by Game Ready Testing.

Team Stamkos won the OHL Combine championship as a result of finishing with the most points accumulated between Saturday’s testing results and Sunday’s game outcomes.

All four teams were joined behind the bench by special guest coaches that included OHL personnel in Jeff Kyrzakos (Asst. GM & Asst. Coach, Mississauga Steelheads) and Rico Phillips (OHL Director, Cultural Diversity & Inclusion) for Team Stamkos, Ryan Kuwabara (Head Coach, Niagara IceDogs) and Tom Watson (Scout, Flint Firebirds) for Team Lindros, Brandon Shaw (Assistant Coach, Niagara IceDogs) and Greg Hammell (Head Scout, Saginaw Spirit) for Team Subban along with Chris Longo (Assistant Coach, Kingston Frontenacs) and Kevin Hess (USA Scout, OHL & NHL Central Scouting) for Team Ekblad.

WATCH: Behind the Scenes at the 2023 OHL Development Combine

Final Team Standings:
Team Stamkos (Blue) = 774 Testing + 90 Games = 864 points
Team Lindros (Red) = 779 Testing + 10 Games = 789 points
Team Subban (White) = 661 Testing + 70 Games = 731 points
Team Ekblad (Gold) = 700 Testing + 0 Games = 700 points

Standings are based on a point system where individual player testing results contributed to the team’s total score. Players are ranked by position and scored according to rank (1-36 for forwards, 1-24 for defencemen, 1-16 for goalies). During Sunday’s games teams scored 10 points per half win, 25 points per game win, and 50 points per half shutouts.

Sunday’s OHL Combine Game Results:

Game 4 – Team Stamkos 9, Team Ekblad 4
Team Stamkos earns 45 points as a result of the victory

Team Stamkos scoring:
Dylan Tsherna (Don Mills Flyers) – 2G, 1A
Chase Del Colombo (Toronto Nationals) – 2G, 1A
Adam Smeeton (Don Mills Flyers) – 1G, 2A
Gabriel Smith (Toronto Marlboros) – 1G, 1A
Aiden Young (London Jr. Knights) – 1G, 1A
Peter Legostaev (Smiths Falls Bears) – 1G
Mason Goodfellow (Kingston Jr. Gaels) – 1G
Tyler Vorstadt (Whitby Wildcats) – 1A
Jack Nesbitt (Lambton Jr. Sting) – 1A
Lucas Moore (Peterborough Petes) – 1A
Casey Bridgewater (Halton Hurricanes) – 1A

Team Ekblad scoring:
Luca Moreno (Toronto Jr. Canadiens) – 2G
Shamar Moses (Don Mills Flyers) – 1G, 1A
Cooper Bordeaux (Detroit Little Caesars) – 1G
John Lumsden (Peterborough Petes) – 1A
Jayden Connors (Mississauga Senators) – 1A
Lucas Prud’homme (Renfrew Wolves) – 1A

Game 3 – Team Subban 6, Team Lindros 5
Team Subban earns 35 points and Team Lindros earns 10 points

Team Subban scoring:
Ethan Czata (Mississauga Rebels) – 2G, 2A
Ethan Brassard (Mississauga Senators) – 3A
Andrew Mondoux (Toronto Titans) – 1G, 1A
Ryan Brown (York-Simcoe Express) – 1G
Dryden Allen (Southern Tier Admirals – 1G
Jake Crawford (York-Simcoe Express) – 1G
Shawn Costello (Mississauga Senators) – 1A
P.J. Fagan (Don Mills Flyers) – 1A
Vasily Serov (Vaughan Kings) – 1A
Harry Nansi (Nepean Raiders) – 1A

Team Lindros scoring:
Joseph Cadorin (Toronto Marlboros) – 2G, 1A
Carson Harmer (Huron-Perth Lakers) – 1G, 1A
Jordan Charron (Cambridge Hawks) – 1G, 1A
Cristian Giancola (Halton Hurricanes) – 1G
Jeremy Martin (Toronto Marlboros) – 1A
Ben Radley (Peterborough Petes) – 1A

Game 2 – Team Subban 6, Team Ekblad 3
Team Subban earns 35 points as a result of the victory

Team Subban scoring:
Ethan Brassard (Mississauga Senators) – 2G
Shawn Costello (Mississauga Senators) – 2G
P.J. Fagan (Don Mills Flyers) – 1G, 1A
Vasily Serov (Vaughan Kings) – 1G
Harry Nansi (Nepean Raiders) – 2A
Ethan Czata (Mississauga Rebels) – 2A
Zach Houben (Huron-Perth Lakers) -1A
Justin Handsor (York-Simcoe Express) – 1A

Team Ekblad scoring:
Cayden Smith (York-Simcoe Express) – 1G, 1A
Jimmy Lombardi (Don Mills Flyers) – 2A
Shamar Moses (Don Mills Flyers) – 1G
Lucas Prud’homme (Renfrew Wolves) – 1G
Jayden Connors (Mississauga Senators) – 1A
Josh Avery (Peterborough Petes) – 1A

Game 1 – Team Stamkos 8, Team Lindros 3
Team Stamkos earns 45 points as a result of the victory

Team Stamkos scoring:
Tanner Lam (Halton Hurricanes) – 2G, 1A
Dylan Tsherna (Don Mills Flyers) – 1G, 3A
Jaiden Newton (Whitby Wildcats) – 1G, 1A
Tyler Vorstadt (Whitby Wildcats) -1G, 1A
Casey Bridgewater (Halton Hurricanes) – 1G
Gabriel Smith (Toronto Marlboros) – 1G
Aiden Young (London Jr. Knights) – 1G
Jack Nesbitt (Lambton Jr. Sting) – 1A

Team Lindros scoring:
Joseph Cadorin (Toronto Marlboros) – 1G, 1A
Carson Harmer (Huron-Perth Lakers) – 1G
Artem Frolov (Vaughan Kings) – 1G (Penalty Shot)

Saturday’s OHL Combine Testing Results:

Off-Ice Testing Top Performers:

Players with at least three first-place finishes in different testing categories for their respective teams:
1. Casey Bridgewater (Team Stamkos/Halton Hurricanes) – 6
2. Carson Harmer (Team Lindros/Huron-Perth Lakers) – 5
3. Tristan Boudreau (Team Lindros/Renfrew Wolves) – 4
T-4. Lucas Prud’homme (Team Ekblad/Renfrew Wolves) – 3
T-4. Wesley Royston (Team Lindros/York-Simcoe Express) – 3
T-4. P.J. Fagan (Team Subban/Don Mills Flyers) – 3

Team Lindros’ Owen Edwards (Whitby Wildcats) led all goaltenders at the Combine with five first place finishes in off-ice testing.

On-Ice Testing Top Performers:

Top 5 Forwards:
1. Will McFadden (Team Subban/Peterborough Petes)
2. Jeremy Martin (Team Lindros/Toronto Marlboros)
3. Chase Del Colombo (Team Stamkos/Toronto Nationals)
4. Wesley Royston (Team Lindros/York-Simcoe Express)
5. Jaiden Newton (Team Stamkos/Whitby Wildcats)

Top 5 Defencemen:
1. Casey Bridgewater (Team Stamkos/Halton Hurricanes)
2. Isaac Oldenhoff (Team Stamkos/York-Simcoe Express)
3. James Barr (Team Ekblad/Burlington Eagles)
4. P.J. Fagan (Team Subban/Don Mills Flyers)
5. Jayden Connors (Team Ekblad/Mississauga Senators)

Top 5 Goaltenders:
1. Aleksei Medvedev (Team Stamkos/Vaughan Kings)
2. Reece Herman (Team Ekblad/Quinte Red Devils)
3. Kayden Newton (Team Lindros/Halton Hurricanes)
4. Erik Maki (Team Lindros/Peterborough Petes)
T-5. Owen Edwards (Team Lindros/Whitby Wildcats)
T-5. Jaeden Nelson (Team Lindros/Toronto Marlboros)

Be sure to tune into the 2023 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore this coming Friday, April 21st at 7:00pm as Rounds 1-3 air live across the province on Your TV, Rogers tv, Eastlink, Cable 14 and Shaw Spotlight community stations as well as the Rogers Super Sports Pak. Day 2 gets underway on Saturday, April 22nd, with coverage of Rounds 4-15 beginning at 9:00am. The Priority Selection will be streaming for free in its entirety on OHL Live.

OHL UNVEILS ROSTERS AND SCHEDULE FOR 2023 DEVELOPMENT COMBINE PRESENTED BY DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO

Posted on April 14, 2023 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the rosters and schedule for the 2023 OHL Development Combine presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario which takes place April 15-16 at the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa, Ont.

The event offers 76 players (36 forwards, 24 defencemen, 16 goaltenders) the opportunity to showcase themselves both on and off the ice to OHL member team personnel. Sport testing results will be distributed to every OHL member team General Manager to assist in their evaluation for the OHL Priority Selection to be held on April 21-22.

“The OHL Combine provides prospective players with a unique experience to enhance their own personal development,” said Brodie Barrick, OHL Director of Recruitment and Player Services. “The skills testing helps identify on and off-ice strengths to help players achieve their peak performance, while the games provide players another platform to showcase their talents in a new environment alongside their peers in advance of the Priority Selection.”

The weekend program includes on and off-ice testing performed by Okanagan Hockey Group in addition to skills training provided by Power Edge Pro. Over the weekend players will partake in a seminar that focuses on proper nutrition and training for elite athletes, as well as a “More Than Hockey” presentation conducted by OHL Director of Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Rico Phillips who will be joined by OHL and NHL alumnus Anthony Stewart of Hockey Equality. Players will also compete in a series of 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 games on Sunday joined behind the bench by OHL member team personnel.

Teams will be competing for the OHL Combine Cup Championship that awards points based on individual and team performances in both on and off-ice testing, as well as Sunday’s game results.

The 2023 event marks the 14th year the OHL has hosted a skills development day for players and goaltenders in advance of the OHL Priority Selection. The OHL Development Combine presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario is open to the general public.

Schedule:

Saturday, April 15 – Off-Ice Testing:
8:15 am to 9:15 am – Goalies
9:30 am to 10:30 am – Team Stamkos (Blue)
10:45 am to 11:45 am – Team Lindros (Red)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm – Team Ekblad (Orange)
1:15 pm to 2:15 pm – Team Subban (White)

Saturday, April 15 – On-Ice Testing & Skills Practice:
10:30 am to 11:45 am – Team Subban (White) – Main Bowl
12:00 pm to 1:15 pm – Subban (White) and Stamkos (Blue) Goalies
1:30 pm to 2:45 pm – Lindros (Red) and Ekblad (Orange) Goalies
3:00 pm to 4:15 pm – Team Lindros (Red) – Main Bowl
4:30 pm to 5:45 pm – Team Ekblad (Orange) – Rink 2
6:00 pm to 7:15 pm – Team Stamkos (Blue) – Rink 2

Sunday, April 16 – Game Schedule:
8:15 am to 9:15 am – Team Stamkos (Blue) vs. Team Lindros (Red)
9:30 am to 10:30 am – Team Ekblad (Orange) vs. Team Subban (White)
12:55 pm to 2:00 pm – Team Red (Lindros) vs. Team Subban (White)
2:25 pm to 3:30 pm – Team Stamkos (Blue) vs. Team Ekblad (Orange)

2023 OHL Development Combine Rosters:

TEAM STAMKOS (BLUE)

Defencemen
3. Tyler Vorstadt (Whitby Wildcats)
4. Rylan Singh (York-Simcoe Express)
5. Isaac Oldenhoff (York-Simcoe Express)
6. Casey Bridgewater (Halton Hurricanes)
7. Gabriel Smith (Toronto Marlboros)
8. Lucas Moore (Peterborough Petes)

Forwards
9. Chase Del Colombo (Toronto Nationals)
10. Adam Smeeton (Don Mills Flyers)
11. Jack Nesbitt (Lambton Jr. Sting)
12. Tanner Lam (Halton Hurricanes)
13. Peter Legostaev (Smiths Falls Bears)
14. Jaiden Newton (Whitby Wildcats)
15. Dylan Tsherna (Don Mills Flyers)
16. Aidan Young (London Jr. Knights)
17. Mason Goodfellow (Kingston Jr. Gaels)

Goaltenders
82. Aleksei Medvedev (Vaughan Kings)
83. Matthew Koprowski (Elgin-Middlesex Canucks)
84. Gabe Donohue (Whitby Wildcats)
85. Luke Suys (Navan Grads)

Coaches
Jeff Kyrzakos (Asst. GM & Asst. Coach, Mississauga Steelheads)
Rico Phillips (OHL Director, Cultural Diversity & Inclusion)

TEAM LINDROS (RED)

Defencemen
33. Ben Radley (Peterborough Petes)
34. Liam Ladds (Elgin-Middlesex Canucks)
35. Oliver Turner (Mississauga Rebels)
36. Artem Frolov (Vaughan Kings)
37. Kaleb Dietsch (Southern Tier Admirals)
38. Tristan Boudreau (Renfrew Wolves)

Forwards
39. Max Anderson (Don Mills Flyers)
40. Jordan Charron (Cambridge Hawks)
41. Jeremy Martin (Toronto Marlboros)
42. Parker Snelgrove (London Jr. Knights)
43. Wesley Royston (York-Simcoe Express)
44. Tristan Delisle (Mississauga Rebels)
45. Carson Harmer (Huron-Perth Lakers)
46. Cristian Giancola (Halton Hurricanes)
47. Joseph Cadorin (Toronto Marlboros)

Goaltenders
70. Jaeden Nelson (Toronto Marlboros)
71. Owen Edwards (Whitby Wildcats)
72. Kayden Newton (Halton Hurricanes)
73. Erik Maki (Peterborough Petes)

Coaches
Ryan Kuwabara (Head Coach, Niagara IceDogs)
Tom Watson (Scout, Flint Firebirds)

TEAM EKBLAD (GOLD)

Defencemen
48. John Lumsden (Peterborough Petes)
49. James Barr (Burlington Eagles)
50. Jayden Connors (Mississauga Senators)
51. Zach Wilson (Central Ontario Wolves)
52. Aaron Enright (Renfrew Wolves)
53. Kaden Schneider (Northern Alberta Hockey Academy)

Forwards
54. Shamar Moses (Don Mills Flyers)
55. Luca Moreno (Toronto Jr. Canadiens)
56. Kieran Witkowski (Toronto Marlboros)
57. Jimmy Lombardi (Don Mills Flyers)
58. Cayden Smith (York-Simcoe Express)
59. Josh Avery (Peterborough Petes)
60. Lucas Prud’homme (Renfrew Wolves)
61. Matthew Manza (Mississauga Senators)
62. Cooper Bordeaux (Detroit Little Caesars)

Goaltenders
74. Noah Paddock (Ottawa Jr. Senators)
75. Charlie Larocque (Carleton Place Canadians)
76. Masen Johnston (Peterborough Petes)
77. Reece Herman (Quinte Red Devils)

Coaches
Chris Longo (Assistant Coach, Kingston Frontenacs)
Kevin Hess (USA Scout, OHL & NHL Central Scouting)

TEAM SUBBAN (WHITE)

Defencemen
18. Andrew MacNiel (Peterborough Petes)
19. Dryden Allen (Southern Tier Admirals)
20. Thanasi Marentette (Toronto Nationals)
21. P.J. Fagan (Don Mills Flyers)
22. Andrew Mondoux (Toronto Titans)
23. Justin Handsor (York-Simcoe Express)

Forwards
24. Zach Houben (Huron-Perth Lakers)
26. Ethan Czata (Mississauga Rebels)
27. Will McFadden (Peterborough Petes)
28. Ethan Brassard (Mississauga Senators)
29. Vasily Serov (Vaughan Kings)
31. Harry Nansi (Nepean Raiders)
32. Jake Crawford (York-Simcoe Express)
91. Shawn Costello (Mississauga Senators)
92. Ryan Brown (York-Simcoe Express)

Goaltenders
78. Isaac Gravelle (Southern Tier Admirals)
79. Zachary Jovanovski (Sun County Panthers)
80. Chase Furlong (Thunder Bay Kings)
81. Dryden Riley (Kingston Jr. Gaels)

Coaches
Brandon Shaw (Assistant Coach, Niagara IceDogs)
Greg Hammell (Head Scout, Saginaw Spirit)

Follow along throughout the weekend for continuing coverage of the 2023 OHL Development Combine at ontariohockeyleague.com.

2023 U14 OHL CUP GETS UNDERWAY IN OAKVILLE

Posted on April 14, 2023 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The 2023 U14 OHL Cup presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario and hosted by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association is underway today at Joshua’s Creek Arena in Oakville, Ont., with Ontario’s top-12 U14 AAA teams assembled to play for provincial supremacy.

U14 OHL Cup Website

“The OHL is proud to continue its support of minor hockey at the grassroots level as we partner with the Ontario Minor Hockey Association to present this very exciting opportunity for U14 AAA players,” said OHL Commissioner David Branch. “Last year we saw the Vaughan Kings crowned as inaugural U14 OHL Cup champions. We once again look forward to an outstanding weekend of hockey played by 12 of the best teams in the province.”

Round robin play gets underway bright and early today with 12 games on the schedule, with play resuming on Saturday morning at 10:00am. The Championship Final is slated for Sunday at 4:00pm.

Participating Teams:

Byfield Division:

Sun County Panthers (ALLIANCE)
Qualified: ALLIANCE Finalist (lead Huron-Perth Lakers 5-1 pts.)
Regular Season: 28-4-0, 56 pts. (1st West Division)

Toronto Titans (GTHL)
Qualified: GTHL Finalist (lost to Don Mills Flyers 6-4 pts.)
Regular Season: 23-2-8, 54 pts. (2nd Place)

York-Simcoe Express (OMHA – ETA)
Qualified: OMHA 3rd Place (def. Ajax-Pickering Raiders 2-1)
Regular Season: 27-5-3, 57 pts. (2nd Place)

Duchene Division:

Halton Hurricanes (OMHA – SCTA)
Qualified: OMHA Champions (def. Barrie Jr. Colts 4-3 OT)
Regular Season: 27-5-4, 58 pts. (2nd Place)

North Bay Trappers (NOHA)
Qualified: NOHA Finalists (lost to Soo Jr. Greyhounds 5-4 OT)
Regular Season: 19-8-6, 44 pts. (2nd Place)

Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)
Qualified: GTHL 3rd Place (def. Toronto Red Wings 6-0 pts.)
Regular Season: 25-6-2, 52 pts. (3rd Place)

Perfetti Division:

Don Mills Flyers (GTHL)
Qualified: GTHL Champions (def. Toronto Titans 6-4 pts.)
Regular Season: 26-4-3, 55 pts. (1st Place)

Huron-Perth Lakers (ALLIANCE)
Qualified: ALLIANCE Finalist (Trailing Sun County Panthers 5-1 pts.)
Regular Season: 26-3-3, 55 pts. (1st East Division)

Ottawa Valley Titans (HEO)
Qualified: HEO Finalist (lost to Ottawa Myers Automotive 8-6 pts.)
Regular Season: 18-9-5, 41 pts. (2nd Place)

Stamkos Division:

Barrie Jr. Colts (OMHA – ETA)
Qualified: OMHA Finalists (lost to Halton Hurricanes 4-3 OT)
Regular Season: 31-2-3, 65 pts. (1st Place)

Ottawa Myers Automotive (HEO)
Qualified: HEO Champions (def. Ottawa Valley Titans 8-6 pts.)
Regular Season: 21-7-4, 46 pts. (1st Place)

Soo Jr. Greyhounds (NOHA)
Qualified: NOHA Champions (def. North Bay Trappers 5-4 OT)
Regular Season: 21-8-3, 45 pts. (1st Place)

Round Robin Schedule:

Friday April 14th:
Huron-Perth Lakers vs. Don Mills Flyers – 8:00am (Red Rink)
York-Simcoe Express vs. Sun County Panthers – 8:30am (Blue Rink)
Toronto Jr. Canadiens vs. Halton Hurricanes – 10:00am (Red Rink)
Ottawa Myers Automotive vs. Barrie Jr. Colts – 10:30am (Blue Rink)
Ottawa Valley Titans vs. Huron-Perth Lakers – 1:00pm (Red Rink)
Toronto Titans vs. York-Simcoe Express – 1:30pm (Blue Rink)
North Bay Trappers vs. Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 3:00pm (Red Rink)
Soo Jr. Greyhounds vs. Ottawa Myers Automotive – 3:30pm (Blue Rink)
Don Mills Flyers vs. Ottawa Valley Titans – 6:00pm (Red Rink)
Sun County Panthers vs. Toronto Titans – 6:30pm (Blue Rink)
Halton Hurricanes vs. North Bay Trappers – 8:00pm (Red Rink)
Barrie Jr. Colts vs. Soo Jr. Greyhounds – 8:30pm (Blue Rink)

Follow the 2023 U14 OHL Cup presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario at u14ohlcup.ca.

SPITFIRES’ MAGGIO AWARDED LEO LALONDE MEMORIAL TROPHY AS OVERAGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Posted on April 14, 2023 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Windsor Spitfires forward Matthew Maggio is the 2022-23 recipient of the Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy awarded to the League’s Overage Player of the Year as voted by OHL General Managers.

The 20-year-old from nearby Tecumseh, Ont. led the OHL with 111 points and 54 goals, joining current Spitfires GM Bill Bowler (1994-95) as just the second player in Spitfires franchise history to be named OHL Overage Player of the Year.

“I feel very privileged to win this award,” said Maggio. “Playing in the OHL for the last five years has been the best time of my life and I’ve been lucky enough to play with some incredible players throughout this journey. I want to say thank you to the Ottawa 67’s and Windsor Spitfires, and everything they have done to help develop me into the player I am today. I’d like to thank my family, friends, coaching staff and my faith for helping to guide me along the way. Most of all I want to thank my teammates because without them this would not have been possible.”

Maggio, who was held pointless in just nine of his 66 games this past season, finished as the front-runner for the award, with Ottawa 67’s forward Logan Morrison coming in as the runner-up.

“Matt has been an elite performer all season,” said Spitfires General Manager Bill Bowler. “He has the ability to produce offence at top speed and we got to witness that consistency every time he was on the ice.”

Maggio tied a Spitfires single game franchise record with his five goals on Dec. 15th in a 6-3 win over the Erie Otters, joining Daniel D’Amico, Paul Gagne and Gerry Leroux as the fourth Spitfire to accomplish the feat. He led the OHL with 311 shots on goal, and scored just four of his 54 goals on the power play.

A fifth-round pick by the New York Islanders last summer, Maggio wraps-up his OHL career with 99 goals, 118 assists and 217 points over 212 regular season contests spent between Windsor and the Ottawa 67’s, who selected him in the fifth-round (86th overall) of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. Maggio recorded 17 points (7-10–17) in 25 games last spring as the Spits won a Western Conference title and reached Game 7 of the OHL Championship Series.

Maggio recorded an assist with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders in his professional debut on Wednesday night.

The Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the Top Overage Player of the Year as selected by OHL General Managers. Teams were asked to submit a nominee for the award and were not permitted to vote for players from their own hockey club.

First presented in 1984, the Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy was donated by the trainers of the Ontario Hockey League, in memory of the late Leo Lalonde, former Chief Scout of OHL Central Scouting. Leo Lalonde was also formerly the Chief Scout for the Belleville Bulls as well as a scout for the Peterborough Petes.

Maggio is added to a list of other recent recipients of the award that includes Brandon Coe of the North Bay Battalion in 2021-22, Austen Keating of the Ottawa 67’s in 2019-20 and Justin Brazeau of the North Bay Battalion in 2018-19.

2022-23 OHL Awards announcements continue next week when the League recognizes its Matt Leyden Trophy recipient as Coach of the Year.

For an extensive history of OHL award winners, visit ontariohockeyleague.com.

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