OHL THIS WEEK: OCTOBER 6 TO 10, 2022

Posted on by Dominic Tiano


Opening Week is under our belt as we embark on the Thanksgiving long weekend! Here’s what’s happening across the League.

Storm, Attack and Firebirds make Week 1 edition of Kia CHL Top 10:
After Week 1 action, the Guelph Storm, Owen Sound Attack and Flint Firebirds find themselves in the Week 1 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings. WATCH

Petes’ Robertson named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week:
Seattle Kraken prospect Tucker Robertson of the Peterborough Petes is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording one goal, four assists and five points in a pair of victories. READ

Sting’s Gaudreau named OHL Goaltender of the Week:
San Jose Sharks prospect Ben Gaudreau of the Sarnia Sting is the OHL Goaltender of the Week with two victories, a 1.99 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. READ

OHL Plays of the Week:
Rolling out an OHL Opening Week edition of the OHL Plays of the Week! Guelph’s Matthew Poitras, Erie’s Carey Terrance, Sudbury’s David Goyette and Hamilton Bulldogs teammates Florian Xhekaj and Logan Morrison make the final cut. WATCH

OHL Saves of the Week:
See stops from Oshawa’s Patrick Leaver, Owen Sound’s Nick Chenard, Sudbury’s Joe Ranger, Flint’s Will Cranley, Peterborough’s Michael Simpson and Kingston’s Ivan Zhigalov in this season’s first edition of Saves of the Week. WATCH

15 first goals in OHL Milestone Moments:
Syngenta and Grain Farmers of Ontario present a total of 15 first career OHL goals from Opening Week action. WATCH

OHL Weekend Notebook:
The OHL Weekend Notebook recaps the weekend that was with news, information and interesting facts from both on and off the ice. READ

Wiseman steps into lead coaching role for the Storm:
Associate Coach Chad Wiseman is being promoted to Head Coach of the Storm after the team announced that Head Coach Scott Walker will be stepping away from his coaching duties to address health concerns. READ

Bulldogs’ Staios joins Oilers in player development role:
The Edmonton Oilers have hired Hamilton Bulldogs president and general manager Steve Staios in a player development role. READ

Bulldogs name Matt Turek interim General Manager:
With Steve Staios taking a position with the Edmonton Oilers, the Hamilton Bulldogs have named Matt Turek their interim General Manager. READ

Otters’ Lalonde signs with Blue Jackets:
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed goaltender Nolan Lalonde to a three-year entry level contract. Lalonde attended training camp as a free agent invitee. READ

Steelheads’ Beck signs with Canadiens:
The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Owen Beck to a three-year entry level contract. Beck was selected 33rd overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. READ

Knights’ Mailloux signs with Canadiens:
The Montreal Canadiens have signed defenseman Logan Mailloux to a three-year entry level contract. Mailloux was selected 31st overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. READ

Steelheads’ Schwindt signs with Panthers:
Mississauga Steelheads Forward Kai Schwindt has signed a three-year entry-level NHL contract with the Florida Panthers Undrafted, Schwindt attended Florida’s 2022-2023 Training Camp. READ

Spirit name Bloom captain:
The Saginaw Spirit are pleased to announce that Buffalo Sabres prospect Josh Bloom has been named the 22nd captain in the history of the team. READ

Wolves name Holmes captain:
The Sudbury Wolves are pleased to announce that they have named Dallas Stars prospect Jacob Holmes as the team’s captain for the Wolves’ 50th anniversary season. READ

Greyhounds name McConnell-Barker captain:
The Soo Greyhounds are pleased to announce New York Rangers prospect Bryce McConnell-Barker as captain for the 2022-2023 season. READ

Bulldogs name Morrison captain:
The Hamilton Bulldogs are pleased to announce 2022 OHL Playoff MVP Logan Morrison the sixth captain in franchise history. READ

OHL This Week Podcast:
The OHL This Week Podcast returns to the airwaves to kick-off the 2022-23 season! LISTEN

Will Haley commits to Steelheads:
The Mississauga Steelheads have received a commitment from defenceman Will Haley. Haley was selected in the first round (13th overall) of the 2022 U18 Draft. READ

Caleb Van De Ven commits to Greyhounds:
The Soo Greyhounds have received a commitment from 13th round 2020 OHL Priority Selection choice Caleb Van De Ven who joins the team’s blueline. READ

Jakub Chromiak commits to Wolves:
The Sudbury Wolves have received a commitment from 7th overall pick in the 2022 CHL Import Draft Slovakia’s Jakub Chromiak. READ

Dustin Good commits to Greyhounds:
The Kitchener Rangers have received a commitment from 1st round 2022 U18 Priority Selection choice Dustin Good to a standard player agreement with the Hounds. READ

Sights & Sounds: Entering a new era on opening night in Niagara:
Sights and sounds from a thrilling opening night in Niagara as Zakary Lavoie came up big with his first career OHL hat trick in a Mississauga Steelheads overtime win. WATCH

COMMUNITY CORNER:

OHL partners with Syngenta Canada and Grain Farmers of Ontario to present CMHA Ontario’s Talk Today Program:
The OHL has joined together with Syngenta Canada and Grain Farmers of Ontario, who will serve as presenting sponsors of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario Division’s Talk Today program, now entering its ninth season. READ

OHL partners with Their Opportunity for National Truth & Reconciliation Day:
This National Truth & Reconciliation Day, the OHL partnered with Their Opportunity to highlight the work done by Randy Gill, Graham McWaters and countless volunteers and donors to make the Indigenous Hockey Equipment Drive possible. WATCH

Colts set to honour the late Dale Hawerchuk:
The Barrie Colts will be honouring former Head Coach, Dale Hawerchuk at home on Saturday, October 8th. There will be a special pre-game ceremony honouring Dale, as well as guest speakers, video presentations, and a special presentation revealing an honourary Dale Hawerchuk banner. Tickets are on sale now. More at barriecolts.com

Spitfires set to host Champions Night on Thursday:
The Western Conference Champion Windsor Spitfires will be raising their championship banner at home on Thursday night where fans will also receive limited edition calendars with all of the greatest moments from last years Wayne Gretzky Trophy Cup run.

Fronts set to host 1970s night on Friday:
The Kingston Frontenacs are set to host a 1970s theme night at home on Friday that will feature hits from the past and highlight the 1970s Kingston Canadians era. There will also be a special ceremony held before the game for Len Coyle.

ALUMNI NOTES:

OHL mourns the loss of Andre Payette:
The Ontario Hockey League is saddened by news of the loss of former Soo Greyhounds and Kingston Frontenacs forward Andre Payette. READ

Generals’ Foster joins Coyotes as Development Coach:
The Arizona Coyotes have named Kurtis Foster as a development coach. Foster most recently served on the OHL’s Oshawa Generals coaching staff in 2021-22 and was promoted to interim co-head coach in March, helping the club secure a playoff berth. READ

Rychel joins Oilers as pro scout:
Former Windsor Spitfires general manager and Barrie Colts head coach Warren Rychel is back in the game after joining the Edmonton Oilers as a pro scout. Rychel, who architected back-to-back Memorial Cup championship teams in 2009 and 2010, served as a scout for the Arizona Coyotes prior to his tenure in Windsor. READ

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

– All games streaming on OHL Live
– Radio and TV broadcast information

Thursday October 6th
Sudbury at Windsor – 7:05pm
North Bay at Peterborough – 7:05pm
Niagara at Barrie – 7:30pm

Friday October 7th
North Bay at Kingston – 7:00pm
Kitchener at Ottawa – 7:00pm
Erie at Mississauga – 7:00pm
Oshawa at Niagara – 7:00pm
Sault Ste. Marie at London – 7:00pm
Saginaw at Sarnia – 7:05pm
Flint at Guelph – 7:30pm
Hamilton at Owen Sound – 7:30pm

Saturday October 8th
Oshawa at Hamilton – 7:00pm
North Bay at Ottawa – 7:00pm
Guelph at Niagara – 7:00pm
Sudbury at Flint– 7:00pm
London at Erie – 7:00pm
Windsor at Saginaw – 7:05pm
Peterborough at Barrie – 7:30pm
Mississauga at Owen Sound – 7:30pm

Sunday October 9th
Kitchener at Kingston – 2:00pm
Sault Ste. Marie at Sarnia – 2:05pm (Free for TSN subscribers)
Sudbury at Saginaw – 5:30pm

Monday October 10th
Sault Ste. Marie at Windsor – 2:05pm

GAUDREAU AND ROBERTSON NAMEDOHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, October 2, 2022.



Petes’ Tucker Robertson Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

Seattle Kraken prospect Tucker Robertson of the Peterborough Petes is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording one goal, four assists and five points in a pair of victories.

Robertson got the Petes’ season off to a hot start recording his 50th OHL goal, 100th career point and the shootout game winner in a first star performance as the Petes defeated the Erie Otters 5-4 in their home opener. He followed that up with a three-assist effort on Saturday as the Petes defeated the defending champion Hamilton Bulldogs 5-3 at the Memorial Centre. Robertson excelled in the face-off circle, going a combined 39-for-59 (66%) on the weekend.

A 19-year-old native of Toronto, Robertson was a fourth round (123rd overall) pick of the Seattle Kraken following 41 goals, 40 assists and 81 points in 68 games last season. The former fourth round (72nd overall) pick by the Petes in 2019 has registered 50 goals, 54 assists and 104 points in 125 career regular season games in maroon and white.

Also given consideration for the award this week were Petes teammate and Vancouver Canucks prospect Connor Lockhart, who leads all OHL players with six points (1-5–6) on the young season. Fellow Seattle prospect Ty Nelson of the North Bay Battalion was also a standout, recording five points (1-4–5) in split decisions for the Troops.



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 with two victories, a 1.99 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.

Gaudreau was victorious on Friday in Kitchener, stopping 17 of the 20 shots he faced as the Sting defeated the Rangers 6-3. The 6-foot-2, 172Ib. goaltender returned to the crease on Saturday, stopping 22 shots in a 2-1 overtime win over the Windsor Spitfires, picking up second star recognition.

A 19-year-old native of Corbeil, Ont., Gaudreau is embarking on his third season in Sarnia after a strong sophomore season where he went 19-18-4-1 with a 3.71 goals-against average and .891 save percentage over 44 games. Selected in the third round (81st overall) by the San Jose Sharks in the 2021 NHL Draft, Gaudreau was originally Sarnia’s 1st round (7th overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection from the North Bay Trappers 16U program. Over parts of three seasons, he’s 31-31-5-2 with a 3.88 goals-against average and .891 save percentage in 74 regular season appearances.

A pair of other candidates were given consideration for the award as Kingston Frontenacs netminder Ivan Zhigalov posted 61 saves in a pair of outings, recording a 2.03 goals-against average and .939 save percentage. Oshawa Generals goaltender Patrick Leaver went 2-0-0-1 on the weekend, posting a 2.92 goals-against average and .910 save percentage.


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.

OHL’s Draft Eligible Players 2022 – 2023

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

The 2022-2023 Ontario Hockey League season is upon us and we look forward to bringing you coverage of those players eligible for the 2023 National Hockey League Draft.

Below you will see players eligible by team as listed by them on their opening week roster. Not only do we show first time draft eligible players but also those re-entering the draft for the first time after being passed over this year. Those players are shown with an asterisk (*) under the R/E column.

BARRIE COLTS
#PLAYERPOSD.O.B.R/E
8Grayson TillerD02-20-05
9Zach WigleC01-12-04*
12Ben PickellC07-20-05
22Cooper MatthewsRW02-11-04*
30Anson ThorntonG02-21-05
53Beau JelsmaC04-28-04*
81Chris GrisoliaC04-30-05
86Beau AkeyD02-11-05
92Roenick JodoinC09-10-04*
ERIE OTTERS
#PLAYERPOSD.O.B.R/E
5Nathan SauderD02-01-05
6Taeo ArtichukC02-15-05
7Owain JohnstonD10-19-03*
10Carey TerranceC05-10-05
14George AlboimD03-15-05
20Kaleb SmithC05-14-04*
21Alex MessierLW03-23-05
22Spencer SovaD01-10-04*
23Lucas SignorettiLW03-30-04
33Sam AlfanoRW01-18-04*
79Nolan LalondeG02-14-04*
86Cameron LoweC03-04-04*
92Bruce McDonaldLW12-18-04
FLINT FIREBIRDS
#PLAYERPOSD.O.B.R/E
3Luca D’AmatoD08-18-04*
11Coulson PitreRW12-13-04
12Tristan BertucciD07-12-05
16Alex BradshawLW03-16-04*
28Samuel AssinewaiLW04-16-04*
31Nathaniel DayG02-04-05
61Simon SlavicekC02-02-04*
68Ethan HayC01-15-05
71James PetrovskiD08-12-05
88Boe PiroskiG03-04-04
90Ty PetrouC05-10-04*
91Owen PittersC08-28-05
GUELPH STORM
#PLAYERPOSD.O.B.R/E
1Jacob OsterG03-26-04*
9Chase CoughlanRW06-17-05
11Cam AllenD01-07-05
16Gavin GrunderLW05-12-04*
20Ryan McGuireC02-29-04*
25Niko MinkkinenD11-10-04
27Valentin ZhuginLW12-13-04
HAMILTON BULLDOGS
#PLAYERPOSD.O.B.R/E
4Lucas MooreD06-07-05
5Noah Van VlietD02-18-04*
11Noah NelsonC03-28-05
12Noah VandenBrinkRW01-06-05
29Tristan MalboeufG03-21-04*
42Braeden O’KeefeC06-08-05
43Florian XhekajLW06-27-04*
74Adrian RebeloLW06-22-04*
92Cole BrownRW04-27-05
93Patrick ThomasC08-21-04*
KINGSTON FRONTENACS
#PLAYERPOSD.O.B.R/E
1Mason VaccariG04-29-05
2Jackson StewartLW06-18-04*
9Gage HeyesRW04-21-04*
11Maleek McGowanD06-13-05
17Owen OutwaterLW01-04-05
23Duncan SchneiderD07-05-05
24Thomas BudnickD02-14-04*
26Mitchell BrooksC03-23-05
28Nathan PooleC07-28-04*
37Adam CavallinC04-03-05
41Quinton BurnsD04-14-05
90Linus HemstromRW01-16-04*
92Matthew SotoRW08-31-05
KITCHENER RANGERS
#PLAYERPOSD.O.B.R/E
4Hunter BrzustewiczD11-29-04
5Matthew AndonovskiD03-14-05
10Adrian MisaljevicLW07-10-04*
13Adam ZidlickyC01-28-05
14Cameron MercerC05-27-05
16Carson RehkopfC01-07-05
23Kyle MoreyC06-27-05
44Antonino PuglieseRW04-09-04*
57Trent SwickLW04-25-04*
LONDON KNIGHTS
#PLAYERPOSD.O.B.R/E
7Easton CowanC05-20-05
15Abakar KazbekovC05-30-04*
29Brody CraneLW05-29-04*
31Zach BowenG04-25-05
37Kaeden JohnstonRW02-03-05
43Nicholas YearwoodLW07-15-04*
57Matthew ParisC01-01-05
59Oliver BonkD01-09-05
70Ruslan GazizovLW01-21-04*
86Denver BarkeyC04-07-05
MISSISSAUGA STEELHEADS
#PLAYERPOSD.O.B.R/E
7Finn HardingD03-02-05
9Brice CookeLW03-23-04*
13Dylan GordonD08-13-04*
16Ryan StruthersC01-02-04*
27Zakary LavoieRW03-13-04*
28Chas SharpeD11-28-03*
29Alessio BeglieriG01-05-04*
74Zander VecciaRW07-27-04*
83Quinn BinnieRW04-29-04*
91Valdemar William HullLW01-02-05
NIAGARA ICEDOGS
#PLAYERPOSD.O.B.R/E
Andrew LeBlancC06-03-04*
Jacob LeBlancD06-03-04*
13Ryan VannettenD03-30-04*
19Pano FimisC06-17-04*
24Declan WaddickC01-24-05
29Alec LeonardD05-13-04*
35Owen FloresG05-09-04*
47Juan CopelandLW09-03-05
57Evan KleinLW01-12-04*
75Andrew WyciskD07-01-05
94Rodwin DionocioD03-30-04*
90Aidan CastleRW01-08-04*
NORTH BAY BATTALION
#PLAYERPOSD.O.B.R/E
2Wyatt KennedyD05-27-05
5Tnias MathurinD01-15-04*
10Michael PodolioukhC11-28-04
14Dalyn WakelyC03-05-04*
15Anthony RomaniC07-12-05
16Owen Van SteenselLW08-04-04*
23Brett BouchardRW01-18-05
25Chase MacQueen-SpenceLW01-09-05
28Alexander LukinD03-27-04*
29Nic SimaRW03-31-05
32Charlie RobertsonG04-02-05
OSHAWA GENERALS
#PLAYERPOSD.O.B.R/E
5Blake SmithD2010-05-04
8Ty PetrouC05-10-04*
10Jordyn ErtelC05-16-05
11Matthew BuckleyRW03-21-05
15Ryan O’DellD02-14-04*
17Luke TorranceLW03-30-04*
21Calum RitchieC01-21-05
23Kimo GruberRW04-11-05
24Andrew WhittonRW10-25-03*
25Dylan RoobroeckLW07-27-04*
31Carter BickleG05-27-04*
OTTAWA 67’S
#PLAYERPOSD.O.B.R/E
2Derek SmythD04-17-04*
6Thomas SirmanD03-05-04*
9Chris BarlasC01-10-05
17Brady StonehouseRW08-06-04*
18Jack DeverRW09-05-05
20Luca PinelliLW04-05-05
21Ethan QuickRW01-27-05
22Matthew MayichD12-21-04
23Will GerriorLW03-02-04*
25Brad GardinerC03-06-05
26Gavin EwlesD03-01-05
29Cooper FosterC06-04-05
33Collin MacKenzieG11-30-04
OWEN SOUND ATTACK
3Teddy SawyerD12-12-03*
5Madden SteenD05-18-04*
13Gavin BryantC04-21-04*
16Tomislav BrennanC03-15-05
17Lorenzo BonaiutoLW04-20-04*
19Julian FantinoRW02-05-04*
22Cal UensD02-11-05
24Taos JordanD03-29-04*
34Thomas ChafeRW04-19-05
39Colby BarlowLW02-14-05
30Corbin VotaryG04-12-04*
PETERBOROUGH PETES
3Stevie LeskovarD09-09-04*
5Quinton PageLW08-03-05
6Konnor SmithD11-06-04
11Justin DeZoeteRW01-02-04*
16Nick LardisRW07-08-05
17Zack LewisRW01-25-05
19Donovan McCoyD11-10-04
20Tommy PurdellerC04-13-04*
23Jonathan MeleeC01-15-04*
25Chase LefebvreC05-13-04*
27James GuoD05-02-02
1Liam SztuskaG05-01-04*
SAGINAW SPIRIT
6Brayden HislopD9-26-03*
7Calem MongoneRW11-05-04
9Matthew JovanovicD09-22-04
11Olivier SavardD01-14-05
14Joey WillisC03-14-05
15Sebastien GervaisLW04-11-05
27PJ ForgioneD11-12-04
90Luke McNamaraC03-02-05
92Carson ChristyRW10-15-04
29Andrew OkeG03-26-04*
41Brett FullertonG06-25-04*
SARNIA STING
2Joshua HooverD02-15-04*
6Owen MacDonaldD08-28-04*
10Ben LalkinLW02-07-05
11Zach FilakC01-21-04*
12Easton WainwrightC01-19-05
17Alexis DaviaultD06-17-05
19Angus MacDonellC05-11-05
24Austin HarperRW02-04-04*
25Tyson DoucetterLW01-30-04*
77Ryder McIntyreRW07-15-04*
81Max NamestnikovC02-06-04*
30Dylan GroverG06-27-04*
31Nicholas SurzyciaG12-17-04
SOO GREYHOUNDS
6Andrew GibsonD02-13-05
7Caeden CarlisleD01-31-04*
9Harrison BallardC04-16-04*
11Ethan MontroyLW08-30-05
12Daylen MosesC06-13-05
14Owen AllardC01-13-04*
16Landen HookeyRW01-29-04*
20Connor TomsD03-13-04*
21Dustin GoodRW01-01-05
23Connor ClattenburgLW05-02-05
24Justin CloutierLW06-20-05
26Marco MignosaRW04-13-05
39Caleb Van De VenD11-24-04
31Charlie SchenkelG08-16-04*
SUDBURY WOLVES
5Will BishopD03-17-05
9Alex AssadourianC07-24-05
13Kocha DelicC03-11-04*
21Alex PharandRW01-05-05
23Devin MauroLW06-06-04*
27Quentin MustyLW07-06-05
44Michael DerbidgeLW04-04-05
45Ethan LarmandC11-12-03*
91Evan KonyenRW02-22-04*
93Matthew ManiaD01-11-05
30Nate KrawchukG07-04-05
WINDSOR SPITFIRES
11Noah MorneauC05-07-04*
12Ryan AbrahamC04-05-04*
19Ethan MiedemaLW03-22-05
22Nicholas DeAngelisD05-22-04*
24Bronson RideD01-14-05
61Colton SmithLW02-09-04*
72Ethan MartinC03-25-05
82Tomas HebekD02-12-04*
98Christopher O’FlahertyLW03-12-05
33Joey CostanzoG07-26-05

OHL ANNOUNCES2022-23 OFFICIATING TEAM

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – Ontario Hockey League Director of Officiating Conrad Haché today announced the League’s 97-member officiating team for the 2022-23 season.

Consisting of 38 referees and 59 linespeople, this year’s roster of officials includes a total of 22 first-year staff including four referees and 18 linespeople. Three former linesmen have transitioned into refereeing roles.

Notably, a total of four women are included on this year’s OHL officiating team, including referees Hillary Brennan of London, Ont. and Lacey Senuk, originally from St. Albert, Alta. Linespeople include Justine Todd of Woodville, Ont. and returning second-year official Kirsten Welsh, originally of Blackstock, Ont. but now working out of Freedom, Pennsylvania. Welsh became the first woman to officiate a game in OHL history last season, working the lines in a contest between the Owen Sound Attack and host Kitchener Rangers on November 12, 2021.

The 2022-23 OHL Regular Season gets underway tonight with three games on the schedule. 


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.

WOMEN BREAKING OHL OFFICIATING BARRIERS ON OPENING WEEKEND OF PRE-SEASON PLAY

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – In advance of the opening weekend of the Ontario Hockey League’s 2022 Pre-Season schedule of games, the League has announced three groundbreaking officiating assignments.

Friday night’s exhibition matchup between the Mississauga Steelheads and the visiting Guelph Storm will feature a woman referee for the first time in League history. Lacey Senuk, originally from St. Albert, Alta. will work alongside fellow referee Michael Cairns while Justin Noble and Adam Burnett patrol the lines.

The 37-year-old Senuk worked as a women’s hockey referee at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China. She also has past experience working international tournaments through the IIHF, Tier II Jr. A hockey in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, as well as the U SPORTS ranks.

“Lacey made a strong impression at the League’s recent Pre-Season Officiating Camp,” said Conrad Haché, the OHL’s Director of Officiating. “She has demonstrated an ability to officiate the best women’s hockey in the world, being selected to work at the Olympics. Lacey brings poise and a mature presence to the ice and she has earned this opportunity.”

Saturday night’s back-end of a home-and-home between the Storm and visiting Steelheads will mark the first time in OHL history that two women have worked on the same officiating team. Referee Hillary Brennan of London, Ont. will skate alongside linesperson Marlowe Schott of Elmira, Ont.

A 23-year-old with prior officiating experience in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL), Brennan has also refereed in the men’s U18 AAA ranks. She played in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) on defence with the London Devilettes program.

Schott, 25, has officiated in the PWHL as well as the men’s Junior C and Juvenile hockey circuits.

“Hillary and Marlowe are both officiating prospects with a lot of promise,” said Haché. “The pre-season affords our OHL Officiating Department an opportunity to provide younger officials assignments where they will work alongside more experienced referees and linespersons as a means of development. We’re looking forward to this opportunity for both of these officials as they’ve demonstrated tremendous potential in their showings thus far.”

The news is the second groundbreaking step for women in the OHL this week after the Hamilton Bulldogs announced the hiring of local product Laura Fortino on Monday. She becomes the first woman hired as an Assistant Coach in the League, also serving in the capacity of Director of Player Development.

Kirsten Welsh of Blackstock, Ont. became the first woman to officiate an OHL game on September 30, 2021, working the lines in a pre-season matchup between Guelph and Mississauga. She made her regular season officiating debut as a linesperson on November 12, 2021 in a game between the Owen Sound Attack and host Kitchener Rangers.

Including Friday’s two matchups, Labour Day weekend features a total of 14 exhibition games across the OHL. Follow along with all of the action with scores, statistics, recaps and more at ontariohockeyleague.com.

OHL Writers 2022 Final Draft Rankings

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images

Congratulations to the Saint John Sea Dogs on winning the 2022 Memorial Cup. Our own Hamilton Bulldogs should hold their heads up high on a fantastic season winning the J Ross Robertson Cup and putting up a great effort in Saint John.

The handing out of the Memorial Cup brings us to one item remaining for this season and that is our final ranking on Ontario Hockey League players eligible for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. It was great to get a full season in and to be in the rinks once again – except for a couple of short weeks where the Pandemic caused us to stay out of buildings.

It was a difficult season to assess players because we didn’t have a previous season to base a player’s development on. So instead, we looked at how a player developed throughout the season.

This season, we ranked the top 60 players and the top 9 goaltenders from the OHL. Obviously, they won’t all get drafted but I would expect 35 that will be including four goaltenders. So, why rank 60 players? Because there are bound to be players outside my top 35 that will get picked and there will be development camp invites and you can get an idea of where I would have them.

Lucas Edmonds (Kingston), Matthew Maggio (Windsor), Amadeus Lombardi (Flint), Samuel Mayer (Peterborough), James Hardie (Mississauga), Kyle Jackson (North Bay), Tucker Robertson (Peterborough), Braeden Bowman (Guelph), Gavin White (Hamilton) and Kirill Steklov (London) are draft re-entries that made our list. In net, re-entries include Patrick Leaver (Oshawa), Brett Brochu (London) and Marco Costantini (Hamilton).

Shane Wright (Kingston) and Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw) have been one-two for almost the entire season. Luca Del Bel Belluz (Mississauga) had a slight dip in the top five for us as did Ty Nelson (North Bay). David Goyette (Sudbury) did plenty to put himself into the top five in our minds and Owen Beck (Mississauga) was a mainstay there all season.

Our biggest climber was the same as virtually everyone else’s: Christian Kyrou (Erie) while our biggest faller was Ruslan Gazizov (London).

Here are our final rankings along with NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking among North American Skaters:

RKPLAYERTEAMNHLCS
1Shane WrightKingston1
2Pavel MintyukovSaginaw6
3Owen BeckMississauga10
4David GoyetteSudbury13
5Luca Del Bel BelluzMississauga8
6Matyas SapovalivSaginaw23
7Ty NelsonNorth Bay32
8Danny ZhilkinGuelph35
9Paul LudwinskiKingston49
10Hunter HaightBarrie44
11Bryce McConnell-BarkerSoo34
12Isiah GeorgeLondon53
13Matthew PoitrasGuelph45
14Christian KyrouErie48
15Gavin HayesFlint51
16Vinzenz RohrerOttawa42
17Jake KarabelaGuelph62
18Michael BuchingerGuelph30
19Beau JelsmaBarrie88
20Servac PetrovskyOwen Sound58
21Cedrick GuindonOwen Sound59
22Lucas EdmondsKingston104
23Jorian DonovanHamilton81
24Spencer SovaErie80
25Pano FimisNiagara75
26Tnias MathurinNorth Bay126
27Kirill KudryavtsevSoo108
28Matthew MaggioWindsor103
29Jackson EdwardLondon123
30Kocha DelicSudbury122
31Evan KonyenSudbury85
32Amadeus LombardiFlint94
33Liam ArnsbyNorth Bay115
34Samuel MayerPeterborough139
35Tucker RobertsonPeterborough162
36Rodwin DionicioNiagara118
37Ruslan GazizovLondon149
38Brady StonehouseOttawa152
39Gavin WhiteHamiltonNR
40Colton SmithLondonNR
41Zakary LavoieMississauga134
42James HardieMississauga148
43Aidan CastleOwen Sound151
44Kyle JacksonNorth Bay158
45Nolan CollinsSudbury153
46Gavin BryantOwen Sound179
47Bryce CookNiagara183
48Braeden BowmanGuelph194
49Kai SchwindtMississauga196
50Sam AlfanoPeterborough207
51Max NamestnikovSarnia211
52Owen Van SteenselNorth BayNR
53Chas SharpeMississaugaNR
54Kirill SteklovLondon221
55Roberto ManciniSaginaw222
56Landon SimLondon215
57Kasper LarsenMississauga220
58Caeden CarlisleSoo223
59Angus BoothBarrieNR
60Simon SlavicekFlintNR
GOALTENDERSTEAMNHLCS
1Domenic DiVincentiisNorth Bay24
2Patrick LeaverOshawa16
3Andrew OkeSaginaw9
4Nolan LalondeErie14
5Brett BrochuLondon31
6Charlie SchenkelSoo17
7Jacob OsterGuelph18
8Josh RosenzweigNiagara22
9Marco CostantiniHamilton29

OHL CLUBS SELECT 24 PLAYERS IN 2022 CHL IMPORT DRAFT

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – Ontario Hockey League member teams selected a total of 24 players from across 10 different countries in the 2022 CHL Import Draft held on Friday, July 1. The OHL selections consisted of 15 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders.

The Saginaw Spirit led the OHL portion of the proceedings by selecting 2023 NHL Draft prospect Martin Misiak out of Slovakia with the second overall pick, the highest in franchise history. The Erie Otters followed with another 2023 eligible Slovakian player in forward Ondrej Molnar at fifth overall before the Sudbury Wolves made it three straight, taking 2024 NHL Draft eligible defender Jakub Chromiak, the younger brother of Kingston Frontenacs 44-goal scorer Martin Chromiak.

A total of 12 players chosen are eligible for next week’s 2022 NHL Draft, led by Ottawa 67’s first round selection Marco Kasper, following Marco Rossi and Vinzenz Rohrer as another Austrian selection. Kasper finished as the fifth-ranked skater on NHL Central Scouting’s European Rankings. The Kitchener Rangers selected 21st-ranked Czech defender Tomas Hamara with their first round choice and 19th-ranked blueliner Mattias Havelid out of Sweden with their second. The Sarnia Sting scooped up 39th-ranked forward Sandis Vilmanis out of Latvia with the 14th pick of the first round while the OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs picked Slovakian forward Alex Sotek, who came in as the 45th-ranked European skater. Other players ranked by NHL Central Scouting included Saginaw Spirit second round choice Petr Hauser (100th), Windsor Spitfires first selection Tomas Hebek (113th) and Kingston Frontenacs second choice Linus Hemstrom (119th)

An additional 11 players chosen by OHL teams will be eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft while one, Chromiak, isn’t eligible until 2024.

Other selections of note include Peterborough Petes first round choice Tommy Purdeller, who became the first Italian player chosen by an OHL club since the Niagara IceDogs took Marco Insam in the 2008 CHL Import Draft. Swiss product Alessio Belgieri was the first goaltender chosen when the Mississauga Steelheads took him 38th overall. The Kingston Frontenacs took the next netminder, selecting Ivan Zhigalov in the 47th slot. Zhigalov spent the 2021-22 season with the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix, and played in the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Kitchener.

The Niagara IceDogs (Rodwin Dionicio, Vsevolod Gaidamak) and North Bay Battalion (Matvey Petrov, Alexander Lukin) were the only OHL clubs that did not make a selection. The Kingston Frontenacs, Kitchener Rangers, Mississauga Steelheads, Saginaw Spirit, Sarnia Sting and Sudbury Wolves each made two.

All non-overage import players that were previously drafted in the CHL Import Draft but were deleted by a CHL member team before the 2022 cut-down date were eligible to be re-drafted by another CHL club in the 2022 Import Draft.

Visit CHL.ca/draft for complete results from the 2022 CHL Import Draft.



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.

Brady Stonehouse – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
HTWTDOBPOSSHOOTSOHL DRAFTNHLCSCOUNTRY
5’9”1828-6-04RWL26th 2020152 NACANADA
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2019-20Under-16Elgin Middlesex Chiefs32223254
2019-20Under-16Playoffs16151429
2020-21 DID NOT PLAY    
2021-22OHLOttawa 67’s68181735

If there is a player that raises more questions then answers about the type of player, he is it’s Brady Stonehouse of the Ottawa 67’s. It appears the scouting community is divided on the player.

Brady Stonehouse of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by Robert Lefebvre/OHL Images.

Early in the OHL season it looked as though Stonehouse would project as a bottom six forward at the next level. Despite being 5’9” he is solidly built at 180-plus pounds and he’s not afraid to use that frame physically, especially on the forecheck. His willingness to go to and stand in front of the opposition net is impressive.

Stonehouse’s work ethic stands out. He’s a very good skater – and for the early part of the season he was straight line, dump and chase get on the forecheck and use his body type of player. He is pesky and tenacious and his play away from the puck is very good as his play in all three zones.

What was lacking when watching Stonehouse was any indication of vision, playmaking and skill to go with all the above. That is until he was moved to the 67’s top line. The transition to playing with the top skilled teammates was seamless and flawless.

Instead of going to battle in the attacking zone along the walls and playing the physical game, Stonehouse immediately began to come away with the puck no longer facing the walls and looking for and setting up teammates for scoring opportunities. And instead of heading straight for the net without the puck and planting himself there, he began to find open pockets and lanes to make himself an open target for his teammates. Though he lacks a high calibre shot, he would take it if it was there.

What Stonehouse showed is that he could play with talented players and they wouldn’t have to carry him. He held his own. But the question now is where do you draft him? Did you see enough in such a short window?

As one of the younger players in the draft class, it’s all about continuing to develop for Stonehouse. It won’t be enough to help him in the upcoming draft, but he could develop into more of a middle six role with the right development.

Tnias Mathurin – North Bay Battalion – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
HTWTDOBPOSSHOOTSOHL DRAFTNHLCSCOUNTRY
6’31971/15/04DL41st 2020126 NACANADA
SEASONLEAGUETEAMGPGAPTS
2019-20Under-16Ajax/Pickering Raiders3571219
2020-21OHLNorth Bay Battalion0000
2021-22OHLNorth Bay Battalion4431215
Tnias Mathurin of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Terry Wilson/ OHL Images.

If there is one player the lost season due to the pandemic has hurt the most, I look at Tnias Mathurin of the North Bay Battalion. And that’s because not only did he lose an entire season a year ago, but he missed one-third of this season due to injuries. So, are 44 games enough to get a read on Mathurin?

Here’s what we do know. At 6’3” and pushing 200-pounds he has size. And for his size he moves extremely well. He doesn’t have after burners but his speed is more on the acceptable size. His mobility is very good laterally and in backwards skating.

Defensively, Mathurin continues and will continue to work on his game. He is very good at defending the rush, he holds his blueline and he closes and keeps his gaps close very quickly. He also boxes out the front of his net very well. He’s learning to be a more physical player and his size will certainly help there.

In transition, he collects the puck quickly and when given time and space Mathurin uses that to go on the offense with his skating or a very good first pass. But if you take that time and space away, he chooses to make the safe play and chip it out of his zone. But he can also be prone to a turnover here and there.

What is difficult to get a read on is Mathurin’s offensive game. He hasn’t played a full season of hockey since 2018-2019 – his Under-15 year.

Mathurin showed a lot of promise to start the year and through the first half of the season. But then on February 4, 2022 he suffered an injury that would keep him out of the lineup until March 24.

What Mathurin did display was an ability and confidence to pinch at the opposition blue line to keep plays alive but he also picked his spots carefully. He also displayed good vision and an ability to make good passes. And when there was no pass available, he would move his feet to get himself into position to take the shot himself.

It would be great to have a larger body of work to base an opinion on. One thing I believe is that he can find his place at the NHL level as a shut down defenceman. The offensive aspect of his game won’t be known until next season with the Battalion.

OHL ANNOUNCES 2021-22 ALL-STAR& ALL-ROOKIE TEAMS

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the first, second and third all-star team selections, in addition to the first and second all-rookie team designations for the 2021-22 season.

OHL all-star and all-rookie teams were selected by the OHL’s General Managers, with voting conducted in two stages beginning with a Conference ballot followed by a final ballot that integrated the top selections from both the Eastern and Western Conference results.

A total of 16 of the League’s 20 member teams are represented on this year’s all-star and all-rookie team selections, with the Hamilton Spectator Trophy recipient Hamilton Bulldogs leading the way with five, all named to all-star teams. The Flint Firebirds trail with four representatives while the North Bay Battalion and Soo Greyhounds each feature three.

Historical results of note include Flint’s Brennan Othmann becoming the first Firebirds player to ever receive a first all-star team designation as he joins second team members in goaltender Luke Cavallin and coach Ted Dent who are the franchise’s first at their positions. Hamilton Bulldogs blueliner and OHL Defenceman of the Year Nathan Staios is the first rearguard in Bulldogs history to earn first all-star team distinction. James Richmond becomes the first Mississauga Steelheads coach to ever be included on the League’s first all-star team while Hamilton’s Jay McKee and Marco Costantini are the first in Bulldogs history to be named to an all-star team at their respective positions.

On the all-rookie team front, Coulson Pitre gives the Flint Firebirds a third straight season with a member on the OHL’s first all-rookie team, following Othmann (2019-20) and Vladislav Kolyachonok (2018-19). Guelph Storm teammates Cam Allen and Michael Buchinger become the first teammates to make up the defence pairing on the League’s first all-rookie team since Rory Fitzpatrick and Mike Wilson of the 1992-93 Sudbury Wolves. In goal, Nolan Lalonde becomes the first netminder in Erie Otters history to be voted to the OHL’s first all-rookie team. First overall selections in the 2020 and 2021 OHL Priority Selection Ty Nelson of the North Bay Battalion and Quentin Musty of the Sudbury Wolves were both voted to the second all-rookie team.

2021-22 OHL All-Star & All-Rookie Teams:

Representatives with major positional awards in brackets are default first team members, all other designations are determined by votes cast by OHL General Managers

First All-Star Team:
Centre – Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires (OHL’s Most Outstanding Player)
Left Wing – Brennan Othmann, Flint Firebirds – voted 1st all-rookie team in 2019-20
Right Wing – Brandon Coe, North Bay Battalion
Defence – Nathan Staios, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL’s Defenceman of the Year)
Defence – Ryan O’Rourke, Soo Greyhounds – voted 2nd all-rookie team in 2018-19
Goaltender – Brett Brochu, London Knights (OHL’s Goaltender of the Year) – voted 1st all-rookie team in 2019-20
Coach – James Richmond, Mississauga Steelheads (OHL’s Coach of the Year)

Second All-Star Team:
Centre – Mason McTavish, Hamilton Bulldogs – voted 2nd all-rookie team in 2019-20
Left Wing – Will Cuylle, Windsor Spitfires – voted 2nd all-rookie team in 2018-19
Right Wing – Luke Evangelista, London Knights
Defence – Jack Thompson, Soo Greyhounds
Defence – Brandt Clarke, Barrie Colts – voted 1st all-rookie team in 2019-20
Goaltender – Luke Cavallin, Flint Firebirds
Coach – Ted Dent, Flint Firebirds

Third All-Star Team:
Centre – Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs – voted 1st all-rookie team in 2019-20
Left Wing – Tye Kartye, Soo Greyhounds
Right Wing – Lucas Edmonds, Kingston Frontenacs
Defence – Arber Xhekaj, Hamilton Bulldogs
Defence – Pavel Mintyukov, Saginaw Spirit
Goaltender – Marco Costantini, Hamilton Bulldogs
Coach – Jay McKee, Hamilton Bulldogs

First All-Rookie Team:
Centre – Calum Ritchie, Oshawa Generals
Left Wing – Colby Barlow, Owen Sound Attack
Right Wing – Coulson Pitre, Flint Firebirds
Defence – Cam Allen, Guelph Storm (OHL’s Rookie of the Year)
Defence – Michael Buchinger, Guelph Storm
Goaltender – Nolan Lalonde, Erie Otters

Second All-Rookie Team:
Centre – Owen Beck, Mississauga Steelheads
Left Wing – Quentin Musty, Sudbury Wolves
Right Wing – Vinzenz Rohrer, Ottawa 67’s
Defence – Ty Nelson, North Bay Battalion
Defence – Beau Akey, Barrie Colts
Goaltender – Dom DiVincentiis, North Bay Battalion


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.