OHL Writers

TEAM SUBBAN WINS2022 OHL COMBINE CHAMPIONSHIP

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Oshawa, Ont. – The 2022 OHL Development Combine wrapped up on Sunday at the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa, Ont.

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 29 and Saturday, April 30.

The games that featured both 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 portions brought an end to the two-day event that also included on and off-ice skills testing on Saturday. (Top finishers at bottom)

Saturday’s events included on and off-ice testing performed by Okanagan Hockey Group. Off-ice drills consisted of jumps, pro-agility sprints, pull-ups, and the wingate bike test. The on-ice portion included skills testing on both players and goaltenders.

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

Final Team Standings:
Team Subban (White) = 592 Testing + 95 Games = 687 Points
Team Stamkos (Blue) = 497 Testing + 155 Games = 652 Points
Team Lindros (Red) = 493 Testing + 130 Games = 623 Points
Team Ekblad (Orange) = 472 Testing + 0 Games = 472 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 10 vs. Team Ekblad 2

Team Stamkos wins both halves and the game, plus a first half shutout = 95 pts.

Stamkos Goal-Scoring Summary:
Jack Dean (Markham Majors) – 2G
Michael Denney (York-Simcoe Express) – 2G
Sam Dickinson (Toronto Marlboros) – 1G
Sean Doherty (Ajax-Pickering Raiders) – 1G
Josh Glavin (Lambton Jr. Sting) – 1G
Quentin Lisle (Mississauga Senators) – 1G
Michael Misa (Mississauga Senators) – 1G

Ekblad Goal-Scoring Summary:
Liam Greentree (Markham Majors) – 1G
Alex Kostov (Markham Majors) – 1G

GAME #3 – Team Lindros 10 vs. Team Subban 5

Team Lindros wins both halves and the game, plus first half shutout = 95 pts.

Lindros Goal-Scoring Summary:
Ben Cormier (Navan Grads) – 2G
Tyler Graham (Cambridge Hawks) – 2G
Nash Giles (Toronto Nationals) – 1G
Nicholas Holomego (Thunder Bay Kings) – 1G
Lucas Leblanc (Ottawa Jr. Senators) – 1G
Sam O’Reilly (Vaughan Kings) – 1G
Ethan Toms (Quinte Red Devils) – 1G
Daniel Vasic (York-Simcoe Express) – 1G

Subban Goal-Scoring Summary:
Caden Kelly (Mississauga Senators) – 2G
Parker Forlin (Niagara North Stars) – 1G
Isaac Larmand (North Central Predators) – 1G
Kaden Pitre (Vaughan Kings) – 1G

GAME #2 – Team Subban 8, Team Ekblad 1

Team Subban wins both halves and the game, plus second half shutout = 95 pts.

Subban Goal-Scoring Summary:
Caden Kelly (Mississauga Senators) – 3G
Isaac Larmand (North Central Predators) – 2G
Luc Warner (Toronto Marlboros) – 2G
Grayden Strohack (Waterloo Wolves) – 1G

Ekblad Goal-Scoring Summary:
Lirim Amidovski (Barrie Jr. Colts) – 1G

GAME #1 – Team Lindros 9, Team Stamkos 7

Team Lindros wins the first half and the game = 35 pts.
Team Stamkos wins the second half, plus second half shutout = 60 pts.

Lindros Goal-Scoring Summary:
Ben Cormier (Navan Grads) – 4G
Tyler Graham (Cambridge Hawks) – 1G
Brayden Russell (Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs – 1G
Ethan Toms (Quinte Red Devils) – 1G
Lucas Leblanc (Ottawa Jr. Senators) – 1G
Daniel Vasic (York-Simcoe Express) – 1G

Stamkos Goal-Scoring Summary:
Jack Dean (Markham Majors) – 5G
Sean Doherty (Ajax-Pickering Raiders) – 1G
Reed Gee (Quinte Red Devils) – 1G

All four teams were joined behind the bench by special guest coaches that included OHL scouts Mike Battah (Erie Otters), Ryan Berard (Erie Otters), Jay De Gennaro (London Knights), Greg Hammell (Saginaw Spirit), Nathan Hisko (Sarnia Sting), Mark Seidel (Barrie Colts), Ryan Yessie (Sudbury Wolves) and Tom Watson (Flint Firebirds).

Saturday’s OHL Combine Testing Results:

Off-Ice Testing Top Performers:

Top 5 Forwards:
1. Cole Davis (Team Stamkos/York-Simcoe Express)
2. Hunter McKenzie (Team Subban/Halton Hurricanes)
3. Kaden Pitre (Team Subban/Vaughan Kings)
4. Ethan Procyszyn (Team Stamkos/North Central Predators)
5. Sam O’Reilly (Team Lindros/Vaughan Kings)

Top 5 Defencemen:
1. David Bedkowski (Team Subban/South Central Coyotes)
2. Tyson Rismond (Team Stamkos/Sudbury Nickel Capitals)
3. Brayden Turley (Team Lindros/Mississauga Senators)
4. Sam Dickinson (Team Stamkos/Toronto Marlboros)
5. Reed Gee (Team Stamkos/Quinte Red Devils)

Top 5 Goaltenders:
1. Evan Maillet (Team Ekblad/Mississauga Senators)
2. Karsen Chartier (Team Stamkos/North York Rangers)
3. Glen McInnes (Team Lindros/Quinte Red Devils)
4. Noah Tegelaar (Team Lindros/Mississauga Rebels)
5. Michael McIvor (Team Subban/Quinte Red Devils)

On-Ice Testing Top Performers:

Top 5 Forwards:
1. Tyron Fevry (Team Ekblad/Toronto Red Wings)
2. Hunter McKenzie (Team Subban/Halton Hurricanes)
3. Sam O’Reilly (Team Lindros/Vaughan Kings)
4. Sean Doherty (Team Stamkos/Ajax-Pickering Raiders)
5. Carter Lowe (Team Subban/Toronto Marlboros)

Top 5 Defencemen:
1. Sam Dickinson (Team Stamkos/Toronto Marlboros)
2. Brayden Turley (Team Lindros/Mississauga Senators)
3. Hudson Gill (Team Lindros/Burlington Eagles)
4. Ryan Castle (Team Ekblad/Vaughan Kings)
5. Roarke Gilmour (Team Subban/Kemptville 73’s)

Be sure to tune into the 2022 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore this coming Friday, April 29th 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 OHL Action Pak. Day 2 gets underway on Saturday, April 30th, with coverage of Rounds 4-15 beginning at 9:00am. The Priority Selection will be streaming for free in its entirety on CHL TV.

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.

Servac Petrovsky – Owen Sound Attack – Player Profile

Posted on April 24, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
5’11”	174	8-10-04	C	L	33^rd 2021 Import	52^nd NA	SLOVAKIA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	Czechia U17	HC Ocelari	33	26	10	36
2020-21	Czechia U20	HC Ocelari	8	3	3	6
2020-21	Slovakia2	Slovakia U18	26	16	16	32
2021-22	U-18	Slovakia U18	8	3	8	11
2021-22	Hlinka/Gretzky	Slovakia U18	5	1	4	5
2021-22	OHL	Owen Sound Attack	65	28	26	54

Servac Petrovsky of the Owen Sound Attack. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images

Putting up points for Owen Sound Attack center Servac Petrovsky has never been an issue no matter what level of hockey he was playing at. And when the Attack selected the native of Velky Saris Slovakia with the 33^rd pick at the 2021 CHL Import Draft, my immediate reaction was that this could be a steal of a pick.

While I thought he would be a point-per-game player in the OHL, 28 goals and 26 assists in 65 games fell a little short, but is not something to be disappointed in considering he was making an adjustment to the North American game and ice surface. That adjustment came easily for Petrovsky and his production has been as consistent as anyone’s this season. Only twice did he reach a pointless streak of 4 games through the season and beyond that, went pointless in back-to-back games just three times.

Petrovsky was selected for and played in two games for Slovakia in the postponed 2022 World Junior Championships that will now take place in August and we’ll see if he is chosen to represent his country once again.

Petrovsky is a strong two-way player who understands how to play the 200-foot game and has shown that ability both at the OHL level and internationally. He’s good but not great in the faceoff circle at 52% but that will only improve with more experience. He can be trusted to play against the oppositions top players to help shut them down and can be relied upon to kill penalties – he had three short handed goals on the year.

Petrovsky is a good technical skater with very good top speed. He gets in on the forecheck quickly or on top of the opposition to disrupt the break out. He’ll battle along the walls and down low and come away with the puck. He has shown that he has the vision, hockey IQ and patience to make plays coming out of those situations.

Petrovsky also possesses a very good shot that he can beat goaltenders with. But he’s also not shy about driving to the net to pounce on second-chance opportunities and banging home the dirty goals.

It’s difficult to predict what Petrovsky could be at the next level. His defensive game is accomplished enough that he could form a career on just that. He’s not a prototypical driver of a line, something you come to expect from a player down the middle. But if he can continue to improve on that, then he has third line defensive game who can provide offense is not out of the question.

OHL Writers Draft Eligible Player of the Year

Posted on April 23, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images

You’ll have to trust me when I say “this was no easy decision” especially since for this year only, we are including players re-entering the draft for the second time (thanks to the lost COVID Season). But we also expanded it so that instead of picking one player, we are picking one forward, one defenceman and one goaltender. So, here we go!

FORWARD

It took some time for consensus number 1 pick Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs to reach the top of the lists in statistical categories, but he got there. At the turn of the calendar year, Wright was fifth among draft eligible players in points and assists and ninth in goals. But by the time the season had ended, he led in points, assists and fifth in goals.

There was a point in the season where some pundits were wondering out loud if there was anyone who could challenge Wright as the first overall pick and he did nothing but silence that crowd in the second half of the season.

Consideration was also given to our draft eligible player of the month in January and March (separated only by Wright in February): Matthew Maggio of the Windsor Spitfires. Not ranked by NHL Central Scouting on their mid-term rankings, the draft re-entry finished second in goals, assists, points and powerplay goals among draft eligible players. Maggio will certainly draw some interest from NHL scouts with the only thing left to be determined is whether that interest will come in the form of a draft pick or a development camp invite.

DEFENCEMAN

I can’t recall a decision that was as difficult to make as this one. It came down to two defenders: 1) In our opinion the top ranked defenceman out of the OHL and 2) a defenceman that wasn’t even on NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings. They are: Pavel Mintyukov of the Saginaw Spirit and Christian Kyrou of the Erie Otters and we decided that is the order they would finish.

What Mintyukov did on the second last place Saginaw squad was just simply amazing. He led all draft eligible defencemen in points and was second in goals and assists. He finished third among all defencemen in the OHL just 4 points off the leader and led the Spirit in scoring. To put it simply, the offence ran through him. He was named the OHL defenceman of the month for March.

Kyrou finished first among draft eligible defencemen in goals, second in points and third in assists. He was fourth among all OHL defencemen in scoring. Kyrou’s Otters also missed the playoffs (9 points better then Saginaw) and Kyrou finished third on the Otters in scoring. Here’s to hoping Kyrou opened some eyes and he should be one of the biggest risers in draft rankings.

GOALTENDER

In the crease we gave the nod to Patrick Leaver of the Oshawa Generals. Leaver was named our draft eligible goaltender of the month in November, January and February and was our only repeat winner among goaltenders.

Among draft eligible goaltenders, Leaver finished fifth in goals-against-average, second in save-percentage, third in wins, second in minutes played, and second in shutouts. He was named the OHL’s goaltender of the week on three occasions and the runner up twice. You could regularly find Leaver in the OHL’s Save of the Week highlights throughout the season.

Leaver was not listed on NHL Central Scouting’s players to watch list at the start of the season. He did crack Central Scouting’s mid-term list as the 29^th ranked goaltender among North Americans.

Consideration was also given to Michael Simpson of the Peterborough Petes. While his numbers on the season won’t blow your socks off, on many nights Simpson was the Petes best player. It’s hard to imagine where the Petes would have been without him and he saved the best for last as he was named the OHL’s goaltender of the month for April and helping the Petes secure a playoff spot.

Statistically speaking, the nod probably should have gone to Dom DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion. But we felt his 27 games played didn’t match up to Leaver’s 49 games played or Simpson’s 45 games played.

Our monthly choices throughout the season were as follows:

FORWARDS

March – Matthew Maggio – Windsor Spitfires

February – Shane Wright – Kingston Frontenacs

January – Matthew Maggio – Windsor Spitfires

December – Luca DelBelBelluz – Mississauga Steelheads

November – Kyle Jackson – North Bay Battalion

October – Tucker Robertson – Peterborough Petes

DEFENCEMEN

March – Pavel Mintyukov – Saginaw Spirit

February – Michael Buchinger – Guelph Storm

January – Christian Kyrou – Erie Otters

December – Kirill Kudryavtsev – Soo Greyhounds

November – Gavin While – Hamilton Bulldogs

October – Ty Nelson – North Bay Battalion

GOALTENDERS

March – Dom DiVincentiis – North Bay Battalion

February – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

January – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

December – Pavel Cajan – Kitchener Rangers

November – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

October – Brett Brochu – London Knights

OHL ANNOUNCES 2022 DEVELOPMENT COMBINE ROSTERS AND SCHEDULE

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the rosters and schedule for the 2022 OHL Development Combine which takes place April 23-24 at the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa. Ont.

The OHL Combine offers 76 players (36 forwards, 24 defencemen, and 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 29-30.

“The OHL Combine offers prospective players with a unique experience to enhance their own personal development,” said Kyle Pereira, OHL Director of Recruitment and Development. “The skills testing helps identify off and on-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 off and on-ice testing performed by Okanagan Hockey Group in addition to skills training and a specific focus on goaltenders. Over the weekend players will partake in a seminar that focuses on proper Nutrition and Training for elite athletes. 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 off and on-ice testing, as well as Sunday’s game results.

The 2022 event marks the 13th year the OHL has hosted a skills development day for players and goaltenders in advance of the OHL Priority Selection. The OHL Development Combine is open to the general public.

Schedule:

Saturday, April 23 – 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 23 – 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 24 – 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)

2022 OHL Development Combine Rosters:

TEAM STAMKOS (BLUE)

Defencemen
3. Justin Huynh (Mississauga Senators)
4. Sam Dickinson (Toronto Marlboros)
5. Tyson Rismond (Sudbury Nickel Capitals)
6. Reed Gee (Quinte Red Devils)
7. Tyler McGuire (Windsor Jr. Spitfires)
8. Josh Glavin (Lambton Jr. Sting)

Forwards
10. Ethan Procyszyn (North Central Predators)
11. Sean Doherty (Ajax-Pickering Raiders)
12. Michael Misa (Mississauga Senators)
13. Quentin Lisle (Mississauga Senators)
14. Joshua Lepain (Windsor Jr. Spitfires)
15. Masen Wray (North Bay Trappers)
16. Michael Denney (York-Simcoe Express)
17. Jack Dean (Markham Majors)
97. Cole Davis (York-Simcoe Express)

Goaltenders
82. Paolo Frasca (Toronto Jr. Canadiens)
83. Jacob Brown (Kingston Jr. Gaels)
84. Karsen Chartier (North York Rangers)
85. Carter Frost (Toronto Jr. Canadiens)

Coaches
Mike Battah (Erie Otters)
Ryan Berard (Erie Otters)

TEAM LINDROS (RED)

Defencemen
33. Brayden Turley (Mississauga Senators)
34. Kashawn Aitcheson (North York Rangers)
35. Brodie McConnell-Barker (London Jr. Knights)
36. Zachary Major (North Bay Trappers)
37. Nicholas Holomego (Thunder Bay Kings)
38. Hudson Gill (Burlington Eagles)

Forwards
39. Tyler Graham (Cambridge Hawks)
40. Ben Cormier (Navan Grads)
41. Sam O’Reilly (Vaughan Kings)
42. Brayden Russell (Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs)
43. Lucas Leblanc (Ottawa Jr. Senators)
44. Daniel Vasic (York-Simcoe Express)
45. Riley Patterson (Mississauga Senators)
46. Ethan Toms (Quinte Red Devils)
47. Nash Giles (Toronto Nationals)

Goaltenders
70. Jensen Howe (Toronto Titans)
71. Glen McInnes (Quinte Red Devils)
72. Carter George (Thunder Bay Kings)
73. Noah Tegelaar (Mississauga Rebels)

Coaches
Jay De Gennaro (London Knights)
Greg Hammell (Saginaw Spirit)

TEAM EKBLAD (GOLD)

Defencemen
48. Frankie Marrelli (Markham Waxers)
49. Jack Brauti (Shattuck St. Mary’s)
50. Carson Campbell (Quinte Red Devils)
51. Ryan Castle (Vaughan Kings)
52. Ty Henry (Toronto Red Wings)
53. Brady Wassink (Mississauga Senators)

Forwards
54. Liam Greentree (Markham Majors)
55. Jacob Battaglia (Toronto Jr. Canadiens)
56. Tyron Fevry (Toronto Red Wings)
57. Alex Kostov (Markham Majors)
58. Nolan Newton (Sudbury Nickel Capitals)
59. Nathan Aspinall (Markham Waxers)
60. Jacob Therrien (Clarington Toros)
61. Andrew Vermeulen (Niagara North Stars)
62. Lirim Amidovski (Barrie Jr. Colts)

Goaltenders
74. Evan Maillet (Mississauga Senators)
75. Marko Bilic (Toronto Marlboros)
76. Jacob Gibbons (Markham Majors)
77. Jaden Cholette (Nepean Raiders)

Coaches
Mark Seidel (Barrie Colts)
Tom Watson (Flint Firebirds)

TEAM SUBBAN (WHITE)

Defencemen
18. David Bedkowski (Richmond Hill Coyotes)
19. Callum Cheynowski (Southern Tier Admirals)
20. Nathan Schaap (North Central Predators)
21. Grayden Strohack (Waterloo Wolves)
22. Mason Taylor (Don Mills Flyers)
23. Roarke Gilmour (Kemptville 73’s)

Forwards
24. Carter Lowe (Toronto Marlboros)
26. Caden Kelly (Mississauga Senators)
27. Kaden Pitre (Vaughan Kings)
28. Luc Warner (Toronto Marlboros)
29. Hunter McKenzie (Halton Hurricanes)
31. Logan Sawyer (Vaughan Kings)
32. Parker Forlin (Niagara North Stars)
91. Tate Vader (Huron-Perth Lakers)
92. Isaac Larmand (North Central Predators)

Goaltenders
78. Andrew Gaulton (Markham Majors)
79. Michael McIvor (Quinte Red Devils)
80. Easton Rye (Ajax-Pickering Raiders)
81. Trevor Woods (Oakville Rangers)

Coaches
Nathan Hisko (Sarnia Sting)
Ryan Yessie (Sudbury Wolves)

Follow along throughout the weekend for continuing coverage of the 2022 OHL Development Combine at ontariohockeyleague.com.

OHL THIS WEEK:APRIL 21 TO 24, 2022

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

It’s playoff time! Here’s what’s happening across the League as the 2022 OHL Playoffs get underway.

CHL TV playoff packages now on sale:
The OHL Playoffs are getting underway and CHL TV playoff packages are now on sale! Get in on an OHL All Access Pass for $59.99 or keep tabs on the entirety of the CHL Playoffs for $89.99. Visit watch.chl.ca for more information

Saginaw Spirit to Select First Overall in 2022 OHL Priority Selection Presented by Real Canadian Superstore:
The results from the 2022 OHL Priority Selection Draft Lottery are in, and the Saginaw Spirit will be selecting first on April 29-30 when OHL member teams build toward the future in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection Presented by Real Canadian Superstore. Read more

OHL Western Conference Playoff Preview:
A look at first round playoff matchups in the Western Conference. Read more

OHL Eastern Conference Playoff Preview:
A look at first round playoff matchups in the Eastern Conference. Read more

OHL Announces 2021-22 Coaches Poll Winners:
The Ontario Hockey League has announced results of the Eastern and Western Conference Coaches Polls for the 2021-22 OHL Regular Season. Read more

OHL Announces 2021-22 Regular Season Award Winners:
The OHL announced recipients of the League’s regular season awards earlier this week including Windsor’s Wyatt Johnston, Kingston’s Lucas Edmonds, North Bay’s Dom DiVincentiis and Hamilton netminders Marco Costantini and Matteo Drobac. Read more

OHL Top Performers of the Month for April:
Soo Greyhounds teammates Rory Kerins and Jack Thompson, Peterborough Petes netminder Michael Simpson and Kingston Frontenacs rookie Paul Ludwinski have been named the OHL top performers for the month of April. Read more

Bulldogs, Spitfires, Battalion included in Week 25 Edition of Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings:
The Hamilton Bulldogs, Windsor Spitfires and North Bay Battalion are included in the Week 25 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings. Read more

Three OHL players named to CHL Team for the Week for Apr. 11-17:
Robert Calisti of the Soo Greyhounds, Mitchell Smith of the Saginaw Spirit and Max Donoso of the Ottawa 67’s have been named to the CHL Team of the Week. Read more

Greyhounds’ Calisti named OHL Player of the Week:
Robert Calisti of the Soo Greyhounds is the OHL Player of the Week, putting together three straight multi-point performances as the Greyhounds took two of three to close out the season in fourth place in the Western Conference. Read more

67’s’ Donoso named OHL Goaltender of the Week:
Max Donoso of the Ottawa 67’s is the OHL Goaltender of the Week, playing to a 1-0-0-1 record with a 0.48 goals-against average, .984 save percentage and one shutout. Read more

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 more

One first goal and a shutout in OHL Milestone Moments:
Check out a first career goal from Hamilton’s Braeden O’Keefe and a first career shutout from Ottawa’s Max Donoso. Watch

Six OHL Players to Represent Canada at 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship:
Kocha Delic, Nolan Collins and David Goyette of the Sudbury Wolves, Nolan Lalonde and Spencer Sova of the Erie Otters, and Pano Fimis of the Niagara IceDogs have been named to Canada’s roster for the 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship. Read more

Final regular season edition of OHL Plays of the Week:
It’s the final regular season edition of the OHL Plays of the Week! See contributions from Erie’s Brett Bressette, North Bay’s Liam Arnsby, Owen Sound’s Sam Sedley, Flint’s Coulson Pitre, and Niagara’s Pano Fimis. Watch

Rolling back the OHL Saves of the Week:
Scope out season-ending saves from Kitchener’s duo of Jackson Parsons and Pavel Cajan, Erie’s Nolan Lalonde, Sarnia’s pairing of Ben Gaudreau and Anson Thornton, Owen Sound’s Nick Chenard, Soo’s Samuel Ivanov and Tucker Tynan, North Bay’s Joe Vrbetic, and Windsor’s Xavier Medina. Watch

Spirit’s Bloom signs with Sabres:
The Buffalo Sabres have signed Saginaw Spirit forward Josh Bloom to a three-year, entry-level contract. Read more

Vaughan Kings are Inaugural U14 OHL Cup Champions:
The Vaughan Kings are the first-ever champions of the U14 OHL Cup presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario and hosted by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association. Read more

OHL Mourns the Loss of Lance Galbraith:
The Ontario Hockey League is mourning the sudden loss of Ottawa 67’s alumnus and former Memorial Cup champion Lance Galbraith. Read more

OHL Mourns the Loss of Tom McCarthy:
The Ontario Hockey League is saddened by news of the loss of former Oshawa Generals forward and Minnesota North Stars standout Tom McCarthy. Read more

COMMUNITY CORNER

Hounds hold Ryan Vendramin Appreciation Night on Thursday: The Soo Greyhounds will honour Officer Ryan Vendramin on Thursday prior to puck drop in Game 1 of their first round series against the Guelph Storm. A former Sarnia Sting forward, Vendramin was injured in the line of duty in September 2021.

D’Amico awarded Jason Bennett Award for community service: The Windsor Spitfires awarded Daniel D’Amico the Jason Bennett Award for community service. Throughout his last five years, D’Amico has done a tremendous amount of work in the community including hospital visits and special events. For a full look at the Spitfires’ end of season awards, visit windsorspitfires.com.

Spitfires’ Steve Horne awarded Paul Maurice award for determination and dedication to the organization: The Spits awarded Windsor’s Director of Business Operations, Steve Horne, with the Paul Maurice award for determination and dedication to the organization. Steve has been with the Spitfires for over 30 years. For a full look at the Spitfires’ end of season awards, visit windsorspitfires.com.

Owen Sound raises funds for Ukrainian Refugees: The Owen Sound Attack saluted local nurses Tally Grandjean & Shari Chambers and local ER Physician Dr. Kysenia Troyan on Saturday night as they head over to Poland to provide medical care to Ukrainian Refugees. Attack fans raised $5200 for the cause.

ALUMNI NOTES

Okhotyuk recalled to Devils: the New Jersey Devils have recalled Nikita Okhotyuk from Utica of the American Hockey League. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Russian native has three goals, 12 points and 68 penalty minutes in 63 games for Utica. Okhutiuk played three season for the Ottawa 67’s. Read more

Rossi makes Iowa Wild history: With his goal on Tuesday night, Marco Rossi now holds the single season record for most points by a rookie in Iowa Wild history. Rossi played two season for the Ottawa 67’s and was the OHL’s Red Tilson Trophy recipient as the League’s Most Outstanding Player in 2019-20.

Regula scores first NHL goal: London Knights’ alumnus Alec Regula scored his first National Hockey League goal on Monday night for the Chicago Blackhawks. Regula played three seasons for London, racking up 60 points in his final campaign in 2019-20.

Duchene becomes first 40 goal-scorer in Predators franchise history: Scoring his 40th goal of the season on Tuesday, Brampton Battalion alumnus matt Duchene became the first player in Nashville Predators franchise history to reach the milestone. Duchene is in his 13th NHL season, enjoying his most productive campaign to date.

Smith named NHL’s third star of the week: Mike Smith stopped all 69 shots across two starts and became the sixth goaltender in NHL history to record consecutive shutouts at age 40 or older last week. The Edmonton Oilers netminder played three season in the OHL between the Kingston Frontenacs and the Sudbury Wolves from 1999-2002.

Bennett earns ECHL Rookie of the Year: Kris Bennett of the Iowa Heartlanders has been named ECHL Rookie of the Year and the recipient of the John A. Daley Memorial Trophy. Bennett put up 35 goals, 38 assists and 73 points for Iowa this past season after playing three seasons at the University of New Brunswick. He played parts of five seasons for the Saginaw Spirit from 2012-17.

UPCOMING PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Thursday April 21:
Peterborough at Hamilton (Game 1) – 7:00pm
Ottawa at North Bay (Game 1) – 7:00pm
Kitchener at London (Game 1) – 7:00pm
Sarnia at Windsor (Game 1) – 7:05pm
Guelph at Sault Ste. Marie (Game 1) – 7:07pm

Friday April 22:
Oshawa at Kingston (Game 1) – 7:00pm
Barrie at Mississauga (Game 1) – 7:00pm
Kitchener at London (Game 2) – 7:00pm
Owen Sound at Flint (Game 1) – 7:00pm

Saturday April 23:
Ottawa at North Bay (Game 2) – 7:00pm
Owen Sound at Flint (Game 2) – 7:00pm
Sarnia at Windsor (Game 2) – 7:05pm
Guelph at Sault Ste. Marie (Game 2) – 7:07pm

Sunday April 24:
Barrie at Mississauga (Game 2) – 2:00pm
London at Kitchener (Game 3) – 2:00pm
Oshawa at Kingston (Game 2) – 4:00pm

OHL ANNOUNCES2021-22 COACHES POLL WINNERS

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the results of the Eastern and Western Conference Coaches Polls for the 2021-22 OHL Regular Season.

The OHL Coaches Poll provides member club coaches with the opportunity to recognize the top three players in 20 different skill categories within their own conference.

In the Eastern Conference, the Regular Season champion Hamilton Bulldogs led the entire League with nine players included in the top three of their respective categories, including a total of seven different first place finishes. The Dogs were led by Anaheim Ducks prospect Mason McTavish who placed first in three different categories (Most Dangerous in the Goal Area, Best Shot and Hardest Shot). Teammates Logan Morrison (Best Playmaker), Arber Xhekaj (Best Body Checker), Colton Kammerer (Best Shot Blocker) and Ryan Humphrey (Most Underrated) also earned first place finishes. The Mississauga Steelheads featured six different players in the final results, with four first place finishes in captain Ethan Del Mastro (Best Penalty Killer, Best Defensive Defenceman), Owen Beck (Best on Faceoffs) and Luca Del Bel Belluz (Most Improved). The Central Division champion North Bay Battalion also had six players listed, with captain Liam Arnsby (Hardest Worker) earning a first place finish while appearing in four different categories. Kingston Frontenacs forwards Shane Wright (Tied – Smartest Player) and Jordan Frasca (Best Defensive Forward) both made first place appearances while being included in other categories as well. Other Eastern Conference notables include San Jose Sharks prospect Danil Gushchin of the Niagara IceDogs who earned a pair of first place finishes (Best Stickhandler, Best Shootout Shooter) and was listed in four different categories. On the back end, Los Angeles Kings prospect Brandt Clarke of the Barrie Colts finished first in two categories (Tied – Smartest Player, Best Offensive Defenceman) and placed third in another (Best Stickhandler).

In the Western Conference, the West Division champion Windsor Spitfires led the way with six players listed, with Dallas Stars prospect and OHL scoring leader Wyatt Johnston pulling in the League’s best individual performance. Johnston was listed in six different categories, placing first in four (Smartest Player, Best Playmaker, Best Skater, Best Stickhandler) while teammate Louka Henault (Best Offensive Defenceman) gave the Spits another first place outcome. New York Rangers prospect and 50-goal scorer Brennan Othmann of the Flint Firebirds received three different first place nods of approval (Most Dangerous in Goal Area, Best Shot, Hardest Shot). The Kitchener Rangers followed Windsor with five players in the final results while the Guelph Storm, London Knights and Sarnia Sting had four each. Knights captain and OHL goal-scoring leader Luke Evangelista is found in four different categories, coming out as the Western Conference’s Best Shootout Shooter while teammate Brett Brochu was the lone goaltender to place first in two different categories (Best Puck-Handling Goaltender, Best Shootout Goaltender). Sarnia’s Nolan Burke was voted the Conference’s Most Improved Player. Other Western Conference notables include Owen Sound Attack captain Mark Woolley who logged two first place finishes (Best Body Checker, Best Shot Blocker) while Soo Greyhounds teammates Rory Kerins (Best on Face-offs), Tye Kartye (Hardest Worker) and Ryan O’Rourke (Best Defensive Defenceman) both came out on top of one of multiple categories they were listed in. Erie Otters defenceman Christian Kyrou also had a strong showing, being voted the Conference’s Most Underrated Player while landing in two other categories as well.

The Coaches Poll is tabulated when each team submits one nominee per category, and coaches then vote for the top three players for each category within their conference. Players receive five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote, and one point for a third place vote. Clubs are not permitted to vote for players from their own team allowing for a maximum of 45 possible points for each winner.

All 20 categories are listed below with Eastern Conference and Western Conference winners including their final point totals in brackets.

Most Underrated Player:

Eastern Conference:
1. Ryan Humphrey, Hamilton Bulldogs (27)
2. Mitchell Russell, North Bay Battalion (20)
3. Kasper Larsen, Mississauga Steelheads (11)

Western Conference:
1. Christian Kyrou, Erie Otters (29)
2. Zacharie Giroux, Flint Firebirds (16)
3. Luka Profaca, Guelph Storm (15)

Most Improved Player:

Eastern Conference:
1. Luca Del Bel Belluz, Mississauga Steelheads (43)
2. Kyle Jackson, North Bay Battalion (22)
3. Nick DeGrazia, Sudbury Wolves (8)

Western Conference:
1. Nolan Burke, Sarnia Sting (31)
2. Matthew Maggio, Windsor Spitfires (29)
3. Christian Kyrou, Erie Otters (7)

Smartest Player:

Eastern Conference:
T-1. Brandt Clarke, Barrie Colts (24)
T-1. Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs (24) – finished second in 2019-20
2. Logan Morrison, Hamilton Bulldogs (18)
3. Tucker Robertson, Peterborough Petes (11)

Western Conference:
1. Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires (31)
2. Luke Evangelista, London Knights (27)
3. Rory Kerins, Soo Greyhounds (26)

Hardest Worker:

Eastern Conference:
1. Liam Arnsby, North Bay Battalion (23)
2. Jordan Frasca, Kingston Frontenacs (20)
3. Declan McDonnell, Barrie Colts (16)

Western Conference:
1. Tye Kartye, Soo Greyhounds (21)
2. Mike Petizian, Kitchener Rangers (15)
T-3. Camaryn Baber, London Knights (13)
T-3. Stepan Machacek, Owen Sound Attack (13)
T-3. Matthew Maggio, Windsor Spitfires (13)

Best Playmaker:

Eastern Conference:
1. Logan Morrison, Hamilton Bulldogs (29)
2. Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs (21)
3. Brandon Coe, North Bay Battalion (18)

Western Conference:
1. Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires (37)
2. Rory Kerins, Soo Greyhounds (20)
3. Luke Evangelista, London Knights (16)

Most Dangerous In Goal Area:

Eastern Conference:
1. Mason McTavish, Hamilton Bulldogs (26)
2. Danil Gushchin, Niagara IceDogs (22)
3. James Hardie, Mississauga Steelheads (20)

Western Conference:
1. Brennan Othmann, Flint Firebirds (29)
2. Luke Evangelista, London Knights (25)
3. Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires (22)

Best Skater:

Eastern Conference:
1. J.R. Avon, Peterborough Petes (21)
2. Nathan Staios, Hamilton Bulldogs (20)
3. Brandon Coe, North Bay Battalion (19)

Western Conference:
1. Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires (18)
2. Antonio Stranges, London Knights (17)
3. Robert Calisti, Soo Greyhounds (12)

Best Shot:

Eastern Conference:
1. Mason McTavish, Hamilton Bulldogs (37)
2. James Hardie, Mississauga Steelheads (15)
T-3. Danil Gushchin, Niagara IceDogs (11)
T-3. Ty Tullio, Oshawa Generals (11)

Western Conference:
1. Brennan Othmann, Flint Firebirds (38)
2. Will Cuylle, Windsor Spitfires (23)
3. Colby Barlow, Owen Sound Attack (11)

Hardest Shot:

Eastern Conference:
1. Mason McTavish, Hamilton Bulldogs (35)
2. Kasper Larsen, Mississauga Steelheads (14)
3. Martin Chromiak, Kingston Frontenacs (12)

Western Conference:
1. Brennan Othmann, Flint Firebirds (31)
2. Will Cuylle, Windsor Spitfires (30)
3. Colby Barlow, Owen Sound Attack (10)

Best Stickhandler:

Eastern Conference:
1. Danil Gushchin, Niagara IceDogs (26)
2. Lucas Edmonds, Kingston Frontenacs (23)
3. Brandt Clarke, Barrie Colts (15)

Western Conference:
1. Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires (36)
2. Ty Voit, Sarnia Sting (19)
3. Antonio Stranges, London Knights (15)

Best on Face-Offs:

Eastern Conference:
1. Owen Beck, Mississauga Steelheads (28)
2. Jan Mysak, Hamilton Bulldogs (17)
3. Jordan Frasca, Kingston Frontenacs (15)

Western Conference:
1. Rory Kerins, Soo Greyhounds (29)
2. Danny Zhilkin, Guelph Storm (15)
3. Francesco Pinelli, Kitchener Rangers (9)

Best Body Checker:

Eastern Conference:
1. Arber Xhekaj, Hamilton Bulldogs (21)
2. Artem Guryev, Peterborough Petes (17)
3. Liam Arnsby, North Bay Battalion (14)

Western Conference:
1. Mark Woolley, Owen Sound Attack (33) – finished third in 2019-20
T-2. Navrin Mutter, Kitchener Rangers (19) – finished first in 2019-20 and second in 2018-19
T-2. Luka Profaca, Guelph Storm (19)
3. Cameron Morton, Erie Otters (7)

Best Shot Blocker:

Eastern Conference:
1. Colton Kammerer, Hamilton Bulldogs (34)
2. Evan Brand, Mississauga Steelheads (17)
3. Jack Matier, Ottawa 67’s (11)

Western Conference:
1. Mark Woolley, Owen Sound Attack (26)
2. Ashton Reesor, Guelph Storm (17)
3. Ryan O’Rourke, Soo Greyhounds (12)

Best Defensive Forward:

Eastern Conference:
1. Jordan Frasca, Kingston Frontenacs (30)
2. Liam Arnsby, North Bay Battalion (21)
3. Ryan Gagnier, Oshawa Generals (12)

Western Conference:
1. Camaryn Baber, London Knights (24)
2. Cooper Walker, Guelph Storm (19)
3. Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires (13)

Best Penalty Killer:

Eastern Conference:
1. Ethan Del Mastro, Mississauga Steelheads (41)
2. Liam Arnsby, North Bay Battalion (19)
3. Avery Hayes, Hamilton Bulldogs (14)

Western Conference:
1. Josh Bloom, Saginaw Spirit (25)
2. Ryan O’Rourke, Soo Greyhounds (17)
3. Reid Valade, Kitchener Rangers (16)
3. Cooper Walker, Guelph Storm (16)

Best Offensive Defenceman:

Eastern Conference:
1. Brandt Clarke, Barrie Colts (39)
2. Nathan Staios, Hamilton Bulldogs (32)
3. Ty Nelson, North Bay Battalion (8)

Western Conference:
1. Louka Henault, Windsor Spitfires (21)
2. Christian Kyrou, Erie Otters (19)
3. Jack Thompson, Soo Greyhounds (18)

Best Defensive Defenceman:

Eastern Conference:
1. Ethan Del Mastro, Mississauga Steelheads (35)
2. Arber Xhekaj, Hamilton Bulldogs (33)
3. Artur Cholach, Barrie Colts (6)

Western Conference:
1. Ryan O’Rourke, Soo Greyhounds (27)
2. Luke Profaca, Guelph Storm (19)
3. Andrew Perrott, Windsor Spitfires (12)

Best Puck-Handling Goaltender:

Eastern Conference:
1. Josh Rosenzweig, Niagara IceDogs (25)
2. Marco Costantini, Hamilton Bulldogs (13)
T-3. Will Cranley, Ottawa 67’s (11)
T-3. Mack Guzda, Barrie Colts (11)
T-3. Mitchell Weeks, Sudbury Wolves (11)

Western Conference:
1. Brett Brochu, London Knights (36)
2. Luke Cavallin, Flint Firebirds (30)
3. Anson Thornton, Sarnia Sting (9)

Best Shootout Shooter:

Eastern Conference:
1. Danil Gushchin, Niagara IceDogs (24)
2. Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs (19)
3. Ryan Stepien, Oshawa Generals (14)

Western Conference:
1. Luke Evangelista, London Knights (29)
2. Rory Kerins, Soo Greyhounds (14)
3. Daniel D’Amico (Windsor Spitfires (13)

Best Shootout Goaltender:

Eastern Conference:
1. Leevi Merilainen, Kingston Frontenacs (22)
2. Mack Guzda, Barrie Colts (16)
3. Joe Vrbetic, North Bay Battalion (13)

Western Conference:
1. Brett Brochu, London Knights (34)
2. Luke Cavallin, Flint Firebirds (14)
2. Ben Gaudreau, Sarnia Sting (14)
3. Pavel Cajan, Kitchener Rangers (9)

OHL Playoff Preview and Predictions

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Windsor vs (8) Sarnia

	Windsor	Sarnia
Season series	6-4-0-0	4-5-1-0
Last 10 games	8-1-1-0	2-8-0-0
Powerplay	26.1%	19.5%
PP vs opponent	50.0%	8.3%
Penalty Kill	82.6%	72.9%
PK vs Opponent	91.7%	50.0%
Goals for	305	234
Goals against	248	279
Team PIM / Game	10.3	11.3

Prediction: Windsor in 5 games

(2) London vs (7) Kitchener

	London	Kitchener
Season series	6-2-2-0	4-6-0-0
Last 10 games	3-4-2-1	3-4-3-0
Powerplay	24.0%	18.3%
PP vs opponent	32.0%	22.2%
Penalty Kill	80.9%	80.4%
PK vs Opponent	77.8%	68.0%
Goals for	264	236
Goals against	232	271
Team PIM / Game	11.9	11.0

Prediction: London in 6 games

(3) Flint vs (6) Owen Sound

	Flint	Owen Sound
Season series	1-3-0-0	3-1-0-0
Last 10 games	7-3-0-0	6-3-1-0
Powerplay	19.7%	18.0%
PP vs opponent	29.4%	14.3%
Penalty Kill	84.3%	75.7%
PK vs Opponent	85.7%	70.6%
Goals for	286	235
Goals against	238	245
Team PIM / Game	10.4	10.5

Prediction: Flint in 7 games

(4) Sault Ste Marie vs (5) Guelph

	Sault St Marie	Guelph
Season series	4-2-0-0	2-4-0-0
Last 10 games	6-4-0-0	7-2-0-1
Powerplay	28.4%	22.8%
PP vs opponent	25.9%	17.4%
Penalty Kill	78.7%	81.1%
PK vs Opponent	82.6%	74.1%
Goals for	295	251
Goals against	246	228
Team PIM / Game	11.5	9.6

Prediction: Sault Ste Marie in 7 games

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Hamilton vs (8) Peterborough

	Hamilton	Peterborough
Season series	6-2-0-0	2-6-0-0
Last 10 games	10-0-0-0	5-4-0-1
Powerplay	27.6%	22.9%
PP vs opponent	32.1%	32.0%
Penalty Kill	80.9%	74.3%
PK vs Opponent	68.0%	67.9%
Goals for	300	240
Goals against	176	281
Team PIM / Game	11.3	11.3

Prediction: Hamilton in 4 games

(2) North Bay vs (7) Ottawa

	North Bay	Ottawa
Season series	3-2-1-0	3-2-0-1
Last 10 games	8-1-0-1	5-4-0-1
Powerplay	25.9%	17.6%
PP vs opponent	14.3%	0%
Penalty Kill	80.6%	76.0%
PK vs Opponent	100%	85.7%
Goals for	267	199
Goals against	198	250
Team PIM / Game	9.1	11.2

Prediction: North Bay in 5 games

(3) Kingston vs (6) Oshawa

	Kingston	Oshawa
Season series	7-2-2-1	5-7-0-0
Last 10 games	5-3-1-1	4-4-1-1
Powerplay	25.3%	22.6%
PP vs opponent	22.5%	12.2%
Penalty Kill	79.8%	75.9%
PK vs Opponent	87.8%	77.5%
Goals for	285	215
Goals against	242	240
Team PIM / Game	11.1	10.2

Prediction: Kingston in 6 games

(4) Mississauga vs (5) Barrie

	Mississauga	Barrie
Season series	4-3-2-0	4-4-0-0
Last 10 games	4-4-1-1	3-6-1-0
Powerplay	20.9%	23.3%
PP vs opponent	11.1%	18.2%
Penalty Kill	81.3%	77.0%
PK vs Opponent	81.8%	88.9%
Goals for	229	245
Goals against	189	236
Team PIM / Game	11.5	9.1

Prediction: Mississauga in 7 games

SAGINAW SPIRIT TO SELECT FIRST OVERALL IN 2022 OHL PRIORITY SELECTION PRESENTED BY REAL CANADIAN SUPERSTORE

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The results from the 2022 OHL Priority Selection Draft Lottery are in, and the Saginaw Spirit will be selecting first on April 29-30 when OHL member teams build toward the future in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection Presented by Real Canadian Superstore.

Each of the four non-playoff teams participating in the Priority Selection Lottery, the Erie Otters, Niagara IceDogs, Saginaw Spirit and Sudbury Wolves, had an equal 25 percent change of drawing the first overall pick. The final results were determined by a computerized random number generator, with the process overseen and certified by Mr. Robert Bayne, partner with the law firm Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP.

The coveted top spot came down to a reveal between the Spirit and the Erie Otters, who will be selecting second overall for the first time since 2013.

The Spirit will be adding their first Jack Ferguson Award recipient since they made Patrick McNeill their first-ever selection back in 2003.

The OHL Priority Selection will once again be held over the course of two days, with Rounds 1-3 taking place beginning at 7:00pm on Friday, April 29. The proceedings continue on Saturday, April 30 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 on YourTV, Rogers tv, Eastlink, Cable 14 and Shaw Spotlight community stations, as well as on the OHL Action Pak.

2022 OHL Priority Selection First Round Order of Selection:

Saginaw Spirit
Erie Otters
Sudbury Wolves
Niagara IceDogs
Sarnia Sting
Peterborough Petes
Ottawa 67’s
Oshawa Generals
Kitchener Rangers
Barrie Colts
Owen Sound Attack
Guelph Storm
Mississauga Steelheads
Oshawa Generals*
London Knights
Soo Greyhounds
Kingston Frontenacs
Flint Firebirds
Saginaw Spirit*
North Bay Battalion
Ottawa 67’s*
Windsor Spitfires
Hamilton Bulldogs

* – compensatory pick

The 2022 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore will see the top players born in 2006 within OHL jurisdiction eligible to be selected on April 29-30, in addition to 2007-born forward Michael Misa of the OHL Cup champion Mississauga Senators, who has been granted exceptional player status by Hockey Canada.

In addition to live streaming on CHL TV, the Priority Selection will also be covered extensively on the OHL’s Twitter, Instagram, Facebook accounts, as well as on the web at ontariohockeyleague.com.

BULLDOGS, SPITFIRES AND BATTALION INCLUDED IN WEEK 25 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 25 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

All eyes are on the Hamilton Bulldogs. Tabbed as a favourite to hoist the Memorial Cup, the OHL regular season champions enter the postseason following a dominant 2021-22 showing in which the squad set a franchise record of 107 points. Bulldogs’ forward Logan Morrison became the League’s sixth 100-point scorer, overage blueliner Nathan Staios led OHL defencemen in scoring with 66 points (15-51–66), and Marco Costantini set new Bulldogs records with a league-best 2.32 goals-against average and .917 save percentage along with six shutouts. Closing out the campaign on an incredible 15-game span in which the Bulldogs collected 29 of 30 points, the club enters the postseason on a high note in its opening-round set to begin Thursday versus Peterborough.

Coming in at No. 6, the Windsor Spitfires will look to return to their winning ways in the postseason where, following a recent 13-game win streak, the club collected a lone point in its final two outings to close out the 2021-22 regular season. Backed by Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy recipient Wyatt Johnston who headlined the OHL with 124 points in 68 games, the Spitfires are an offensive juggernaut who will put their scoring prowess to the test versus their first round opponent in the Sarnia Sting.

Rounding out recognition from the OHL, the North Bay Battalion picked up five of six points in the final week of the regular season, making it nine-straight games in which the club has gone undefeated in regulation. Finishing tops in the OHL’s Central Division and third league-wide with a 43-18-3-4 showing and 93 points, the Battalion bring a well-rounded offensive attack led by San Jose Sharks up-and-comer Brandon Coe who surpassed the 100-point milestone, becoming the third player in franchise history to do so. On the heels of their best season since relocating to North Bay in 2013-14, the Troops should prove to be a handful for their opening round opponent in Ottawa.

For further analysis on the Week 25 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.

OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders

Posted on April 20, 2022April 20, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by OHL Images.

There were a few times during the 2021-2022 Ontario Hockey League season that had one wondering whether they would complete the season with the COVID-19 pandemic postponing games and keeping fans from the arena. There were some even calling on the league to cancel the season.

But credit to the league, the players, families, billet families and fans: They got through all 68 games but it wasn’t always easy. As the playoffs are set to begin Thursday, here at OHL Writers we’ll take a look at the statistical leaders in different categories of players eligible for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

In Previous seasons, we only looked at first time draft eligible players. As has been the case all season, because of the sheer number of players re-entering the draft, largely due to the lost season a year ago, we decided to add first- and second-year eligible players and that includes 2003 and 2004 birth dates. There are a few 2002 birthdates that would be on these lists, but we had to draw the line somewhere. It’s a rare occasion where a player is selected in his third draft and we should see Lucas Edmonds of the Kingston Frontenacs being one of those few, but he didn’t make this list. His 113 points are certainly worth mentioning.

Consensus number one pick Shane Wright of the Frontenacs took a while to appear on the top-10 scorers here but when the season came to an end, he found himself in his rightful place at the top of the board with 94 points in 63 games. Wright also easily led all skaters with 62 helpers. It may come as a surprise to many that draft re-entry Matthew Maggio of the Windsor Spitfires finished second to Wright in points and assists. Maggio also finished third in goals behind two other draft re-entries in Tucker Robertson of the Peterborough Petes and Avery Hayes of the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Perhaps the most surprising stat comes in the shooting percentage category. Five of the top six players in the OHL are all draft eligible, led by Kyle Jackson of the North Bay Battalion. Jackson may just be the most prolific scorer on the list with 30 goals with injuries limiting him to just 45 games on the season.

On the blue line, Ty Nelson of the North Bay Battalion led for most of the regular season. But by the time the season had ended, Pavel Mintyukov of the Saginaw Spirit took his rightful place (in my opinion) at the top of the leader board. However, the surprise came in the name of Christian Kyrou of the Erie Otters who finished with the most goals among defencemen and second in points to Mintyukov. Kyrou should get some love when final rankings are released as he was never on NHL Central Scouting’s players to watch list or their mid-term rankings.

Here are the leaders in a variety of different categories. We take great care in compiling stats, but as always, refer to the OHL Website for official stats.

Points Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	63	32	62	94
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	66	38	47	85
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	68	41	40	81
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	41	38	79
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	68	30	46	76
David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	66	33	40	73
Deni Goure	Owen Sound Attack	68	24	39	63
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	45	30	32	62
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	68	25	37	62
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	67	17	45	62
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	GPG
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	68	41	0.60
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	41	0.62
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	66	38	0.58
David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	66	33	0.50
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	63	32	0.51
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	68	30	0.44
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	45	30	0.67
Cedrick Guindon	Owen Sound Attack	68	30	0.44
Ethan Burroughs	Owen Sound Attack	68	30	0.44
Nolan Dann	Sarnia Sting	64	29	0.45
Assist Leaders
Player	Team	GP	A	APG
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	63	62	0.98
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	66	47	0.71
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	46	0.70
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	68	46	0.68
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	67	45	0.67
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	66	42	0.64
Christian Kyrou	Erie Otters	68	42	0.62
Amadeus Lombardi	Flint Firebirds	67	41	0.61
David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	66	40	0.61
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	68	40	0.59
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	67	17	45	62
Christian Kyrou	Erie Otters	68	18	42	60
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	10	46	56
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	66	9	42	51
Michael Buchinger	Guelph Storm	63	5	39	44
Kasper Larsen	Mississauga Steelheads	57	8	35	43
Sam Sedley	Owen Sound Attack	64	4	38	42
Kirill Kudryavtsev	Soo Greyhounds	68	5	34	39
Samuel Mayer	Peterborough Petes	68	11	26	37
Rodwin Dionicio	Niagara IceDogs	57	6	25	31
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player	Team	GP	+/-
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	+35
Jorian Donovan	Hamilton Bulldogs	64	+29
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	66	+24
Isaiah George	London Knights	67	+23
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	63	+23
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	68	+23
Lawson Sherk	Hamilton Bulldogs	63	+18
Paul Christopoulos	North Bay Battalion	63	+18
Tnias Mathurin	North Bay Battalion	44	+17
Michael Buchinger	Guelph Storm	65	+15
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player	Team	GP	PIM	M/G
Landon McCallum	Sudbury Wolves	62	97	1.56
Ethan Larmand	Sudbury Wolves	63	82	1.30
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	68	82	1.21
Marc Boudreau	Sudbury Wolves	71	81	1.14
Roberto Mancini	Saginaw Spirit	64	79	1.23
Faceoff Leaders
Player	Team	GP	FOA	FOW	%
Owen Beck	Mississauga Steelheads	68	1348	817	60.6
Stuart Rolofs	Oshawa Generals	62	395	225	57.0
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	68	1538	873	56.8
Danny Zhilkin	Guelph Storm	66	1092	616	56.4
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	64	717	396	55.2
Max Namestnikov	Sarnia Sting	68	473	261	55.2
Jacob Maillet	Windsor Spitfires	69	869	472	54.3
Amadeus Lombardi	Flint Firebirds	67	866	464	53.6
Jax Dubois	Peterborough Petes	59	877	464	52.9
Vsevolod Gaidamak	Ottawa 67’s	60	830	437	52.7
Minumum 390 faceoffs
Shooting Percentage Leaders
Player	Team	GP	Shots	Goals	SH%
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	45	111	30	27.03
Dean Loukos	Saginaw Spirit	64	86	22	25.58
Thomas Johnston	Ottawa 67’s	47	61	15	24.59
Braeden Bowman	Guelph Storm	60	113	27	23.89
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	65	144	34	23.61
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	68	187	41	21.93
Beau Jelsma	Barrie Colts	68	132	27	20.45
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	202	41	20.30
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	68	134	25	18.66
David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	66	178	33	18.54
Powerplay Goals
Player	Team	GP	PPG
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	66	12
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga Steelheads	68	12
Matthew Maggio	Windsor Spitfires	66	10
Deni Goure	Owen Sound Attack	68	10
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	45	10
Powerplay Assists
Player	Team	GP	PPA
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	63	20
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	66	20
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	68	19
Michael Buchinger	Guelph Storm	63	17
Deni Goure	Owen Sound Attack	68	17
Christian Kyrou	Erie Otters	68	17
Longest Point Streak
Player	Team	Gms	G	A	PTS
David Goyette	Sudbury Wolves	13	9	12	21
Longest Goal Streak
Player	Team	GMS	G
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	5	7
Longest Assist Streak
Player	Team	GMS	A
Ryan Abraham	Windsor Spitfires	8	8
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player	Team	GP	Min	GA	Avg
Dom DiVincentiis	North Bay Battalion	27	1481	64	2.59
Brett Brochu	London Knights	43	2510	115	2.75
Max Donoso	Ottawa 67’s	27	1491	70	2.82
Jacob Oster	Guelph Storm	34	1845	90	2.93
Patrick Leaver	Oshawa Generals	49	2812	150	3.20
Charlie Schenkel	Soo Greyhounds	7	274	16	3.50
Samuel Ivanov	Soo Greyhounds	35	1847	108	3.51
Michael Simpson	Peterborough Petes	45	2492	148	3.56
Pavel Cajan	Kitchener Rangers	44	2578	155	3.61
Nolan Lalande	Erie Otters	54	3066	185	3.62
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player	Team	GP	SH	SVS	SV%
Brett Brochu	London Knights	43	1288	1173	0.911
Patrick Leaver	Oshawa Generals	49	1623	1473	0.908
Dom DiVincentiis	North Bay Battalion	27	686	622	0.907
Max Donoso	Ottawa 67’s	27	743	673	0.906
Pavel Cajan	Kitchener Rangers	44	1561	1406	0.901
Jacob Oster	Guelph Storm	34	831	741	0.892
Michael Simpson	Peterborough Petes	45	1356	1208	0.891
Ian Michelone	Flint Firebirds	10	327	289	0.884
Josh Rosenzweig	Niagara IceDogs	40	1444	1274	0.882

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