OHL Writers

OHL ANNOUNCES TOP PERFORMERS OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for regular season games played in April 2022, including Soo Greyhounds teammates Rory Kerins and Jack Thompson, Peterborough Petes netminder Michael Simpson and Kingston Frontenacs rookie Paul Ludwinski.

OHL Player of the Month – Rory Kerins (Soo Greyhounds):
Calgary Flames prospect Rory Kerins of the Soo Greyhounds is the OHL Player of the Month for April, leading the League with 16 points including four goals and 12 assists over six games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-9. Kerins helped the Hounds finish out the regular season in fourth place in the Western Conference, registering multi-point outputs in five of his six April outings. He started the month with a goal and three assists as the Greyhounds defeated the Saginaw Spirit 9-3 on April 1st. He’d tack on four helpers in an 8-4 win over the Sudbury Wolves on April 8th. Kerins wrapped up the season by crossing the 200 career point threshold on April 15th in Flint, scoring while adding two assists as the Greyhounds defeated the Firebirds 6-3. Kerins is the first Greyhounds player to earn OHL Player of the Month honours since Morgan Frost in February 2019.

A 20-year-old from Caledon, Ont., Kerins finishes the season second in OHL scoring with 118 points including 43 goals and 75 assists over 67 games. Kerins’ 118 points are the most by a Hounds player since Joe Thornton (122) in 1996-97. He is among the League’s top faceoff performers, winning 56.8 percent of his draws throughout the season. He’s amassed 200 points (82-118–200) over 188 career regular season games with the Greyhounds. Kerins was a sixth round (174th overall) pick by the Calgary Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft and made his pro debut with the organization last season, appearing in four games with the AHL’s Stockton Heat. He signed a three-year entry level contract with the Flames on March 1st. The Greyhounds selected him with their fourth round (71st overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection from the Mississauga Rebels U16 program.

OHL Defenceman of the Month – Jack Thompson (Soo Greyhounds)
For the second time this season, Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Jack Thompson of the Soo Greyhounds is the OHL Defenceman of the Month. Thompson, who first earned the honour as a member of the Sudbury Wolves in October, led OHL defenders with 12 points including five goals and seven assists over seven April contests, pairing that with a plus/minus rating of plus-9. Thompson recorded a point in six of his seven matchups, starting with a goal and three assists in a 9-3 win over the Saginaw Spirit on April 1st. Thompson found the back of the net twice on April 9th, helping the Hounds beat the Sudbury Wolves 5-1. Thompson is the first Greyhounds blueliner to be named OHL Defenceman of the Month since Mac Hollowell in October 2018.

A 20-year-old native of Courtice, Ont., Thompson finished the season tied for the League lead in goals by a defenceman, equalling teammate Robert Calisti’s mark of 21. He and Calisti finished tied for sixth in scoring among OHL defencemen, putting up 57 points (21-36–57), 34 of which came as a member of the Greyhounds. In three OHL seasons, the 6-foot-1 rearguard has collected 40 goals, 65 assists and 105 points in 180 games. Thompson made his pro debut with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch last season, recording an assist in his lone contest. He has signed an entry-level NHL contract with the Lightning, who selected him in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft. The right-shot rearguard was originally Sudbury’s second round (30th overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection from the Clarington Toros U16 program.

OHL Goaltender of the Month – Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Michael Simpson of the Peterborough Petes is the OHL Goaltender of the Month, helping his team qualify for the OHL Playoffs as he played to a 4-0-0-1 record with a 2.16 goals-against average, .928 save percentage and one shutout. Simpson won his final four starts of the season, turning aside all 37 shots for his first career OHL shutout on April 5th as the Petes defeated the Barrie Colts 1-0 in overtime. He stopped 20 of 21 on April 9th as the Petes beat the Niagara IceDogs 5-1, and rounded-out the season with a 28-save performance on April 17th as Peterborough defeated Kingston 6-3. Simpson is the first Petes netminder to earn OHL Goaltender of the Month honours since Hunter Jones in October 2019.

A 19-year-old from London, Ont., Simpson played to a record of 20-18-3-1 with a 3.56 goals-against average and .891 save percentage in his first OHL season. The 6-foot, 188Ib. netminder was Peterborough’s 10th round (193rd overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection from the London Jr. Knights U16 program.

OHL Rookie of the Month – Paul Ludwinski (Kingston Frontenacs)
2022 NHL Draft prospect Paul Ludwinski of the Kingston Frontenacs is the OHL Rookie of the Month for April, collecting five goals, five assists and 10 points in eight games. Ludwinski’s month was headlined by a hat trick and season-high four points on April 10th as the Frontenacs defeated the Niagara IceDogs 10-5. He’d chip in with a goal and an assist in Kingston’s final regular season game on April 17th, a 6-3 loss to the Peterborough Petes.

A soon-to-be 18-year-old from Pickering, Ont., Ludwinski recorded 43 points including 16 goals and 27 assists over 67 games in his first OHL season. The 5-foot-11, 172Ib. centreman competed in March’s Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Kitchener, and was the 29th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings. Ludwinksi was Kingston’s first round (5th overall) pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Marlboros U16 program.

2021-22 OHL Performers of the Month:

Player of the Month:
April – Rory Kerins (Soo Greyhounds)
March – Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
February – Logan Morrison (Hamilton Bulldogs)
January – Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
December – Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
November – Kyle Jackson (North Bay Battalion)
October – Sasha Pastujov (Guelph Storm)

Defenceman of the Month:
April – Jack Thompson (Soo Greyhounds)
March – Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)
February – Michael Buchinger (Guelph Storm)
January – Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
December – Ethan Del Mastro (Mississauga Steelheads)
November – Nathan Staios (Hamilton Bulldogs)
October – Jack Thompson (Sudbury Wolves)

Rookie of the Month:
April – Paul Ludwinski (Kingston Frontenacs)
March – Cedrick Guindon (Owen Sound Attack)
February – Michael Buchinger (Guelph Storm)
January – David Goyette (Sudbury Wolves)
December – Coulson Pitre (Flint Firebirds)
November – Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
October – Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)

Goaltender of the Month:
April – Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
March – Marco Costantini (Hamilton Bulldogs)
February – Luke Cavallin (Flint Firebirds)
January – Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
December – Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
November – Joe Vrbetic (North Bay Battalion)
October – Brett Brochu (London Knights)

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.

SIX OHL PLAYERS TO REPRESENT CANADA AT 2022 IIHF WORLD UNDER-18 HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – Six Ontario Hockey League players have been named to Canada’s roster for the upcoming 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship that will take place from April 23rd to May 1st in Landshut and Kaufbeuren, Germany.

Hockey Canada announced the roster of 25 players on Monday afternoon. Two of the OHL players named to the roster, Sudbury’s Kocha Delic and Niagara’s Pano Fimis, won bronze as part of Team Canada at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.

The roster also includes David Goyette of the Sudbury Wolves who led the OHL in rookie scoring with 33 goals and 73 points over 66 games. Erie Otters netminder Nolan Lalonde led all OHL rookies in minutes played with 3,066, the fourth-highest total in the OHL. Fimis comes off a strong rookie season that saw him collect 30 assists, a new record by an IceDogs rookie.

Six OHL Players Representing Canada at 2022 U18 Worlds:

Forwards:
Kocha Delic (Sudbury Wolves)
Pano Fimis (Niagara IceDogs)
David Goyette (Sudbury Wolves)

Defencemen:
Nolan Collins (Sudbury Wolves)
Spencer Sova (Erie Otters)

Goaltenders:
Nolan Lalonde (Erie Otters)

“We are excited to unveil the 25 players that will wear the Maple Leaf at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship and take on the challenge of winning a second-consecutive gold medal,” said director of player personnel Alan Millar. “For many of these players, this is the first time they will represent their country in international competition, and we know they are excited for the opportunity to compete on the world stage.”

Canada will open the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship against the United States on April 23 at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT, and will also take host Germany on April 24 and Czechia on April 26.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast 13 games throughout the tournament, including all Team Canada preliminary-round games, four quarterfinals, both semifinals, and the bronze and gold medal games.

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

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

CALISTI AND DONOSO NAMEDOHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on April 18, 2022 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, April 17, 2022.

Greyhounds’ Robert Calisti Named OHL Player of the Week

Overage defenceman Robert Calisti of the Soo Greyhounds is the OHL Player of the Week with seven assists over three games.

Calisti put 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. Calisti was good for a season-high three assists on Wednesday at home to Sudbury, earning second star honours as the Greyhounds defeated the Wolves 6-4. He posted back-to-back two-assist efforts in Flint on Friday and Saturday, helping the Hounds win 6-3 in the opener before they fell 6-4 in the back half. Calisti joins Brandt Clarke and Jack Thompson as just the third defenceman to earn Player of the Week honours this season.

A 21-year-old native of Etobicoke, Ont., Calisti finished his overage season with a league-leading 21 goals from the blue line, finishing tied for sixth among OHL defenders with 57 points (21-36–57). His 198 shots on goal were the league’s fourth-most at his position as he wraps up his OHL regular season career with 41 goals, 73 assists and 114 points over 195 career contests. Calisti signed a two-year minor league contract with the Florida Panthers organization in March. He was Sault Ste. Marie’s third round (44th overall) pick in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection.

Also considered for the award this week, New York Rangers prospect Brennan Othmann of the Flint Firebirds scored six times in three games, reaching the 50-goal milestone with a four-goal effort in Flint’s final regular season game on Saturday. Hamilton Bulldogs forward Logan Morrison was also in the running, recording seven points (2-5–7) in three victories to close out the season with 100 points.

2021-22 OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Apr. 11 – Apr. 18: Robert Calisti (Soo Greyhounds)
Apr. 4 – Apr. 10: Martin Chromiak (Kingston Frontenacs)
Mar. 28 – Apr. 3: Mason McTavish (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Mar. 21 – Mar. 27: Dalton Duhart (Saginaw Spirit)
Mar. 14 – Mar. 20: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Mar. 7 – Mar. 13: Lucas Edmonds (Kingston Frontenacs)
Feb. 28 – Mar. 6: Theo Hill (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 21 – Feb. 27: Logan Morrison (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Feb. 14 – Feb. 20: Antonio Stranges (London Knights)
Feb. 7 – Feb. 13: Logan Morrison (Hamilton Bulldogs).
Jan. 31 – Feb. 6: Luke Evangelista (London Knights)
Jan. 24 – Jan. 30: Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 17 – Jan. 23: Riley Piercey (Flint Firebirds)
Jan. 10 – Jan. 16: David Goyette (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan. 3 – Jan 9: Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
Dec. 27 – Jan. 2: James Hardie (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 13 – Dec. 19: Ty Tullio (Oshawa Generals)
Dec. 6 – Dec. 12: Lucas Edmonds (Kingston Frontenacs)
Nov. 29 – Dec. 5: Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
Nov. 22 – Nov. 28: Brennan Othmann (Flint Firebirds)
Nov. 15 – Nov. 21: Brandon Coe (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 8 – Nov. 14: Antonio Stranges (London Knights)
Nov. 1 – Nov. 7: Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 25 – Oct. 31: Tucker Robertson (Peterborough Petes)
Oct. 18 – Oct. 24: Rory Kerins (Soo Greyhounds)
Oct. 11 – Oct. 17: Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)
Oct. 4 – Oct. 10: Jack Thompson (Sudbury Wolves)

67’s’ Max 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.

Donoso stopped 62 of the 63 shots he faced as the 67’s completed their regular season in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. He recorded his first career OHL shutout on Friday as the 67’s blanked the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 5-0. Donoso made 26 saves and earned first star of the game recognition. He returned to the crease on Saturday in Kingston, stopping 36 of 37 to help Ottawa earn a point before falling by a score of 2-1 in a shootout while being named the game’s third star. This marks the second time Donoso has earned OHL Goaltender of the Week honours this season.

An 18-year-old from Windsor, Ont., Donoso played to a mark of 11-9-1-5 with a 2.82 goals-against average and .906 save percentage over 27 games in his first OHL season. A former fifth round (98th overall) pick by Ottawa in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Donoso is a graduate of the Windsor Jr. Spitfires U16 program and spent the 2019-20 season at Salisbury Prep School in Connecticut. He began the 2021-22 campaign with the Hawkesbury Hawks of the CCHL, going 11-2-0 with a 1.79 goals-against average and .935 save percentage over 15 games.

Also considered for the award this week, Matteo Drobac of the Hamilton Bulldogs went 2-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .958 save percentage in wins over Niagara and Erie. Guelph’s Owen Bennett also played to a 2-0 mark in wins over Erie and Windsor, recording a 1.50 goals-against average and .930 save percentage.

2021-22 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Apr. 11 – Apr. 17: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Apr. 4 – Apr. 10: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Mar. 28 – Apr. 3: Patrick Leaver (Oshawa Generals)
Mar. 21 – Mar. 27: Joey Costanzo (Niagara IceDogs)
Mar. 14 – Mar. 20: Marco Costantini (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Mar. 7 – Mar. 13: Nick Chenard (Owen Sound Attack)
Feb. 28 – Mar. 6: Marco Costantini (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Feb. 21 – Feb. 27: Leevi Merilainen (Kingston Frontenacs)
Feb. 14 – Feb. 20: Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
Feb. 7 – Feb. 13: Pavel Cajan (Kitchener Rangers)
Jan. 31 – Feb. 6: Patrick Leaver (Oshawa Generals)
Jan. 24 – Jan. 30: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Jan. 17 – Jan. 23: Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 10 – Jan. 16: Mitchell Weeks (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan. 3 – Jan. 9: Nolan Lalonde (Erie Otters)
Dec. 27 – Jan. 2: Joe Ranger (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 13 – Dec. 19: Owen Bennett (Guelph Storm)
Dec. 6 – Dec. 12: Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
Nov. 29 – Dec. 5: Leevi Merilainen (Kingston Frontenacs)
Nov. 22 – Nov. 28: Tye Austin (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 15 – Nov. 21: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)
Nov. 8 – Nov. 14: Joe Vrbetic (North Bay Battalion
Nov. 1 – Nov. 7: Roman Basran (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 25 – Oct. 31: Patrick Leaver (Oshawa Generals)
Oct. 18 – Oct. 24: Jacob Oster (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 11 – Oct. 17: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Oct. 4 – Oct. 10: Tucker Tynan (Niagara IceDogs)

OHL ANNOUNCES 2021-22 REGULAR SEASON AWARD WINNERS

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced recipients of four of the league’s annual awards following the conclusion of the 2021-22 regular season.

Offensively, Wyatt Johnston of the Windsor Spitfires captured the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the league’s leading scorer while Lucas Edmonds of the Kingston Frontenacs is the recipient of the Jim Mahon Trophy as the OHL’s top-scoring right winger. Recognizing defensive efforts, the Hamilton Bulldogs goaltending tandem of Marco Costantini and Matteo Drobac earns the Dave Pinkney Trophy, surrendering a league-low 176 goals against. North Bay Battalion rookie Dom DiVincentiis is the recipient of the F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy awarded to the rookie with the lowest goals-against average.

Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy (Top Scorer) – Wyatt Johnston, Windsor Spitfires
Dallas Stars prospect Wyatt Johnston is the recipient of the OHL Top Scorer Award presented by Kubota Canada, claiming the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy with 124 points including 46 goals and 78 assists in 68 games. Johnston boasted a plus-29 rating to go with a league-leading 1.82 point-per-game production rate. Johnston’s 124 points are the most by an OHL scoring leader since Erie’s Alex DeBrincat in 2016-17.

Johnston finished with 42 multi-point performances on the campaign including four different games with at least four points. His 124 points are the fifth-highest total in Spitfires franchise history, trailing Ernie Godden (153 points, 1980-81), Bill Bowler (135 points, 1994-95), Kelly Cain (133 points, 1987-88) and Blair Barnes (130 points (1979-80). He joins Taylor Hall (2009-10) and Peter Sarno (1997-98) as the third player in modern Spitfires franchise history to claim the honour. Earl Reibel (1949-50) and Bert Giesebrecht (1948-49) were also past Spitfires winners.

The 23rd overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Dallas Stars, Johnston has collected 58 goals, 96 assists and 154 points through 121 career regular season games with the Spitfires, who selected him with the sixth overall pick of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection. He’ll be making his OHL playoff debut this week when the Spitfires open up their first round series against the Sarnia Sting.

The Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy was donated by the Toronto Marlboro Athletic Club in memory of Eddie Powers and was first awarded in 1945-46 to Tod Sloan of St. Michael’s who scored 79 points in 25 games. High-scoring Stars winger Jason Robertson was the 2018-19 recipient as a member of the Niagara IceDogs while veteran Dallas centreman Tyler Seguin has his named inscribed on the trophy as a member of the Plymouth Whalers in 2009-10.

Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy (Top Scoring Right Winger) – Lucas Edmonds, Kingston Frontenacs
Lucas Edmonds of the Kingston Frontenacs is the recipient of the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the league’s top scoring right winger. Edmonds finished third in OHL scoring with 113 points including 34 goals and a league-high 79 assists over 68 games in his first OHL season.

The 21-year-old originally from North Bay, Ont. turned heads this past season, leading the Frontenacs offensively with 30 different multi-point appearances including nine different instances with at least four points.

Edmonds joins David Ling (1994-95) as just the second Frontenacs player to ever claim the honour, finishing with the Kingston franchise’s sixth-highest assist total of 79. Edmonds’ 113 points are the most by a Frontenac since Ling put up 135 during the 1994-95 season.

Originally Kingston’s seventh round pick in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, Edmonds made the most of a rare first-year overage season and is eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft in July.

The Jim Mahon Trophy was first presented following the 1971-72 season by the players and management of the Peterborough Petes in memory of their right winger Jim Mahon who was accidentally killed that summer. Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs last received the honour in 2019-20 while other recent winners have included Justin Brazeau of the North Bay Battalion in 2019 and Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting in 2018.

Dave Pinkney Trophy (Lowest Team Goals Against) – Marco Costantini and Matteo Drobac, Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs surrendered a league-low 176 goals over their 68-game schedule, backstopped by goaltenders Marco Costantini and Matteo Drobac who earn the Dave Pinkney Trophy in 2021-22.

Costantini and Drobac backstopped the Bulldogs to the club’s first Hamilton Spectator Trophy as OHL Regular Season champions as the club boasted an overall record of 51-12-3-2 for a franchise record 107 points.

Costantini led the league in goals-against average (2.32), save percentage (.917) and shutouts (6), establishing new Bulldogs single season records in those three categories while also playing to a mark of 31-9-2-2. Hamilton’s new career shutouts leader, Costantini ended the season with 17 consecutive wins dating back to February 16th. The 19-year-old hometown product was Hamilton’s fifth round pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection.

Drobac played to a record of 19-2-1-0, posting a 2.57 goals-against average and .905 save percentage with one shutout over 23 games in his first full OHL season. The Oakville, Ont. product was Hamilton’s sixth round pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.

The Bulldogs also saw three appearances from rookie Tristan Malboeuf, who went 1-1, earning his first career OHL shutout on October 16th in Niagara.

This marks the first time the Bulldogs have earned the honour, but the Dave Pinkney Trophy has a prior history in Hamilton. Al Jensen of the 1977-78 Hamilton Fincups has his name inscribed on the trophy, as does the Hamilton Red Wings tandem of Jim Rutherford and Gerry Gray in 1967-68, Bud Blom in 1960-61 and Dennis Riggin of the Hamilton Tiger Cubs in 1953-54.

The Dave Pinkney Trophy is awarded annually to the goaltending tandem from the team that allows the fewest goals against during the regular season.

F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy (Best Rookie GAA): Dom DiVincentiis, North Bay Battalion
Dom DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion is the recipient of the F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy, leading all rookie netminders with a 2.59 goals-against average.

An 18-year-old draft eligible goaltender from Bolton, Ont., DiVincentiis helped backstop the Battalion to a Central Division title, playing to a record of 14-8-0-1 with a .907 save percentage to accompany his 2.59 goals-against average. He was undefeated in regulation through his final eight starts of the season. DiVincentiis was North Bay’s sixth round pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection.

DiVincentiis follows Matej Machovsky (2010-11) as the second Battalion goaltender to ever earn the distinction. He’s the third North Bay goaltender to do so, joining Scott Roche (1993-94) and Sandy Allan (1991-92) of the Centennials.

The trophy is named after F.W. “Dinty” Moore of Port Colborne, Ont., who served as OHA President from 1942-45. In order to qualify for this rookie award, a goaltender must play a minimum of 900 minutes. The most recent past recipient of the award was Brett Brochu of the London Knights in 2019-20.

For a look at the history of the Ontario Hockey League’s award recipients, visit ontariohockeyleague.com.

VAUGHAN KINGS ARE INAUGURALU14 OHL CUP CHAMPIONS

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

TORONTO, ONTARIO – APRIL 10: during the warm up before playing the Grand Rapids Griffins on April 10, 2022 at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Thomas Skrlj)

Oakville, Ont. – 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.

The GTHL champion Kings defeated the OMHA finalist York-Simcoe Express by a score of 8-1 on Saturday afternoon at Joshua’s Creek Arena in Oakville, becoming the first team to have its named inscribed on the U14 OHL Cup championship trophy.

Caleb Malhotra led the way with two goals and three assists while Jager Pain chipped in with a goal and two helpers as Vaughan accomplished its mission, reigning supreme as Ontario’s top U14 AAA team.

“It’s a little surreal,” said Kings head coach Daniel Spivak, who worked alongside a pair of OHL alumni in assistants Justin DiBenedetto and Mark Cundari. “The boys came hard, and after two years of interrupted hockey seasons, this is awfully rewarding for our guys who never quit and kept putting in the work.

“All of these guys bought in,” Spivak continued. “As a coach, it’s all you can hope for. They pushed through, they never stopped and it’s remarkable.”

Vaughan played to a mark of 4-0-1, outscoring opponents 36-11. Their pathway to the Championship Final included a 2-2 tie against the London Jr. Knights in their tournament-opener followed by a commanding 9-3 win over the Oakville Rangers. They bested the ALLIANCE champion Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs 7-3 in Quarterfinal action and took down the OMHA champion Peterborough Petes 10-2 in Saturday morning’s Semi-final affair.

The son of former OHL forward and NHL alumnus Manny Malhotra, Caleb Malhotra’s five-point performance pushed him into the tournament scoring lead as he finished with 13 points (5-8–13) over five games while teammates Ben Bowen (8-3–11), Jager Pain (5-6–11) and Alessandro Di Iorio (5-6–11) each trailed close behind with 11.

York-Simcoe finished up with an overall record of 3-1-1, being led offensively by Brayden Boyle who recorded five points (4-1–5) in as many games.

The U14 OHL Cup championship trophy was presented by OHL Commissioner David Branch alongside the League’s Director of Player Recruitment and Development Kyle Pereira.

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

For full results and statistics from the 2022 U14 OHL Cup presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario, visit u14ohlcup.ca.

Jackson Edward – London Knights – Player Profile

Posted on April 16, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’2”	187	2-27-04	D	L	22^nd 2020	75^th NA	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2018-19	U-15	Richmond Hill Coyotes	25	14	18	32
2019-20	U-16	York Simcoe Express	33	12	18	30
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY	0	0	0	0
2021-22	OHL	London Knights	52	0	6	6

Jackson Edward of the London Knights. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images

I hate to begin with a negative but there really is no other place to begin. I just can’t buy into some of the mid-term rankings of London Knights blueliner Jackson Edward. When the Knights selected Edwards with the 22^nd overall pick at the 2020 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection, at the very least his production at both the Under-15 and Under-16 levels indicated there was some offensive abilities there.

Of course, the lost 2020-2021 season didn’t do any favors for Edward but every OHL player was in the same situation except for a handful of players that got to play a few games. I also understand that when you play defence for the London Knights, your first responsibility is, well, defence. With everything under consideration, 6 points in 52 games for me was a disappointment. I had him penciled in for a 20-point season and he fell short of that. Maybe my expectations were too high.

Edward has good size at 6’2” and very good mobility. He’s able to retrieve pucks and has the ability to start the transition to offense. He has shown he can be strong defensively and make the right decisions. He has the ability to keep gaps close with his mobility and reach, keep players to the outside, take away lanes and be positionally sound. However, there is a lack of consistency to all those. While he has shown the abilities, they just don’t happen on a consistent enough basis.

Now for the good stuff. There is one thing you can’t take away from Edward and that’s his work ethic and commitment to improve his game and be the best player he can possibly be. In speaking with those close to the situation, they same the same things: Failure is not an option for Edward and he will put in all the hard work to improve his game day in and day out.

His meal ticket to the next level may just have to be his defensive game but he’ll need to continue to put the heavy lifting into fully developing. And who knows? Maybe he will find his offence once again.

ONTARIO HOCKEY FEDERATION ANNOUNCES EXCEPTIONAL PLAYER STATUS FOR MICHAEL MISA

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Cambridge, ON – The Ontario Hockey Federation today announced the results of the review by Hockey Canada in consideration of the application by Michael Misa, determining that the player is to be granted “exceptional player” status and therefore is eligible for the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

The process was administered by the Ontario Hockey Federation with a Hockey Canada Special Evaluation Panel assembled to evaluate Misa’s hockey and academic documentation and to assess his level of maturity in reaching their decision.

“Having administered this process since 2005 with John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, Sean Day and Shane Wright, I am continuously amazed by the well-rounded nature of those granted exceptional status,” said OHF Executive Director Phillip McKee. “His constant success both in the classroom and on the ice has demonstrated that Michael Misa is well deserving to be among those who have been granted status in the past.”

Born February 16, 2007, the 15-year-old Misa is a 5-foot-10, 150-pound forward for the Mississauga Senators U16 AAA team, where he scored 16 goals and 27 assists for 43 points in 27 games during the GTHL regular season. The Senators recently lifted the OHL Cup, where Misa scored 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in seven games while also becoming the first player to record a hat-trick in the Championship Final. These numbers saw Misa break the OHL Cup scoring record previously held by Connor McDavid while earning Tournament MVP honours in the process.

“It’s a huge honour to be counted among names like Connor McDavid and John Tavares to have received exceptional status from Hockey Canada,” said Misa. “I try not to compare myself to those superstars, and just focus on being the best I can be and improve my game every day.

“The OHL Cup was a tremendous team effort,” Misa added, reflecting on his record-setting performance. “We had to battle through some playoff disappointment and came through on the other side stronger as a team and got the job done together.”

Misa becomes just the sixth player to be granted “exceptional player” status in the Ontario Hockey League, following John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros, 2005), whose application formed the modern Exceptional Player process, defenceman Aaron Ekblad (Sun County Panthers, 2011), forward Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros, 2012), defenceman Sean Day (Detroit Compuware, 2013) and forward Shane Wright (Don Mills Flyers, 2019). The trio of Tavares, Ekblad, and McDavid were all chosen first overall in the OHL Priority Selection and later first overall in the NHL Draft while Wright is a top prospect for the 2022 NHL Draft in July.

BULLDOGS, SPITFIRES AND BATTALION INCLUDED IN WEEK 24 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 24 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

The Hamilton Bulldogs continue to bring the bite. Picking up a pair of victories on the week highlighted by a 6-0 road win in Ottawa, netminder Marco Costantini recorded 24 saves for his sixth career shutout, the most in a career by a Bulldogs goaltender. The Bulldogs made it 12-straight games without a regulation loss, improving to 48-12-3-2 on the season, good for 101 points. With the achievement, the Bulldogs claimed the Hamilton Spectator Trophy, presented annually to the OHL club with the best regular season record. The Bulldogs have topped the CHL Top 10 Rankings for two straight weeks.

Soaring to No. 4, the Windsor Spitfires continue to rise after piecing together 13-straight victories, with the past week underscored by three wins in three days highlighted by Friday’s 7-1 road triumph in Guelph that saw the Spitfires clinch top spot in the OHL’s West Division. Leading the way for Windsor is Dallas Stars 2021 first-round selection Wyatt Johnston whose current 12-game point streak has helped him climb to first in league scoring with 123 points in 66 games. The Spits look to continue their winning streak as they close out the regular season with a two-game weekend.

Moving up to eighth nationally, the North Bay Battalion continue to impress after adding two more victories on the week to extend their win streak to six. Among the highlights was Thursday’s overtime decision versus Mississauga that saw the Battalion secure two points and top spot in the OHL’s Central Division for the first time since 2014. Backed by a burgeoning offensive attack, among the leaders is San Jose Sharks draftee Brandon Coe who needs one point in the team’s final three games to become the OHL’s fifth triple-digit producer this season. Mitchell Russell also scored his 40th goal of the season on Saturday as the Troops currently have five different players with at least 30 goals in their lineup.

In the honourable mention category, the Kingston Frontenacs found the win column three times in a three-game weekend that saw the squad combine for 26 goals. Continuing to turn heads in Kingston is 2022 NHL Draft favourite Shane Wright who, since returning from the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, has notched 17 points in nine contests and now sits six shy of the 100-point plateau. Kingston faces Ottawa in back-to-back games before they finish off the regular season in Peterborough on Sunday.

For further analysis on the Week 24 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.

INAUGURAL U14 OHL CUP PRESENTED BY DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO GETS UNDERWAY ON THURSDAY

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

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

U14 OHL Cup Website

“The OHL is proud to partner with the OMHA to present this exciting opportunity, and we look forward to an outstanding weekend of hockey in Oakville,” said OHL Commissioner David Branch. “Occurring annually since 2003, the OHL Cup Showcase for U16 AAA players has included familiar names such as Connor McDavid, John Tavares and Steven Stamkos, in addition to countless players that have played in the OHL and gone on to pursue various careers with the use of their OHL Scholarship.

“The Ontario Hockey League is very proud to be a part of presenting a championship tournament of this magnitude to the U14 AAA category.”

Round robin play gets underway bright and early on Thursday morning with 12 games on the schedule, with play resuming on Friday morning at 9:00am. The Championship Final is slated for Saturday at 3:00pm.

Participating Teams:

Byfield Division:

Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs (ALLIANCE)
Qualified: ALLIANCE Champions (def. London Jr. Knights 7-1 pts.)
Regular Season: 22-2-3, 47 pts. (1st West Division)

Soo Jr. Greyhounds (NOHA)
Qualified: NOHA Champions (def. Sudbury Nickel Capitals 9-3)
Regular Season: 22-2-0, 44 pts. (1st Place)

York-Simcoe Express (OMHA – ETA)
Qualified: OMHA Finalists (lost to Peterborough Petes 3-2 OT)
Regular Season: 23-3-3, 49 pts. (2nd Place)

Duchene Division:

London Jr. Knights (ALLIANCE)
Qualified: ALLIANCE Finalists (Lost to Elgin-Middlesex 7-1 in pts.)
Regular Season: 16-5-3, 35 pts. (2nd West Division)

Oakville Rangers (OMHA – SCTA)
Qualified: OMHA Third Place (def. Barrie Colts 5-0)
Regular Season: 23-0-2, 48 pts. (1st Place)

Vaughan Kings (GTHL)
Qualified: GTHL Champions (def. Toronto Marlboros 5-2)
Regular Season: 27-1-0, 54 pts. (1st Place)

Perfetti Division:

North York Rangers (GTHL)
Qualified: GTHL Third Place (def. Toronto Jr. Canadiens 2-1)
Regular Season: 17-7-4, 38 pts. (t-3rd Place)

Sudbury Nickel Capitals (NOHA)
Qualified: NOHA Finalists (Lost to Soo Jr. Greyhounds 9-3)
Regular Season: 11-16-1, 23 pts. (3rd Place)

Upper Canada Cyclones (HEO)
Qualified: HEO Champions (def. Ottawa Myers Automotive 7-1 pts.)
Regular Season: 13-9-8, 34 pts. (2nd Place)

Stamkos Division:

Peterborough Petes (OMHA – ETA)
Qualified: OMHA Champions (def. York-Simcoe Express 3-2 OT)
Regular Season: 21-3-2, 44 pts. (1st Place)

Ottawa Myers Automotive (HEO)
Qualified: HEO Finalists (Lost to Upper Canada Cyclones 7-1 pts.)
Regular Season: 12-9-9, 33 pts. (3rd Place)

Toronto Marlboros (GTHL)
Qualified: GTHL Finalists (Lost to Vaughan Kings 5-2)
Regular Season: 20-4-4, 44 pts (2nd Place)

Round Robin Schedule:

Thursday, April 14th:
Toronto Marlboros vs. Peterborough Petes – 8:00am (Red Rink)
York-Simcoe Express vs. Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs – 8:30am (Blue Rink)
London Jr. Knights vs. Vaughan Kings – 9:30am (Red Rink)
Sudbury Nickel Capitals vs. Upper Canada Cyclones – 10:00am (Blue Rink)
Ottawa Myers Automotive vs. Toronto Marlboros – 1:00pm (Red Rink)
Soo Jr. Greyhounds vs. York-Simcoe Express – 1:30pm (Blue Rink)
Oakville Rangers vs. London Jr. Knights – 2:30pm (Red Rink)
North York Rangers vs. Sudbury Nickel Capitals – 3:00pm (Blue Rink)
Peterborough Petes vs. Ottawa Myers Automotive – 6:00pm (Red Rink)
Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs vs. Soo Jr. Greyhounds – 6:30pm (Blue Rink)
Vaughan Kings vs. Oakville Rangers – 7:30pm (Red Rink)
Upper Canada Cyclones vs. North York Rangers – 8:00pm (Blue Rink)

Follow the 2022 U14 OHL Cup presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario at u14ohlcup.ca.

Liam Arnsby – North Bay Battalion – Player Profile

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
5’11”	181	11-20-03	C	R	9^th – 2020	66^th NA	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2018-19	U-16 AAA	Don Mills Flyers	49	21	49	70
2019-20	OHL	North Bay Battalion	44	4	16	20
2019-20	WHC U-17	Canada White	6	0	1	1
2020-21	OHL	Did not play	0	0	0	0
2021-22	OHL	North Bay Battalion	43	8	14	22

I realize the OHL regular season is coming to an end, but I still haven’t really gotten a strong sense of what Liam Arnsby of the North Bay Battalion could turn into at the next level. I say that because so many aspects of his game have improved from his rookie season of 2019-2020 except the production. Maybe the lost season of a year ago plays a role.

Liam Arnsby of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images

Arnsby has shown improvements in key skills like skating, puck skills and shooting and that has risen the confidence level of the 9^th overall pick at the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. But the lack of improved production might suggest he’s more of a middle round pick destined to top out as a bottom 6 forward at the next level. There’s nothing wrong with that, teams need those types of players as well.

Despite being 5-foot-11-inches and 181 pounds, one might be surprised by the physicality Arnsby brings to the game. He is incredibly strong for his size and he often separates the opposition from the puck with his physicality and strength.

Arnsby has often shown very good hockey IQ and an ability to react instinctively without over thinking – and they are usually the correct decisions. He reads the ice well and is able to find soft spots to make himself available so that he can get off a heavy NHL caliber wrist shot.

Defensively, Arnsby is pretty accomplished. Again, he reads the play quickly and instinctively reacts which enables him to get into passing lanes and break up plays and lead the transition the other way. He comes back to help his defencemen and is not shy about using the body down low to separate the opposition from the puck.

Arnsby isn’t a bad skater but he has shown improvement since his rookie year. He has superior strength in his legs which allows him to take off in his first strides quickly to reach his top speed. It’s that top speed or separation gear he will need to continue to work at as he progresses along. Another asset Arnsby has is his ability to play down the middle or on the right side.

Coming into the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Arnsby was tagged with having untapped offensive potential. Registering 22 points in 43 games isn’t bad, I had just hoped for more. Maybe a leg injury that forced him to miss 20 games played a role. He hasn’t scored a goal in 10 games since his return and has just 4 helpers in that time.

North Bay will be heading to the OHL playoffs in just over a week. A strong performance by Arnsby at both ends of the ice can only help his stock.

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