OHL Writers

OHL WRITERS’ DRAFT ELGIBLE PLAYERS OF THE MONTH: DECEMBER 2021

Posted on January 2, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

The Ontario Hockey League had to postpone more games than anyone wanted to see in December due to the COVID-19 Protocols, but there were some pretty good performances that should not be ignored.

Pavel Cajan of the Kitchener Rangers. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images

In previous season, I looked for one performance that I would feel comfortable saying that player was the Player of the Month. But because of the lost season one year ago and the number of players re-entering the NHL Entry Draft in 2022, I decided for this year to select one forward, one defenceman and one goaltender. Here we go.

Up front, It’s Mississauga Steelheads forward Luca DelBelBelluz who scored 4 goals and 9 assists in 9 contests in the month of December and a whopping 31 shots on goal. He had 4 multi point games including a four-assist night against North Bay on December 29 and he was held off the scoresheet in just two contests.

DelBelBelluz now has 15 goals and 21 assists on the season and sits second in points on the Steelheads just two points behind James Hardie. Among draft eligible players, he is third in points, tied for third in goals and second in assists and easily leads all draft eligible players in plus/minus with a plus-27.

Also considered were a pair of Hamilton Bulldogs. Avery Hayes had 6 goals and 7 assists in 9 games while Ryan Humphrey had 3 goals and 8 assists in 9 games. Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs had 3 goals and 7 assists but played in just 4 games because of the World Junior Championships and the Fronts being in COVID protocol.

On the blueline I could have gone a number of different ways but settled on Kirill Kudryavtsev of the Soo Greyhounds. The 5’11, 200-pound Russian scored once and added 6 assists in 7 games for the Greyhounds raising his totals to 2 goals and 16 assists in 28 games on the season.

I gave the nod to Kudryavtsev because I liked his all-around game. He was kept off the scoresheet in 2 of those 7 games, but the Greyhounds were 0-1-1 in those games. In the 5 games he registered a point? 4-0-1. He is an important player on the Greyhounds blueline as a rookie.

Also considered were Saginaw Spirit defenceman Pavel Mintyukov with 3 goals and 5 assists in 10 games, Samuel Mayer of the Peterborough Petes with 3 goals and 3 assists in 7 games, Ty Nelson of the North Bay Battalion with 8 assists in 9 games and Rodwin Dionicio of the Niagara IceDogs with a goal and 5 assists in 5 games.

The decision in net was the easiest and that was Pavel Cajan of the Kitchener Rangers. The draft re-entry netminder simply gives the Rangers a chance every time he mans the crease. He went 4-1-1 in the month of December with a stellar .919 save-percentage.

In his only regulation loss, Cajan stopped 32 of 34 shots in a 2-1 loss to the Windsor Spitfires. In his only other loss – in overtime- he stopped 34 of 38 shots in a 4-3 OT loss to the Soo Greyhounds. On the season Cajan has a save-percentage of .904 – third among draft eligible goalies and a goals-against-average of 3.23 – fifth among draft eligible goalies.

Also considered was North Bay Battalion netminder Dom DiVincentiis. In 4 appearances he went 1-2-0 with a .909 save-percentage

FORWARDS

December – Luca DelBelBelluz – Mississauga Steelheads

November – Kyle Jackson – North Bay Battalion

October – Tucker Robertson – Peterborough Petes

DEFENCEMEN

December – Kirill Kudryavtsev – Soo Greyhounds

November – Gavin While – Hamilton Bulldogs

October – Ty Nelson – North Bay Battalion

GOALTENDERS

December – Pavel Cajan – Kitchener Rangers

November – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

October – Brett Brochu – London Knights

OHL’s DRAFT ELIGIBLE STATISTICAL LEADERS ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2021

Posted on January 1, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Tucker Robertson of the Peterborough Petes. Photo by Robert Lefebvre/OHL Images

Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to hoping for a fantastic 2022 and hockey everywhere will be able to continue their seasons.

As you know, the Ontario Hockey League had to postpone a large number of games due to the COVID-19 pandemic as over half the league is in COVID protocol. As much as I hate to admit it, I hope that the OHL follows the lead of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and suspends all action for a couple of weeks.

That said, there were games played in the month of December, and as is always the case, we look at players eligible for the National Hockey League Entry Draft and the statistical leaders in a variety of different categories. Some players have obviously played more games than others due to the postponement of games, but eventually, those games will be made up.

In past years, we’ve always looked at first time draft eligible players. But, because of the lost OHL season a year ago, there are too many players re-entering the draft this time around and we are including them. There are some third-time eligible players re-entering the draft, but we are not including them here with the exception of Brett Brochu of the London Knights as he only made the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by 5 days. If an NHL team is interested in those players, they are more likely to sign a professional contract as free agents rather than a team using a draft pick on them.

One of those players re-entering the draft is Tucker Robertson of the Peterborough Petes. Robertson leads all draft eligible players in points, goals and goals, sits second in assists and third in faceoff winning percentage. A pair of Hamilton Bulldogs are also on the list. Avery Hayes is second to Robertson in goals and fourth in points, while Gavin White is second among defencemen in points and assists.

While we take great care in compiling stats, always refer to the OHL website for official statistics.

Points Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	26	19	22	41
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	23	15	22	37
Luca DelBelBelluz	Mississauga Steelheads	28	15	21	36
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	16	14	30
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	22	11	19	30
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	25	14	13	27
Denis Goure	Owen Sound Attack	25	12	14	26
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	9	17	26
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	31	5	21	26
Owen Beck	Mississauga Steelheads	28	12	13	25
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	GPG
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	26	19	0.73
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	16	0.55
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	23	15	0.65
Luca DelBelBelluz	Mississauga Steelheads	28	15	0.54
Nolan Dann	Sarnia Sting	25	15	0.60
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	25	14	0.56
Vsevolod Gaidamak	Ottawa 67’s	27	14	0.52
Denis Goure	Owen Sound Attack	25	12	0.48
Owen Beck	Mississauga Steelheads	28	12	0.43
Colton Smith	London Knights	26	12	0.46
Assist Leaders
Player	Team	GP	A	APG
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	23	22	0.96
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	26	22	0.85
Luca DelBelBelluz	Mississauga Steelheads	28	21	0.75
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	31	21	0.68
Shane Wright	Kingston Frontenacs	22	19	0.86
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	19	0.66
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	17	0.59
Jake Karabela	Guelph Storm	27	16	0.59
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	27	16	0.59
Kirill Kudryavtsev	Soo Greyhounds	28	16	0.57
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Ty Nelson	North Bay Battalion	31	5	21	26
Gavin White	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	4	19	23
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw Spirit	27	6	16	22
Christian Kyrou	Erie Otters	26	5	15	20
Samuel Mayer	Peterborough Petes	26	8	10	18
Kirill Kudryavtsev	Soo Greyhounds	28	2	16	18
Roberto Mancini	Saginaw Spirit	27	6	9	15
Rodwin Dionicio	Niagara IceDogs	24	2	13	15
Michael Buchinger	Guelph Storm	27	0	15	15
Luca D’Amato	Flint Firebirds	24	5	7	12
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player	Team	GP	+/-
Luca DelBelBelluz	Mississauga Steelheads	28	+27
Isaiah George	London Knights	26	+17
Tnias Mathurin	North Bay Battalion	22	+16
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	+16
Avery Hayes	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	+15
Dylan Gordon	Mississauga Steelheads	16	+13
Matthew Poitras	Guelph Storm	27	+13
Jorian Donovan	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	+13
Ethan MacKinnon	London Knights	20	+12
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	23	+12
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player	Team	GP	PIM	M/G
Liam Arnsby	North Bay Battalion	29	49	1.69
Thomas Johnston	Ottawa 67’s	22	43	1.95
Samuel Mayer	Peterborough Petes	26	42	1.62
Ryan Humphrey	Hamilton Bulldogs	29	41	1.41
Roberto Mancini	Saginaw Spirit	27	39	1.44
Landon McCallum	Sudbury Wolves	24	36	1.50
Teddy Sawyer	Ottawa 67’s	27	35	1.30
Lawson Sherk	Hamilton Bulldogs	27	33	1.22
Nathan Poole	Kingston Frontenacs	20	31	1.55
Stepan Machacek	Owen Sound Attack	25	28	1.12
Faceoff Leaders
Player	Team	GP	FOA	FOW	%
Owen Beck	Mississauga Steelheads	28	586	359	61.3
Landon McCallum	Sudbury Wolves	24	279	164	58.8
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	26	669	385	57.5
Jacob Maillet	Windsor Spitfires	28	243	139	57.2
Max Namestnikov	Sarnia Sting	25	301	164	54.5
Cedrick Guindon	Owen Sound Attack	25	273	148	54.2
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	25	225	122	54.2
Danny Zhilkin	Guelph Storm	27	479	259	54.1
Amadeus Lombardi	Flint Firebirds	24	270	145	53.7
Ethan Larmand	Sudbury Wolves	24	381	200	52.5
Minumum 225 faceoffs
Shooting Percentage Leaders
Player	Team	GP	Shots	Goals	SH%
Jonathan Melee	Hamilton Bulldogs	26	21	6	28.6
Kyle Jackson	North Bay Battalion	26	53	15	28.3
Dean Loukus	Saginaw Spirit	25	32	9	28.1
Braeden Bowman	Guelph Storm	19	36	10	27.8
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough Petes	26	72	19	26.4
Thomas Johnston	Ottawa 67’s	22	28	7	25.0
Gavin Bryant	Owen Sound Attack	20	24	6	25.0
Nolan Burke	Sarnia Sting	25	59	14	23.7
Cameron Lowe	Erie Otters	25	17	4	23.5
Nolan Dann	Sarnia Sting	25	66	15	22.7

Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player	Team	GP	Min	GA	Avg
Brett Brochu	London Knights	22	1306	54	2.48
Jacob Oster	Guelph Storm	15	776	40	3.09
Dom DiVincentiis	North Bay Battalion	12	652	34	3.13
Patrick Leaver	Oshawa Generals	19	1083	58	3.21
Pavel Cajan	Kitchener Rangers	17	1023	55	3.23
Samuel Ivanov	Soo Greyhounds	20	1145	69	3.62
Nolan Lalonde	Erie Otters	22	1263	80	3.80
Ian Michelone	Flint Firebirds	8	476	32	4.03
Andrew Oke	Saginaw Spirit	14	782	55	4.22
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player	Team	GP	SH	SVS	SV%
Brett Brochu	London Knights	22	680	626	0.921
Patrick Leaver	Oshawa Generals	19	615	557	0.906
Pavel Cajan	Kitchener Rangers	17	574	519	0.904
Dom DiVincentiis	North Bay Battalion	12	324	290	0.895
Ian Michelone	Flint Firebirds	8	287	255	0.889
Jacob Oster	Guelph Storm	15	341	301	0.883
Nolan Lalonde	Erie Otters	22	668	588	0.880
Samuel Ivanov	Soo Greyhounds	20	551	482	0.875
Michael Simpson	Peterborough Petes	18	541	471	0.871

Spencer Sova – Erie Otters – Player Profile

Posted on December 29, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’	185	1-10-2004	D	Left	8^th – 2020	B – November	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	Under-15	Honeybaked Under-15	57	19	38	57
2020-21	Under-16	Honeybaked Under-16	3	0	0	0
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY

Spencer Sova of the Erie Otters. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

When it comes to Erie Otters defenceman Spencer Sova, there are varying mentions when it comes to his size. While some have him at 6-feet there are plenty that list him at 6-foot two-inches. If you go by NHL Central Scouting and the Ontario Hockey League, he is listed at 6-feet and 185 pounds and that is what we will go by here, even if my untrained eye says differently. Now that we got that out of the way…

While there are no future NHL franchise blueliners in the draft class, there are a handful that are very intriguing and Sova is one of them.

What stands out first with Sova is his skating. He is a smooth skating defenceman who has speed to burn. Offensively, he can make you pay with that speed by jumping up into the play and winning the race. Defensively, he uses that speed to close gaps and break up plays at his blueline, the neutral zone and surprisingly at the oppositions blueline to keep plays in the O-zone. And his edgework should not be overlooked and could be the best in the draft class. There are no flaws in his technique or mechanics.

In his own zone, Sova has all the tools to be a one-man breakout. He can make the stretch pass or he has all the tools necessary to skate it out on his own. However, and this may be a coaching decision when it comes to system, Sova along with his fellow blueliners are a safer bunch of chips it out and get to work type. To me, it doesn’t appear that he has the green light.

Whatever the case may be, Sova has some work to do in his own zone and again, you can say that about any blueliner at this stage. While the skating is that good that it can mask some of the issues it will just come to making better decisions with and without the puck in his zone. He’s shown improvement and I think his hockey sense is high enough that it all comes down to gaining experience.

Offensively, his production probably isn’t where it was expected to be at this point, but again the tools are there. His vision is very good, he can make a pass, he can create lanes with his skating and can delay the play with the puck on his stick to allow plays to develop. He is creating opportunities for his teammates but puck just isn’t finding the back of the net. He has a howitzer of a shot but he misses the target to many times. If he can get his accuracy to a better spot and not always shoot to blow it past netminders a.k.a shooting with a purpose, it will be just another tool in the chest for him.

Fairly or unfairly, Sova is compared to former Otter Jamie Drysdale. But in fairness, Drysdale possesses tools that Sova is lacking and vice versa.

A strong second half could see Sova climb up some rankings.

Jorian Donovan – Hamilton Bulldogs – Player Profile

Posted on December 28, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’2”	180	4-5-2004	D	L	6^th – 2020	B – Nov	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2018-19	Under-15	Upper Canada Cyclones	29	9	12	21
2019-20	Under-18	Kanata Lasers	38	8	19	27
2020-21	CCHL	Carlton Place Canadians	0	0	0	0

#75 Jorian Donovan of the Hamilton Bulldogs / Brandon Taylor/ OHL Images

When you search the independent scouting services available, you will find Hamilton Bulldogs defenceman Jorian Donovan ranked anywhere from a late first round pick to the middle of the second round in their 2022 NHL Entry Draft rankings. NHL Central Scouting has him as a B-prospect in their November Players to Watch List – typically meaning a second or third round pick.

Donovan won’t be the top defenceman selected from the OHL at the draft. But the sixth overall pick at the 2020 OHL Priority Selection is certainly going to draw a lot of attention to be the first one chosen “in the next group”.

Donovan is the son of former NHL’er Shean Donovan, who spent 15 seasons in the NHL and played 951 career games.

Donovan is a very good skater with some explosiveness and speed in his strides. Offensively, he uses those abilities to create space, quarterback the powerplay and create lanes. Defensively, he uses the abilities to get back and defend.

Donovan is very patient and understands that his first priority is to defend his own zone. He recognizes when his opportunities arise to jump up into the play and how to be the late man coming in the attack. He retrieves pucks in his own zone quickly and is even quicker to transition to offense with a good first pass or to skate it on his own- something he is more than capable of doing.

Donovan is an excellent puck handler and once he reaches top speed is difficult to contain and separate the puck and is excellent at using his body to protect the puck. While he can create space for himself, he has the vision, hockey sense and passing abilities to recognize where the next play is and usually makes the right decision. He has an excellent shot from the point that almost always finds the target and he shoots with a purpose – not always trying to beat the goaltender.

Defensively, his skating helps him with keeping gaps tight and forcing players to the outside. However, there are times you question whether he has made the right decision. That’s not a knock-on Donovan, because you can say that about any defenceman at this level. When you possess the hockey sense and the skating Donovan does, I believe everything else is coachable.

Donovan projects to be a solid two-way, second pairing defenceman at the next level if he reaches his potential.

Hunter Haight – Barrie Colts – Player Profile

Posted on December 27, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
5’10”	167	4-4-04	C	Right	9^th – 2020	B – NOV	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	Under – 16	Elgin Middlesex Chiefs	33	32	26	58
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY

Hunter Haight of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson, OHL Images.

For the 9^th overall pick at the 2020 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection that was deemed one of the top offensive producers in the 2022 NHL Draft Class from the OHL, it has not been a stellar start for Hunter Haight of the Barrie Colts. With just 5 goals and 6 assists in 19 games, more was expected because he is capable of more.

So, what’s the issue? Judging from what I have seen it is a size issue. Not so much his 5’10” but the measly 167 pounds he carries on that frame. Haight just isn’t capable of getting sustained time in front of the opposition net to get dirty chance goals as he is easily moved. And if you happen to be a good enough skater that you can catch him streaking down the wing, you can easily knock him off the puck.

That said, the skillset is definitely there and it should not be ignored. You can’t knock Haight’s effort. He plays the game with a lot of pace, is an extremely quick skater with the hands and the brains to go with it. Many times, you look at the same caliber player and suggest when his hands and brain catch up to his feet, he will be dangerous, but Haight is already there.

Haight’s ability to make plays at top speed is also pretty impressive. His skating – speed and edgework- allows him to maintain possession, buy time and with his IQ create space for himself and his teammates. He has the vision, creativity and playmaking skills to go along with that. He also has an NHL caliber shot already. The problem is that he is averaging just 1.7 shots per game, not enough for a player with his shot quality. Again, I attribute that to not having the muscle/size to get to the areas he needs to get too to get that shot off.

The most surprising thing, to me anyway, is that he has bought into what Coach Marty Williamson insists on and that is being a strong two-way player. There is no questioning Haight’s effort defensively, using his skating, IQ and the effort he brings at the other end of the ice to his own end.

There is no telling at this stage what NHL teams think of Haight. He certainly has the talent to be an early second round pick in the NHL Entry Draft. It will all come down to whether anyone has size concerns. If not, we could see him even go as high as a late first rounder, but if they do, he could even drop to the third round.

My perspective is this: When I look at Haight, I look back to Alex DeBrincat, not that I am comparing Haight to DeBrincat. But during his draft year, DeBrincat played at 5’7” and 160 pounds. Today, DeBrincat is playing at 167 pounds and is very successful and to put it simply, he found a way.

Haight is also going to have to find a way. Eventually, I think he will.

FRONTENACS, STEELHEADS AND STORM INCLUDED IN WEEK 12 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 12 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

Though idle last week, the third-ranked Kingston Frontenacs carry an eight-game winning streak into the holiday break, sitting atop the OHL standings with a record of 17-5-3-0. Overage forward Lucas Edmonds sits second in OHL scoring with 52 points (17-35–52) in 25 games along with a league-leading 121 shots on goal. The Fronts feature three players in Shane Wright (Canada), Leevi Merilainen (Finland) and Martin Chromiak (Slovakia) representing their respective countries at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.

The ninth-ranked Mississauga Steelheads are back inside the Top 10 following a three-week absence. The Trout rebounded from a loss to Kingston last Sunday to defeat the Hamilton Bulldogs 4-1 on the road Wednesday night before pulling into a first place tie atop the Central Division on Friday, defeating visiting North Bay 2-1. The Steelheads have surrendered a league-low 58 goals this season as overage netminder Roman Basran leads the OHL with a 2.40 goals-against average. James Hardie has paced Mississauga offensively with 18 goals and 32 points.

The Guelph Storm round out the Top 10, making their first appearance of the season. The Storm defeated the London Knights in a second consecutive meeting on Saturday, leapfrogging the Knights for top spot in the Western Conference standings. The 17-8-1-1 Storm are now 4-0 against London this season and have won eight of their last 10 games. Top scorer Sasha Pastujov, an Anaheim Ducks prospect, is representing the United States at the World Juniors. Guelph features three rookies with at least 15 points in forwards Matthew Poitras (9-12–21), Jake Karabela (3-16–19) and defenceman Michael Buchinger (0-15–15).

Entering the break on a six-game winning streak, the Barrie Colts received an honourable mention in Week 12. The Colts defeated the Ottawa 67’s 5-2 on the road Saturday afternoon to improve to 14-7-2-0.

For further analysis on the Week 12 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.

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.

BENNETT AND TULLIO NAMED OHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on December 20, 2021 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, December 19, 2021.

Generals’ Ty Tullio Named OHL Player of the Week

Edmonton Oilers prospect Ty Tullio of the Oshawa Generals is the OHL Player of the Week, posting four goals and three assists for seven points in two games.

Tullio took centre stage in consecutive performances, helping the Generals enter the holiday break on a four-game winning streak. He scored his first career OHL hat trick in natural fashion on Friday, earning first star honours as the Generals skated to a 4-2 win in Ottawa. He was back at it a night later in Peterborough, teaming up with linemate Stuart Rolofs to score and add three assists in an 8-4 win over the rival Petes.

A 19-year-old right-winger from Lakeshore, Ont., Tullio leads the Generals with 38 points (12-26–38) over 26 games in this, his third OHL season. Oshawa’s captain leads all OHL skaters with 21 power play points while sitting fourth with 119 shots on goal. He’s recorded 146 points (54-92–146) over 148 career regular season games with the Generals after being the club’s first round (11th overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. Tullio was a fifth round (126th overall) pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2020 NHL Draft. He signed an entry level NHL contract with the Oilers in September.

Tullio becomes the second Generals player to earn Player of the Week honours this season after rookie Calum Ritchie did so from Oct. 11-17.

Also considered for the award this week, Peterborough Petes forward Tucker Robertson recorded seven points (4-3–7) over three contests as the Petes played to a 1-2-0-0 record. Dallas Stars prospect Wyatt Johnston of the Windsor Spitfires recorded six points (2-4–6) in a pair of victories as the Spits surged to the top of the West Division.

2021-22 OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
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)

Storm’s Owen Bennett Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Owen Bennett of the Guelph Storm is the OHL Goaltender of the Week, helping the Storm secure first place in the Western Conference entering the holiday break with 25 saves in a win on Saturday.

Bennett earned his seventh win in eight starts, defeating the London Knights in a second straight outing with 25 saves on 26 shots as the Storm won 4-1 on home ice. The 6-foot-3 netminder earned third star honours in the game as Guelph leapfrogged London in the standings, improving to 17-8-1-1 as the top team in the Western Conference.

A 19-year-old native of Georgetown, Ont., Bennett owns a 9-5-1-0 record, 3.33 goals-against average, .875 save percentage and two shutouts over 15 games this season. The sophomore goaltender carries a career mark of 18-20-1-2 with a 3.71 goals-against average and .879 save percentage in 42 career regular season games with the Storm. He was Guelph’s fourth round (67th overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection.

Also considered for the award this week, Mississauga Steelheads goaltender Roman Basran made 26 saves in Saturday’s 2-1 win over the visiting North Bay Battalion, helping the Trout pull into a first place tie atop the Central Division. Zachary Paputsakis made 32 saves in the Oshawa Generals’ 4-2 road win over the Ottawa 67’s on Friday.

2021-22 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
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)

Luca Del Bel Belluz – Mississauga Steelheads – Player Profile

Posted on December 18, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’1”	178	11-10-2003	C	Left	51^st 2019	C Prospect	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
2018-2019	Under-16	Toronto Red Wings	31	20	12	32	18
2019-2020	OHL	Mississauga Steelheads	58	1	5	6	8
2020-2021	OHL	DID NOT PLAY

I feel that NHL Central Scouting’s ranking of a C-Prospect for Luca Del Bel Belluz if the Mississauga Steelheads was the result of the lost Ontario Hockey League season of a year ago due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. It has affected many players throughout the OHL and I wonder how things may be different had they OHL played. That said, it could all change come draft day in June.

Luca Del Bel Belluz of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Terry Wilson, OHL Images.

At 6’1, Del Bel Belluz has some good size but he is a lanky 178 pounds. He’s getting top line minutes and opportunities on the powerplay and his production has not disappointed. He currently leads Mississauga in assists with 17 and is second on the team in goals (14) and points (31) in just 26 games. He trails James Hardie by just one point. His 5 game winning goals leads the team easily. His 14 goals come on just 77 shots on goal for an 18.2 shooting-percentage, also tops on his squad.

There is much more to like about Del Bel Belluz than just his name. He is extremely creative with the puck, protects it well, has excellent vision and an uncanny ability to buy time and space for himself and his teammates. He is as effective at dishing the puck on his backhand as he is on his forehand. He can play the forecheck and cycle game very effectively. He’s not the hardest worker on the ice, but you can’t knock his effort.

Del Bel Belluz is effective in his own zone as well. He understands where the center needs to be and he gets there. He has somewhat of a long reach and is very effective in getting his stick in lanes and taking away opportunities. He can sometimes be overpowered by players his size, and this is where adding some bulk will help improve that part of his game.

His game is not all perfect. Skating, or more specifically his mechanics, needs some work. Some tweaking there will help him generate more power in both his first steps and overall speed. If he could have a separation gear, there’s no telling what he may be capable of. And that’s the thing with skating. As you move up in levels of hockey, the skating coaches improve but sometimes it’s not easy getting a player to change his mechanics when he’s been skating the same way for years.

Only time will tell if he can improve, but I know he will put the effort required into it. He’s trending up in the scouting world and I would bet that as of now, he is probably a mid to late second round pick.

FRONTENACS, BATTALION AND KNIGHTS INCLUDED IN WEEK 11 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on December 15, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 11 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

The WHL’s Winnipeg ICE and Edmonton Oil Kings hold down the top two spots on the list, but the Kingston Frontenacs have surged to third, riding an eight-game winning streak to an OHL-best record of 17-5-3-0. The Frontenacs took six points out of a three-in-three set with wins over Hamilton, Niagara and Mississauga last weekend, doing so without star centreman Shane Wright in the lineup. The overage duo of Lucas Edmonds and Jordan Frasca combined for 21 points, with the former claiming OHL Player of the Week honours while climbing to the top of the OHL scoring race. The red hot Frontenacs have dates with the Barrie Colts on Friday and the Oshawa Generals on Sunday heading into the holiday break.

The North Bay Battalion slide from sixth down to eighth this week, defeating the Soo Greyhounds 5-4 in overtime on Thursday before suffering consecutive one-goal losses to the Barrie Colts. Battalion forward Brandon Coe saw a 14-game point streak come to an end as he was held off the scoresheet in consecutive games for the first time all season. The 16-8-1-2 Troops are back in action with a three-in-three starting Thursday night at home to Niagara. They hit the road for games in Mississauga on Friday and Niagara on Saturday.

The 17-7-1-0 London Knights are still hanging around inside the Top-10, falling to 10th on the list. Without the services of captain Luke Evangelista and star goaltender Brett Brochu at Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp, the Knights fell 4-1 to the Windsor Spitfires at home on Friday before losing to the visiting Guelph Storm by a score of 4-0 on Saturday. Evangelista will return to the lineup this weekend as the Knights are scheduled to host the Owen Sound Attack on Friday before visiting Guelph on Saturday afternoon.

The Mississauga Steelheads are an honourable mention following wins in two of three outings last week. The Trout defeated the Peterborough Petes 2-1 in overtime on Thursday, bludgeoned the Niagara IceDogs by a score of 9-1 at home on Friday and fell to the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 5-3 on Sunday. The Steelheads sit three points back of first place North Bay in the Central Division.

For further analysis on the Week 11 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.

OHL CUP POWERED BY UNDER ARMOUR U16 AAA TOP 10 RANKINGS – WEEK 3

Posted on December 14, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Week 3 edition of the weekly U16 AAA rankings for the 2022 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament powered by Under Armour and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

The 2022 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour and hosted by the GTHL is scheduled for March 30 to April 4, 2022 and features 20 teams consisting of talent eligible for the 2022 OHL Priority Selection. All games will be played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday, April 4.

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament.

U16 AAA Rankings for the 2022 OHL Cup Powered by Under Armour – Week 3

Rank:	Team:	LAST WEEK	WEEKS RANKED
1	Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)	1	3
2	Mississauga Senators (GTHL)	2	3
3	Quinte Red Devils (OMHA)	4	3
4	Toronto Marlboros (GTHL)	5	3
5	Markham Majors (GTHL)	3	3
6	North York Rangers (GTHL)	6	3
7	Niagara North Stars (OMHA)	7	3
8	London Jr. Knights (ALLIANCE)	8	3
9	Ajax-Pickering Raiders (OMHA)	9	3
10	Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs (ALLIANCE)	10	2
	Honourable Mention:
	Markham Waxers (OMHA)	–	–
	Windsor Jr. Spitfires (ALLIANCE)	–	–
	Vaughan Kings (GTHL)	–	1

The Quinte Red Devils and Toronto Marlboros climb the charts for a second straight week. Quinte defeated the Clarington Toros 4-2 on Saturday, extending their winning streak to five games while improving to 18-0-3 atop the OMHA ETA standings. After a 2-2 tie against sixth-ranked North York on Saturday, the Marlboros took over first place in the GTHL standings on Monday, improving to 9-1-1 with a 3-1 win over the second-ranked Mississauga Senators.

For more information, visit OHLCup.ca.

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