Anthony Romani

Anthony Romani – North Bay Battalion – Player Profile

Posted on April 27, 2024May 12, 2024 by Dominic Tiano

Anthony Romani of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’1”	184	July 12, 2005	RW	R	41^st 2021	70^th N.A.	CAN

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-2020	GTHL U15	Toronto Jr Canadiens	32	28	13	41
2021-2022	OHL	North Bay	54	8	6	14
2022-2023	OHL	North Bay	66	23	20	43
2023-2024	OHL	North Bay	68	58	53	111

I don’t usually go into detail on draft re-entries, but Anthony Romani is an exception. One year ago, I had him ranked him 31st among OHL skaters—potentially too low. Now, after a strong season, he may require a higher pick. Not selecting Romani last year was a missed opportunity.

Though Romani lacks the flashy skills that often captivate fans, his consistent playmaking and scoring touch make him a dominant force. With a league-leading 58 goals and second with 111 points this season, Romani’s understated brilliance has put him in contention for the Red Tilson Award as the league’s most outstanding player.

Despite lacking above-average skating and physical abilities, Romani demonstrates elite hockey sense that few can match. His ability to evade coverage and get open for passes to unleash his much-improved shot is exceptional. While his stats portray him primarily as a goal scorer, he also makes plays from the wing, showcasing very good vision and a knack for finding teammates in scoring positions.

Though Romani’s offensive play has improved significantly, there are two areas where I did not see as much progress as I had hoped. First, Romani could use his size more effectively with a more physical style of play. While he still needs to fill out his frame, I believe he has the potential to be a bigger force if he adds more physicality to his game. Secondly, while his defensive skills are not terrible, I expected his defensive awareness to be further along given his high hockey IQ. With more focus on a physical presence and defensive fundamentals, Romani can take his game to the next level.

OHL’s Draft Eligible End-of-Season Statistical Leaders

Posted on March 30, 2024March 29, 2024 by Dominic Tiano

Zayne Parekh of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

The 2023-2024 Ontario Hockey League regular season has concluded, and the opening round of the playoffs is underway. However, we still have unfinished business from the regular season to address before the NHL Entry Draft.

As the Entry Draft scheduled for June 28-29 at the Sphere in Las Vegas approaches, we reflect on players eligible for the draft and review stats from the regular season across various categories.

A trio of North Bay Battalion players dominates the leaderboard: Dalyn Wakely and Owen Van Steensel, both in their third and final year of draft eligibility and Anthony Romani, entering the draft for the second time. With this being the likely final chance for Wakely and Van Steensel to impress scouts, and Romani looking to improve on his previous draft year, it’s reasonable to expect increased production from these veterans.

As expected, defenseman Zayne Parekh had a strong offensive season and finished among the league leaders in points. With 26 more points than Sam Dickinson, Parekh may have done enough to surpass Dickinson as the top defenseman prospect for the upcoming draft in June, but that question remains unsettled. Or does it?

In the crease, two of NHL Central Scouting’s top North American goaltenders solidified their places in the draft. The only question that remains “Is Carter George or Ryerson Leenders first off the board?” Only time will tell.

Here’s a look at the leaders in several different categories. While we put great effort into compiling stats, please refer to the OHL website for official stats.

Points Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Anthony Romani	North Bay	68	58	53	111
Dalyn Wakely	North Bay	66	39	65	104
Zayne Parekh	Saginaw	66	33	63	96
Liam Greentree	Windsor	64	36	54	90
Owen Van Steensel	North Bay	65	41	45	86
Marek Vanacker	Brantford	68	36	46	82
Beau Jelsma	Barrie	67	37	44	81
Ruslan Gazizov	London	63	36	45	81
Luke Misa	Mississauga	66	26	55	81
Pano Fimis	Erie	65	25	51	76
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player	Team		GP	G	GPG
Anthony Romani	North Bay		68	58	0.85
Owen Van Steensel	North Bay		65	41	0.63
Dalyn Wakely	North Bay		66	39	0.59
Beau Jelsma	Barrie		67	37	0.55
Liam Greentree	Windsor		64	36	0.56
Marek Vanacker	Brantford		68	36	0.53
Ruslan Gazizov	London		63	36	0.57
Zayne Parekh	Saginaw		66	33	0.50
Ryan Abraham	Windsor		64	31	0.48
Jacob Battaglia	Kingston		67	31	0.46
Assist Leaders
Player	Team		GP	A	APG
Dalyn Wakely	North Bay		66	65	0.98
Zayne Parekh	Saginaw		66	63	0.95
Luke Misa	Mississauga		66	55	0.83
Liam Greentree	Windsor		64	54	0.84
Jett Luchanko	Guelph		68	54	0.79
Anthony Romani	North Bay		68	53	0.78
Sam Dickinson	London		68	52	0.76
Nick DeAngelis	Sudbury		66	52	0.79
Pano Fimis	Erie		68	51	0.75
Luca Marrelli	Oshawa		67	51	0.76
Powerplay Goals
Player	Team			GP	PPG
Anthony Romani	North Bay			68	14
Jacob Battaglia	Kingston			67	12
Cole Beaudoin	Barrie			67	12
Liam Greentree	Windsor			64	11
Sam Dickinson	London			68	11
Zakary Lavoie	Brantford			67	11
Zayne Parekh	Saginaw			66	10
Ruslan Gazizov	London			63	10
Max Namestnikov	Guelph			68	10
Sam Alfano	Erie			66	9
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts
Zayne Parekh	Saginaw	66	33	63	96
Sam Dickinson	London	68	18	52	70
Henry Mews	Ottawa	65	15	46	61
Luca Marrelli	Oshawa	67	6	51	57
Nick DeAngelis	Sudbury	66	3	52	55
Jacob LeBlanc	North Bay	68	7	40	47
Luca D’Amato	Oshawa	67	13	33	46
Jakub Fibigr	Mississauga	61	7	36	43
Donovan McCoy	Sudbury	67	9	29	38
Anthony Cristoforo	Windsor	67	7	31	38
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player	Team			GP	+/-
Sam Dickinson	London			68	+56
Dalyn Wakely	North Bay			66	+54
Anthony Romani	North Bay			68	+43
Ruslan Gazizov	London			63	+42
Owen Van Steensel	North Bay			65	+41
Zayne Parekh	Saginaw			66	+39
Finn Harding	Mississauga			68	+39
Luke Misa	Mississauga			66	+35
Beckett Sennecke	Oshawa			63	+33
Sam O’Reilly	London			68	+32
Shooting Percentage Leaders
Player	Team	GP	Shots	Goals	SH%
Charlie Paquette	Guelph	68	94	21	22.3
Trent Swick	Kitchener	57	117	25	21.4
Nathan Aspinall	Flint	65	85	18	21.2
Luke Torrance	Oshawa	54	100	21	21.0
Owen Van Steensel	North Bay	65	196	41	20.9
Anthony Romani	North Bay	68	279	58	20.8
AJ Spellacy	Windsor	67	106	21	19.8
Cole Davis	Windsor	63	102	20	19.6
Gavin Bryant	Niagara	62	108	21	19.4
Justin Cloutier	Sault Ste Marie	68	125	24	19.2
Goaltending Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player	Team	GP	Min	GA	Avg
Jacob Oster	Oshawa	60	3569	168	2.82
Andrew Oke	Saginaw	41	2282	110	2.89
Jackson Parsons	Kitchener	51	2906	145	2.99
Collin MacKenzie	Ottawa	31	1690	86	3.05
Charlie Schenkel	Sault Ste Marie	47	2596	134	3.10
Ryerson Leenders	Mississauga	46	2672	139	3.12
Brayden Gillespie	Guelph	49	2777	146	3.15
Carter George	Owen Sound	56	3250	179	3.30
Mason Vaccari	Kingston	59	3364	199	3.55
Sam Hillebrandt	Barrie	36	1962	120	3.67
Ian Michelone	Ottawa	35	1819	113	3.73
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player	Team	GP	SH	SVS	SV%
Ryerson Leenders	Mississauga	46	1527	1388	0.909
Carter George	Owen Sound	56	1923	1744	0.907
Jacob Oster	Oshawa	60	1773	1605	0.905
Liam Sztuska	Peterborough	44	1719	1556	0.905
Collin MacKenzie	Ottawa	31	866	780	0.901
Sam Hillebrandt	Barrie	36	1191	1071	0.899
Brayden Gillespie	Guelph	49	1428	1282	0.898
Jackson Parsons	Kitchener	51	1403	1258	0.897
Andrew Oke	Saginaw	41	997	887	0.890
Owen Flores	Niagara	43	1501	1329	0.885
Charlie Schenkel	Sault Ste Marie	47	1143	1009	0.883
Charlie Robertson	Niagara	32	1074	947	0.882
Mason Vaccari	Kingston	59	1657	1458	0.880

OHL Writers Draft Eligible Players of the Month: March

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Dominic Tiano

The 2023-2024 Ontario Hockey League season will be remembered as one of the most competitive and unpredictable in recent memory. The fact that not a single playoff series was set until the last day of the season truly speaks volumes about the level of competition and passion in the league.

Today, we take a look at players eligible for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and who had the most impact in March with our forward, defenceman, and goaltender of the month.

Forward of the Month – Beckett Sennecke – Oshawa Generals

March was Sennecke’s best all-around month of the season and offensively he produced 6 goals and 12 assists in 10 games. He was a plus player in each game and he was kept off the scoresheet just twice. He also had 5 multi-point games.

Also considered were: Dalyn Wakely of the North Bay Battalion with 7 goals and 12 assists in 9 games; his teammate Anthony Romani with 11 goals and 6 assists in 10 games; Ruslan Gazizov of the London Knights with 8 goals and 7 assists in 9 games; Sam Alfano of the Erie Otters with 8 goals and 8 assists in 10 games.

Defenceman of the Month – Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit

For the third time in the season, Parekh is our choice here. In 11 games in March, Parekh had 5 goals and 11 assists and established himself as the top offensive blueliner in the draft. He was held pointless in just two of the games and was a minus player just twice.

Also considered were: Jakub Fibigr of the Mississauga Steelheads who had 1 goal and 12 assists in 11 games; Luca Marrelli of the Oshawa Generals who had 3 goals and 8 assists in 10 games; Henry Mews of the Ottawa 67’s had 4 goals and 6 assists in 12 games.

Goaltender of the Month – Jacob Oster – Oshawa Generals

Oster is a two-time goaltender of the month for us after we selected him in January as well. He appeared in 9 games in March and was a perfect 9-0-0-0. He stopped 223 of 244 shots he faced for a save percentage of .914. This will be Oster’s third and final year of draft eligibility.

Also considered were: Liam Sztuska of the Peterborough Petes who went 2-3-0 and had a save percentage of .915; Charlie Robertson of the Niagara IceDogs who went 1-3-0-1 with a save percentage of .913; Ryerson Leenders of the Mississauga Steelheads who went 3-0-2-0 with a save percentage of .917.

Our monthly choices:

Forward of the Month

Beckett Sennecke – Oshawa Generals – March

Ryan Abraham – Windsor Spitfires – February

Marek Vanacker – Brantford Bulldogs – January

Ruslan Gazizov – London Knights – December

Liam Greentree – Windsor Spitfires – November

Adrian Misaljevic – Kitchener Rangers – October

Defenceman of the Month

Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit – March

Sam Dickinson – London Knights – February

Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit – January

Sam Dickinson – London Knights – December

Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit – November

Jacob LeBlanc – Sarnia Sting – October

Goaltender of the Month

Jacob Oster – Oshawa Generals – March

Carter George – Owen Sound Attack – February

Jacob Oster – Oshawa Generals – January

Carter George – Owen Sound Attack – December

Jack Parsons – Kitchener Rangers – November

Brayden Gillespie – Guelph Storm – October

OHL Writers Draft Eligible Players of the Month: February

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Dominic Tiano

Forward of the Month – Ryan Abraham – Windsor Spitfires

If you like offence then February was your month and for us Abraham stood out the most. He’s a draft re-entry who appeared in 12 games in February and scored 9 goals while assisting on 11. He had points in all but 1 game and had a 5-point game on the 23^rd against the Guelph Storm.

Last months winner, Brantford’s Marek Vanacker was also considered. He had 5 goals and 12 assists in 12 games. Beau Jelsma of the Barrie Colts had 12 goals and 8 assists in 12 games. A trio of North Bay Battalion were also considered: Dalyn Wakely, Anthony Romani and Owen Van Steensel had 9 goals and 12 assists in 12 games.

Defenceman of the Month – Sam Dickinson -London Knights

Dickinson makes our cut for the second time this season after being our choice back in December. It was an excellent month of February where he scored 4 goals and added 16 assists in 12 games. He was held off the scoresheet just once, back in his first game of the month against the Erie Otters on February 2. He had seven 2-point games and one 3-point game in the month.

Consideration was also given to Saginaw Spirit defenceman Zayne Parekh, who was our choice in November and January. He had 6 goals and 9 assists in 11 games during the month of February He was held off the scoresheet just twice and made highlight reels throughout the month.

Goaltender of the Month – Carter George – Owen Sound Attack

January was a banner month for goaltenders, February not so much but George stood out. He started all but one of the Attacks 10 games in February and posted a 3-3-2-1 record with a .910 save percentage and 3.25 goals against average. George is the top ranked goaltender on NHL Central Scouting’s North American rankings and it’s easy to see why.

Consideration was given to Jacob Brown of the Flint Firebirds (3 games) with a .926 saver percentage; Collin MacKenzie of the Ottawa 67’s (2 games) with a .952 save percentage; and Owen Willmore of the London Knights (4 games) with a .915 save percentage but we felt they didn’t play enough games.

Our monthly choices:

Forward of the Month

Ryan Abraham – Windsor Spitfires – February

Marek Vanacker – Brantford Bulldogs – January

Ruslan Gazizov – London Knights – December

Liam Greentree – Windsor Spitfires – November

Adrian Misaljevic – Kitchener Rangers – October

Defenceman of the Month

Sam Dickinson – London Knights – February

Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit – January

Sam Dickinson – London Knights – December

Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit – November

Jacob LeBlanc – Sarnia Sting – October

Goaltender of the Month

Carter George – Owen Sound Attack – February

Jacob Oster – Oshawa Generals – January

Carter George – Owen Sound Attack – December

Jack Parsons – Kitchener Rangers – November

Brayden Gillespie – Guelph Storm – October

OHL Writers Draft Eligible Player of the Month: January

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Dominic Tiano

A new month is upon us and it’s time we look at our draft eligible players of the month at forward, defence and in the crease. January was not an easy month to make our selections because there were a few deserving players at each position, especially among goaltenders where it was a banner month for the draft eligible goaltenders. The is the best goalie class to come from the OHL in quite some time, so enjoy it while you can.

Forward of the Month: Marek Vanacker – Brantford Bulldogs

Vanacker appeared in 11 games for the Bulldogs in January scoring 11 goals and adding 7 assists that included 2 game winning goals. He had three multi goal games and was held off the scoresheet just once in the Bulldogs first game of January. He leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 26 goals and 52 points in 45 games.

Also considered were a pair of North Bay Battalion. Anthony Romani had 11 goals and 7 assists in 11 games that included three multi point games. He was held off the scoresheet in two games. Dalyn Wakely had 7 goals and 12 assists in those 11 games. He was held pointless just once in January.

Defenceman of the Month: Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit

There wasn’t much debate here or even Discussion: Parehk takes it by a landslide. In just 11 games (there was a 2-game suspension in there as well, Parekh scored 9 goals and assisted on 12. He also finished with a plus-12. Six of his 9 games were multi point games with 5, 4, 3, 2,2 and 2 points in those games. He was held pointless in just two games, once at the beginning of the month and once at the end.

There was no one else that really garnered consideration from us.

Goaltender of the Month: Jacob Oster – Oshawa Generals

We literally could have flipped a coin here but eventually settles on Oster. He appeared in 11 of the 13 Generals games in January and posted a 7-3-1-0 record while stopping 290 of the 312 shots faced for a .929 save percentage and 2.00 goals against average. He currently sits second in the OHL with a .905 save percentage and also second with 2.86 goals against average.

Also considered were: Ryerson Leenders of the Mississauga Steelheads who posted a 4-5-1-0 record with a .922 save percentage and 2.50 goals against average. Rookie Landon Miller of the Soo Greyhounds had a 4-1-0-0 record with a .925 save percentage, 1.60 goals against average and 1 shutout.

Our monthly choices:

Forward of the Month

Marek Vanacker – Brantford Bulldogs – January

Ruslan Gazizov – London Knights – December

Liam Greentree – Windsor Spitfires – November

Adrian Misaljevic – Kitchener Rangers – October

Defenceman of the Month

Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit – January

Sam Dickinson – London Knights – December

Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit – November

Jacob LeBlanc – Sarnia Sting – October

Goaltender of the Month

Jacob Oster – Oshawa Generals – January

Carter George – Owen Sound Attack – December

Jack Parsons – Kitchener Rangers – November

Brayden Gillespie – Guelph Storm – October

ROMANI AND OSTER NAMED OHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on January 9, 2024 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, January 7th, 2024.

Battalion’s Anthony Romani Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

North Bay Battalion forward Anthony Romani is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week for the second time this season, contributing four goals and two assists while registering a plus-4 rating in three games.

Romani scored a goal and added an assist on Thursday, being named the game’s second star as the Battalion defeated the Brantford Bulldogs 4-2. He found the scoresheet again on Friday, tallying a pair of goals in the Battalion’s 5-2 road win over the Ottawa 67’s. Romani closed out the weekend with a third consecutive multi-point contest, extending his current point streak to 15 games with a goal and an assist in a 3-2 loss to the Kitchener Rangers. Romani has compiled 13 goals, 15 assists and 28 points throughout the course of his 15-game point streak that dates back to Nov. 25th.

An 18-year-old from Pickering, Ont., Romani ranks second among all OHL point producers this season, recording 61 points (31-30–61) through 38 outings as the Battalion own a record of 18-14-5-1. The 6-foot-1, 184Ib. right-wing was North Bay’s third-round (41st overall) pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 program. In 158 regular season games, Romani has put up 62 goals, 56 assists and 118 points. He’s reached the Eastern Conference Championship Series with the Battalion in each of the past two seasons, recording 12 points (9-3–12) across 33 career playoff games. Romani attended rookie camp with the Carolina Hurricanes this past September.

Also considered for the award this week, overage forward Connor Lockhart of the Oshawa Generals recorded six points (4-2–6) in four games. Sudbury Wolves forward Kocha Delic was also productive, recording five points (1-4–5) in a pair of wins last week.

2023-24 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Anthony Romani (North Bay Battalion)
Dec. 28 – Dec. 31: Sam Dickinson (London Knights)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 18: Ruslan Gazizov (London Knights)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Nick Lardis (Brantford Bulldogs)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Pano Fimis (Erie Otters)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Matyas Sapovaliv (Saginaw Spirit)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Donovan McCoy (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Denver Barkey (London Knights)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Braeden Kressler (Flint Firebirds)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Kirill Kudryavtsev (Soo Greyhounds)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Anthony Romani (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Carson Rehkopf (Kitchener Rangers)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Jordan D’Intino (Soo Greyhounds)
Sep. 28 – Oct. 1: Jax Dubois (Peterborough Petes)

Generals’ Jacob Oster Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Jacob Oster of the Oshawa Generals is the OHL Goaltender of the Week for the third time this season, playing to a 2-2 record with a 1.77 goals-against average, and .952 save percentage.

Making a total of 139 saves last week, Oster stopped 30 of the 33 shots that came his way on New Year’s Day as the Generals came up short against the first place Kitchener Rangers by a score of 3-2. Oster returned to the crease on Wednesday, making 42 saves to earn first star honours in a 1-0 loss at home to the Soo Greyhounds. He turned away another 32 shots on Saturday as the Generals earned their first win of the new year, defeating the Flint Firebirds 10-2. The 6-foot-3, 190lb. netminder closed out the weekend with a 35-save performance to earn first star honours on Sunday in Saginaw, helping the Generals defeat the Spirit by a score of 5-1.

A 19-year-old from Ottawa, Ont., Oster has played to a 15-13-3-1 record this season, posting a 3.03 goals-against average, and .905 save percentage. He currently sits second in OHL minutes played (1,884) and saves (903) this season. Selected in the fifth-round (92nd overall) by the Guelph Storm in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, the veteran goaltender has appeared in 115 career regular season contests, recording a 3.48 goals-against average and .887 save percentage over three seasons, going 48-44-8-4 in the process. Oster attended training camp with the Los Angeles Kings last September.

Also considered for the award this week, Michael Simpson of the London Knights went 2-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .943 save percentage, becoming the first goaltender to 20 wins with a league-low 2.73 goals-against average.

2023-24 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Jacob Oster (Oshawa Generals)
Dec. 28 – Dec. 31: Brayden Gillespie (Guelph Storm)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 18: Jacob Oster (Oshawa Generals)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Marcus Vandenberg (Niagara IceDogs)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga Steelheads)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Carter George (Owen Sound Attack)
Nov. 8 – Nov. 12: Jackson Parsons (Kitchener Rangers)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 7: Jacob Oster (Oshawa Generals)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Sam Hillebrandt (Barrie Colts)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Brayden Gillespie (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga Steelheads)
Sep. 28 – Oct. 1: Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga Steelheads)

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

OHL ANNOUNCES TOP PERFORMERS OF THE MONTH FOR DECEMBER

Posted on January 2, 2024 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Month for regular season games played in December 2023.

Player of the Month – Ruslan Gazizov (London Knights)

London Knights forward Ruslan Gazizov is the OHL Player of the Month for December, leading the league with 24 points including six goals and 18 assists over 11 games as the Knights played to a mark of 8-3-0-0. The 5-foot-11, 185lb. Gazizov registered points in nine of his 11 outings, headlined by a four-point showing on Dec. 14th, followed by a season-high five-point performance on Dec. 15th., scoring a goal and four assists in London’s 8-2 win over the Owen Sound Attack. He proceeded to score twice on Dec. 17th at home to Sudbury, closing out the first half with an overtime game-winner. Gazizov racked up eight different multi-point performances in the month of December, helping the Knights enter the new year on a six-game winning streak.

Selected by the Knights in the first round, 12th overall of the 2021 CHL Import Draft, the 19-year-old comes-off a a solid first half of the season, registering 42 points (15-27-42) in 35 games. Gazizov continues his third-year campaign in London, tallying 48 goals, 70 assists, and 118 points over 145 career OHL regular season contests.

Also considered for the award this month, North Bay Battalion forward Anthony Romani registered eight goals, 13 assists, and 21 points (8-13-21) in 11 games played throughout December. He enters January on a 12-game point streak.

Defenceman of the Month – Nick DeAngelis (Sudbury Wolves)

Sudbury Wolves blueliner Nick DeAngelis is the OHL Defenceman of the Month, riding an OHL season-high 17-game point streak into the month of January. DeAngelis recorded two goals, 13 assists, and 15 points over 11 December outings as the Wolves closed-out 2023 in first place in the Central Division. DeAngelis started the month with a career-high four assist performance as the Wolves beat the Barrie Colts 9-6 on Dec. 1st. He’s recorded at least a point in every game since Nov. 15th., the longest point streak by a Wolves blueliner in the last 25 years of OHL history. DeAngelis becomes the first Wolves blueliner to earn OHL Defenceman of the Month honours since Jack Thompson in October 2021.

A 19-year-old from King City, Ont., DeAngelis leads the Wolves offensively from the back end with 29 points (2-27–29) over 33 games this season along with a plus/minus rating of plus-13. The third-year veteran has registered a total of eight goals, 60 assists, and 68 points over 163 regular season contests spent between the Wolves and the Windsor Spitfires. The 6-foot-2, 195Ib. left-shot defenceman was originally selected in the second round (36th overall) by the Spitfires in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection before joining the Wolves this season. He attended training camp with the Columbus Blue Jackets in September.

Also considered for the award, Vancouver Canucks prospect and OHL scoring leader Hunter Brzustewicz (1-14–15) of the Kitchener Rangers and 2024 NHL Draft prospect Sam Dickinson (6-9–15) of the London Knights each registered 15 points in the month of December.

Goaltender of the Month – Marcus Vandenberg (Sudbury Wolves)

Marcus Vandenberg of the Sudbury Wolves is the OHL Goaltender of the Month for December, playing to a 6-2-1-1 record with a 3.07 goals-against average and .901 save percentage over 10 games spent between Sudbury and the Niagara IceDogs. Vandenberg, who was acquired by Sudbury on Dec. 8th after backstopping Niagara to wins over Kitchener and Peterborough to begin the month, proceeded to win his first two starts with Sudbury in wins over Kingston and Flint. He ended December with consecutive wins, making 22 saves in a victory over North Bay on Dec. 29th and 33 stops in Sault Ste. Marie as the Wolves defeated the West Division-leading Greyhounds 5-1 on Dec. 30th. Vandenberg is the first Wolves goaltender to claim the honour since Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in December 2018.

A 19-year-old from Dorchester, Ont., Vandenberg has played to a season mark of 7-8-3-1 with a 3.61 goals-against average and .888 save percentage between Sudbury and Niagara. Selected by the Kitchener Rangers in the ninth round (177th overall) of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, Vandenberg has appeared in 49 career regular season contests, tallying a 16-20-5-1 record, 3.71 goals-against average and .889 save percentage over three seasons.

Also considered for the award this month, Oshawa Generals netminder Jacob Oster played to a 5-2-1-0 record with a 2.76 goals-against-average and .898 save percentage. Brayden Gillespie of the Guelph Storm also remained solid between the pipes, recording a 5-3-1-0 record with a 2.83 goals-against-average and .900 save percentage.

Rookie of the Month – Jake O’Brien (Brantford Bulldogs)

Brantford Bulldogs forward Jake O’Brien is the OHL Rookie of the Month, recording 15 points, including three goals and 12 assists over 10 appearances in December. O’Brien registered five multi-point showings over the course of the month, tallying 10 points in his last four games. He recorded a career-high three-point showing on Dec. 28th in a 5-4 win over the Oshawa Generals, followed by another three-point showing on Dec. 31st. O’Brien now ranks second among all OHL rookie skaters in points, registering 28 (5-23-28) through 27 games this season. O’Brien becomes the first Bulldogs player to be named OHL Rookie of the Month since Matthew Strome in March 2016.

A 16-year-old from Toronto, Ont., O’Brien currently ranks second in OHL rookie scoring with 28 points (5-23–28) through 27 games this season. The Toronto, Ont. native was selected eighth overall by the Bulldogs in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 AAA program. Crowned a 2023 OHL Cup champion, the 6-foot-1, 165Ib. forward was awarded the tournament’s Most Valuable Player Award, registering 17 points (7-10-17) through seven games played last spring.

Also considered for the award, 2024 NHL Draft prospect Sam O’Reilly of the London Knights was also a front-runner, collecting 15 points (3-12–15) over 11 games in December.

2023-24 OHL Performers of the Month:

Player of the Month:
December – Ruslan Gazizov (London Knights)
November – Filip Mesar (Kitchener Rangers)
October – Carson Rehkopf (Kitchener Rangers)

Defenceman of the Month:
December – Nick DeAngelis (Sudbury Wolves)
November – Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit)
October – Hunter Brzustewicz (Kitchener Rangers)

Goaltender of the Month:
December – Marcus Vandenberg (Sudbury Wolves)
November – Jackson Parsons (Kitchener Rangers)
October – Brayden Gillespie (Guelph Storm)

Rookie of the Month:
December – Jake O’Brien (Brantford Bulldogs)
November – Cole Davis (Windsor Spitfires)
October – Carter George (Owen Sound Attack)

OHL Writers Draft Eligible Players of the Month: November

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Dominic Tiano

It was a wild and crazy month in the Ontario Hockey League and it’s not always easy to select the best performances among forwards, defencemen and goaltenders. Yet, here we are doing just that among the players eligible for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

Forward of the Month: Liam Greentree – Windsor Spitfires

There were a lot of options here but ultimately decided on Greentree because of what he is doing on the League’s last place club. Greentree posted 9 goals and 9 assists in just 10 games in November and is a bright spot on a season Spitfires’ fans would like to forget. He’s creating a lot of chances for himself and his teammates and he’s making them count. Greentree has 17 goals and 18 assists in 22 games on the season and leads the Spits in most offensive categories.

Also considered were: Anthony Romani of the North Bay Battalion who had 9 goals and 6 assists in 11 games; Kocha Delic of the Sudbury Wolves who had 6 goals and 10 assists in 11 games; Trent Swick of the Kitchener Rangers who notched 8 goals and 9 assists in 13 games and Simon Slavicek of the Flint Firebirds who scored 5 goals and 11 assists in 12 games.

Defenceman of the Month: Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit

It was an easier decision on the blueline where Parekh put up 7 goals and 12 assists in 11 games. He was held off the scoresheet just twice and only 2 games were not multi point games. He had a hattrick on November 8 against Flint – the first of his OHL career.

Parekh finished with a minus in just one game in November, a 3-1 win over the Windsor Spitfires. It just happened to be one of the games he went pointless in as well. Parekh now has 9 goals and 22 assists in 23 games on the season.

Also considered was Ottawa 67’s defenceman Henry Mews who had 2 goals and 10 assists in 10 games. Returning after missing 3 games, Mews put up points in 7 of his 10 games with all but two of them being multi-point games. He now has 3 goals and 15 assists in 20 games on the season.

Goaltender of the Month: Jackson Parsons – Kitchener Rangers

Perhaps an even easier decision was selecting Parsons. Yes, he plays on a great Rangers squad but he is one of the reasons they are so good. He made 11 appearances in November and posted a 9-1-0-0 record. As good as Kitchener is as a team, Parsons still faced some rubber stopping 303 of 323 shots he faced for a .937 save-percentage, 2.05 goals-against-average and 2 shutouts.

Parsons faced 30 or more shots in 7 of his 10 complete games in November and is 7^th among OHL goalies in shots faced on the season. Parsons is now 14-5-0-0 on the season with a 2.43 goals-against-average and .921 save-percentage. So, he is not just the beneficiary of playing on a good team.

We didn’t really consider anyone else as our nominee.

Our monthly choices:

Forward of the Month

Liam Greentree – Windsor Spitfires – November

Adrian Misaljevic – Kitchener Rangers – October

Defenceman of the Month

Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit – November

Jacob LeBlanc – Sarnia Sting – October

Goaltender of the Month

Jack Parsons – Kitchener Rangers – November

Brayden Gillespie – Guelph Storm – October

ROMANI AND GILLESPIE NAMED OHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, October 22, 2023.

Battalion’s Anthony Romani Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

North Bay Battalion forward Anthony Romani is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, scoring five goals while adding an assist while registering a plus-7 rating in a pair of games.

Romani scored a pair of goals and added an assist on Thursday, being named the game’s second star as the Battalion came up just short against the visiting Mississauga Steelheads in a 7-6 final. He earned first star honours on Sunday, scoring his first career OHL hat trick as the Troops defeated the Flint Firebirds 6-4 at the Gardens.

An 18-year-old from Pickering, Ont., Romani is off to a strong start to his third OHL season, recording 15 points (8-7–15) through 10 outings as the Battalion own a record of 5-3-1-1. The 6-foot-1, 184Ib. right-winger was North Bay’s third round (41st overall) pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 program. In 130 regular season games, Romani has put up 39 goals, 33 assists and 72 points. He’s reached the Eastern Conference Championship Series with the Battalion in each of the past two years, recording 12 points (9-3–12) across 33 playoff games. Romani attended rookie camp with the Carolina Hurricanes last month.

Also considered for the award this week, North Bay Battalion teammate Dalyn Wakely recorded seven points (2-5–7) in two games. Mississauga Steelheads winger Porter Martone was also a standout, putting up seven points (4-3–7) over three outings. Kitchener Rangers defenceman Hunter Brzustewicz climbed to the top of OHL scoring with seven points (1-6–7) in three games last week.

2023-24 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Anthony Romani (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Carson Rehkopf (Kitchener Rangers)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Jordan D’Intino (Soo Greyhounds)
Sep. 28 – Oct. 1: Jax Dubois (Peterborough Petes)

Storm’s Brayden Gillespie Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Brayden Gillespie of the Guelph Storm is the OHL Goaltender of the Week following a pair of wins where he posted a 1.50 goals-against average and .929 save percentage.

Gillespie continued his excellent start to the season, backstopping the Storm to a 3-1 win over the Barrie Colts on Friday with a 20-save performance. He returned to the crease on Saturday, making 19 saves as the Storm defeated the Kingston Frontenacs 6-2.

An 18-year-old from Oakville, Ont., Gillespie leads the OHL with a 1.88 goals-against average to go with a 5-2-0-0 record, .933 save percentage and one shutout through seven games this season. The 5-foot-11, 155Ib. netminder was the Storm’s 11th round (207th overall) pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection from the North York Rangers U16 program. Gillespie split the 2022-23 season between the Storm and the Ayr Centennials of the GOJHL. He owns a career regular season mark of 18-8-2-1 with a 3.06 goals-against average, .891 save percentage and two shutouts in 32 contests.

Also considered for the award this week, Charlie Schenkel of the Soo Greyhounds went 1-1 with a 1.51 goals-against average and .945 save percentage, recording a 31-save shutout on Thursday in Peterborough. Brantford Bulldogs rookie David Egorov played to a 1-0 mark across two appearances, posting a 0.70 goals-against average and .980 save percentage.

2023-24 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Brayden Gillespie (Guelph Storm
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga Steelheads)
Sep. 28 – Oct. 1: Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga Steelheads)

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.

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