CLARKE AND SZTUSKA NAMED OHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, March 19, 2023.



Colts’ Brandt Clarke Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

Los Angeles Kings prospect Brandt Clarke of the Barrie Colts is the OHL Player of the Week, recording five goals, six assists and 11 points in three games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-9.

Clarke started off his week with a pair of goals and assists on Wednesday, including the game-tying goal as the Colts fell to the Mississauga Steelheads 6-5 in a shootout. He found the scoresheet again on Friday, recording two helpers including one on Ethan Cardwell’s overtime winner as the Colts defeated the Owen Sound Attack 5-4. Clarke extended his current point streak to 15 games with a career-high five point night on Sunday, finishing with a hat trick, two assists and first star honours in a high-scoring 11-4 win over the Niagara IceDogs.

A 20-year-old from Nepean, Ont., Clarke leads the OHL with 1.97 points-per-game, recording 59 points (21-38–59) through 30 games since returning from winning gold with Canada at the World Juniors. Clarke has produced a franchise record 156 career points (38-118–156) by a Colts defenceman, doing so in 142 regular season games. Now in his third season with Barrie, Clarke was voted to the League’s second all-star team in 2021-22, recording 59 points (11-48–59) in 55 games. The blueliner was Barrie’s first round (4th overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection from the Don Mills Flyers U16 program. He was a first round (8th overall) pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2021 NHL Draft, and signed a three-year entry level NHL contract with the club on Aug. 10, 2021. He played in nine games with Los Angeles earlier this season, recording two assists in the process.

Also considered for the award this week, Braeden Bowman of the Guelph Storm produced three goals, seven assists, 10 points and a shootout winner in three victories last week. Overage captain Mitchell Smith of the Saginaw Spirit contributed four goals, including his first career hat trick and an overtime winner, along with three assists for seven points in three games played.

2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
Mar. 6– Mar. 12: Sahil Panwar (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Christian Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Braeden Bowman (Guelph Storm)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Nolan Burke (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Sean McGurn (London Knights)
Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Sahil Panwar (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: James Hardie (Mississauga Steelheads)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Colby Barlow (Owen Sound Attack)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Bryce McConnell-Barker (Soo Greyhounds)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Connor Lockhart (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Evan Vierling (Barrie Colts)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Ryan Gagnier (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Quentin Musty (Sudbury Wolves)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Jorian Donovan (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Matthew Poitras (Guelph Storm)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Brody Crane (London Knights)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Matvey Petrov (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Deni Goure (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Tucker Robertson (Peterborough Petes)



Petes’ Liam Sztuska Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Liam Sztuska of the Peterborough Petes is the OHL Goaltender of the Week, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.86 goals-against average and .947 save percentage.

Stopping 72 of the 76 shots he faced, Sztuska defended the crease in a pair of victories for the Petes last week. He turned aside 43 of the 45 shots that came his way on Tuesday as Peterborough defeated the visiting Mississauga Steelheads 5-2. Sztuska subbed-in for Michael Simpson in the third period of a 3-2 loss in Sudbury on Friday, stopping all three shots he faced. The 6-foot, 181lb. netminder was back in the crease on Sunday, making 26 saves in a 5-2 win over the Niagara IceDogs.

An 18-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., Sztuska owns a record of 10-7-0-0 with a 2.98 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 18 games this season. Sztuska was Peterborough’s fifth round (94th overall) pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Titans U16 program.

Also in the running for the award this week, Andrew Oke of the Saginaw Spirit recorded a two-win week with a 2.92 goals-against average, and .920 save percentage. Charlie Schenkel of the Soo Greyhounds played to a 1-1 mark with a 2.58 goals-against average and .928 save percentage.

2022-23 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Liam Sztuska (Peterborough Petes)
Mar. 6 – Mar. 12: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Zach Bowen (London Knights)
Jan 30 – Feb. 5: Nate Krawchuk (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan 23 – Jan. 29: Jacob Oster (Oshawa Generals)
Jan 16 – Jan. 22: Mason Vaccari (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan 9 – Jan. 15: Matteo Drobac (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Marco Costantini (Kitchener Rangers)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Owen Flores (Niagara IceDogs)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Joe Ranger (Sudbury Wolves)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Carter George (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Ivan Zhigalov (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Alessio Beglieri (Mississauga Steelheads)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)


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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OHL Writers Draft Eligible Player of the Month for November

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
Quentin Musty of the Sudbury Wolves. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

The month of November saw some surprising yet great performances both individually and by teams. Unfortunately, there were some less than stellar performances as we are left waiting for some of the 2023 National Hockey League Entry Draft eligible players to break out, for lack of a better term.

The good outweigh the disappointing so we’ve got that covered as we name our draft eligible goaltender, defenceman and forward for the 2023 draft.

Our monthly choices:

Draft Eligible Forward of the Month – Quentin Musty – Sudbury Wolves

Normally, I would not put a player on the list that received a suspension, but what are you going to do? Musty’s suspension occurred during his last game of the month so, I couldn’t ignore the rest of the month. What exactly did he do? Well, he put up points in all 9 games he appeared in and totaled 3 goals and 12 assists for 15 points in those 9 games. Musty is now 4th in scoring among draft eligible players and leads them all in assists.

Also considered were Luca Pinelli of the Ottawa 67’s with 6 goals and 9 assists in 12 games and Dalyn Wakely of the North Bay Battalion with 11 goals and 6 assists in 13 games.

Draft Eligible Defenceman of the Month – Brody Crane – London Knights

London Knights defenceman Brody Crane appeared in 12 games in the month of November and scored 4 goals while assisting on 10 others. Crane had back-to-back two goal games in mid-November. He was held pointless just three times and never in back-to-back games. His 6 goals and 14 assists on the season have him second in scoring among draft eligible defencemen.

Also considered was Crane’s teammate Oliver Bonk who posted 3 goals and 11 helpers in 12 games and was named the OHL Rookie of the Month for November.

Draft Eligible Goaltender of the Month – Charlie Schenkel – Soo Greyhounds

With an August 16, 2004, birthdate, Charlie Schenkel was eligible for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft but went unselected and is eligible to re-enter the draft for 2023. He made five starts in November and came away with a 2-1-1-1 record with a 2.16 goals-against-average and a .921 save-percentage. His best performance of the month was a 35-save shutout against the Mississauga Steelheads on November 25.

Schenkel sits sixth in the OHL with a goals-against-average of 3.00 and fifth with a save-percentage of .912.

Also considered was Andrew Oke of the Saginaw Spirit – also a draft re-entry – who went 4-0-0-0 with a .926 save-percentage.

Forwards

Quentin Musty – Sudbury Wolves – November

Ryan Abraham – Windsor Spitfires – October

Defencemen

Brody Crane – London Knights – November

Hunter Brzustewicz – Kitchener Rangers – October

Goaltenders

Andrew Oke – Saginaw Spirit – November

Collin MacKenzie – Ottawa 67’s – October

BECK AND MACKENZIE NAMEDOHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, October 23, 2022.



Steelheads’ Owen Beck Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck of the Mississauga Steelheads is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording three goals, six assists and nine points in two games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-2.

Beck tied a Steelheads record for most points in a single game on Friday, recording one goal and five assists in an 8-2 win over the Hamilton Bulldogs while also going 13-for-17 in the faceoff circle. His five assists equaled an all-time franchise record, marking the first time a Steelheads player has hit that mark since Nathan Bastian on Oct. 12, 2016 against Guelph. Beck continued his strong play on Saturday in Barrie, registering two goals and an assist as the Steelheads fell to the Colts in a narrow 6-5 defeat.

A 19-year-old native of Port Hope, Ont., Beck has produced six goals, six assists and 12 points in his seven games this season. He was a second round (33rd overall) pick of the Montreal Canadiens this past summer following 21 goals, 30 assists and 51 points in 68 games last season. Last year’s OHL and CHL Scholastic Player of the Year was originally Mississauga’s second round (29th overall) pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Quinte Red Devils U16 program.

Also given consideration for the award this week were fellow Montreal Canadiens prospect Filip Mesar of the Kitchener Rangers, who recorded three goals and three assists including an overtime winner in his first two OHL contests. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Ty Voit of the Sarnia Sting was also a standout, recording one goal and seven helpers (1-7-8) over three games to rise to the top of the OHL scoring race.

2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit) 
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Tucker Robertson (Peterborough Petes)
 



67’s’ Collin MacKenzie Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Collin MacKenzie of the Ottawa 67’s is the OHL Goaltender of the Week with two victories, a 0.60 goals-against average and a .976 save percentage, helping Ottawa continue its run of undefeated hockey to begin the 2022-23 season.

After the 67’s took a Thursday night win in North Bay, MacKenzie took the crease on Friday in Sault Ste. Marie, stopping 21 of the 22 shots that came his way before turning aside a new OHL record 15 consecutive Greyhounds shootout attempts. Gavin Ewles would end the second-longest shootout in OHL history in the 15th round as Ottawa improved to 8-0 with a 2-1 victory. The 67’s fell behind the Sudbury Wolves 3-0 on Sunday afternoon, prompting Ottawa coach Dave Cameron to put MacKenzie into the game 4:58 into the second period. He proceeded to stop all 14 shots he faced as the 67’s scored five unanswered goals to win 5-3 and extend their winning streak to nine games.

A 17-year-old from Elora, Ont., MacKenzie owns a 3-0-0-0 record with a 1.50 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in three games this season. The former eighth round (160th overall) pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection is a perfect 7-0-0-0 in his OHL career.

A pair of other candidates were given consideration for the award this week, including Owen Sound Attack netminder Nick Chenard who went 2-0-0-0 last week, posting a 1.50 goals-against average and .954 save percentage. Soo Greyhounds goaltender Charlie Schenkel was MacKenzie’s counterpart in Friday’s shootout marathon, stopping 33 shots through 65 minutes before turning away 14 of the 15 Ottawa shooters he faced in the shootout.

2022-23 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Ivan Zhigalov (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Alessio Beglieri (Mississauga Steelheads)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)


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.