OHL Writers Draft Eligible Player of the Month for March

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

It wasn’t exactly a barn burner of a March for the skaters when it comes to the players eligible for the National Hockey League Entry Draft. But it was probably the best month of the season for the goaltenders. Here’s our choices for draft eligible forward, defenceman and goaltender of the month.

Draft Eligible Forward of the Month – Max Namestnikov – Guelph Storm

We all know about the explosion of offence Namestnikov had once he was traded from the Sarnia Sting to the Guelph Storm. Max had just two assists in the month of March but tallied 12 goals in 11 games that raised his season total to 39. And 35 of those goals came after the trade, in just 47 games. He had goals in all but 3 of those 11 games and included 4 multi point games.

Also considered were Coulson Pitre of the Flint Firebirds with 4 goals and 7 assists in 9 games, Joey Willis of the Saginaw Spirit had 5 goals and 8 assists in 11 games and Brady Stonehouse of the Ottawa 67’s who had 7 goals and 4 assists in 10 games.

Draft Eligible Defenceman of the Month – Matthew Mania – Sudbury Wolves

Mania quietly put together a solid season for the Sudbury Wolves and the month of March was a very good one for him. He appeared in 12 games scoring 3 goals and adding 6 assists and a plus-7 to finish the season with 10 goals and 28 assists and a plus-21 while playing in 67 games.

Also considered was Hunter Brzustewicz who had 8 assists in 12 games for the Rangers.

Draft Eligible Goaltender of the Month – Charlie Robertson – North Bay Battalion

Robertson had a great start to the month of March posting consecutive shutouts beginning with a 20 save blanking of the Niagara IceDogs on March and 5 days later blanking the Oshawa Generals with a 28 save performance. Robertson went 5-0-0-0 in the month of March stopping 145 of 154 shots for a save-percentage of .942.

Also considered was Liam Sztuska of the Peterborough Petes who went 4-0-0-0 in 5 appearances and stopped 128 of 134 shots for a save-percentage of .955 and 1 shutout. Collin MacKenzie of the Ottawa 67’s was also considered as he posted a 7-0-0-0 record in 8 appearances with a .930 save-percentage.

We have to give a special shout out to Owen Flores of the Niagara IceDogs. He appeared in 10 games with two of those being in relief. Here are the shots he faced in his 8 full games: 66, 44, 46, 45, 48, 50, 58 and 36. In total, he stopped 399 of 440 shots he faced for a .907 save-percentage.

Forwards

Max Namestnikov – Guelph Storm – March

Nick Lardis – Hamilton Bulldogs – February

Colby Barlow – Owen Sound Attack – January

Quentin Musty – Sudbury Wolves – December

Quentin Musty – Sudbury Wolves – November

Ryan Abraham – Windsor Spitfires – October

Defencemen

Matthew Mania – Sudbury Wolves – March

Rodwin Dionicio – Windsor Spitfires – February

Rodwin Dionicio – Windsor Spitfires – January

Beau Akey – Sudbury Wolves – December

Brody Crane – London Knights – November

Hunter Brzustewicz – Kitchener Rangers – October

Goaltenders

Charlie Robertson – North Bay Battalion – March

Tristan Malboeuf – Hamilton Bulldogs – February

Jacob Oster – Oshawa Generals – January

Joey Costanzo – Windsor Spitfires – December

Andrew Oke – Saginaw Spirit – November

Collin MacKenzie – Ottawa 67’s – October

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Coulson Pitre – Flint Firebirds – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
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Kaden Pitre of the Flint Firebirds. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

Coulson Pitre played his U-16 hockey with the Richmond Hills Coyotes U-16 squad where he scored 11 goals and 20 assists in 27 games. The Windsor Spitfires selected him with the 73rd overall pick at the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. He sat out the 2020-2021 season because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In September 2021, the Flint Firebirds sent a 6th round pick and 15th round pick to the Spitfires for Coulson and he immediately signed a Standard Player Agreement. Interestingly enough, when the Firebirds acquired Pitre he stood 5’11” tall and just 150 pounds. He’s had a bit of a growth spirt and added some muscle to his frame.

With 2 goals and 3 assists in his first 10 games of the season, Pitre got off to a slow start but I was still intrigued. He picked it up and since the calendar flipped to 2023, he has notched 8 goals to go along with 8 assists in 14 games.

Pitre is a highly intelligent player who responds well on both sides of the puck. He plays in all situations including the PK but it’s his effectiveness 5-on-5 that draws interest in him. He’s an above average skater but doesn’t possess any after burners. Instead he uses his high IQ along with the skating skills he does have to be in the right places.

Pitre has shown great control with the puck on his stick and when you combine his vision with his IQ, he makes the right decision consistently. He’s is also a very elusive player and makes himself an option for his teammates. He’s also a gifted passer who identifies lanes and seam quickly and can deliver a tape-to-tape pass.

Pitre is a power forward. He does not shy away from contact whether he is delivering the physicality or on the receiving end of a hit to make a play. Willing to battle and fight through contact.

It’s not just about offence for Pitre. His three-zone game is very accomplished. I think it’s fair to say he plays a pro style game now.

I think if you’re drafting in the middle of the second round and Pitre is there, you have to take a shot at this player.

OHL ANNOUNCES TOP PERFORMERS OF THE MONTH FOR DECEMBER

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for regular season games played in December 2021, including Windsor Spitfires forward Wyatt Johnston, Mississauga Steelheads defenceman Ethan Del Mastro, Flint Firebirds forward Coulson Pitre and Barrie Colts goaltender Mack Guzda.

OHL Player of the Month – Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires):
Dallas Stars prospect Wyatt Johnston of the Windsor Spitfires is the OHL Player of the Month for December, sitting tied for the League lead with 19 points including seven goals and 12 assists over eight games to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-13. Johnston recorded points in seven of his eight outings as the Spitfires played to a December mark of 6-1-1-0, holding down second place in the West Division. Johnston opened the month with three assists, going 14-for-17 in the faceoff circle in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Erie Otters on Dec. 2nd. He built off that performance a night later, recording a career-high six points (2-4–6) as the Spitfires defeated the Sarnia Sting 7-5. The six points were the most in a single game by a Spitfires player since Josh Ho-Sang on Feb. 9, 2014. Johnston would proceed to post three more multi-point efforts, doing so with three point showings on Dec. 16th and 17th as Windsor defeated Sault Ste. Marie and Saginaw. Johnston rounded-out December on a five-game goal-scoring streak. He’s the first Spitfires player to claim OHL Player of the Month honours since Brendan Lemieux in December 2015.

An 18-year-old native of Toronto, Ont., Johnston sits fourth in OHL scoring with 46 points (18-28–46) in 27 games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-17. He currently leads all OHL players, having received recognition in the three stars of the game on 12 different occasions. Johnston was a first round (23rd overall) pick of the Dallas Stars in the 2021 NHL Draft, and signed a three-year entry level NHL contract with the club on Sept. 28, 2021. A former World Under-18 Hockey Championship gold medalist with Team Canada, Johnston was Windsor’s first round (6th overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.

OHL Defenceman of the Month – Ethan Del Mastro (Mississauga Steelheads):
Chicago Blackhawks prospect Ethan Del Mastro of the Mississauga Steelheads is the OHL Defenceman of the Month for December, leading OHL rearguards with 11 points, all assists, in nine games to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-9. Del Mastro helped the Steelheads ascend to first place in the OHL standings with assists in seven of his nine outings as Mississauga played to a December record of 8-1-0-0. The 6-foot-4, 206Ib. defender finished the month with six points in his last two contests, recording a pair of helpers in Wednesday’s 5-4 win over visiting North Bay. He racked up a career-high four assists in a first star performance on New Year’s Eve as the Steelheads defeated the Sudbury Wolves 8-2 on the road. Del Mastro is the first Steelheads blueliner to earn Defenceman of the Month honours since Nicolas Hague in March 2018.

An 18-year-old native of Freelton, Ont., Del Mastro has 21 points (4-17–21) through 28 games in his second OHL season. The Steelheads’ captain also boasts a League-leading plus-28 plus/minus rating. Del Mastro was Chicago’s fourth round (105th overall) pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. The former Canadian National Under-18 Team gold medalist was selected by the Steelheads with the 12th overall pick of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.

OHL Rookie of the Month – Coulson Pitre (Flint Firebirds):
Flint Firebirds forward Coulson Pitre is the OHL Rookie of the Month for December, recording four goals, seven assists and 11 points over eight games with a plus/minus rating of plus-6. Pitre posted four different multi-point efforts as the Firebirds went 4-3-0-1 in December, opening the month with goals in three consecutive games. Pitre recorded the first of two three-point efforts on Dec. 4th with a goal and two helpers in a 7-4 win over Owen Sound. He recorded three assists on Dec. 8th as Flint defeated the Erie Otters 9-6. Pitre is the first Firebirds player to ever earn OHL Rookie of the Month honours.

A 17-year-old native of Stouffville, Ont., Pitre sits tied for fourth among OHL rookies with 21 points (9-12–21) in 20 games with the Firebirds. Formerly a fourth round (73rd overall) pick by the Windsor Spitfires in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, Pitre was acquired by Flint in September 2021.

OHL Goaltender of the Month – Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts):
Mack Guzda of the Barrie Colts is the OHL Goaltender of the Month for December, playing to a 4-0-0-0 record with a league-best 1.45 goals-against average and .952 save percentage with one shutout. Guzda made at least 30 saves in three of his four wins, starting the month with back-to-back 32-save performances on Dec. 2nd and 11th as the Colts defeated Hamilton and North Bay on home ice. He recorded a 26-save shutout, his first as a Colt, on Dec. 12th in a 1-0 road win over the Battalion. Guzda finished December with a 30-save road win over Ottawa as the Colts skated to a 5-2 decision. Guzda is the first Barrie netminder to earn OHL Goaltender of the Month honours since Mackenzie Blackwood last did so in November 2015.

A 20-year-old native of Knoxville, Tenn., Guzda owns an overall record of 11-5-0-1 with a 2.77 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in 17 games between the Colts and Owen Sound Attack this season. Since joining Barrie on Nov. 19th, Guzda has played to a 6-1-0-0 mark. The 6-foot-5, 205Ib. fourth-year veteran owns a career OHL record of 69-50-10-7 with a 3.28 goals-against average and .892 save percentage with six shutouts over 147 regular season games. Owen Sound’s second round (31st overall) pick in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, Guzda attended rookie camp with the Buffalo Sabres last September.

2021-22 OHL Performers of the Month:

Player of the Month:
December – Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
November – Kyle Jackson (North Bay Battalion)
October – Sasha Pastujov (Guelph Storm)

Defenceman of the Month:
December – Ethan Del Mastro (Mississauga Steelheads)
November – Nathan Staios (Hamilton Bulldogs)
October – Jack Thompson (Sudbury Wolves)

Rookie of the Month:
December – Coulson Pitre (Flint Firebirds)
November – Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
October – Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)

Goaltender of the Month:
December – Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
November – Joe Vrbetic (North Bay Battalion)
October – Brett Brochu (London Knights)