Domenic DiVincentiis

CRANE AND RANGER NAMEDOHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on November 15, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, November 13th.

Knights’ Brody Crane Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

Brody Crane of the London Knights is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording four goals, three assists and seven points in three games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-3.

Helping the Knights to a perfect 3-0 showing, Crane opened up the weekend with a pair of goals on Friday as London defeated visiting Barrie in a thrilling 5-4 overtime win. He registered a career-high four points on Saturday, scoring twice while adding two assists as the Knights defeated the Windsor Spitfires 6-1. The 5-foot-11, 185lb. forward contributed another assist on Sunday as the Knights closed out the weekend with a 4-2 win over the Soo Greyhounds.

An 18-year-old native of Union, Ont., Crane has produced six goals, eight assists and 14 points in 16 games this season. The former fourth round (62nd overall) pick by the Knights in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection has registered 14 goals, 15 assists and 29 points in 72 career regular season games. The son of former Knights, Ottawa 67’s and Windsor Spitfires forward Derrick Crane (1990-93), Brody attended rookie camp with the New Jersey Devils this past fall.

Also given consideration for the award this week were recent award recipient Deni Goure of the Owen Sound Attack, who recorded three goals, five assists and eight points (3-5-8) in four games. Logan Morrison of the Hamilton Bulldogs was also a standout, recording one goal and six helpers (1-6-7) over three outings.

2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
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)

Wolves’ Joe Ranger Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Joe Ranger of the Sudbury Wolves is the OHL Goaltender of the Week with two wins, a goals-against average of 2.00 and a save percentage of .931.

Defending the crease in back-to-back victories, Ranger turned aside 32 of the 35 shots that came his way as Sudbury opened up the weekend with a 6-3 victory over the Guelph Storm on Friday. The 6-foot, 191lb. netminder returned to the crease on Saturday, stopping 22 of the 23 shots he faced as the Wolves dominated the Kitchener Rangers in a 6-1 win at home.

A 20-year-old from Carp, Ont., Ranger owns a 6-6-2-0 record with a 3.37 goals-against average and .902 save percentage in 14 games this season. The former fourth round (63rd overall) pick by the Mississauga Steelheads in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection currently holds a 28-25-7-0 record in 69 regular season OHL appearances between Sudbury and Mississauga.

A pair of other candidates were given consideration for the award as North Bay Battalion netminder Dom DiVincentiis went 2-0 on the weekend, recording a 2.00 goals-against average and .930 save percentage in wins over Barrie and Guelph. Kitchener Rangers goaltender Marco Costantini went 2-1-0-0, posting a 2.36 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.

2022-23 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
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.

BEGLIERI AND MINTYUKOV NAMEDOHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on October 11, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, October 9, 2022.

Spirit’s Pavel Mintyukov Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

Anaheim Ducks prospect Pavel Mintyukov of the Saginaw Spirit is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording four goals along with three assists for seven points over three games.

Mintyukov led the Spirit, recording one goal and one assist in a 7-4 win against the Sarnia Sting on Friday, continuing his efforts in a two-point night on Saturday against the Windsor Spitfires. The six-foot-three, 195 lb. blueliner closed out the weekend with two goals and an assist on Sunday to help Saginaw defeat the Sudbury Wolves 5-2 at home as he now leads all OHL players with 12 points (5-7-12) on the season.

An 18-year-old rearguard, Mintyukov was selected in the first round (10th overall) by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2022 NHL Draft. The former first round (52nd overall) pick by the Spirit in the 2020 CHL Import Draft recorded 17 goals, 45 assists and 62 points last season, becoming the first defenceman to ever lead the Spirit in regular season scoring.

Also given consideration for the award this week were Spirit teammate and Vegas Golden Knights prospect Matyas Sapovaliv, who recorded seven points, scoring four goals and three assists. Sudbury Wolves sophomore forward Quentin Musty was also a standout, recording seven points (3-4–7) in a three-game weekend for the Wolves.

2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Tucker Robertson (Peterborough Petes)

Steelheads’ Alessio Beglieri Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Alessio Beglieri of the Mississauga Steelheads is the OHL Goaltender of the Week with two victories, a 0.96 goals-against average, .961 save percentage and one shutout.

Beglieri stopped 35 of the 37 shots that came his way on top of two shootout attempts as the Steelheads won 3-2 over the Erie Otters despite being outshot 37-26 on Friday. The 5-foot-11, 170Ib. goaltender returned to the crease on Saturday, stopping 14 shots for his first career OHL shutout in a 4-0 triumph over the Owen Sound Attack.

An 18-year-old from Nidau, Switzerland, Beglieri was selected by the Steelheads in the first round (33rd overall) of the 2022 CHL Import Draft and remains undefeated in three appearances for Mississauga this season.

A pair of other candidates were given consideration for the award as North Bay Battalion netminder and Winnipeg Jets prospect Dom DiVincentiis posted 47 saves in a pair of outings, recording a 1.44 goals-against average and .940 save percentage. Peterborough Petes goaltender Michael Simpson blocked 26 shots for the shutout on Saturday, posting a 1.52 goals-against average and .949 save percentage in two appearances.

2022-23 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Alessio Beglieri (Mississauga Steelheads)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)

Domenic DiVincentiis – North Bay Battalion – Player Profile

Posted on May 29, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

HT	WT	DOB	POS	CATCHES	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’2”	181	3-4-04	G	L	116^th 2020	24^th NA	CANADA

Domenic DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Robert Lefebvre/OHL Images

I will admit that I am baffled at NHL Central Scouting’s ranking of North Bay Battalion Goaltender Domenic DiVincentiis. I am even more baffled that they dropped him eleven spots from their mid term ranking to their final ranking among North American Goaltenders. That change dropped him from fourth among OHL goaltenders to seventh. The fact is, there are plenty of OHL people that believe he is the top OHL goaltender for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

Among draft eligible netminders, DiVincentiis finished with the best goals-against-average (winning the Dinty Moore Trophy as the rookie goaltender with the lowest GAA) and third best save-percentage, surpassed only by two draft re-entry or “overagers”. The Battalion coaching staff had enough confidence in him to start half their playoff games over the older and much more experienced teammate Joe Vrbetic.

At 6’2” DiVincentiis has good size. There are aspects of his game that are further ahead in development. He’s an athletic goaltender who is excellent on his skates and enables him to go post-to-post or dart out to the top of the paint quickly. His technique is also very good. He is square to shooters, stays tall in his net and I like how he gives opponents little to no room when in the reverse-VH. While he is no Mike Smith, he handles the puck pretty well.

Like any goaltender at this level, DiVincentiis doesn’t come without some warts – or more fairly, things to work on. His rebound control needs work as does his ability to fight through traffic to see how the play is developing. In tight with traffic, he also needs some work at staying focused and tracking the puck. These are all fixable through coaching as long as he is willing to put in the work and the effort. There is nothing to suggest he won’t.

DiVincentiis was part of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence last summer, so they too saw something in the young netminder. I’ve said it before, but I don’t believe this year’s draft class to be a great class among OHL goaltenders. We may not see one selected until late in the third round, maybe early fourth. But DiVincentiis should get some consideration to be the first one selected.

A Look at NHL Central Scouting’s Final Draft Ranking

Posted on May 7, 2022May 6, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

So, I am not going to break down NHL Central Scouting’s rankings in its entirety, just those Ontario Hockey League players ranked (or not ranked). After all, this sight is all about the OHL, right?

Let’s begin in the blue paint. One name that we have been pushing on OHL Writers for most of the season is Patrick Leaver of the Oshawa Generals. We selected Leaver as our Draft Eligible Goaltender of the Year at the end of the regular season. Central scouting showed him a lot of love on their final list as Leaver had the highest jump among ranked OHL netminders climbing 13 spots from 29 on the midterm rankings to 16 on the final rankings.

Leaver wasn’t the only netminder with a massive jump. Niagara IceDogs Josh Rosenzweig went from unranked on the midterm list to 22 on the final list.

Of course, when you have risers, they must be accompanied by fallers and the OHL had their share. Brett Brochu of the London Knights dropped 15 spots from 16 to 31. Dom DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion dropped 10 spots from 14 to 24.

When it comes to skaters, we have been big fans of Christian Kyrou of the Erie Otters since about the drop of the puck this season. We gave him serious consideration as our Draft Eligible Defenceman of the Year. In the annual OHL Coach’s Poll he was voted the most improved player in the Western Conference and the Most Underrated Player in the Western Conference as well as the second-best Offensive Defenceman in the Western Conference. Among draft eligible defencemen, he finished first in goals, second in points and third in assists. Central Scouting (finally) moved him up a whopping 131 spots from 179 to 48.

But that wasn’t the biggest jump. Matthew Maggio of the Windsor Spitfires jumped 149 spots from being not ranked (there were 251 players ranked on the midterm rankings so we used 252 as Maggio was not ranked) all the way up to 103 on the final rankings. Among draft eligible players, Maggio finished second in goals, assists and points. He was our runner up to Draft Eligible Forward of the Year. In the Coach’s Poll, he finished just ahead of Kyrou as the most improved player in the Western Conference and tied for third as the Hardest Worker in the Western Conference.

But the highest jump belonged to Amadeus Lombardi of the Flint Firebirds who moved up from not being ranked all the way to 94 on the final rankings. I can’t understand how he was not ranked on their midterm ranking, but they got this right.

Another player that deserves mentioning is David Goyette of the Sudbury Wolves who moved up 22 spots from 35 to 13. It’s a massive jump in its own right as that puts Goyette in the bottom third of the first round instead of middle second. And that’s a much-deserved spot for him. He deserves first round consideration.

Two of the biggest fallers are Ruslan Gazizov and Colton Smith, both of the London Knights who dropped from 62 to 149 and 129 to being not ranked respectively. For Comparison’s sake, Bob McKenzie had Gazizov at 15 and Smith as an honorable mention on his midterm rankings (only 80 players were ranked).

I do think that Central Scouting got a couple of Guelph Storm prospects correctly. For most of the season, Matthew Poitras was ranked ahead of Danny Zhilkin on a lot of lists. Poitras was ranked 23 on the midterm rankings and drops to 45 while Zhilkin was ranked 27 and drops to 35. We’re not saying we agree with the overall ranking, but that Zhilkin is rightfully ranked ahead of Poitras and we’ve been saying that for some time.

Vsevolod Gaidamak of the Ottawa 67’s was the highest ranked player on Central Scouting’s midterm rankings to fall off the chart on their final ranking. He went from 121 to being not ranked.

Nice to see a little love for James Hardie of the Mississauga Steelheads who moved up 56 spots from 204 to 148. But we are also surprised to see Tucker Robertson drop 53 spots from 109 to 162.

If you are looking for our final list, it usually comes out after the Memorial Cup. Until then, here is NHL Central Scouting’s rankings with their midterm and final ranking shown:

PLAYER	TEAM	NHL MID	NHL FIN
Shane Wright	Kingston	1	1
Pavel Mintyukov	Saginaw	5	6
Luca Del Bel Belluz	Mississauga	11	8
Owen Beck	Mississauga	19	10
David Goyette	Sudbury	35	13
Matyas Sapovaliv	Saginaw	13	23
Michael Buchinger	Guelph	36	30
Ty Nelson	North Bay	25	32
Bryce McConnell-Barker	Soo	28	34
Danny Zhilkin	Guelph	27	35
Vinzenz Rohrer	Ottawa	46	42
Hunter Haight	Barrie	47	44
Matthew Poitras	Guelph	23	45
Christian Kyrou	Erie	179	48
Paul Ludwinski	Kingston	29	49
Gavin Hayes	Flint	68	51
Isiah George	London	42	53
Servac Petrovsky	Owen Sound	52	58
Cedrick Guindon	Owen Sound	76	59
Jake Karabela	Guelph	61	62
Pano Fimis	Niagara	77	75
Spencer Sova	Erie	28	80
Jorian Donovan	Hamilton	39	81
Evan Konyen	Sudbury	88	85
Beau Jelsma	Barrie	137	88
Amadeus Lombardi	Flint	252	94
Matthew Maggio	Windsor	252	103
Lucas Edmonds	Kingston	107	104
Kiriil Kudryavtsev	Soo	103	108
Liam Arnsby	North Bay	66	115
Rodwin Dionicio	Niagara	132	118
Kocha Delic	Sudbury	200	122
Jackson Edward	London	75	123
Tnias Mathurin	North Bay	152	126
Zakary Lavoie	Mississauga	124	134
Samuel Mayer	Peterborough	120	139
James Hardie	Mississauga	204	148
Ruslan Gazizov	London	62	149
Aidan Castle	Owen Sound	155	151
Brady Stonehouse	Ottawa	138	152
Nolan Collins	Sudbury	252	153
Kyle Jackson	North Bay	182	158
Tucker Robertson	Peterborough	109	162
Gavin Bryant	Owen Sound	160	179
Bryce Cook	Niagara	163	183
Braeden Bowman	Guelph	217	194
Kai Schwindt	Mississauga	252	196
Sam Alfano	Peterborough	190	207
Max Namestnikov	Sarnia	219	211
Landon Sim	London	213	215
Kasper Larsen	Mississauga	252	220
Kirill Steklov	London	196	221
Roberto Mancini	Saginaw	195	222
Caeden Carlisle	Soo	252	223
Vsevolod Gaidamak	Ottawa	121	225
Colton Smith	London	129	225
Stuart Rolofs	Oshawa	142	225
Bryce Cook	Niagara	163	225
Tyler Savard	Soo	183	225
Brody Crane	London	188	225
Ryan Abraham	Windsor	210	225
Nolan Dann	Sarnia	225	225
Simon Slavicek	Flint	LV	225

GOALIES		NHL MID	NHL FIN
Andrew Oke	Saginaw	8	9
Nolan Lalonde	Erie	10	14
Patrick Leaver	Oshawa	29	16
Charlie Schenkel	Soo	12	17
Jacob Oster	Guelph	15	18
Josh Rosenzweig	Niagara	33	22
Domenic DiVincentiis	North Bay	14	24
Marco Costantini	Hamilton	33	29

OHL Writers Draft Eligible Player of the Year

Posted on April 23, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images

You’ll have to trust me when I say “this was no easy decision” especially since for this year only, we are including players re-entering the draft for the second time (thanks to the lost COVID Season). But we also expanded it so that instead of picking one player, we are picking one forward, one defenceman and one goaltender. So, here we go!

FORWARD

It took some time for consensus number 1 pick Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs to reach the top of the lists in statistical categories, but he got there. At the turn of the calendar year, Wright was fifth among draft eligible players in points and assists and ninth in goals. But by the time the season had ended, he led in points, assists and fifth in goals.

There was a point in the season where some pundits were wondering out loud if there was anyone who could challenge Wright as the first overall pick and he did nothing but silence that crowd in the second half of the season.

Consideration was also given to our draft eligible player of the month in January and March (separated only by Wright in February): Matthew Maggio of the Windsor Spitfires. Not ranked by NHL Central Scouting on their mid-term rankings, the draft re-entry finished second in goals, assists, points and powerplay goals among draft eligible players. Maggio will certainly draw some interest from NHL scouts with the only thing left to be determined is whether that interest will come in the form of a draft pick or a development camp invite.

DEFENCEMAN

I can’t recall a decision that was as difficult to make as this one. It came down to two defenders: 1) In our opinion the top ranked defenceman out of the OHL and 2) a defenceman that wasn’t even on NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings. They are: Pavel Mintyukov of the Saginaw Spirit and Christian Kyrou of the Erie Otters and we decided that is the order they would finish.

What Mintyukov did on the second last place Saginaw squad was just simply amazing. He led all draft eligible defencemen in points and was second in goals and assists. He finished third among all defencemen in the OHL just 4 points off the leader and led the Spirit in scoring. To put it simply, the offence ran through him. He was named the OHL defenceman of the month for March.

Kyrou finished first among draft eligible defencemen in goals, second in points and third in assists. He was fourth among all OHL defencemen in scoring. Kyrou’s Otters also missed the playoffs (9 points better then Saginaw) and Kyrou finished third on the Otters in scoring. Here’s to hoping Kyrou opened some eyes and he should be one of the biggest risers in draft rankings.

GOALTENDER

In the crease we gave the nod to Patrick Leaver of the Oshawa Generals. Leaver was named our draft eligible goaltender of the month in November, January and February and was our only repeat winner among goaltenders.

Among draft eligible goaltenders, Leaver finished fifth in goals-against-average, second in save-percentage, third in wins, second in minutes played, and second in shutouts. He was named the OHL’s goaltender of the week on three occasions and the runner up twice. You could regularly find Leaver in the OHL’s Save of the Week highlights throughout the season.

Leaver was not listed on NHL Central Scouting’s players to watch list at the start of the season. He did crack Central Scouting’s mid-term list as the 29^th ranked goaltender among North Americans.

Consideration was also given to Michael Simpson of the Peterborough Petes. While his numbers on the season won’t blow your socks off, on many nights Simpson was the Petes best player. It’s hard to imagine where the Petes would have been without him and he saved the best for last as he was named the OHL’s goaltender of the month for April and helping the Petes secure a playoff spot.

Statistically speaking, the nod probably should have gone to Dom DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion. But we felt his 27 games played didn’t match up to Leaver’s 49 games played or Simpson’s 45 games played.

Our monthly choices throughout the season were as follows:

FORWARDS

March – Matthew Maggio – Windsor Spitfires

February – Shane Wright – Kingston Frontenacs

January – Matthew Maggio – Windsor Spitfires

December – Luca DelBelBelluz – Mississauga Steelheads

November – Kyle Jackson – North Bay Battalion

October – Tucker Robertson – Peterborough Petes

DEFENCEMEN

March – Pavel Mintyukov – Saginaw Spirit

February – Michael Buchinger – Guelph Storm

January – Christian Kyrou – Erie Otters

December – Kirill Kudryavtsev – Soo Greyhounds

November – Gavin While – Hamilton Bulldogs

October – Ty Nelson – North Bay Battalion

GOALTENDERS

March – Dom DiVincentiis – North Bay Battalion

February – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

January – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

December – Pavel Cajan – Kitchener Rangers

November – Patrick Leaver – Oshawa Generals

October – Brett Brochu – London Knights

OHL ANNOUNCES 2021-22 REGULAR SEASON AWARD WINNERS

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CAJAN AND MORRISON NAMED OHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on February 14, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, February 13, 2022

Bulldogs’ Logan Morrison Named OHL Player of the Week

Hamilton Bulldogs forward Logan Morrison is the OHL Player of the Week with two goals, seven assists and nine points in three games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-8.

Morrison put up three consecutive multi-point performances as the Bulldogs won a pair of games last week. He recorded two assists in his return from injury on Tuesday, helping Hamilton double-up the first place Mississauga Steelheads 4-2 on the road. Morrison followed up with a four-point effort, scoring and adding three helpers at home on Friday as the Bulldogs defeated the Barrie Colts 5-1 for their seventh straight win. He ended the weekend with a goal and two assists on Sunday afternoon in Kingston, extending his current point streak to 12 games as the Bulldogs fell just short, losing 5-4 to the Frontenacs. Morrison is the first Bulldogs player to earn OHL Player of the Week honours since Jan Jenik in November 2019.

A 19-year-old from Guelph, Ont., Morrison leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 55 points including 18 goals and 37 assists over 34 games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-26. The 6-foot, 180Ib. centre has also won 57.5 percent of his faceoffs this season. Morrison. Now in his third OHL season, Morrison has recorded 134 points (55-79–134) over 140 career regular season games. He was Hamilton’s first round (18th overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection from the Guelph Gryphons U16 program. He attended training camp with the Los Angeles Kings last fall.

Also considered for the award this week, Kingston Frontenacs forward Jordan Frasca recorded three goals, five assists and eight points in three games as the Fronts won a pair last week. North Bay Battalion forward and OHL scoring leader Brandon Coe recorded three goals, four assists and seven points as the Troops won three in a row.

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

Rangers’ Pavel Cajan Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Pavel Cajan of the Kitchener Rangers is the OHL Goaltender of the Week, stopping 109 shots across a pair of victories to post a 3.46 goals-against average and .940 save percentage.

Cajan was the difference in Kitchener’s 6-4 win over the London Knights on Friday’s CHL on TSN broadcast, stopping 44 shots as the Rangers defeated their division rival for the first time since December 2019. He returned to the crease on Saturday, stopping an OHL season-high 65 shots as the Rangers defeated the host Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on a game winner by Joseph Serpa. Cajan becomes the first Rangers netminder to stop 60 shots in a regular season game since Reg Bourcier on Oct. 1, 1999 against Erie. Luke Opilka made 64 saves in a playoff game on Mar. 29, 2017 against Owen Sound. Cajan helped the Rangers pick up four points despite their being outshot 116-63.

A 19-year-old native of Hlubos, Czechia, Cajan has played to a 12-9-1-1 record with a 3.37 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 23 games this season. The 6-foot-2, 174Ib. goaltender was selected by Kitchener in the first round (49th overall) of the 2020 CHL Import Draft.

Also considered for the award this week, Xavier Medina of the Windsor Spitfires played to a 2-0 record with a 1.50 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in victories over Saginaw and London. Rookie Dom DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion also went 2-0, posting a 2.00 goals-against average and .925 save percentage as the Troops defeated Niagara and Sudbury.

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

OHL 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

HOCKEY CANADA RECOGNIZES 13 OHL PLAYERS INVITED TO 2021 NATIONAL SUMMER UNDER-18 TEAM DEVELOPMENT CAMP

Posted on July 9, 2021July 9, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has recognized 13 Ontario Hockey League players as part of a group of 45 players invited to attend Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team Development Camp at Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on the Tsuut’ina Nation near Calgary from July 25th to Aug 4th. Sarnia Sting head coach Alan Letang, Ottawa 67’s goaltending coach Charles McTavish and Kingston Frontenacs equipment manager Chris Cook have also been recognized, along with Owen Sound Attack therapist Andy Brown, North Bay Battalion therapist Andrew Sachkiw and Guelph Storm mental performance consultant Dr. Ashwin Patel.

One OHL goaltender, four defencemen and eight forwards were recognized as invitees to the 11-day camp. Players will be split into two teams, Red and White, and participate in practices and intrasquad games, including combined practices and intrasquad games with Canada’s National Junior Team on Aug. 2nd and 3rd.

“This stage of our Summer Showcase is about bringing together the top under-18 players in Canada to work and learn from an elite-level coaching staff, giving them the necessary skills for their hockey development to grow and succeed,” said Alan Millar, director of player personnel for Hockey Canada. “We have an opportunity to connect with the players through on- and off-ice sessions to give them the tools that will only enhance their skill set as they advance through our program and prepare for the upcoming season.”

Letang, who was appointed head coach of the Sting late last month after serving behind the Attack bench, will return to Canada’s coaching staff. Letang won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship and, as a player, helped Canada’s National Men’s Team to a 1998 Spengler Cup championship and won a bronze medal at the 2006 Deutschland Cup.

The camp is typically a stepping stone in evaluating and selecting Canada’s roster for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but Canada will not participate this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The focus will now turn to the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship next spring, where Canada will look to defend their gold medal after claiming the top prize at this year’s tournament in Texas.

OHL Players Invited to Canada’s National Summer Under-18 Team Development Camp

Goaltenders:
Domenic DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)

Defencemen:
Jorian Donovan (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Donovan McCoy (Sudbury Wolves)
Ty Nelson (North Bay Battalion)
Spencer Sova (Erie Otters)

Forwards:
Sam Alfano (Peterborough Petes)
Pano Fimis (Niagara IceDogs)
David Goyette (Sudbury Wolves)
Cedrick Guindon (Owen Sound Attack)
Hunter Haight (Barrie Colts)
Paul Ludwinski (Kingston Frontenacs)
Bryce McConnell-Barker (Soo Greyhounds)
Matthew Poitras (Guelph Storm)

Coaches:
Assistant Coach – Alan Letang (Sarnia Sting)
Goaltending Coach – Charles McTavish (Ottawa 67’s)
Equipment Manager – Chris Cook (Kingston Frontenacs)
Therapist – Andy Brown (Owen Sound Attack)
Therapist – Andrew Sachkiw (North Bay Battalion)
Mental Performance Consultant – Dr. Ashwin Patel (Guelph Storm)

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