BRYANT AND WILLMORE 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, February 4, 2024.



IceDogs’ Gavin Bryant Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

Gavin Bryant of the Niagara IceDogs is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, contributing two goals, five assists and seven points while registering a plus-3 rating in three games.

Bryant found the score sheet on Thursday, registering a goal in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Sudbury Wolves. Bouncing back on Saturday, the 5-foot-11, 192lb. forward tallied a pair of assists including one on the game-winner to help Niagara defeat the Peterborough Petes 5-4 in extra time. Bryant closed out the weekend tying his career-high single-game high of four points with a goal and three primary assists in a 6-4 win over the North Bay Battalion on Sunday.

A 19-year-old from Ingersoll, Ont., Bryant has recorded 36 points (13-23–36) through 42 outings this season. Originally selected in the second round (37th overall) by the Owen Sound Attack in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Brantford 99ers AAA U16 program, Bryant has tallied 32 goals, 68 assists, and 100 points over 135 regular season games between the Attack and the IceDogs.

Also considered for the award this week, Colorado Avalanche prospect and January OHL Player of the Month Calum Ritchie of the Oshawa Generals scored two times and added five assists to help the Generals earn nine points. OHL Rookie of the Month Riley Patterson of the Barrie Colts was also productive, contributing a total of four goals and three helpers on the road last week.

2023-24 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Jan. 29 – Feb. 4: Gavin Bryant (Niagara IceDogs)
Jan. 22 – Jan. 28: Liam Greentree (Windsor Spitfires)
Jan. 15 – Jan. 21: Quentin Musty (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 14: Oliver Bonk (London Knights)
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)



Knights’ Owen Willmore Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Owen Willmore of the London Knights is the OHL Goaltender of the Week following three wins including a shutout, with a 1.96 goals-against average and .918 save percentage.

Stopping a total of 67 shots last week, Willmore turned aside all 24 attempts he faced on Tuesday to earn his first career OHL shutout and first star honours as the Knights blanked the Kitchener Rangers 4-0. The 6-foot-3, 180lb. netminder was back in the crease with a 22-save performance on Friday to help the Knights defeat the Erie Otters 5-3. Willmore closed out his week stopping 24 of the 27 shots that came his way along with four shootout attempts in a 4-3 win road over the Owen Sound Attack on Saturday.

A 19-year-old hometown product, Willmore owns a season mark of 11-4-0-2, posting a 3.12 goals-against average and .895 save percentage. Selected in the 14th round (279th overall) by the Knights in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, Willmore has appeared in 23 games over two season, registering a 3.32 goals-against average and .886 save percentage. He appeared in three games in last year’s OHL Championship Series, going 1-1 with a 1.44 goals-against average and .958 save percentage.

Also in the running for the award this week, Winnipeg Jets prospect Dom DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion played to a 2-0 record including a shutout, with a 2.00 goals-against average, and .918 save percentage. Nick Surzycia of the Sarnia Sting was also solid in the crease, playing to a 2-0 mark with a 2.40 goals-against average and .922 save percentage.

2023-24 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Jan. 29 – Feb. 4: Owen Willmore (London Knights)
Jan. 22 – Jan. 28: Sam Hillebrandt (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 15 – Jan. 21: Matteo Drobac (Brantford Bulldogs)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 14: Michael Simpson (London Knights)
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 ACADEMIC PLAYERS OF THE MONTH FOR MARCH

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that rookies Sam Alfano of the Peterborough Petes, Owen Beck of the Mississauga Steelheads, Gavin Bryant of the Owen Sound Attack and Nicholas De Angelis of the Windsor Spitfires have been named OHL Academic Players of the Month for March.

East Division: The Peterborough Petes’ Sam Alfano has been named the East Division Academic Player of the Month for March. He holds a 90% in Grade 12 Advanced Functions and an 85% in Grade 11 English at Brantford Collegiate Institute. “Sam has worked hard all year to maintain a high academic standard while planning personal workouts and ice time with the uncertainty of when the season will begin,” wrote Petes academic advisor, Shannon Fife.

The 17-year-old Cayuga, Ont. native was a second round pick of the Petes in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection out of the Southern Tier Admirals, where he notched 63 points in 32 games and was recognized as the OMHA- SCTA Player of the Year.

Central Division: Mississauga’s Owen Beck is March’s Central Division Academic Player of the Month. He has maintained an overall average of 92% at Philip Pocock Catholic Secondary School.

“Owen is described by his teachers as being a lovely student. He is high achieving, asks questions to clarify his understanding, is very diligent and hardworking,” wrote Genevieve Wong, guidance councellor at Philip Pocock Catholic Secondary School. “In addition to his academic strengths, he is polite, respectful, and conscientious.  Overall, Owen is a pleasure to have in class and as part of the Pocock community.”

The 17-year-old product of Port Hope, Ont. was drafted 29th overall by the Steelheads in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection following a 39-point season with OMHA gold medalist Quinte Red Devils.

Midwest Division: Gavin Bryant of the Owen Sound Attack has been named the Midwest Division’s Academic Player of the Month for March. The centreman is on track to complete 12 credits this year at Owen Sound District Secondary School and Blyth Academy. He scored an 80% in Grade 12 University English this past summer, earned an 82% in Grade 12 University Sociology and 94% in Grade 11 University Math during Quadmester 1. Bryant also maintained a 95% in his Ontario Literacy Course as well as a 94% over three periods of Co-op. He is awaiting final scores for Grade 11 Biology and three more periods of Co-op.

“While some students have found online learning difficult and have had trouble motivating themselves, Gavin Bryant has seen this as an opportunity to focus on schooling while his hockey schedule is lighter,” wrote Attack academic advisor Sarah Rowe. “His maturity is off the charts. As a 16-year-old he is already taking the lead to assist other students in their studies. His teachers are also impressed with his maturity, commenting that his insights and attention to detail are well beyond those of his peers. We can’t wait to see this young man in an Owen Sound Attack uniform.”

The Ingersoll, Ont. native was a second round pick of the Attack at the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. He impressed with 40 points in 31 games with the Brantford 99ers during the 2019-20 season.

West Division: Windsor Spitfires defenceman Nicholas De Angelis is the West Division Academic Player of the Month for March. A Grade 11 student at St. Anne Catholic High School, he is currently enrolled in Grade 12 University Biology and Grade 12 University English and carries at least a 90% average in all of his courses.

The 16-year-old King City, Ont. native was chosen 36th overall at the 2020 OHL Priority Selection following an impressive 16-point season from the blue line with the Mississauga Senators.

2020-21 OHL Academic Players of the Month:

East Division:
March – Sam Alfano (Peterborough Petes)
February – Lawson Sherk (Hamilton Bulldogs)
January – Tye Austin (Peterborough Petes)
December – Cameron Tolnai (Ottawa 67’s)
November – Lleyton Moore (Oshawa Generals)
October – Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs)

Central Division:
March – Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
February – Ethan Cardwell (Barrie Colts)
January – Ethan Del Mastro (Mississauga Steelheads)
December – Giordano Biondi (Sudbury Wolves)
November – Jonah De Simone (Niagara IceDogs)
October – Pacey Schlueting (North Bay Battalion)

Midwest Division:
March – Gavin Bryant (Owen Sound Attack)
February – Aidan Campbell (Erie Otters)
January – Logan LaSage (Owen Sound Attack)
December – Stuart Rolofs (London Knights)
November – Michael Vukojevic (Kitchener Rangers)
October – Zack Terry (Guelph Storm)

West Division:
March – Nicholas De Angelis (Windsor Spitfires)
February – Braeden Kressler (Flint Firebirds)
January – Will Cuylle (Windsor Spitfires)
December – Jacob Holmes (Soo Greyhounds)
November – Ryan Mast (Sarnia Sting)
October – Cole Perfetti (Saginaw Spirit)

A total of 334 graduates utilized their OHL Scholarship at post-secondary institutions across North America during the 2019-20 academic year, with a total contribution by teams of over $3 million.  Over the past 10 seasons, OHL Scholarship payments have totalled more than $25 million.

Click here for more information about ‘OHL Players First’ programs.