Kingston Frontenacs

FOUR OHL CLUBS BID TO HOST 2024 MEMORIAL CUP PRESENTED BY KIA

Posted on November 24, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today that four Ontario Hockey League clubs have submitted intents to bid for the hosting rights of the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Kia.

The Kingston Frontenacs, Niagara IceDogs, Saginaw Spirit, and Soo Greyhounds will each submit their bids prior to the January 31 deadline, with the winning bid then announced in March 2023.

“We are excited to have four diverse communities express their interest to bid for the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Kia,” said Dan MacKenzie, President of the Canadian Hockey League. “The Memorial Cup is a great hockey tradition that not only celebrates the best in junior hockey but also honours the brave men and women who served and continue to serve our country.”

Open to bids from the OHL and returning to the League for the first time since 2017, the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Kia will take place in June 2024 and will feature the playoff champion from the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Hockey League, in addition to the chosen OHL host club.

The Frontenacs, IceDogs, and Spirit would all be first-time hosts of the Memorial Cup, while the Greyhounds both hosted and won the year-end tournament in 1993 following past participation in 1985, 1991, and 1992.

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.

About Kia Canada
Kia Canada Inc., founded in 1999, is a subsidiary of Kia Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. The company employs 170 people at its headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario, as well as in locations across Canada and at its regional office in Montréal, Québec. Kia offers products and services that are innovative, dynamic, thoughtful and award-winning, through a network of 197 dealers across the country. The company’s brand slogan – ‘Movement that inspires’ reflects Kia’s commitment to inspiring consumers through its products and services. To learn more, visit kia.ca or Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

OHL Playoff Preview and Predictions Round Two

Posted on May 5, 2022May 6, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Before we look at the second round series matchups, lets look back and see how poorly I did in round one:

EASTERN CONFERENCE	PREDICTION	OUTCOME
(1) Hamilton vs (8) Peterborough	Hamilton in 4	Hamilton wins 4-0
(2) North Bay vs (7) Ottawa	North Bay in 5	North Bay wins 4-0
(3) Kingston vs (6) Oshawa	Kingston in 6	Kingston wins 4-2
(4) Mississauga vs (5) Barrie	Mississauga in 7	Mississauga wins 4-2
WESTERN CONFERENCE	PREDICTION	OUTCOME
(1) Windsor vs (8) Sarnia	Windsor in 5	Windsor wins 4-2
(2) London vs (7) Kitchener	London in 6	Kitchener win 4-3
(3) Flint vs (6) Owen Sound	Flint in 6	Flint wins 4-3
(4) Sault Ste Marie vs (5) Guelph	Sault Ste Marie in 7	Sault Ste Marie wins 4-1

So, 7 out of 8 correct winners. The Hockey Gods looked after the Kitchener Rangers after they were robbed of a goal as video review deemed it kicked in when it wasn’t. (The OHL officially came out and said the next day that it was an error). That call quite possibly cost the Rangers game 5. But they bounced back, tied the series and forced a game 7 in London in which they won in overtime to take the series.

But in only two of the series where I picked the correct winner did, I hit on the number of games. The biggest discrepancy was the Soo Greyhounds taking care of business against the Guelph Storm in 5 games where I had predicted it to go the distance. I don’t think anyone predicted the Storm wouldn’t give the Greyhounds a fight.

So, I try again with round two:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Hamilton vs (4) Mississauga

	Hamilton	Mississauga
Head-to-head	5-2-0-1	3-5-0-0
PP Regular Season	27.6%	20.9%
PP Playoffs	39.4%	33.3%
PP vs opponent	16.7%	14.3%
PK Regular Season	80.9%	81.3%
PK Playoffs	91.3%	75.0%
PK vs opponent	85.7%	83.3%
GF Regular season	300	229
GF Playoffs	27	17
GA Regular season	176	189
GA Playoffs	9	13
PIM /game regular season	11.3/game	11.5/game
PIM /game playoffs	21.5/game	9.8/game

I want to say “it’s hard to imagine the Hamilton Bulldogs losing a game in these playoffs” but I can’t because it’s bound to happen at some point. Offensively, the Bulldogs dominated during the regular season and the playoffs. Defensively, the Steelheads were almost as good as Hamilton during the regular season and the playoffs.

Both teams brought their powerplays to new levels during the playoffs. Mississauga’s penalty kill took a hit during the playoffs while Hamilton’s skyrocketed. However, one must take into account their respective opponents. If special teams are going to be a factor in this series, then you have to take into account that Mississauga is taking fewer penalties in the playoffs than the regular season while Hamilton has almost doubled theirs. But I’m not going to overthink this trying to find wins for Mississauga.

Prediction: Hamilton in 5 games.

(2) North Bay vs (3) Kingston

	North Bay	Kingston
Head-to-head	4-0-0-0	0-4-0-0
PP Regular Season	25.9%	25.3%
PP Playoffs	30.0%	26.7%
PP vs opponent	53.8%	13.3%
PK Regular Season	80.6%	79.8%
PK Playoffs	90.0%	60.0%
PK vs opponent	86.7%	46.2%
GF Regular season	267	285
GF Playoffs	17	27
GA Regular season	198	242
GA Playoffs	11	18
PIM /game regular season	9.1/game	11.1/game
PIM /game playoffs	7.8/game	11.5/game

As you can see above, the North Bay Battalion swept the season series against the Kingston Frontenacs. Only 6 points separated the two teams in the regular season. Their powerplays were pretty even as was their penalty kills and their goals for. North Bay had a decisive advantage in the goals against department.

Where North Bay had the big advantage was on specialty teams head-to-head. North Bay’s powerplay clipped along at 53.8% against Kingston while the Fronts could only score on 13.3% of their chances against the Battalion. And in the four games head-to-head during the regular season North Bay outscored Kingston 19-10. If Kingston gets into penalty trouble, this series could be over quickly.

Prediction: North Bay in 6 games.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Windsor vs (7) Kitchener

	Windsor	Kitchener
Head-to-head	4-3-0-1	4-4-0-0
PP Regular Season	26.1%	18.3%
PP Playoffs	7.4%	22.7%
PP vs opponent	21.9%	16.0%
PK Regular Season	82.6%	77.4%
PK Playoffs	76.0%	80.0%
PK vs opponent	84.0%	78.1%
GF Regular season	305	236
GF Playoffs	18	23
GA Regular season	248	271
GA Playoffs	11	23
PIM /game regular season	10.3/game	11.0/game
PIM /game playoffs	14.3/game	9.3/game

The regular season series between the Kitchener Rangers and Windsor Spitfires was pretty even. The Spits were better team on the powerplay and the penalty kill against each other and the rest of the league. The Spits scored 69 more goals than the Rangers – that’s a goal per game more and also allowed 23 fewer goals against than the Rangers.

But in the playoffs, it was the Rangers who came out on top in the special team’s department while also playing a tougher opponent in the London Knights than Windsor had against the Sarnia Sting. The Spits have some star power for sure but of Rangers goalie Pavel Cajan can play as he did versus the Knights it will be a tight series. Mathias Onuska was no slouch for Windsor in the blue paint either.

Prediction: Windsor in 6 games.

(3) Flint vs (4) Sault Ste Marie

	Flint	Sault Ste Marie
Head-to-head	2-1-0-2	3-1-1-0
PP Regular Season	19.7%	28.4%
PP Playoffs	9.7%	35.3%
PP vs opponent	34.6%	17.6%
PK Regular Season	84.3%	78.7%
PK Playoffs	87.5%	90.9%
PK vs opponent	82.4%	65.4%
GF Regular season	286	295
GF Playoffs	22	21
GA Regular season	238	246
GA Playoffs	20	11
PIM /game regular season	10.4/game	11.5/game
PIM /game playoffs	10.9/game	15.4/game

The Flint Firebirds and Soo Greyhounds were also very close in the regular season. Only 4 points separated them in the standings. Their offence and defence were also close. The Greyhounds win out in the powerplay department while the Firebirds topped them on the penalty kill. However, head-to-head the Firebirds dominated.

Flint couldn’t get the man advantage to work for them in their first round series against the Owen Sound Attack while the Greyhounds exploded against the Guelph Storm. Unless the Greyhounds can limit the number of penalties, they take the powerplay could be the difference in this series. It could also come down to home ice advantage. For me, this is a flip a coin series.

Prediction: Sault Ste Marie in 7

OHL Announces Eastern Conference Semi-Final Schedules

Posted on May 4, 2022May 3, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League has announced schedules for the 2022 OHL Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, with the Hamilton Bulldogs, North Bay Battalion, Kingston Frontenacs and Mississauga Steelheads advancing to second round play.

The Regular Season champion Bulldogs eliminated the Peterborough Petes in four games, scoring at least five goals in all four of their victories, with a total of 13 power play goals in the series. They’ll face the Mississauga Steelheads, who ousted the Barrie Colts in Game 6 of their first round series on Monday night in Barrie.

The Central Division champion Battalion eliminated the Ottawa 67’s in four games, winning three of those by one goal. Leading scorer Brandon Coe scored the deciding goal in both Games 2 and 3 of the first round matchup. The Troops advance to face the Kingston Frontenacs, who bested the Oshawa Generals in six games, moving on after Shane Wright’s overtime winner on Sunday.

The puck drops on Eastern Conference second round action beginning Thursday, May 5.

2022 #OHLPlayoffs Brackets

2022 OHL Eastern Conference Playoff Schedule:

(1) Hamilton Bulldogs (51-12-3-2) vs. (4) Mississauga Steelheads (37-23-2-6) – #HAMvsMISS
Game 1, Thurs., May 5 at Hamilton, 7:00pm
Game 2, Sun., May 8 at Hamilton , 2:00pm
Game 3, Tues., May 10 at Mississauga, 7:00pm
Game 4, Fri., May 13 at Mississauga, 7:00pm
Game 5, Sun., May 15 at Hamilton, 2:00pm*
Game 6, Tues., May 17 at Mississauga, 7:00pm*
Game 7, Wed., May 18 at Hamilton, 7:00pm*

(2) North Bay Battalion (43-18-3-4) vs. (3) Kingston Frontenacs (41-22-4-1) – #NBvsKGN
Game 1, Fri., May 6 at North Bay, 7:00pm
Game 2, Sun. May 8 at North Bay, 2:00pm
Game 3, Tues., May 10 at Kingston, 7:00pm
Game 4, Thurs., May 12 at Kingston, 7:00pm
Game 5, Sat., May 14 at North Bay, 7:00pm*
Game 6, Sun., May 15 at Kingston, 6:00pm*
Game 7, Tues., May 17 at North Bay, 7:00pm*

*if necessary

Don’t miss a second of the 2022 OHL Playoffs. CHL TV playoff packages are on sale now, with complete OHL Playoff passes available for $59.99 plus tax. Get in on the CHL All Access playoff pass, or just tune into games for Round 2. See a full range of options at watch.chl.ca.

BULLDOGS AND FRONTENACS INCLUDED IN WEEK 18 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 18 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

The Hamilton Bulldogs are into the fourth spot on this week’s rankings, continuing a winning streak that has swelled to seven games. Hamilton scored victories over North Bay, Ottawa and Niagara last week, outscoring those opponents 21-7 as Logan Morrison claimed OHL Player of the Week honours with 13 points in four games. February’s OHL Player of the Month, Morrison put up 29 points in 10 contests to lead the Bulldogs to first place in the OHL standings with a .723 winning percentage. The Bulldogs have won 14 of their last 15 contests, and look to continue their dominance at home to the Mississauga Steelheads in a showdown of the Eastern Conference’s top clubs on Thursday.

The Kingston Frontenacs are hanging around at 10th on the list this week, winning two of three last week. Following a 4-1 loss to the Ottawa 67’s on Wednesday, the Fronts rebounded by defeating Oshawa 6-2 on TSN Friday night and once again by a score of 3-1 Sunday on the road. Ottawa Senators prospect Leevi Merilainen is the OHL Goaltender of the Week, going 3-0 with a 1.33 goals-against average and .948 save percentage. The 30-14-3-0 Frontenacs are five points back of the first place Bulldogs in the East Division. They’ll visit the Barrie Colts on Thursday.

The Western Conference-leading Flint Firebirds are into the honourable mention category this week after seeing an 11-game point streak snapped by the Erie Otters on Sunday. Flint defeated the Sarnia Sting in back-to-back meetings on Friday and Saturday, and own a 31-15-1-3 record. Overage goaltender Luke Cavallin, who hasn’t lost in regulation since January 16th, is the OHL Goaltender of the Month for February.

The London Knights join Flint as an honourable mention this week, leading the Midwest Division with a record of 30-13-2-0. The Knights split decisions in Sault Ste. Marie last weekend, with Nashville Predators prospect Luke Evangelista scoring a natural hat trick on Saturday to give himself 41 goals in as many games. London hosts Guelph and Windsor in back-to-back home games on Wednesday and Friday.

For further analysis on the Week 18 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.

BULLDOGS, FRONTENACS AND FIREBIRDS IN WEEK 17 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on February 23, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 17 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

The Hamilton Bulldogs are up two spots to number five in this week’s rankings while the Kingston Frontenacs follow at ninth and the Flint Firebirds make their Top 10 season debut in the 10th spot.

Winners of 11 of their past 12 games, the Bulldogs have pulled to within two points of first place in the OHL standings with a 29-11-2-2 record. Hamilton went 3-0 this past weekend, outscoring opponents 21-7. They created some distance for themselves atop the East Division with a decisive 8-2 victory over Kingston on Saturday. Logan Morrison has been a force offensively racking up 10 points in his last three outings while leading the club in scoring with 65 points (20-45–65) over 38 games. Avery Hayes leads the way in the goal-scoring column with 30 on the campaign while blueliner Nathan Staios sits second among OHL defenders with 45 points (9-36–45) in 40 games. The Dogs are expected to have Mason McTavish back in their lineup on Friday as he makes his return from China where he represented Canada at the Olympic Winter Games.

The Frontenacs are down one spot to ninth this week, defeating Ottawa twice while falling in Hamilton on Saturday. Overage winger Lucas Edmonds rides a nine-game point streak into another week, sitting one point back of the OHL scoring lead with 79 (24-55–79) on the season. Top 2022 NHL Draft prospect Shane Wright has multi-point outputs in four of his last five games, sitting third in club scoring with 57 points (20-37–57). Los Angeles Kings prospect Martin Chromiak made his return to the Kingston lineup from injury on Monday. The Fronts are in action on Wednesday in Ottawa before playing host to the Oshawa Generals on Friday night, a game that will be aired coast-to-coast on TSN.

The Western Conference-leading Flint Firebirds make their first Top 10 appearance of the season, collecting points in nine consecutive games. The ‘Birds picked up five of a possible six points last weekend, falling in overtime to Windsor, defeating the Spits in a shootout a night later and triumphing over Sarnia 7-3 on Family Day. New York Rangers prospect Brennan Othmann has 34 goals and 66 points through 45 games this season to pace the club offensively. Overage winger Ethan Keppen has given Flint a nice boost with 24 points (13-11–24) over 21 games since returning from the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks. Luke Cavallin has provided the Firebirds with top tier goaltending, going 23-9-1-3 on the season with a 3.28 goals-against average and .907 save percentage.

With wins in nine straight contests, the North Bay Battalion receive an honourable mention on this week’s list. The Troops have shot up the Eastern Conference standings, sitting two points back of the first place Mississauga Steelheads in the Central Division. North Bay features four 20+ goal-scorers in their lineup including San Jose Sharks prospect Brandon Coe, Edmonton Oilers draftee Matvey Petrov, overage forward Mitchell Russell and trade deadline acquisition Kyle McDonald who scored a hat trick in Ottawa on Sunday.

For further analysis on the Week 17 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.

STEELHEADS AND FRONTENACS INCLUDED IN WEEK 14 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on February 2, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 14 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

The Mississauga Steelheads are the top-ranked team in the OHL this week, climbing two spots to sixth after four straight wins since the last edition. The 28-8-1-3 Steelheads are the first place team in the OHL, having outscored opponents 143-93 this season. Mississauga took back-to-back wins over North Bay and Niagara, tightening their grip on first place in the Central Division. The big line of James Hardie, Luca Del Bel Belluz and Ty Collins continues to impress while captain Ethan Del Mastro leads the OHL with a plus-34 rating. The tandem of Roman Basran and Joe Ranger continues to hold down the fort in goal.

The Kingston Frontenacs dropped four spots to number nine on the list this week after winning two of three. The Fronts defeated the Peterborough Petes 6-3 on Thursday, edged the Oshawa Generals 4-3 on Friday and fell to the Hamilton Bulldogs by a score of 5-2 on Sunday. Kingston sits one point up on Hamilton for first place in the East Division, owning a 22-10-3-0 record. Top 2022 NHL Draft prospect Shane Wright had a productive week, recording a goal and six assists to give him 43 points (15-28–43) over 31 games this season. Overage forward Jordan Frasca leads Kingston with 24 goals.

The Hamilton Bulldogs rose into the honourable mention category after a 3-0 week. The Bulldogs defeated Niagara and Kingston without the services of star centre Mason McTavish, who is off to represent Canada at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China.

The Soo Greyhounds hold steady in the honourable mention field, defeating the Saginaw Spirit 5-1 last Wednesday before splitting consecutive overtime outcomes on home ice, losing to Flint before defeating Barrie. The Greyhounds, who feature the OHL’s top scorer in Calgary Flames prospect Rory Kerins (25-42–67), lost key centreman Tanner Dickinson for an extended period to a broken right femur on Saturday. The St. Louis Blues prospect has been productive, recording 47 points (18-29–47) over 35 games this season.

For further analysis on the Week 14 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.

FRONTENACS AND STEELHEADS INCLUDED IN WEEK 13 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 13 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

The Kia CHL Top 10 returns for the second half of the season, with the Kingston Frontenacs and Mississauga Steelheads making their way into the Top 10 while the Barrie Colts, London Knights and Soo Greyhounds earn honourable mentions.

The fifth-ranked Frontenacs skate into this week’s rankings off three consecutive wins, holding the top spot in the East Division with a 20-9-3-0 record. The Fronts defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs 5-2 at home on Friday, skated to a 6-2 win over the Niagara IceDogs on Saturday and hit the road to blank the Oshawa Generals 2-0 on Sunday. Jordan Frasca had a weekend to remember with six points in the three wins while 2022 NHL Draft prospect Shane Wright scored a highlight reel goal on Sunday, extending his current point streak to four games.

The Steelheads come in at eighth on the rankings, rebounding from consecutive losses over the weekend with a 4-1 road win over the Peterborough Petes on Tuesday. Sitting at the top of the OHL standings with a 24-8-1-3 record, Mississauga has surrendered just 87 goals in 36 games as the goaltending tandem of Joe Ranger and Roman Basran continues to perform well. The Trout feature a pair of highly touted 2022 NHL Draft prospects in leading scorer Luca Del Bel Belluz (20-27–47) and Owen Beck (14-18–32) while veteran James Hardie leads the club with 26 goals. The Steelheads hit the ice for their next action on Thursday in North Bay, being featured as the CHL TV Game of the Week presented by Kubota Canada.

The Barrie Colts have been one of the League’s hottest teams, sporting a 19-9-3-0 record to earn an honourable mention. Joining them are the Western Conference leading Soo Greyhounds at 21-12-2-1 boasting the OHL’s top power play. The London Knights have allowed a League-low 86 goals in front of netminder Brett Brochu, rounding out a trio of OHL honourable mentions on the list this week.

For further analysis on the Week 13 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.

FRONTENACS, STEELHEADS AND STORM INCLUDED IN WEEK 12 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 12 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

Though idle last week, the third-ranked Kingston Frontenacs carry an eight-game winning streak into the holiday break, sitting atop the OHL standings with a record of 17-5-3-0. Overage forward Lucas Edmonds sits second in OHL scoring with 52 points (17-35–52) in 25 games along with a league-leading 121 shots on goal. The Fronts feature three players in Shane Wright (Canada), Leevi Merilainen (Finland) and Martin Chromiak (Slovakia) representing their respective countries at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.

The ninth-ranked Mississauga Steelheads are back inside the Top 10 following a three-week absence. The Trout rebounded from a loss to Kingston last Sunday to defeat the Hamilton Bulldogs 4-1 on the road Wednesday night before pulling into a first place tie atop the Central Division on Friday, defeating visiting North Bay 2-1. The Steelheads have surrendered a league-low 58 goals this season as overage netminder Roman Basran leads the OHL with a 2.40 goals-against average. James Hardie has paced Mississauga offensively with 18 goals and 32 points.

The Guelph Storm round out the Top 10, making their first appearance of the season. The Storm defeated the London Knights in a second consecutive meeting on Saturday, leapfrogging the Knights for top spot in the Western Conference standings. The 17-8-1-1 Storm are now 4-0 against London this season and have won eight of their last 10 games. Top scorer Sasha Pastujov, an Anaheim Ducks prospect, is representing the United States at the World Juniors. Guelph features three rookies with at least 15 points in forwards Matthew Poitras (9-12–21), Jake Karabela (3-16–19) and defenceman Michael Buchinger (0-15–15).

Entering the break on a six-game winning streak, the Barrie Colts received an honourable mention in Week 12. The Colts defeated the Ottawa 67’s 5-2 on the road Saturday afternoon to improve to 14-7-2-0.

For further analysis on the Week 12 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.

FRONTENACS, BATTALION AND KNIGHTS INCLUDED IN WEEK 11 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on December 15, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 11 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

The WHL’s Winnipeg ICE and Edmonton Oil Kings hold down the top two spots on the list, but the Kingston Frontenacs have surged to third, riding an eight-game winning streak to an OHL-best record of 17-5-3-0. The Frontenacs took six points out of a three-in-three set with wins over Hamilton, Niagara and Mississauga last weekend, doing so without star centreman Shane Wright in the lineup. The overage duo of Lucas Edmonds and Jordan Frasca combined for 21 points, with the former claiming OHL Player of the Week honours while climbing to the top of the OHL scoring race. The red hot Frontenacs have dates with the Barrie Colts on Friday and the Oshawa Generals on Sunday heading into the holiday break.

The North Bay Battalion slide from sixth down to eighth this week, defeating the Soo Greyhounds 5-4 in overtime on Thursday before suffering consecutive one-goal losses to the Barrie Colts. Battalion forward Brandon Coe saw a 14-game point streak come to an end as he was held off the scoresheet in consecutive games for the first time all season. The 16-8-1-2 Troops are back in action with a three-in-three starting Thursday night at home to Niagara. They hit the road for games in Mississauga on Friday and Niagara on Saturday.

The 17-7-1-0 London Knights are still hanging around inside the Top-10, falling to 10th on the list. Without the services of captain Luke Evangelista and star goaltender Brett Brochu at Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp, the Knights fell 4-1 to the Windsor Spitfires at home on Friday before losing to the visiting Guelph Storm by a score of 4-0 on Saturday. Evangelista will return to the lineup this weekend as the Knights are scheduled to host the Owen Sound Attack on Friday before visiting Guelph on Saturday afternoon.

The Mississauga Steelheads are an honourable mention following wins in two of three outings last week. The Trout defeated the Peterborough Petes 2-1 in overtime on Thursday, bludgeoned the Niagara IceDogs by a score of 9-1 at home on Friday and fell to the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 5-3 on Sunday. The Steelheads sit three points back of first place North Bay in the Central Division.

For further analysis on the Week 11 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.

BATTALION, KNIGHTS AND FRONTENACS INCLUDED IN WEEK 10 EDITION OF KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS

Posted on December 8, 2021 by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 10 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

The North Bay Battalion are the top-ranked team in the Ontario Hockey League for the first time this season, taking back-to-back road wins over the Hamilton Bulldogs and Niagara IceDogs last weekend to slot in at sixth. The 15-7-1-1 Battalion lead the Eastern Conference and feature three of the League’s top 10 scorers in newly signed San Jose Sharks prospect Brandon Coe (14-32–46), Edmonton Oilers draftee Matvey Petrov (16-23–39) and November’s OHL Player of the Month, Kyle Jackson (15-22–37). North Bay has been consistent on the special teams front, owning the League’s fifth-ranked power play and penalty kill under head coach Ryan Oulahen. The Troops are at home to the Soo Greyhounds on Thursday before a home-and-home with the Barrie Colts on Saturday and Sunday.

The London Knights remain in the picture for an eighth consecutive week, coming in at number seven on the list. The Knights defeated the Kitchener Rangers 6-2 on Tuesday after mixed results over the weekend. London fell for a third time this season to the Sarnia Sting at home on Saturday, and defeated the Erie Otters by a score of 4-1 on Friday. Knights captain Luke Evangelista joins goaltender Brett Brochu in heading off to Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp in Calgary, Alta. The Nashville Predators prospect is on an eight-game point streak and leads London with 40 points (20-20–40). Rookie winger Colton Smith (12-5–17) leads the club with eight power play goals on the season, powering London’s 28.9 percent second-ranked man advantage. The Knights return to action at home to the Windsor Spitfires on Friday.

The Kingston Frontenacs are back inside the top 10 at number nine following a two week absence thanks to five consecutive wins. The Fronts edged the Peterborough Petes 6-5 on the road Thursday night before outscoring the Oshawa Generals and Ottawa 67’s 10-1 in consecutive victories on Friday and Sunday. Ottawa Senators prospect Leevi Merilainen earned his first career OHL shutout and was named OHL Goaltender of the Week while top NHL Draft prospect Shane Wright was a force, recording eight points (2-6–8) across three games. The Fronts have a big date with the Hamilton Bulldogs on home ice Friday night. Kingston edged Hamilton 5-4 in a shootout in their last meeting on Nov. 27th.

The Mississauga Steelheads received an honourable mention, scoring back-to-back one-goal wins over Ottawa and Oshawa last week. The Steelheads are 13-6-1-1, four points back of first place North Bay in the Central Division.

For further analysis on the Week 10 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings, visit CHL.ca.

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