Team USA Travels to Finland Today; Final Roster To Be Named by Dec. 24
The roster for the 2016 U.S. National Junior Team has been trimmed to 24 players. The U.S. National Junior Team will travel to Finland tomorrow and continue its training camp in Vierumaki, Finland, Dec. 20-24.
“Head coach Ron Wilson has brought a high level of intensity to camp and as a staff we have been very pleased with the attitude shown by the players,” said Jim Johannson, general manager of the 2016 U.S. National Junior Team and also the assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. “As our players keep melding together our staff will continue evaluating which players fit best into the framework and style of play our coaching staff expects us to have for this tournament.”
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey unveiled today the 29 players selected to the preliminary roster for the 2016 U.S. National Junior Team. The players will attend training camp Dec. 14-18 at Boston University in Boston followed by an additional camp in Vierumaki, Finland, from Dec. 19-24. The final 23-man roster is expected to be named by Dec. 24. Team USA will compete in the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, Dec.26-Jan.5, in Helsinki, Finland.
The calendar has flipped to December and it’s time to look at various statistical leaders among the Ontario Hockey League players eligible for the 2016 National Hockey League Draft.
As always, we only look at players eligible for the first time – those previously passed over are not included – except for goaltenders where we included those passed over a year ago.
Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters leads not only the draft eligible players in points, but the entire OHL. He’s averaged a hair over 2 points per game with 52 in 25 games. He’s followed closely by the London Knights’ Matthew Tkachuk at 48 points in 24 games. DeBrincat’s teammate Taylor Raddysh is at the head of the next tier with 40 points in 26 games while Alexander Nylander closes out the top 5 with 39 points in 28 games.
DeBrincat also leads the entire OHL in goals with 31, a pace that would equal the OHL record for goals in a season of 87. Nylander sits way back in second with 17 goals followed by the Flint Firebirds’ Will Bitten with 14. Tkachuk and the Kitchener Rangers’ Adam Mascherin follow with 12 a piece.
On defence, the Knights’ Olli Juolevi leads the blue liners with 20 points
Olli Juolevi of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
in24 games. Markus Niemelainen of the Saginaw Spirit is close behind with 18 points in 26 games followed by Cam Dineen of the North Bay Battalion with 17 and Mikhail Sergachev of the Windsor Spitfires with 16 in 27 games. It’s interesting to note that the top four are all rookies.
It’s December and while most of us prepare for Christmas, the Ontario Hockey League’s players eligible for the 2016 National Hockey League Draft continue to work towards their goal – being selected in that draft.
Matthew Tkachuk of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Each month, I look at the best of the best and provide you with who I believe the top performer was – and for November, that honor belongs to the London Knights’ Matthew Tkachuk.
In ten November games, Tkachuk scored 7 goals, 5 of which came on the power play. He added 19 assists to those 7 goals. In only one contest, did Tkachuk not post an assist. And in only two other games was he held to just one lone helper. In the remaining 7, Tkachuk had multiple assists.
Tkachuk finished the month with a plus 6 and 18 penalty minutes.
Tkachuk currently sits third in OHL scoring with 12 goals and 36 assists in just 24 games. He’s 23 for 48 in the faceoff circle – 47.9% – and his 12 goals come on 84 shots on goal – 14.3%.
Also considered were last month’s winner Alex DeBrincat of the Erie
Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Otters and his teammate Taylor Raddysh.
DeBrincat played in 12 games and contributed 14 goals and 13 assists while Raddysh had 7 goals and 14 assists. In goal, Tyler Parsons of the Knights appeared in all but two games with a 6-2-0 record while posting a 2.28 goals against average and a .915 save percentage.
Don’t let the fourth round selection deceive you; it comes with the territory when you’re unsure whether a player is going to report. It is the nature of the business in the CHL.
Tkachuk played last season for the US National team where he accumulated 38 goals, 58 assists and 96 points in just 65 games. He also played for the Team USA at the World Junior Championships U-18 and in 7 games scored 4 goals and 10 assists while helping the Americans win a gold medal. His ten assists were tops in the tournament.
Prior to that, Tkachuk played for the U. S. National U-17 squad and in 53 games scored 13 goals and 20 assists. He also played for Team USA at the World Hockey Challenge U-17 and in 6 games scored 4 goals and 3 assists and winning a gold medal. He’s won at every level and his London Knights are poised to make a push for the OHL and Memorial Cup Championships.
Matthew Tkachuk of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
The blood lines. Oh the blood lines. Everyone in the hockey world knows his father Keith. His younger brother Brady is currently playing with the U.S. National Team. His cousins include the Fitzgerald’s; Casey (Boston College), Ryan (Boston College), Scott (NHL Bruins Director of Amateur Scouting) and Tom (NHL Devils Assistant GM). And then there is Jimmy and Kevin Hayes (NHL Bruins and Rangers respectively).
He is often compared to the elder Tkachuk. While he has similarities to his father, he is different in as many ways. He took the OHL by storm and you can often find dad quietly watching his son succeed.
Tkachuk is a “made for the NHL” power forward and had an easy time in his transition to the OHL. On a team loaded with stars up front, Coach Dale Hunter had the task of trying to find ice time for all of them. But Tkachuk has made the best of his almost 23 minutes of ice time per game scoring at almost a 2 point per game pace and has been at or near the top of the OHL scoring race from day one.
Tkachuk is relentless and tenacious in his puck pursuit. His anticipation and high hockey sense allows him to think a step ahead and he when you combine the three, he usually causes turnovers. He then uses his vision and excellent playmaking abilities to create chances for his teammates.
Tkachuk also possesses an NHL shot. He has a deceptively quick release and a deadly accurate shot. He’ll also go to the front of the net and clean up for the dirty goals with no hesitation. He’ll drive to the net with or without the puck. He will also battle hard along the boards and has elite puck possession skills.
Tkachuk is no slouch defensively as he brings the attributes from his offensive zone play to his own end. He has no fear of getting in shooting lanes and uses that same anticipation and hockey sense to get into the passing lanes. He’ll work as hard getting back on the back check as he does getting in on defenders in the offensive zone.
Tkachuk is widely considered a top five pick for the 2016 NHL draft and the second player to be selected from the OHL behind Jakob Chychrun. If he keeps this up, he could, (stress on the could) unseat Chychrun.
A survey I have done in past seasons is to poll the General Managers of the Ontario Hockey League teams with this: List your top 3 goaltenders, defencemen and forwards and the order they would be selected in the 2016 National Hockey League Draft.
This season I have expanded the survey to include head coaches, goaltending coaches, and directors of scouting as well as assistant general managers.
Players were given 7 points for a first place ranking, 4 points for second place and 1 point for third place. Based on the number of responses received, the maximum points a player could receive are 357 points.
Jakob Chychrun – courtesy Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Only one player received unanimous first place votes from all respondents: Sarnia Sting defenceman Jakob Chychrun. Of those 51 respondents, the vast majority, 40, had London Knights defenceman Olli Juolevi as their second choice.
The battle for top goaltender was for all intents and purposes a tie. Dylan Wells of the Peterborough Petes and Evan Cormier of the Saginaw Spirit ended with 24 first place votes apiece. The difference being Cormier received one fewer second place vote and an extra third place vote.
Among the forwards, the London Knights Matthew Tkachuk was the overwhelming favorite receiving 50 of a possible 51 first place votes. Tkachuk didn’t receive a second or third place vote. Now some of you may think that’s a General Manager trying to get a better result for his own player, but consider this: The one vote that went against him went to his London teammate Max Jones.
Compared to polls from previous seasons, the battle for goaltender has never been so tight – there was always a clear cut favorite: MacKenzie Blackwood, Alex Nedeljkovic, Spencer Martin and Malcolm Subban to name a few.
On defence, the only time we’ve had clear choices were Aaron Ekblad and Darnell Nurse. Up front, of course there was Connor McDavid a year ago, but you have to go back to Gabriel Landeskog at the beginning of the 2010-11 season to find an overwhelming favorite.
And our draft eligible player of the month for September is London Knights center Matthew Tkachuk.
In two games, Tkachuk scored twice and added four assists to lead the Knights to a 1-0-0-1 record. Tkachuk was dominant all over the ice in two games. He was a physical presence and created several offensive chances.
His two goals came on 8 shots for a 25% shooting percentage. He finished 13 for 26 in the face off dot for a 50% face off percentage.
OHL Writers 