BROCHU AND DONOVAN NAMEDOHL 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, November 27, 2022.



Bulldogs’ Jorian Donovan Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

Ottawa Senators prospect Jorian Donovan of the Hamilton Bulldogs is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording three goals, three assists and six points in two games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-9.

Helping guide the Bulldogs to a perfect 2-0 showing last week, Donovan recorded a pair of assists on Friday as Hamilton overcame the North Bay Battalion 4-1 at home. He registered a career-high four points on Sunday, scoring a hat trick while adding an assist as the Bulldogs defeated the visiting Soo Greyhounds in a high-scoring 10-6 victory. Donovan’s hat trick was just the third by a defenceman in Bulldogs history following prior efforts by Nathan Staios (Feb. 26, 2022 vs. Ottawa) and Ben Gleason (Nov. 24, 2017 at Oshawa).

An 18-year-old native of Richmond, Ont., Donovan leads Hamilton blueliners with 17 points (7-10–17) in 18 games this season, and is riding a current eight-game point streak that dates back to Nov. 10th. He was a fifth round (136rd overall) pick of the Ottawa Senators this past summer following three goals, 19 assists and 22 points in 64 games for the OHL champion Bulldogs. The son of former Ottawa 67’s graduate and long-time NHL forward Shean Donovan, Jorian was originally selected by Hamilton in the first round (6th overall) of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection.

Also considered for the award this week, Bulldogs’ captain Logan Morrison put up seven points (3-4–7) in two wins. Saginaw rookie Michael Misa continued his success recording two goals, five assists and seven points as the Spirit tacked three more wins onto their run of success.

2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Jorian Donovan (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Matthew Poitras (Guelph Storm)
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)



Knights’ Brett Brochu Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Brett Brochu of the London Knights is the OHL Goaltender of the Week with two victories including a shutout, a 1.00 goals-against average and a .969 save percentage.

Defending the crease in back-to-back wins, Brochu turned aside all 28 shots that came his way to earn first star honours as the Knights opened up the weekend with a 4-0 shutout victory over the Kitchener Rangers on Friday. Brochu returned to the crease on Sunday night in Oshawa, stopping 34 of the 36 shots he faced as the Knights defeated the Generals 4-2. Brochu’s two victories gave him 71 on his OHL career, pushing him ahead of Steve Mason for the fifth-most in franchise history.

A 20-year-old from Belle River, Ont., Brochu owns a 10-6-1-0 record with a 3.07 goals-against average and .892 save percentage in 17 games this season, winning six of his last seven starts. The reigning Jim Rutherford OHL Goaltender of the Year Award recipient owns a 71-23-3-0 record, 2.67 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and five shutouts in 102 regular season contests. Brochu was London’s sixth round (114th overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. He attended training camp with the Vancouver Canucks this past September.

Also in the running for the award this week, New York Islanders prospect Tristan Lennox of the Saginaw Spirit went 2-0 with a 2.49 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. Erie’s Kyle Downey was also outstanding in the crease, going 1-1 with a 1.85 goals-against average and .938 save percentage in three appearances.

2022-23 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
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.

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OHL ANNOUNCES TOP PERFORMERS OF THE MONTH FOR OCTOBER

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 October 2022, including Flint Firebirds forward Brennan Othmann, Saginaw Spirit blueliner Pavel Mintyukov, Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa and Peterborough Petes netminder Michael Simpson.

OHL Player of the Month – Brennan Othmann (Flint Firebirds):
New York Rangers prospect Brennan Othmann of the Flint Firebirds is the OHL Player of the Month, producing 10 goals, 13 assists and 23 points in 13 October matchups. Othmann, who also registered a plus/minus rating of plus-seven, posted multi-point outputs in eight of his 13 contests, as the Firebirds played to a record of 7-6-0-0. Othmann started the season with a bang, scoring both of the Firebirds’ goals in their home opener against the Niagara IceDogs on Oct. 1st. He registered his first of a trio of three-point outings on Oct. 7th in Guelph, scoring while adding two assists in a 5-3 win. He netted a pair of goals and an assist as the Firebirds routed the Erie Otters 8-1 on Oct. 14th. Othmann’s talents continued to shine on Saturday night as he contributed three helpers to a high scoring 8-7 victory over the Oshawa Generals. The 6-foot, 180lb. left-winger has tallied at least one point in 12 of his 13 appearances so far this season. He becomes the first Firebirds player to ever claim OHL Player of the Month honours.

A 19-year-old native of Pickering, Ont., Othmann currently sits tied atop OHL scoring with 10 goals on the season, and ranks second in points with 23 (10-13–23) in 13 games. His 67 shots on goal lead the League. Now in his third season with the Firebirds, Othmann has produced career totals that include 77 goals, 76 assists and 153 points in 134 regular season games. The veteran winger was a first round (16th overall) pick of the New York Rangers in the 2021 NHL Draft, and signed a three-year entry level NHL contract with the club on Aug. 12, 2021. Othmann was Flint’s first round (2nd overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection after winning an OHL Cup title with the Don Mills Flyers U16 program.

OHL Defenceman of the Month – Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit):
Anaheim Ducks prospect Pavel Mintyukov of the Saginaw Spirit is the OHL Defenceman of the Month for October after leading OHL blueliners with 18 points including six goals and 12 assists over 13 contests. Mintyukov, who also posted a plus/minus rating of plus-7, started the season with with five points (1-4–5) in a 10-6 win over the Guelph Storm in Saginaw’s home opener. He strung together three consecutive multi-point performances from Oct. 7-9, capping it with two goals and an assist as the Spirit defeated the Sudbury Wolves 5-2 on Oct. 9th. He helped the Spirit defeat the Central Division-leading Mississauga Steelheads 4-3 in overtime, recording a goal and an assist on Oct. 29th. This marks Mintyukov’s second OHL Defenceman of the Month honour after he received League honours in March 2022.

An 18-year-old late 2003-born blueliner, the 6-foot-3, 195Ib. Mintyukov became the first defenceman to lead the Spirit in regular season scoring last season, producing 62 points (17-45–62) in 67 games to earn OHL third team all-star recognition. His 18 points (6-12–18) lead OHL defenders thus far in 2022-23. Mintyukov was selected in the first round (10th overall) by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2022 NHL Draft this past summer. The Spirit selected him with the 52nd overall pick of the 2020 CHL Import Draft.

OHL Goaltender of the Month – Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes):
Michael Simpson of the Peterborough Petes is the OHL Goaltender of the Month for October, playing to a 6-2-0-1 record with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. Simpson stopped 241 of the 261 shots he faced over the course of the October, backstopping the Petes into second place in the East Division. He recorded his first shutout of the season on Oct. 8th in Barrie, making 26 saves as the Petes defeated the Colts 5-0.  He turned in a 37-save effort on Oct. 28th in Ottawa as the Petes put an end to the 67’s undefeated start to the season, denying them a 10th consecutive win. The OHL Goaltender of the Month honour is Simpson’s second in a row after he earned the distinction to close out the 2021-22 regular season in April.

A 19-year-old London, Ont. native, Simpson owns the league’s lowest goals-against average of 2.38 and sits tied for the league-lead in wins with seven. He owns a career record of 27-20-4-1 with a 3.33 goals-against average and .896 save percentage over 55 regular season games with the Petes. The 6-foot-1, 198lb. netminder was Peterborough’s 10th round (193rd overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection from the London Junior Knights U16 program.

OHL Rookie of the Month – Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit):
First overall OHL Priority Selection choice Michael Misa of the Saginaw Spirit is the OHL Rookie of the Month for October, recording 10 goals, seven assists and 17 points in 13 games. Misa had points in 10 of his 13 October contests, producing five different multi-point efforts. The sixth player in OHL history to be granted exceptional status by Hockey Canada, the 15-year-old currently sits tied atop OHL goal-scoring and leads all rookies in points with 17. Misa wasted little time getting adjusted to the OHL pace, scoring twice in his debut as the Spirit defeated the Guelph Storm 10-6 on Oct. 1st. Excelling against Guelph once again, Misa recorded a goal and three assists in Saginaw’s 6-1 road win on Oct. 14th. He put together back-to-back two-goal efforts on Oct. 21st in London and again on Oct. 22nd against the same Knights in Saginaw. He rounded-out October with a goal and an assist as the Spirit defeated the Oshawa Generals 3-2 on Oct. 30th. Misa is the first Spirit player to earn OHL Rookie of the Month honours since Cole Perfetti last did in March 2019.

A native of Oakville, Ont., Misa’s exceptional status debut sat just one point shy of John Tavares’ mark through 10 games back in 2005-2006 as he outpaced both Connor McDavid and Shane Wright in that window to begin his OHL career. Entering his first season with the Spirit after setting a new OHL Cup scoring record for the championship-winning Mississauga Senators, the 5-foot-11, 160lb. forward was selected first overall by Saginaw in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection. He won’t be eligible for the NHL Draft until 2025.


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.

SPIRIT ANNOUNCE MICHAEL MISA AS FIRST OVERALL PICK IN 2022 OHL PRIORITY SELECTION

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League in association with the Saginaw Spirit Hockey Club today announced that 15-year-old forward Michael Misa of the OHL Cup champion Mississauga Senators U16 program will be the first overall pick in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore.

The announcement was made at a news conference held at The Dow Event Center in Saginaw, introducing Misa and his family to the organization, local fans and media.

The 2007-born Misa joins John Tavares (2005), Aaron Ekblad (2011), Connor McDavid (2012) and Shane Wright (2019) as the fifth player to be selected first overall after being granted exceptional player status by Hockey Canada.

“It is an honour to be selected by the Saginaw Spirit with the first overall pick in the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection,” said Misa. “I am grateful to Spirit owner Dick Garber, President & Managing Partner Craig Goslin, and the entire ownership group as well as GM Dave Drinkill and his scouting staff, and Head Coach Chris Lazary for putting their trust in me as their first overall pick. I also want to thank Spirit fans everywhere for welcoming me and my family to the organization. I am committed to this team, this city, and these fans. There is lots of hard work and development ahead. I am looking forward to the future and contributing to the organization on and off the ice.”

Misa joins a Spirit organization that won back-to-back West Division titles in 2019 and 2020, with the franchise making its first-ever appearance in the Western Conference Championship Series in 2019. The Spirit have produced such current day NHL performers as Brandon Saad (St. Louis Blues), Vincent Trocheck (Carolina Hurricanes), Filip Hronek (Detroit Red Wings) and Winnipeg Jets top prospect Cole Perfetti among others.

“On behalf of the entire Saginaw Spirit organization, we are thrilled to welcome a player of Michael’s caliber to our franchise,” said Spirit General Manager Dave Drinkill. “He joins a very select group of players granted exceptional status and we recognize his talents by making Michael our first overall pick in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection. Michael is an elite hockey player, with high-end skills, ability and high hockey IQ to match. He is also a very dedicated, humble, young man with great character, from a great family, and a well-rounded individual, on and off the ice.”

A native of Oakville, Ont., Misa put together a spectacular finish to his season with the Mississauga Senators, breaking Connor McDavid’s OHL Cup scoring record with 20 points (10-10–20) in seven games. Misa became the first player in OHL Cup history to score a hat trick in the championship final, recording a championship record five points as the Senators defeated the Toronto Jr. Canadiens to hoist the OHL Cup for the first time in their history. Misa finished the regular season with a grand total of 93 points (37-56–93) in 55 games. He will be eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft.

Misa is the 2022 recipient of the Jack Ferguson Award presented annually to the player selected first overall in the OHL Priority Selection. The “Fergie” recognizes the dedication and contributions made by Jack Ferguson during his 25 year association with the OHL, first as a scout with the Ottawa 67’s and followed by his appointment as head of the OHL’s Central Scouting Bureau in 1981 as its Director of Central Scouting. First presented in 1981, Misa becomes the second member of the Spirit to receive the award following Patrick McNeill, who was the franchise’s first-ever selection back in 2003.

“Michael Misa is a dynamic offensive player that was one of the driving forces for the Senators in their OHL Cup run,” said Darrell Woodley, Director of OHL Central Scouting. “He plays like he has eyes in the back of his head. His vision is exceptional, he anticipates plays well and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He received exceptional status because of his all-around game. He is not a one-dimensional player. He has tremendous hockey sense and he does the little things well. He will be able to make an impact as a 15-year-old in the OHL.”

WATCH: #OHLDraft Prospect Profile – Michael Misa (Mississauga Senators)

Join Michael Misa as he hears his name called to kick-off the first round of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection Draft Show presented by Real Canadian Superstore beginning at 7:00pm on Friday night. The OHL Priority Selection will once again be held over the course of two days, with Rounds 1-3 taking place on Friday. The proceedings continue on Saturday, April 30 starting at 9:00am with Rounds 4-15. The Priority Selection will be streamed for free in its entirety on CHL TV. Fans can also watch complete Day 1 coverage on YourTV, Rogers tv, Eastlink, Cable 14 and Shaw Spotlight community stations, as well as on the OHL Action Pak.

Winners of the Jack Ferguson Award Include:
1981 Dan Quinn, Belleville Bulls
1982 Kirk Muller, Guelph Platers
1983 Trevor Stienburg, Guelph Platers
1984 Dave Moylan, Sudbury Wolves
1985 Bryan Fogarty, Kingston Canadians
1986 Troy Mallette, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
1987 John Uniac, Sudbury Wolves
1988 Drake Berehowsky, Kingston Raiders
1989 Eric Lindros, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
1990 Pat Peake, Detroit Ambassadors
1991 Todd Harvey, Detroit Ambassadors
1992 Jeff O’Neill, Guelph Storm
1993 Alyn McCauley, Ottawa 67’s
1994 Jeff Brown, Sarnia Sting
1995 Daniel Tkaczuk, Barrie Colts
1996 Rico Fata, London Knights
1997 Charlie Stephens, Toronto St. Michael’s Majors
1998 Jay Harrison, Brampton Battalion
1999 Jason Spezza, Mississauga IceDogs
2000 Patrick Jarrett, Mississauga IceDogs
2001 Patrick O’Sullivan, Mississauga IceDogs
2002 Robbie Schremp, Mississauga IceDogs
2003 Patrick McNeill, Saginaw Spirit
2004 John Hughes, Belleville Bulls
2005 John Tavares, Oshawa Generals
2006 Steven Stamkos, Sarnia Sting
2007 Ryan O’Reilly, Erie Otters
2008 John McFarland, Sudbury Wolves
2009 Daniel Catenacci, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
2010 Alex Galchenyuk, Sarnia Sting
2011 Aaron Ekblad, Barrie Colts
2012 Connor McDavid, Erie Otters
2013 Travis Konecny, Ottawa 67’s
2014 Jakob Chychrun, Sarnia Sting
2015 David Levin, Sudbury Wolves
2016 Ryan Merkley, Guelph Storm
2017 Ryan Suzuki, Barrie Colts
2018 Quinton Byfield, Sudbury Wolves
2019 Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs
2020 Ty Nelson, North Bay Battalion
2021 Quentin Musty, Sudbury Wolves
2022 Michael Misa, Saginaw Spirit


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.

ONTARIO HOCKEY FEDERATION ANNOUNCES EXCEPTIONAL PLAYER STATUS FOR MICHAEL MISA

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Cambridge, ON – The Ontario Hockey Federation today announced the results of the review by Hockey Canada in consideration of the application by Michael Misa, determining that the player is to be granted “exceptional player” status and therefore is eligible for the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

The process was administered by the Ontario Hockey Federation with a Hockey Canada Special Evaluation Panel assembled to evaluate Misa’s hockey and academic documentation and to assess his level of maturity in reaching their decision. 

“Having administered this process since 2005 with John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, Sean Day and Shane Wright, I am continuously amazed by the well-rounded nature of those granted exceptional status,” said OHF Executive Director Phillip McKee. “His constant success both in the classroom and on the ice has demonstrated that Michael Misa is well deserving to be among those who have been granted status in the past.” 

Born February 16, 2007, the 15-year-old Misa is a 5-foot-10, 150-pound forward for the Mississauga Senators U16 AAA team, where he scored 16 goals and 27 assists for 43 points in 27 games during the GTHL regular season. The Senators recently lifted the OHL Cup, where Misa scored 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in seven games while also becoming the first player to record a hat-trick in the Championship Final. These numbers saw Misa break the OHL Cup scoring record previously held by Connor McDavid while earning Tournament MVP honours in the process. 

“It’s a huge honour to be counted among names like Connor McDavid and John Tavares to have received exceptional status from Hockey Canada,” said Misa. “I try not to compare myself to those superstars, and just focus on being the best I can be and improve my game every day. 

“The OHL Cup was a tremendous team effort,” Misa added, reflecting on his record-setting performance. “We had to battle through some playoff disappointment and came through on the other side stronger as a team and got the job done together.” 

Misa becomes just the sixth player to be granted “exceptional player” status in the Ontario Hockey League, following John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros, 2005), whose application formed the modern Exceptional Player process, defenceman Aaron Ekblad (Sun County Panthers, 2011), forward Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros, 2012), defenceman Sean Day (Detroit Compuware, 2013) and forward Shane Wright (Don Mills Flyers, 2019). The trio of Tavares, Ekblad, and McDavid were all chosen first overall in the OHL Priority Selection and later first overall in the NHL Draft while Wright is a top prospect for the 2022 NHL Draft in July.