Oliver Bonk – London Knights – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
HTWTDOBPOSSHOOTSOHL DRAFTNHLCSCOUNTRY
6’2”179 lbsJan 1, 2005DR26th 202118th N ACANADA
SEASONLEAGUETEAMGPGAPTS
2020-2021HEO U-18DID NOT PLAY    
2021-20222GOJHLSt Thomas Stars3252732
2021-2022OHLLondon Knights10033
2022-2023OHLLondon Knights63102939
Oliver Bonk of the London Knights. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images

When you take a peek at public draft rankings around North America, you will find that almost all of them have London Knights Defenceman Oliver Bonk ranked late in the first round or very early in the second round. There is one however that has him in the middle of the third round. NHL Central Scouting has him 18th among North American skaters on their mid term rankings and by the time you add in the Europeans, you’re looking at a late first.

One thing we know about the 26th overall pick at the 2021 OHL Priority Selection: he has climbed on every list.

Bonk has the bloodlines. His father Radek Bonk spent 14 seasons in the NHL and played in 969 games collecting 194 goals and 303 assists.

Bonk’s greatest asset is his hockey IQ. He thinks the game at such a high level. First, in the defensive zone his positioning is near perfect. His possesses a very active stick and breaks up plays by anticipating where the puck is going and using that stick to defend. His transition game is still growing but he has the ability to skate out of the zone or utilize his teammates with good passes.

That high hockey IQ is also evident in the offensive zone. He reads and reacts quickly. He his sneaky at getting into the open areas of the ice to make himself available. On the rush, he is willing to jump up into the play and has near perfect timing. He has a good shot from the point and can get it off quickly and find the target more often than not.

Bonk skates really well for a bigger defenceman but if he could add more speed, it would be a bonus. He’s agile enough, is strong on his skates and is a very good backwards skater. While he uses his size well to engage and move players from the front of his net, he can improve on that area when he adds some bulk to his frame.

Bonk has grown into a very good player and continues to be a work in progress. At this point, it’s difficult to say whether his offensive game will translate to the next level but it’s fair to say he can find success in a defensive role if the offence doesn’t come.

But I wouldn’t bet against him.

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OHL Writers Draft Eligible Player of the Month for November

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
Quentin Musty of the Sudbury Wolves. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

The month of November saw some surprising yet great performances both individually and by teams. Unfortunately, there were some less than stellar performances as we are left waiting for some of the 2023 National Hockey League Entry Draft eligible players to break out, for lack of a better term.

The good outweigh the disappointing so we’ve got that covered as we name our draft eligible goaltender, defenceman and forward for the 2023 draft.

Our monthly choices:

Draft Eligible Forward of the Month – Quentin Musty – Sudbury Wolves

Normally, I would not put a player on the list that received a suspension, but what are you going to do? Musty’s suspension occurred during his last game of the month so, I couldn’t ignore the rest of the month. What exactly did he do? Well, he put up points in all 9 games he appeared in and totaled 3 goals and 12 assists for 15 points in those 9 games. Musty is now 4th in scoring among draft eligible players and leads them all in assists.

Also considered were Luca Pinelli of the Ottawa 67’s with 6 goals and 9 assists in 12 games and Dalyn Wakely of the North Bay Battalion with 11 goals and 6 assists in 13 games.

Draft Eligible Defenceman of the Month – Brody Crane – London Knights

London Knights defenceman Brody Crane appeared in 12 games in the month of November and scored 4 goals while assisting on 10 others. Crane had back-to-back two goal games in mid-November. He was held pointless just three times and never in back-to-back games. His 6 goals and 14 assists on the season have him second in scoring among draft eligible defencemen.

Also considered was Crane’s teammate Oliver Bonk who posted 3 goals and 11 helpers in 12 games and was named the OHL Rookie of the Month for November.

Draft Eligible Goaltender of the Month – Charlie Schenkel – Soo Greyhounds

With an August 16, 2004, birthdate, Charlie Schenkel was eligible for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft but went unselected and is eligible to re-enter the draft for 2023. He made five starts in November and came away with a 2-1-1-1 record with a 2.16 goals-against-average and a .921 save-percentage. His best performance of the month was a 35-save shutout against the Mississauga Steelheads on November 25.

Schenkel sits sixth in the OHL with a goals-against-average of 3.00 and fifth with a save-percentage of .912.

Also considered was Andrew Oke of the Saginaw Spirit – also a draft re-entry – who went 4-0-0-0 with a .926 save-percentage.

Forwards

Quentin Musty – Sudbury Wolves – November

Ryan Abraham – Windsor Spitfires – October

Defencemen

Brody Crane – London Knights – November

Hunter Brzustewicz – Kitchener Rangers – October

Goaltenders

Andrew Oke – Saginaw Spirit – November

Collin MacKenzie – Ottawa 67’s – October

OHL ANNOUNCES TOP PERFORMERS OF THE MONTH FOR NOVEMBER

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 November 2022 including London Knights teammates Sean McGurn and Oliver Bonk along with Saginaw Spirit teammates Pavel Mintyukov and Tristan Lennox.
 

OHL Player of the Month – Sean McGurn (London Knights):
London Knights forward Sean McGurn is the OHL Player of the Month for November, leading all players with 20 points including six goals, 14 assists and a plus/minus rating of plus-7 in 12 contests last month. The overage centreman helped the Knights turn around a slow start to their season, registering points in 10 of his 12 outings as London played to a November mark of 10-2-0-0. McGurn logged seven multi-point performances, including three straight capped by a goal and two helpers on Nov. 12th in Windsor as the Knights defeated the Spitfires 6-1. McGurn scored in four consecutive contests as part of a 12-game point streak. He posted another goal and two assist showing on Nov. 19th in Flint as the Knights defeated the Firebirds 7-4. He did so again on Nov. 27th in Oshawa as London skated to a 4-2 win. McGurn becomes the first Knights player to earn OHL Player of the Month honours since Mitch Marner last received the title in February 2016.

A 20-year-old native of Ottawa, Ont., McGurn is in his third season with the Knights and sits fourth in OHL scoring with 32 points (10-22–32) in 23 games. He’s won 57.4 percent of his faceoffs this season while taking just two minutes in penalties thus far. He’s accumulated 108 points (31-77–108) over 127 regular season games since being selected by London in the third round (53rd overall) of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. McGurn attended rookie camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs in September.
 

OHL Defenceman of the Month – Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit):
For the second straight month, Anaheim Ducks prospect Pavel Mintyukov of the Saginaw Spirit is the OHL Defenceman of the Month, leading all defenders with 17 points including six goals, 11 assists and a plus/minus rating of plus-12 in 11 games. Mintyukov’s continued excellence on the blue line helped the Spirit play to a November record of 10-1-0-0 as they roll into the month of December as the hottest team in the OHL. His month included six different multi-point showings, starting with a goal and an assist on Nov. 3rd as the Spirit came back to defeat the Kingston Frontenacs 3-2. He tacked on three points (1-2–3) on Nov. 6th in Oshawa as the Spirit took a 5-0 road win. Mintyukov registered his second multi-goal showing of the campaign on Nov. 12th against Sault Ste. Marie, tying the game with 16 seconds to spare in an eventual 4-3 overtime win over the Greyhounds. He rounded-out November with back-to-back multi-point totals, picking up a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over Sarnia on Nov. 25th before scoring and adding two helpers in a Nov. 26th 7-2 win over the Windsor Spitfires. This marks Mintyukov’s third OHL Defenceman of the Month honour following previous titles in October 2022 and March 2021. He’s the first player to be named OHL Defenceman of the Month in each of the first two months of a season since Dougie Hamilton of the Niagara IceDogs in October and November 2011.

A recently-turned 19-year-old standing 6-foot-3 and 195Ibs., Mintyukov sits second in OHL scoring with 35 points (12-23–35) in 24 games this season, paired with the League’s third-best plus/minus rating of plus-19. He became the first defenceman to ever lead the Spirit in scoring last season, recording 62 points (17-45–62) in 67 games before being selected 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2022 NHL Draft. The Spirit selected Mintyukov with the 52nd overall pick of the 2020 CHL Import Draft. He was voted to the OHL’s third all-star team last season.
 

OHL Goaltender of the Month – Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit):
New York Islanders prospect Tristan Lennox of the Saginaw Spirit is the OHL Goaltender of the Month for November, helping the Spirit ascend to first place in the West Division standings with a record of 6-1-0-0, goals-against average of 1.86 and save percentage of .931 in seven appearances. After his lone loss to start the month, Lennox posted his first shutout of the campaign on Nov. 6th in Oshawa, making 26 saves as the Spirit defeated the Generals 5-0. He turned aside 28 shots a week later in Sarnia as the Spirit defeated the Sting by a score of 4-3 in overtime on Nov. 11th. Lennox registered 36 saves in a 4-3 overtime road win over the Flint Firebirds on Nov. 23rd, earning second star recognition for his efforts. He closed out November with a sixth straight win on Nov. 26th, making 27 saves as the Spirit defeated visiting Windsor 7-2 to match a franchise record with their ninth consecutive victory. Lennox is the first Spirit goaltender to earn OHL Goaltender of the Month honours since Ivan Prosvetov who last did so in March 2019.

A 20-year-old from Cambridge, Ont., Lennox owns a 12-3-0-0 record with a 2.95 goals-against average and .891 save percentage through 16 games in this, his fourth OHL season. The overage goaltender has played to a career mark of 46-33-3-2 with a 3.25 goals-against average and .887 save percentage in 92 regular season games, all with the Spirit who selected him in the second round (26th overall) of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. Lennox was drafted by the New York Islanders in the third round (93rd overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft.
 

OHL Rookie of the Month – Oliver Bonk (London Knights):
Draft eligible London Knights blueliner Oliver Bonk is the OHL Rookie of the Month for November, leading all rookies with 14 points including three goals, 11 assists and a plus/minus rating of plus-5 in 12 games. Bonk’s presence and increased responsibility on the Knights blue line helped the green and gold surge to a 10-2-0-0 record in the month of November, pushing them to the top of the Midwest Division standings. Bonk recorded points in 10 of his 12 November contests, opening the month by matching his October total in a single game with three points (1-2–3) in a 6-3 loss to the Erie Otters on Nov. 4th. Bonk registered points in eight consecutive games, capped by a goal and an assist on Nov. 19th in Flint as the Knights defeated the Firebirds 7-4. He lit the lamp again on Nov. 25th in Kitchener as the Knights defeated the rival Rangers 4-0. Bonk becomes the first Knights defenceman to earn OHL Rookie of the Month recognition since John Carlson last did so in December 2008.

A 17-year-old from Ottawa, Ont., Bonk leads the Knights offensively from the blue line with 18 point (5-13–18) in 23 games. The 6-foot-2, 179Ib. right-shot appeared in 10 games with London last season, recording three assists while also excelling with the St. Thomas Stars of the GOJHL where he posted 32 points (5-27–32) in as many games to earn GOJHL West Top Rookie Defenceman honours, also being voted to the GOJHL West Rookie All-Star Team. The son of former long-time NHL forward Radek Bonk, Oliver was London’s second round (26th overall) pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection. He won gold with Canada in this past summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup Tournament. Bonk was listed as a ‘B’ rated skater on NHL Central Scouting’s latest Players to Watch list released on Oct. 25th.
 

2022-23 OHL Performers of the Month:

Player of the Month:
November – Sean McGurn (London Knights)
October – Brennan Othmann (Flint Firebirds)

Defenceman of the Month:
November – Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)
October – Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)

Goaltender of the Month:
November – Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
October – Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)

Rookie of the Month:
November – Oliver Bonk (London Knights)
October – 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.

24 OHL PLAYERS NAMED TO HOCKEY CANADA UNDER-17 ROSTER FOR INAUGURAL CAPITAL CITY CHALLENGE

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League is pleased to congratulate 24 OHL players named by Hockey Canada to the Under-17 roster set to participate at the inaugural Capital City Challenge, a four-team tournament featuring three men’s under-17 teams and Canada’s National Women’s Team to take place November 26 to December 1 at TD Place in Ottawa.

The 66 players named to compete in the event will be divided into three teams – Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red and Team Canada White – and will compete against Canada’s National Women’s Team as part of its centralization schedule. The rosters for Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red and Team Canada White will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

The under-17 roster was selected by Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.), senior vice-president of hockey operations, Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont.), director of player personnel, and Byron Bonora (Brooks, Alta.), head scout for the U17 program. U17 Program of Excellence management group lead Philippe Boucher (Saint-Apollinaire, Que./Drummondville, QMJHL) and manager of hockey operations Benoit Roy (Sudbury, Ont.), as well as regional scouts Pierre Cholette (Quebec), Rob Simpson (Ontario), Darren Sutherland (Atlantic) and Darrell Woodley (Ontario), also provided input with support from Hockey Canada’s 13 Members.

“We are excited to unveil the 66 players that will suit up for our three men’s under-17 teams at the Capital City Challenge and have the unique opportunity to compete against Canada’s National Women’s Team in Ottawa,” said Salmond. “Although this has not been a traditional year for our Program of Excellence and the under-17 group, we are excited to introduce these athletes to an event that replicates short-term, international competition.”

In addition to the 24 OHL players selected, a total of nine OHL hockey operations personnel have been named to the staffs of the three Canadian squads including Team Red director of operations Kyle Raftis (Soo Greyhounds), Team White head coach Rob Wilson (Peterborough Petes), assistant Chad Wiseman (Guelph Storm) and Team Black assistant coach Jordan Smith (Soo Greyhounds).

24 OHL Players Named to 2021 Capital City Challenge:

*player committed to Ontario Hockey League club

Goaltenders (3):
Joseph Costanzo (Niagara IceDogs)
Nathaniel Day (Flint Firebirds)
Mason Vaccari (Kingston Frontenacs)*

Defencemen (6):
Beau Akey (Barrie Colts)
Cam Allen (Guelph Storm)
Tristan Bertucci (Flint Firebirds)
Oliver Bonk (London Knights)*
Alexis Daviault (Sarnia Sting)
Olivier Savard (Saginaw Spirit

Forwards (15):
Denver Barkey (London Knights)
Chris Barlas (Ottawa 67’s)
Colby Barlow (Owen Sound Attack)
Easton Cowan (London Knights)*
Nick Lardis (Peterborough Petes)
Luke McNamara (Saginaw Spirit)
Ethan Miedema (Windsor Spitfires)
Luke Misa (Mississauga Steelheads)
Owen Outwater (North Bay Battalion)
Alex Pharand (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Luca Pinelli (Ottawa 67’s)
Carson Rehkopf (Kitchener Rangers)
Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)
Matthew Soto (Kingston Frontenacs)
Carey Terrance (Erie Otters)

Team Staff (Canada Black):
Assistant Coach – Jordan Smith (Soo Greyhounds)
Athletic Therapist – Marie-Pierre Néron (Ottawa 67’s)

Team Staff (Canada Red):
Director of Operations – Kyle Raftis (Soo Greyhounds)
Goaltending Coach – Franky Palazzese (Sarnia Sting)
Video Coach – Nick Biamonte (Guelph Storm)
Equipment Manager – Spencer Stehouwer (Sarnia Sting)
Team Physician – Dr. Wanda Millard (London Knights)

Team Staff (Canada White):
Head Coach – Rob Wilson (Peterborough Petes)
Assistant Coach – Chad Wiseman (Guelph Storm)

The Capital City Challenge opens on Nov. 26 at TD Place Arena, home of the Ottawa 67’s. Canada’s centralization roster will face Team Canada White in the tournament opener at 12 p.m. ET, followed by Team Canada Black taking on Team Canada Red at 7 p.m. ET.

Full-event ticket packages can be purchased for $80 (plus applicable fees) starting Monday, Nov. 8, while single-game tickets will be available starting as low as $5 at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Capital City Challenge, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and by using #OurGameIsBack.


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.