Jack Quinn – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Height: 6”1”

Weight: 179 Pounds

Date of birth: September 19, 2001

Hometown: Cobden, Ontario

Position: Right Wing

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 2, 39th overall, 2017 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting Rankings

Pre-season

November Mid-term Final
B Prospect A Prospect 9 N.A.

7 N.A.

Jack Quinn played his Minor Midget AAA with the Kanata Lasers during the 2016-2017 and in 45 games scored 28 goals and added 24 assists. The Ottawa 67’s would select him with the 39th overall pick at the 2017 Ontario Hockey League’s Priority Selection.

During the 2017-2018 season, Quinn would skate in the Central Canadian Hockey League with the Kanata Laser. In 49 games, he scored 21 goals while assisting on 25. He was named the CCHL Rookie of the Year, CCHL Top Prospect and was named to the CCHL All-Rookie Team. He also got a taste of the OHL appearing in 8 games and registering 1 helper.

Jack Quinn of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Jack Quinn of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images

Last season, Quinn broke the 67’s lineup beginning primarily as a 4th liner. However, he began to move up the lineup throughout the season and would appear in 61 games and finishing with 32 points on 12 goals and 20 assists. He would add 3 goals and 7 points in 18 playoff contests.

Things clicked for Quinn this season and his abilities as a goal scorer were at the forefront. Not only did he lead all draft eligible players in goals with 52, he finished second among all players only to Nick Robertson.

Some put a question mark on Rossi because he has a late 2001 birthdate like teammate and fellow draft prospect Marco Rossi. Quinn missed being eligible for the 2019 draft by just 4 days. Sometimes, there is too much emphasis put on that.

At 6’1” Quinn has some good size but really needs to add some muscle. Considering he was drafted at 5’9”, played last year at 5’11” and jumped up to 6’1” this season, he is not just still growing, but adjusting to his new frame.

I also see others questioning his defensive game. While Quinn is no Ryan O’Reilly or Patrice Bergeron, one can’t question his commitment to playing a 200-foot game. He has a high-level hockey IQ so he understands where to position himself in the defensive zone. He also has excellent anticipation and seemingly always knows where the puck is going to go and breaks up many of plays that way. He is strongly committed to coming back hard on the back check as well. He may never win a Selke Trophy at the NHL level, but he’s not going to hurt his team either. He can also kill penalties and you will find him on the ice in the last minute protecting a one goal lead.

Quinn has a lethal shot with an uncanny knack for disguising his release. He’s also capable of beating goaltenders with it. To go along with his high IQ, Quinn also has some excellent vision. He digests the situation quickly and like a chess master is able to think ahead. But he’s also able to slow things down and let an opportunity open up. His playmaking skills may be underrated.

Skating was an issue for Quinn a season ago. But like the effort he puts in the defensive part of his game, he put the effort into improving his skating. He’s gained a step but also added some power behind his skating. It all comes down to putting all of his talents together. If there was one area, I would like to see improve it is his willingness to take the puck to the net, or to drive there when he doesn’t have possession. And when he adds that muscle needed, it could bring another element to his game that he excels at.

Quinn should hear his name called in the top-15 at the 2020 NHL Draft. But he could easily be a top-10 talent.

Marco Rossi – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Height: 5’9”

Weight: 187 Pounds

Date of birth: September 23, 2001

Hometown: Feldkirch, Austria

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 18th overall, 2018 CHL Import Draft

NHL Central Scouting Rankings

Pre-season

November Mid-term Final
A Prospect A Prospect 5 N.A.

6 N.A.

What do Thomas Vanek, Michael Grabner and Michael Raffl all have in common? They are all Austrian born players to have played 470-plus games in the National Hockey League. Ottawa 67’s center Marco Rossi certainly has the potential to not only join that group, but also to be the best Austrian player to skate in the NHL.

As a 16-year-old during the 2017-2018 season, Rossi played in the Swiss Under-20 Elit League with the GCK Lions where he finished ninth in league scoring on 22 goals and 29 assists in 34 games. He would add 5 goals and 5 assists in 9 playoff games and his 10 points were tops in the league.

Selected with the 18th overall pick at the 2018 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, Rossi would make his way to North America and join the 67’s for the 2018-2019 season and he made quite the impact. Rossi appeared in 53 games, scoring 29 goals and 36 assists for 65 points. Among the Big-Three draft eligible forwards, Rossi, Cole Perfetti and Quinton Byfield, Rossi finished second in rookie scoring and named to the OHL’s Second All-Rookie Team. (Byfield won both OHL and CHL Rookie of the year). Rossi would add 6 goals and 17 helpers in 16 playoff games.

Rossi, Marco
Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by OHL Images

Rossi would take things to another level this season. Shortened because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Rossi appeared in 56 games scoring 39 goals and adding 81 assists. Rossi led or was near the top on almost every statistical category among draft eligible players.

The 67’s had just six games remaining when the season was cancelled, so this is not a small sample size. Rossi led the entire league in assists, points and plus/minus, all by a comfortable margin.

Rossi is without question a top-5 talent for the upcoming draft and one could make the argument that top-3 might be the case. The issue that comes up when anyone talks about Rossi is the 5’9 size. NHL Central Scouting, and teams for that matter, gravitate towards players with size that can skate. The question I am asked most frequently is: If Rossi was 4 inches taller, could he challenge for top pick in the draft?

To me, the answer to that question is yes. I recently had a conversation with Brock Otten, who has his own must follow site, to talk about Quinton Byfield (among other things) and posed that very same question to Brock. You can have a listen below.

Half way through the season, I was told on many occasions Rossi could not sustain his 22% shooting percentage through the entire season and that a serious regression towards the league average was due. Well, he finished the season at 20.2%. Players that were ahead of him like Damien Giroux and Joseph Garreffa saw their shooting percentage drop by three times as much as Rossi. That said, if you watched enough of Rossi last season and this season, you’ll see that one of the most improved assets he has is his shot. He has worked hard in improving his quickness on his release and gained confidence in his shooting ability.

Rossi was always the greatest of skaters, but like his shot, he put in the necessary work to improve. And the difference is night and day. He has superb agility and his edgework is outstanding. He has an excellent ability to change gears. His strength on his feet has also improved and is increasingly difficult to knock off balance, despite his size. He can weave through and dissect defences just with his skating. He is also a possession beast with the puck on his stick.

Rossi is not a full speed ahead north-south player. In fact, he is more of an east-west type player who looks to break defences apart, draw players towards him and then use his patience, vision, possession skills and superb passing abilities to set up teammates for high percentage scoring plays. And without the puck he is elusive, finds open areas of the ice and makes himself an available option. He even goes to the front without the puck.

All the things I’ve mentioned make Rossi a dangerous offensive force, so just imagine how dangerous he is with space on the powerplay. He can run the powerplay from the half wall or he can run it from anywhere else in the offensive zone. With just 7 powerplay markers on the season it’s easy to see he is more of the set-up guy then the shooter – he finished second only to Ryan Merkley on powerplay helpers and powerplay assists per game.

With a September 23 birthdate, Rossi is also further along in his development then his peers – he missed last years draft class by just 8 days so, there should be no doubt that Rossi is one of the better 200-foot players in the draft class.

Rossi is the go-to-guy when the 67’s are down a man. His PK skills are bordering on elite. When leading with a minute to go in the game, he’s the guy coaches look to send over the boards first to protect that lead. His attention to detail when defending is at the same level as it is offensively. His positioning is excellent, he takes lanes away with his stick, and few come back on the backcheck as hard as he does.

Finally, I would like to address the size. Rossi doesn’t play like he’s 5’9”, in fact he plays much bigger. He is usually the first guy on the forecheck with a motor that never quits. He won’t shy away from contact and is always willing to battle against much bigger opponents, and yes, he comes away with the puck more then his fair share of the time. And as mentioned earlier, Rossi is not shy about going to the net.

Many people think he may be better suited to play wing at the NHL level because of his size. And that may be the case. But I think the opportunity has to be given to him to show he can handle the riggers of playing down the m idle in the NHL. The playmaking skills, the commitment to the defensive game are their, as well as being an elite faceoff man.

Rossi’s upside is that of a first line center. At worst, he can be a third line pivot who could turn into an elite penalty killer, take on defensive responsibilities and provide some offence.

Have a listen to my chat with Brock:

OHL Writers’ Draft Eligible Player of the Year

First off, I want to begin by saying I hope you are all safe and healthy in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. We all have to do our part to keep our families, our friends, our neighbours and ourselves from catching and spreading this terrible virus.

We don’t know when hockey will return, and for this piece here, we don’t know when the National Hockey League Draft will take place and how exactly the NHL will conduct the draft or how the draft order will be set. But here at OHLW, we will continue to bring you the usual content regarding the draft as we will get through this and it will eventually take place.

Our draft eligible player of the year isn’t always a reflection of the player we believe should be the first Ontario Hockey League player selected at the draft, but rather the player that performed the best from the first drop of the puck to the final horn of the season.

This year, for us, that player is Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s.

Rossi, Marco
Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by OHL Images

Rossi led the entire OHL in assists (81) and points (120) and finished tenth in goals (39) en route to capturing the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy for most points on the season. He also led the entire league in plus/minus with a plus-69, and finished second in powerplay assists (31).

Rossi was named in the recent Coaches Poll as the Eastern Conference’s smartest player, best playmaker and best shootout shooter. He finished second in the voting as best on face-offs and defensive forward. He was voted as the third best penalty killer by the coaches.

On three occasions, November, December and February, Rossi was selected our draft eligible player of the month. The quest for perfection was interrupted twice by a player we gave consideration here to: Cole Perfetti of the Saginaw Spirit.

Perfetti finished second only to Rossi in the OHL scoring race with 111 points and assists (74). It’s the first time since the 2014-2015 season when teammates Dylan Strome and Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters that draft eligible players finished one-two in the OHL scoring race. Prior to those two accomplishing the feat, you’d have to go back to 2009-2010 when Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin both finished with 106 points and went one-two respectively at the NHL Draft.

We also gave some quick consideration to London Knights’ netminder Brett Brochu. In a season where there were more questions then answers coming into the season, Brochu took to the crease and ran with it. He set an OHL record with 32 wins for a first year netminder on lost just 6 games on the year. Not bad for a goaltender not ranked on NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch Lists or mid-term rankings!

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 25

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week twenty-five edition of the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2019-20 season.  The weekly rankings of the CHL’s Top-10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 25

Rank: Team: Last Week Ranked: Total Weeks Ranked:
1 Sherbrooke Phoenix (51-8-3-1) 1 25
2 Ottawa 67’s (50-11-0-1) 2 23
3 Moncton Wildcats (49-13-1-0) 3 19
4 Portland Winterhawks (45-11-3-4) 6 15
5 Everett Silvertips (46-13-3-1) 4 19
6 London Knights (45-15-1-1) 7 11
7 Chicoutimi Sagueneens (44-12-5-1) 8 25
8 Edmonton Oil Kings (42-12-6-4) 5 22
9 Saginaw Spirit (41-16-3-2) 10 4
10 Spokane Chiefs (41-18-4-1) 1
Honourable Mention:
Kitchener Rangers (39-16-5-2) 9 5
Kamloops Blazers (41-18-3-1) 5
Cape Breton Eagles (40-19-2-1) 6

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 24

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week twenty-four edition of the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2019-20 season.  The weekly rankings of the CHL’s Top-10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 24

Rank: Team: Last Week Ranked: Total Weeks Ranked:
1 Sherbrooke Phoenix (49-8-3-1) 1 24
2 Ottawa 67’s (47-11-0-1) 2 22
3 Moncton Wildcats (47-12-1-0) 3 18
4 Everett Silvertips (44-12-3-1) 6 18
5 Edmonton Oil Kings (41-10-6-4) 5 21
6 Portland Winterhawks (42-11-3-4) 4 14
7 London Knights (42-15-1-1) 8 10
8 Chicoutimi Sagueneens (41-12-5-1) 7 24
9 Kitchener Rangers (38-15-5-2) 9 5
10 Saginaw Spirit (38-16-3-2) 3
Honourable Mention:
Flint Firebirds (39-19-1-1) 10 3
Lethbridge Hurricanes (37-16-2-5) 1
Spokane Chiefs (37-18-4-1) 0

OHL Writers’ Draft Eligible Player of the Month for February

Much like it was for us in the month of January, selecting one performance over another  for our draft eligible player of the month was a difficult task once again in February. And this time, we have a different outcome.

Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s becomes the third time winner as our choice as the top performer among players eligible for the National Hockey League Draft.

Rossi, who leads the Ontario Hockey League in assists (73) and points (108) appeared in 13 games through the month of February and tallied 6 goals to go along with 17 assists. Despite putting up amazing offensive numbers in those 13 games, Rossi was only named a game’s star twice, receiving 1 first star honor and one second star mention.

Rossi, Marco
Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s. Photo by OHL Images

Following close behind Rossi was teammate Jack Quinn who potted 8 goals while assisting on 11 others through February. But unlike Rossi, the powers at be found Quinn to do enough to be named the game’s second star on 4 different occasions.

Also considered was Cole Perfetti of the Saginaw Spirit with 8 goals and 11 assists in 11 games. Honorable mention has to go to James Hardie of the Mississauga Steelheads with 6 goals and 7 assists in 10 games and Kingston Frontenacs’ Zayde Wisdom with 7 goals and 9 assists in 13 games played.

In goal, Brett Brochu continues to shine. Brochu appeared in 8 games with a 7-1-0-0 record while stopping 244 of 264 shots for an impressive .924 save percentage and a 2.38 goals-against-average.

OHL Writers Draft Eligible Players of the Month

February – Marco Rossi – Ottawa 67’s

January – Cole Perfetti – Saginaw Spirit

December – Marco Rossi – Ottawa 67’s

November – Marco Rossi – Ottawa 67’s

October – Cole Perfetti – Saginaw Spirit

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 23

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week twenty-three edition of the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2019-20 season.  The weekly rankings of the CHL’s Top-10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 23

Rank: Team: Last Week Ranked: Total Weeks Ranked:
1 Sherbrooke Phoenix (46-8-3-1) 2 23
2 Ottawa 67’s (44-11-0-1) 1 21
3 Moncton Wildcats (44-12-1-0) 4 17
4 Portland Winterhawks (40-10-3-4) 3 13
5 Edmonton Oil Kings (40-10-6-3) 5 20
6 Everett Silvertips (40-12-3-1) 7 17
7 Chicoutimi Sagueneens (39-11-5-1) 6 23
8 London Knights (38-15-1-1) 8 9
9 Kitchener Rangers (36-14-5-2) 4
10 Flint Firebirds (37-18-1-1) 10 3
Honourable Mention:
Cape Breton Eagles (37-17-2-1) 6
Lethbridge Hurricanes (35-15-2-5) 1
Saginaw Spirit (36-16-3-2) 2

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 22

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week twenty-two edition of the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2019-20 season.  The weekly rankings of the CHL’s Top-10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 22

Rank: Team: Last Week Ranked: Total Weeks Ranked:
1 Ottawa 67’s (42-9-0-1) 1 20
2 Sherbrooke Phoenix (43-8-3-1) 2 22
3 Portland Winterhawks (39-8-3-4) 3 12
4 Moncton Wildcats (41-12-1-0) 5 16
5 Edmonton Oil Kings (37-9-6-3) 4 19
6 Chicoutimi Sagueneens (37-11-4-1) 6 22
7 Everett Silvertips (36-12-3-1) 7 16
8 London Knights (37-14-1-1) 9 8
9 Rimouski Oceanic (35-14-3-4) 2
10 Flint Firebirds (35-17-1-1) 2
Honourable Mention:
Kitchener Rangers (34-14-5-2) 8 3
Lethbridge Hurricanes (34-14-2-5) 10 1
Saginaw Spirit (34-16-2-2) 2

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week twenty edition of the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2019-20 season.  The weekly rankings of the CHL’s Top-10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 20

Rank: Team: Last Week Ranked: Total Weeks Ranked:
1 Ottawa 67’s (39-7-0-0) 1 18
2 Sherbrooke Phoenix (38-8-3-1) 3 20
3 Portland Winterhawks (35-7-3-4) 2 10
4 Chicoutimi Sagueneens (34-9-4-1) 4 20
5 Edmonton Oil Kings (34-8-6-3) 5 17
6 Moncton Wildcats (34-12-1-0) 6 14
7 Everett Silvertips (32-11-3-1) 7 14
8 London Knights (33-13-1-1) 6
9 Cape Breton Eagles (31-14-2-1) 6
10 Kamloops Blazers (32-13-3-1) 8 5
Honourable Mention:
Kitchener Rangers (29-12-5-2) 10 2
Lethbridge Hurricanes (30-12-2-5) 0
Rimouski Oceanic (30-14-3-4) 1

OHL ANNOUNCES TOP PERFORMERS OF THE MONTH FOR JANUARY

Top Performers January

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for regular season games played in January 2020, including Oshawa Generals forward Philip Tomasino, Ottawa 67’s defenceman Noel Hoefenmayer and London Knights goaltender Brett Brochu.

OHL Player of the Month – Philip Tomasino (Oshawa Generals):
Nashville Predators prospect Philip Tomasino of the Oshawa Generals is the OHL Player of the Month for January, posting a league-leading 34 points including 15 goals and 19 assists over just 13 games.  Tomasino recorded three points or more on seven different occasions and earned star of the game recognition in nine of his 13 outings, 10 of which came as a member of the Oshawa Generals following a trade from the Niagara IceDogs. He wrapped up his tenure in Niagara with 10 points over his final three contests including a five-point showing (1-4–5) in a 9-8 win over North Bay on Jan. 2nd. He followed that up two nights later with four points (2-2–4), setting up the OT winner as the IceDogs defeated the Kitchener Rangers 7-6 on Jan. 4th. Tomasino started his time as an Oshawa General with a bang on Jan. 9th in Windsor, registering five points (2-3–5) in a 6-3 triumph over the Spitfires. That performance was followed by back-to-back two-goal outings on Jan. 10th in Sarnia and Jan. 12th back on home ice against the Peterborough Petes, helping Tomasino earn OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week honours. Other outstanding January performances included another four-point effort (2-2–4) on Jan. 20th in Owen Sound as he set up the winning goal in a 5-4 victory over the Attack. He wrapped up January with three consecutive multi-point outings headlined by a goal and three assists on Jan. 25th in a 7-4 win over the Kingston Frontenacs on Sportsnet.

An 18-year-old native of Mississauga, Ont., Tomasino leads the Generals in scoring this season with 83 points (34-49–83) over 48 games, good for the league’s fourth-highest total. Now in his third OHL season, the former fifth overall pick in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection has amassed 179 points (73-106–179) over 176 career regular season games. He was the highest-drafted OHL forward at last summer’s 2019 NHL Draft, going 24th overall to the Nashville Predators who signed him to a three-year entry level NHL contract on October 21st.

OHL Defenceman of the Month – Noel Hoefenmayer (Ottawa 67’s):
Ottawa 67’s overage defenceman Noel Hoefenmayer has been named OHL Defenceman of the Month for the third time this season. The fifth-year veteran led all rearguards with 18 points including three goals and 15 assists over 13 games to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-13. Hoefenmayer recorded points in 11 of his 13 January outings including three assists on Jan. 18th against the Hamilton Bulldogs, a two-goal showing on Jan. 25th against the Niagara IceDogs and a goal and one helper on Jan. 30th on the road against the same IceDogs. Hoefenmayer helped the 67’s rise to the top of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings with wins in 13 of 14 January contests. He wrapped up the month on an eight-game point streak.

A 21-year-old native of North York, Ont., Hoefenmayer leads OHL defenders with 67 points including 19 goals and 48 assists along with a plus/minus rating of plus-44 over 46 games. The 6-foot-1 rearguard has been a big contributor on Ottawa’s top-ranked 30.6% power play this season, registering 32 points on the man advantage. A fifth-year veteran, Hoefenmayer is currently inside the franchise top-8 for both career points by a defenceman (207) and career games played (286). His 19 goals from the back end are the most in a single season by a 67’s defenceman since Jon Zion in 2000-01. Hoefenmayer was a fourth round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in the 2017 NHL Draft before going unsigned and attended rookie camp with the Carolina Hurricanes in September. Hoefenmayer was a second round pick of the 67’s in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection.

OHL Goaltender & Rookie of the Month – Brett Brochu (London Knights):
London Knights netminder Brett Brochu is both the OHL Goaltender and OHL Rookie of the Month for January after posting an impressive 9-0-0-0 record along with a 1.89 goals-against average and .940 save percentage in nine games. Brochu made at least 30 saves on four different occasions highlighted by a 40-save effort on Jan. 3rd as the Knights defeated the Mississauga Steelheads 3-1. He surrendered just one goal in back-to-back games on Jan. 12th in Sault Ste. Marie and Jan. 17th at home to the Sudbury Wolves before turning in another fine performance with 35 saves in a 4-1 defeat of the Hamilton Bulldogs on Jan. 24th. Brochu closed out January on an 11-game winning streak.

A 17-year-old native of Tilbury, Ont., Brochu leads OHL rookie goaltenders with a 2.52 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and a record of 21-5-0-0, becoming the first Knights rookie to win 20 games in a season since Ryan MacDonald back in 2003-04. The 5-foot-11, 156Ib. puckstopper was London’s sixth round pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. He spent last season with the Dresden Kings Jr. C club, earning PJHL Stobbs Division Rookie of the Year honours.

2019-20 OHL Performers of the Month:

Player of the Month:
January – Philip Tomasino (Oshawa Generals)
December – Cole Schwindt (Mississauga Steelheads)
November – Jan Jenik (Hamilton Bulldogs)
October – Arthur Kaliyev (Hamilton Bulldogs)

Defenceman of the Month:
January – Noel Hoefenmayer (Ottawa 67’s)
December – Noel Hoefenmayer (Ottawa 67’s)
November – Connor Corcoran (Windsor Spitfires)
October – Noel Hoefenmayer (Ottawa 67’s)

Rookie of the Month:
January – Brett Brochu (London Knights)
December – Mason McTavish (Peterborough Petes)
November – Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs)
October – Mason McTavish (Peterborough Petes)

Goaltender of the Month:
January – Brett Brochu (London Knights)
December – Jacob Ingham (Kitchener Rangers)
November – Nico Daws (Guelph Storm)
October – Hunter Jones (Peterborough Petes)