OHL 2023-24: Faces in different places
Photo credit: Gar Fitzgerald
The 2023-24 OHL season gets underway tonight and when the campaign opens, a number of familiar faces will be in new jerseys.
Some trades were swung late in the offseason, that included the move of defending Wayne Gretzky 99 Award winner Michael Simpson just a few days ago, as general manager’s tweaked their rosters ahead of puck drop.
Here are five OHL faces in different places:
Jack Beck (Ottawa → Soo)
Soo general manager Kyle Raftis made a big splash ahead of the regular season after he acquired overage forward Jack Beck from Ottawa.
The biggest question surrounding Beck has often been his health; he has missed 55 games over the past two campaigns through injury but there’s no reservations about his talent.
In 2022-23, Beck, a former Calgary Flames draft pick, had a career high 53 points (12 goals) in 45 games with the OHL best 67’s.
Braden Hache (Barrie → Saginaw)
As hosts of the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow, general manager Dave Drinkill acquired an established OHL d-man in Hache for what they hope is a deep run next spring.
Hache split 2022-23 between Kingston and Barrie where he had 19 points and a +28 rating in 68 games. A former Florida Panthers draft pick, he is currently at Arizona Coyotes training camp as a free-agent invite.
Braden Hache scores in his @OHLBarrieColts debut❗️ pic.twitter.com/t57Hclxcfe
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 13, 2023
Brayden Hislop (North Bay → Guelph)
After a deep run with North Bay a year ago, Hislop will be hoping to replicate that this year in Guelph.
The overage d-man began 2022-23 in Saginaw but was traded to the Battalion after 19 games where he helped them to the OHL Eastern Conference Championship Series.
Hislop was acquired early August in what may well have been a precursor to the news that the Storm will be without star d-man Cam Allen (WSH) for the first half of the campaign. Hislop’s 19 points last season were a career high.
Ryan Humphrey (London → Niagara)
Humphrey will suit up for his third team in two years when he takes the ice with the IceDogs this weekend.
A key piece of Hamilton’s OHL title run in 2022, Humphrey was moved to London at the OHL’s Trade Deadline in January and helped the Knights to an appearance in the OHL Championship Series.
Humphrey, who had 62 points during the Bulldogs’ title charge, will help to rejuvenate a Niagara offence that finished tied last in goals scored last season.
Michael Simpson (Peterborough → London)
After he backstopped the Petes to a first OHL title since 2007, Simpson will now head home to join the team he stonewalled last spring.
The defending Wayne Gretzky 99 Award winner as the OHL’s playoffs MVP, Simpson will now hope to lead the Knights to a fifth OHL title.
The London native went 24-22-2 in the regular season a year ago but starred in the playoffs where he posted a 16-7-0 record alongside a 2.80 GAA and .917 save percentage.
Simpson joins William Rousseau, who last season led Quebec to a QMJHL and Memorial Cup title, as starting goaltenders to be traded that won league championships a season ago.
Goaltender Michael Simpson collected the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as #OHLPlayoffs MVP after he backstopped @PetesOHLhockey to the #OHLChampionship! 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/L6heLI6kk2
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 22, 2023
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