CHL on TSN: Five players to watch – Petes @ Storm
The CHL on TSN returns tonight as the Guelph Storm welcome the Peterborough Petes to the Sleeman Centre.
The Storm had high expectations coming into the season but a little over the halfway mark of the season, they sit two games under .500 but have won six of their last 10 contests.
Peterborough, on the other hand, are trending upwards after general manager Michael Oke added some big names to an already stacked lineup in Owen Beck (MTL) and Brennan Othmann (NYR), among others, as they chase their first OHL title since the 2005-06 season.
A lot of NHL drafted talent will take the ice tonight and with that, here are five players to keep an eye on:
Tucker Robertson – Peterborough
The Seattle Kraken prospect has been the Petes’ best offensive player this season. He leads the team in goals (24) and points (52) and sits ninth in OHL scoring.
A year ago, the Toronto native was just the third Petes player since 2010 to score at least 40 goals in a season (41). He’s currently 50 points shy of becoming just the 25th Petes player to record 200 points for the franchise and if he hits that milestone this season, in the process he’d become the 15th player to have a 100-point season.
Despite the influx of new additions, Petes head coach Rob Wilson has maintained his J.R. Avon – Robertson – Connor Lockhart line, in large part because the trio have combined for 145 points this year.
TUCKER TIME ⏰ @PetesOHLhockey #SeaKraken prospect Tucker Robertson bursts into the Generals' zone and buries his 24th of the campaign 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4wygwzPANj
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 20, 2023
Matthew Poitras – Guelph
Poitras was selected 54th overall by the Bruins in the 2022 NHL Draft after a 50-point rookie OHL season.
He’s followed that up with 48 points in 36 games this year and while he has just nine goals – he had 21 a year ago – his 39 assists are the fourth most in the OHL this season.
His 1.33 point-per-game average is the 14th best among OHL players who have played at least 30 games.
Toe-drag AND patience from Matthew Poitras 😮#CHLTVGOTW | @Storm_City | @NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/qumKrUWlz4
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) October 2, 2022
Brennan Othmann – Peterborough
When you can acquire a World Juniors gold medallist, you make it happen.
Oke did that with Othmann Nov. 12 before the New York Rangers prospect collected a second World Juniors gold medal in Halifax earlier this month.
In 14 games as a Pete, Othmann has played at a better than point-per-game pace with five goals and 15 points. Recently, he has played alongside new acquisitions Owen Beck and Avery Hayes on a formidable top line that can produce offence at will.
A year ago, Othmann set a Flint franchise record for goals (50) and points (97) in a season and departed the Firebirds as the franchise’s fourth leading scorer (154 points).
At each of his World Juniors appearances, Othmann tallied two goals and four assists. But most importantly, he left with two gold medals.
Brennan Othmann has his first as a member of @PetesOHLhockey! 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/ZdOxo72Bvs
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) November 18, 2022
Max Namestnikov – Guelph
With high expectations entering the season, Guelph’s sluggish start saw the team depart with star forward Sasha Pastujov (ANA) as he was traded to Sarnia Nov. 17.
In return, the Storm received Namestnikov and it’s safe to say they are thrilled with what they have seen since.
In 22 games, Namestnikov has 12 goals and 23 points. His 16 goals this season already match his career high from a year ago, in 28 fewer games, while he is 10 points shy of his points total from his rookie season.
The younger brother of NHLer Vladislav Namestnikov, who played 131 games with London, the 18-year-old has been manning the left wing spot on the team’s second line alongside Cooper Walker and Ben McFarlane.
OH MY GOODNESS MAX NAMESTNIKOV ARE YOU SERIOUS?!! pic.twitter.com/02Xt1MLegL
— Guelph Storm (@Storm_City) November 19, 2022
Owen Beck – Peterborough
Another World Juniors gold medallist, Beck joined Canada for the quarterfinals after Colton Dach suffered an injury on New Year’s Eve.
Shortly after Canada claimed gold, the Montreal prospect was traded to Peterborough as Mississauga traded all three of its highly-touted NHL prospects.
Beck has played just four games with Peterborough where he has one goal and an assist. The Port Hope, Ont., native has 39 goals in 102 OHL contests but his ability to succeed extends beyond the ice; last season he was the CHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year, a title he also claimed in the OHL.
Owen Beck lit the lamp for the first time in a @PetesOHLhockey jersey Saturday in what was his 💯th @OHLHockey game! pic.twitter.com/BzYOLaX01X
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 15, 2023