Coaches recognize Troops in poll

BRAMPTON, Ont. – The Brampton Battalion’s Wojtek Wolski, Phil Oreskovic and Luke Lynes were among the leaders as the Ontario Hockey League announced the Eastern Conference results of its Coaches Poll on Tuesday.rrCentre Wolski, who tied Cory Emmerton of the Kingston Frontenacs atop voting for the conference’s smartest player, won the best shot category outright. Wolski finished second in three categories, as best playmaker, most dangerous in the goal area and hardest shot.rrOreskovic tied Nick Plastino of the Barrie Colts as best defensive defenceman and topped voting for best bodychecker, while left winger Lynes finished third in voting for most improved player.rrConference coaches voted for three players in each of 16 categories on a 5-3-1 points basis. Coaches couldn’t vote for their own players.rrWolski, third in OHL scoring with 43 goals and 76 assists for 119 points, was runner-up to Barrie centre Bryan Little in the categories of best playmaker and most dangerous in the goal area and to defenceman Trevor Hendrikx of the Peterborough Petes in the hardest shot vote.rrWolski, who turned 20 on Feb. 24, has assaulted the Battalion record book since returning from the National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 26.rrThe Mississauga resident has set career club records with 126 goals, 193 assists, 319 points, 55 power-play goals, 17 game-winning goals and eight shorthanded goals in 250 games over four years. His assists and points totals this year are club single-season records, and he has tied Raffi Torres’s club record for goals in a season with three games to play.rrWe’re all playing really well right now and we’ve got a lot of depth on our team, so it’s a lot easier when everyone is pitching in,” said Wolski, a two-time OHL Player of the Week this season and the winner of the last three Player of the Month awards.rrThe Battalion captain said he was happy to see coaches take notice of his teammates.rrYou want to see guys get recognized when you see how hard they work,” said Wolski. That hard work is reflected in how our team is doing.”rrOreskovic, a third-round choice of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, has three goals and nine assists for 12 points and a club-record 198 penalty minutes in 64 games this season.rrIt’s tremendous to be acknowledged by the coaches,” said the 19-year-old Brampton resident. I like to be a physical presence and a strong, stay-at-home defenceman, and it’s nice to get some recognition for that.”rrLynes finished behind Barrie goaltender Dan LaCosta and Peterborough centre Jordan Staal as most improved player. Lynes, an 18-year-old from Ellicott City, Md., in his second season with the Troops, has 34 goals and 27 assists for 61 points in 62 games. He had 11 goals, 13 assists and 24 points in 68 games as a rookie.rrI think I’ve developed in all aspects of the game,” said Lynes, a third-round pick by the Battalion in the 2004 OHL Priority Selection from Indiana’s Culver Military Academy. rrIt’s a big jump from high school hockey to the OHL. Last year was a year for me to develop, and what I learned I’ve put to use this season. I owe a lot to the coaching staff and a lot of the older guys on the team. It’s an honour and privilege to be recognized by the coaches, but there are still a lot of areas I can improve on.”rrLittle, who led with four category wins, also took top spot in the voting for hardest worker and best on faceoffs. Barrie’s Andrew Marshall tied Peterborough left winger Greg Stewart as most underrated player and topped voting as best offensive defenceman.rrOther winners were Staal, named the best defensive forward, centre Benoit Pouliot of the Sudbury Wolves who won as best skater, centre John Hughes of the Belleville Bulls, who took best stickhandler honours, and Peterborough centre Daniel Ryder, named best penalty killer.rrWestern Conference poll results were to be announced Wednesday.r