Game Preview: Storm, 67’s clash in final match-up
The Guelph Storm return home to host the Ottawa 67’s on Friday night at the Sleeman Centre at 7:30pm in a special Remembrance Day Game.
Click here to purchase tickets to Friday’s game versus the Ottawa 67’s.
Home sweet home!
The Guelph Storm (7-9-2-1, 5th Midwest) will be excited to be back on home ice after an extended road trip which saw stops in Erie, Ottawa, and Kingston. The road trip was fairly successful earning three of six on the trip, highlighted by two comebacks in Erie and a big win over Ottawa. However, the road trip hit a bump in the road after losing 4-1 to Kingston on Sunday.
The Ottawa 67’s (6-10-2-0, 5th East) will also be entering Friday night’s contest looking to get back into the win column. Currently ninth in the Eastern Conference, the 67’s will also be looking to even the season series with the Storm after falling 5-2 to Guelph last Saturday.
The Storm will be wearing special commemorative jerseys for Friday night’s game. The jerseys worn will be auctioned online starting Monday, with all net proceeds going to Royal Canadian Legion Branch 234, in their efforts to support veterans who are in need.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30pm.
Player Watch
- Guelph Storm
Rookie defender, Ryan Merkley, will be a welcomed return to the blue line after missing the last six games while representing Canada at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. The Mississauga native scored two goals in five games en route to a sixth-place finish at the tournament. Merkley named the OHL’s Rookie of the Month for the month of October, adds an offensive element to the blue line, currently leading the team in points by a defenceman with 11 points (two goals, nine assists) through 13 games.
Continuing to look at the Storm’s blue line, one of the hottest players is first-year import Dmitri Samorukov. Hot off the heels of being named the Storm’s “Player of the Week,” the Volgograd native enters Friday with a four-game point streak. The rookie has nine points (two goals, seven assists) through 18 games this seasons, including a goal against the 67’s.
Switching to Guelph’s offense, sophomore winger Isaac Ratcliffe leads the way. The London native currently leads the team in scoring with 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 19 games. Following a rookie campaign which saw him register 13 points through 46 games in his rookie season, it took him just 17 games to surpass those totals. The six-foot-six, 195-pound forward was instrumental in the Storm’s win over the 67’s last Saturday, recording three assists.
- Ottawa 67’s
Guelph native Austen Keating returns home to face his hometown as one of Ottawa’s top scorers. In three games against Guelph over the last two seasons, the sophomore winger has a goal and an assist. The six-foot, 170-pound forward has registered 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 18 games and is on his way to surpassing his impressive rookie numbers of 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists).
Right behind Keating, is fellow 2015 first round draftee, Sasha Chmelevski. Currently one of the hottest forwards in the league, the sophomore forward, has registered five goals in his last five games, including one against the Storm last Saturday. Appearing in 34 games in his rookie season, Chmelevski recorded 19 points (11 goals, eight assists), he is well on his way to passing those totals with 16 points (10 goals, six assists) through 17 games this season.
The 67’s lineup features two of Merkley’s teammates from the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Carter Robertson, and Kevin Bahl. Both of the rookie defenders registered an assist at the tournament in five games. Robertson is second in 67’s defenceman scoring with four assists in 11 games, while Bahl is still in search of his first career OHL point.
Last Match-up: Guelph 5 @ Ottawa 2
GAME NOTES
- Friday’s match-up with be the final meeting between the Storm and the 67’s this season.
- Austen Keating (Guelph, ON) returns home to face his hometown team.
- Liam Herbst will face his former team Friday night. Herbst was acquired by the Storm from the 67’s via trade in June 2016.
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