OHL This Week: January 3 to 6, 2019

 

The first 2019 edition of the OHL This Week brings you updates from across the Ontario Hockey League.

 

OHL NAMES PERFORMERS OF THE MONTH FOR DECEMBER:
The OHL unveiled its top Top Performers of the Month for regular season games played in December 2018 on Wednesday. Ottawa 67’s forward Tye Felhaber, Saginaw Spirit defenceman Bode Wilde, Sudbury Wolves goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Sarnia Sting rookie Jacob Perreault received honours for their standout performances. Read more

OHL NAMES ACADEMIC PLAYERS OF THE MONTH FOR DECEMBER:
The Ontario Hockey League announced Academic Players of the Month for December 2018 on Thursday including defenceman Thomas Harley of the Mississauga Steelheads, goaltenders Tye Austin of the Peterborough Petes and Mack Guzda of the Owen Sound Attack as well as forward Jordan Frasca of the Windsor Spitfires. Read more

CANADA’S PURSUIT OF BACK-TO-BACK GOLD FALLS SHORT AT WORLD JUNIORS:
Canada will settle for a sixth place finish at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Vancouver and Victoria, BC following a 2-1 Quarter-Final overtime loss against Finland on Wednesday. Michael DiPietro (Ottawa 67’s) made 32 saves opposite Finland’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sudbury Wolves) who turned aside 24 in the closely matched affair that saw the Finns advance to Friday’s Semi-Final. Finland, Switzerland, the United States and Russia remain on the road to gold as seven OHL players are still in contention. Quarter-Final Recap • OHL Players at World Juniors

OHL MEDIA POLL: PREDICTIONS AND OPINIONS AT THE BREAK:
A poll of various media who cover the league in broadcast booths and press boxes weighed in with opinions and comments on some of the players and teams who have impressed, and those we’ll be talking about into April and May. Read more

67’s, KNIGHTS AND ICEDOGS INCLUDED IN KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS:
The Ottawa 67’s (3), London Knights (4) and Niagara IceDogs (9) are included in the Week 15 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds received  an honourable mention. Full Rankings

The Greyhounds were also the feature of this week’s #KiaCHLTop10 Spotlight.  Read

OTTERS’ MAKSIMOVICH NAMED OHL ‘ON THE RUN’ PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Overage forward Kyle Maksimovich of the Erie Otters is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the regular season week ending December 30 where he led the league in scoring with seven points in two games including four goals and three assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-3. Maksimovich produced a pair of multi-point performances in his return from the holiday break helping the Otters earn a split in their Michigan road trip. Read more

ANDREE AND MAKSIMOVICH NAMED CHL PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK:
OHL standouts Kyle Maksimovich of the Erie Otters and Cedrick Andree of the Ottawa 67’s have been named CHL Top Performers of the Week. Here’s a closer look at their latest performances. Read more

BATTALION’S BRAZEAU REPRESENTS OHL IN CIBC SHOWDOWN FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK:
North Bay Battalion captain Justin Brazeau is this week’s OHL representative in CIBC Showdown, a weekly feature that allows fans across the CHL to vote for their favourite play across all three leagues. Watch & Vote

WAWANESA OHL PLAYS OF THE WEEK:
This week’s highlights include Greg Meireles of the Kitchener Rangers who dangles wide and shoots high, Adam Timleck of the Peterborough Petes with a nice between-the-legs redirect, Danny Katic of the Saginaw Spirit with a toe-drag snipe, some filthy puck movement between Niagara IceDogs Kirill Maksimov and Ben Jones, and an amazing play by top scorer Justin Brazeau of the North Bay Battalion closing out 2018 with a bang. Watch

NEW YEAR, SAME GREAT SAVES ON JANES SAVES OF THE WEEK:
We say goodbye to 2018 and hello to more great goaltending to start the second half in the latest OHL edition of #JanesSaves. Featured this week is Anthony Popovich of the Guelph Storm, Joseph Raaymakers and Jordan Kooy of the London Knights, Nick Donofrio and Zachary Roy of the Hamilton Bulldogs, Kai Edmonds of the Barrie Colts, Matthew Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Luke Richardson of the Kitchener Rangers, Cameron Lamour of the Sarnia Sting, and Tristan Lennox of the Saginaw Spirit. Watch

FIVE FIRST GOALS AND A SHUTOUT AMONG LATEST OHL MILESTONE MOMENTS:
First OHL goals from Daniel D’Amato (Erie Otters), Jesse Dick (Ottawa 67’s), Cameron Tolnai (Ottawa 67’s), Matthieu Franche (Oshawa Generals) and Ryan Wells (Mississauga Steelheads) join a first OHL shutout from Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit) in the latest batch of Milestone Moments. Watch

OHL CUP POWERED BY UNDER ARMOUR TOP 10 RANKINGS – WEEK 7:
The Toronto Marlboros Holiday Classic champion Don Mills Flyers remain atop the OHL Cup powered by Under Armour Top 10 for a seventh straight week while the tournament finalist Toronto Young Nationals rise two spots to number two on the list. Full Rankings

OHL TRADE DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING:
The 2018-19 OHL trade deadline is just around the corner, with OHL member teams having until Wednesday January 9th at 12:00pm to trade overage players and Thursday January 10th at 12:00pm set as the league’s final trade deadline. OHL Media Notes

SPIRIT’S COSKEY TIES SINGLE GAME FRANCHISE RECORD:
Saginaw Spirit fourth-year veteran Cole Coskey tied a franchise record with six points in Wednesday’s 9-1 road win over the Flint Firebirds. The 19-year-old product of Zion, Ill. potted his first career hat-trick and tacked on three assists, becoming the first Spirit player since Vincent Trocheck on Mar. 4, 2012 to record six points in a game. Coskey leads the Spirit with 45 points (20-25–45) over 33 games this season. Saginaw is currently riding a four-game winning streak and sits one point back of first place Sault Ste. Marie in the West Division.

STORM’S BURNETT CLIMBS TO FIFTH ON OHL ALL-TIME COACHING WINS LIST:
Guelph Storm head coach and GM George Burnett climbed to fifth on the OHL’s all-time coaching wins last on Dec. 16th as his club defeated the Oshawa Generals 8-5. Burnett climbs ahead of former Belleville Bulls and Kingston Frontenacs head coach Larry Mavety. Burnett is third among active coaches on the list, trailing London’s Dale Hunter and North Bay’s Stan Butler. The Storm currently sit second in the Midwest Division, entering Thursday’s action with a 19-10-3-4 record.

SPITFIRES’ LETOWSKI EARNS 100th OHL COACHING WIN:
Windsor Spitfires head coach Trevor Letowski joined the OHL’s century club on Dec. 16th, steering his club past the Saginaw Spirit 4-3 in overtime on a winning goal from Daniel D’Amico. A former Sarnia Sting forward who played over 600 NHL games between Phoenix, Vancouver, Columbus and Carolina between 1998-2008, Letowski is in his fourth full season as an OHL head coach, spending that time between Sarnia (2013-15) and Windsor (2017-present). Read more

KNIGHTS’ COTTER SIGNS WITH GOLDEN KNIGHTS:
London Knights forward Paul Cotter signed a three-year entry level NHL contract with the Vegas Golden Knights late last week. The 19-year-old from Canton, Mich. has 12 points (4-8–12) through his first 15 games with the Knights this season. Vegas’ fourth round pick in 2018, Cotter joined the Knights in mid-November after beginning the season at Western Michigan University. Read more

ETHAN SIMS COMMITS TO ICEDOGS:
The Niagara IceDogs have received a commitment from 2018 fifth round selection Ethan Sims. The local product spent last season playing Minor Midget with the Niagara North Stars of the SCTA, compiling an outstanding 44 points in just 34 games. This season, Sims has taken his game to another level with the St. Catharines Falcons of the GOJHL. With 17 points through 16 games, Sims is currently the second youngest player in all of Junior ‘B’ to be over a point per game. Read more

KALVYN WATSON COMMITS TO GREYHOUNDS:
The Soo Greyhounds have received a commitment from 2018 fifth round selection Kalvyn Watson. The 5-foot-9, 161Ib forward started this season with the Lindsay Muskies of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.  In 35 regular season games played he was Lindsay’s fourth-leading scorer with seven goals and 17 assists, good for 24 points. A native of Peterborough, Ont., Watson was originally selected by the Hounds out of the Peterborough Minor Midgets program where in 2017-18 he had 25 goals and 21 assists (46 points) in 33 games played. Read more

ROGERS HOMETOWN HOCKEY TOUR PROVIDES GREAT STORYLINES FROM COLLINGWOOD:
The Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour visited Collingwood last weekend and featured a number of storylines on local OHL graduates including former Oshawa Generals forward and Wasaga Beach native Jason Arnott as well as former Guelph Storm winger and Shelburne product Aaron Downey. For those stories and more visit hometownhockey.com.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OHL LIVE HALF-SEASON PRICING:
With the 2018-19 OHL season entering January, fans can take advantage of new OHL Live half-season pricing with all access packages available for $149.99. Visit OHLLive.com a range of packages and don’t miss a minute of the action the rest of the season!

 

COMMUNITY CORNER:

Bulldogs turn back the clock for Retro Night on Saturday: The Hamilton Bulldogs will put an interesting twist on Saturday’s game when they host the Sarnia Sting at 4:00pm. It’s Retro Night at FirstOntario Centre as the Bulldogs and their fans take a journey into the past. Fans will have a chance to ‘Meet the Fincups’ at the Bulldogs Foundation booth as members of the 1976 Memorial Cup Championship team will be signing autographs. For more details visit hamiltonbulldogs.com.

Petes’ Austin gives the gift of goaltending: In a kind charitable gesture, Peterborough Petes rookie netminder Tye Austin sent a local minor hockey goalie to Canadian Hockey Enterprise’s Christmas goalie camp. Read more

Rangers welcome 38 new Canadians on New Year’s Day: Thirty-eight new Canadians were sworn in as Canadian citizens at The Aud on January 1st prior to a Kitchener Rangers New Year’s Day clash against the visiting Peterborough Petes. Local member of Parliament Raj Saini and members of the Kitchener Rangers Board of Directors welcomed the new Canadians as they took their Oath of Citizenship. The ceremony was held in partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Kitchener Rangers. Read more

Knights establish Don Brankley London Knights Hall of Fame: The London Knights are proud to announce the creation of the Don Brankley London Knights Hall of Fame.  Named after the team’s longtime trainer, the Don Brankley London Knights Hall of Fame will honour outstanding alumni for their career accolades during their time with the London Knights. The inaugural class will include Walt McKechnie (1965-1967), Dennis Maruk (1972-1975), Dave Lowry (1982-1985), Tim Taylor (1986-1989), Chris Taylor (1988-1992), and Rob Schremp (2003-2006). Read more

 

ALUMNI NOTES:

11 OHL grads named to NHL All-Star Game rosters: A total of 11 OHL graduates have been named to rosters for the 2019 NHL All-Star Game set for January 26th in San Jose, CA. OHL products include Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks/Brampton Battalion), John Carlson (Washington Capitals/London Knights), Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings/Guelph Storm), John Gibson (Anaheim Ducks/Kitchener Rangers), Taylor Hall (New Jersey Devils/Windsor Spitfires), Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks/London Knights), Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers/Erie Otters), Ryan O’Reilly (St. Louis Blues/Erie Otters), Mark Scheifele (Winnipeg Jets/Barrie Colts), Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning/Sarnia Sting) and John Tavares (Toronto Maple Leafs/London Knights). The 11 grads are spread out over four teams representing each of the NHL’s four divisions. For more on the All-Star selections visit NHL.com.

Blackwood bursts onto the scene in New Jersey: Barrie Colts graduate and former OHL Goaltender of the Year MacKenzie Blackwood wrapped up 2018 in fine style, getting the call to the NHL to make 40 saves for his first NHL win on Dec. 27th. He followed-up that effort with back-to-back shutouts against Carolina and Vancouver on Dec. 29th and 31st, becoming the youngest goaltender in Devils franchise history to accomplish the feat. The 22-year-old Thunder Bay, Ont. native is in his third pro season after being New Jersey’s second round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. Blackwood played three seasons in Barrie, going 84-42-2-2 with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage over 139 regular season games.

Burns, Daley play 1000th NHL contests: A pair of OHL graduates recently played their 1000th NHL game on the blue line. Brampton Battalion grad Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds alumni Trevor Daley of the Detroit Red Wings recently passed the millennium milestone. A 33-year-old from Barrie, Ont., Burns played in career game 1,000 on Dec. 29th, recording two assists in a 7-4 Sharks win over the Edmonton Oilers. The former Norris Trophy recipient has 44 points (7-37–44) over 42 games this season. He spent the 2002-03 season in Brampton before being the 20th overall pick of the 2003 NHL Draft. The 35-year-old Daley played his 1,000th game on Dec. 27th in a 5-2 Red Wings loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The two-time Stanley Cup champion has six points (2-4–6) over 31 games this season. Daley played four seasons in Sault Ste. Marie from 1999-03, graduating as the captain of the Greyhounds while being selected by the Dallas Stars in the second round of the 2002 NHL Draft.

McDavid named NHL’s Third Star of the Month: Erie Otters graduate Connor McDavid has been named the NHL’s Third Star for December. The Edmonton Oilers centreman had 24 points (8-16–24) over 13 games played, closing out 2018 with four consecutive multi-point games. McDavid currently sits fifth in NHL scoring with 58 points (21-37–58) over 38 games. The 21-year-old from Newmarket, Ont. played three seasons in Erie from 2012-15, registering 285 points (97-188–285) over just 166 regular season games and was named the CHL’s Player of the Year in 2015.

12 OHL grads named to AHL All-Star Game rosters: A total of 12 OHL graduates have been named to rosters for the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic set for January 28th in Springfield, Mass. OHL products include Andrew Agozzino (Colorado Eagles/Niagara IceDogs), MacKenzie Blackwood (Binghamton Devils/Barrie Colts), Reid Boucher (Utica Comets/Sarnia Sting), Andrew Campbell (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds/Rockford IceHogs), Kyle Capobianco (Tucson Roadrunners/Sudbury Wolves), Trevor Carrick (Charlotte Checkers/Sudbury Wolves), Michael Dal Colle (Bridgeport Sound Tigers/Kingston Frontenacs), Janne Kuokkanen (Charlotte Checkers/London Knights), Jordan Kyrou (San Antonio Rampage/Sarnia Sting), Jacob Middleton (San Jose Barracuda/Ottawa 67’s), Cal O’Reilly (Iowa Wild/Windsor Spitfires) and Chris Terry (Grand Rapids Griffins/Plymouth Whalers). Former OHL Coach of the Year Michael Vellucci (Charlotte Checkers/Plymouth Whalers) will also be participating. The 12 graduates are spread out over four rosters representing each of the league’s four divisions. For more on the roster announcement visit theahl.com.

OHL grads Archibald, Pyatt on the move: The Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks struck up a deal this past week, with Niagara IceDogs graduate Darren Archibald and Saginaw Spirit grad Tom Pyatt going opposite ways. The 28-year-old Archibald had been in the Canucks organization since turning pro in 2011, recording 16 points (11-5–16) over 23 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets this season. Utica’s franchise games played leader (304), Archibald played three OHL seasons between Barrie and Niagara from 2008-11. A former member of the Saginaw Spirit from 2003-07, Pyatt is in his third year with the Ottawa Senators, recording two assists over 37 games. The Thunder Bay, Ont. native will report to Utica having spent parts of eight seasons in the NHL between Montreal, Tampa Bay and Ottawa.

Kyrou named AHL Rookie of the Month for December: Reigning OHL Player of the Year Jordan Kyrou has been named the AHL’s Rookie of the Month for December after registering 15 points (6-9–15) over nine games with the San Antonio Rampage. The St. Louis Blues farmhand had points in all nine of his December contests, extending his overall streak to 11 games. The Sarnia Sting graduate leads the Rampage in scoring this season with 23 points (10-13–23) over 22 games. Sarnia’s all-time leader in career assists, Kyrou recently completed a four-year OHL career that yielded 290 points (99-191–290) over 250 career regular season games. He won gold with Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship and has recorded two points (1-1–2) over 11 NHL games with St. Louis this season.

Smith named AHL’s Goaltender of the Month: Niagara IceDogs graduate Jeremy Smith is the AHL Goaltender of the Month for December after going 6-1-0 with a 2.12 goals-against average and .931 save percentage with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. A 29-year-old native of Brownstown, Mich., Smith is in the midst of his 10th full AHL season and owns a 2.68 goals-against average, .907 save percentage and 11-5-2-0 record over 19 contests with Bridgeport, the minor league affiliate of the New York Islanders. Smith played parts of four seasons between Plymouth and Niagara from 2005-09, going 61-39-4-6 with a 3.16 goals-against average and .912 save percentage over 122 regular season matchups. He was Nashville’s second round pick in 2007.

Graovac ties AHL record with three shorthanded goals: OHL graduate Tyler Graovac made AHL history on Dec. 22nd, scoring three shorthanded goals to tie a league record. The Stockton Heat forward’s shorthanded hat-trick helped his club defeat the Iowa Wild 5-1. A 25-year-old native of Brampton, Ont., Graovac currently has 24 points (11-13–24) over 29 games with Stockton, the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames. The 6-foot-5, 210Ib centreman is in his sixth pro season following a four-year OHL career spent between Ottawa and Belleville from 2009-13. He was the OHL and CHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player in 2013.

Houser named ECHL Goaltender of the Month: London Knights graduate and former OHL Goaltender and Player of the Year Michael Houser has been named the ECHL’s Goaltender of the Month for December. The Cincinnati Cyclones netminder played to a 6-0-0 record with a 1.17 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage to help his club finish the month with a 10-1-1 record. The Youngstown, Ont. native is 12-2-1 in 15 games with Cincinnati this season and leads the ECHL with a 1.74 goals-against average and .937 save percentage. A 2012 OHL Champion with London, Houser played to a 93-38-4-3 record over three seasons with the Knights, posting a 2.90 goals-against average, .912 save percentage and seven shutouts over 141 regular season games.

 

KEY MATCHUPS:

London Knights (25-5-3-1) vs. Niagara IceDogs (22-8-5-0)
Thursday January 3rd at Niagara 

A 3-2 overtime thriller prior to the holiday break has fans ready for more as the London Knights pay a return visit to the Niagara IceDogs on Thursday.

London was outshot 40-28 at home on Dec. 14th, but 38 saves from Jordan Kooy and an overtime winner from Josh Nelson pushed the Knights to a 3-2 victory. The Midwest Division leaders have at least a point in their last six outings, doing so without the services of Canadian National Junior Team member Evan Bouchard or injured forward Alex Formenton. 2019 NHL Draft prospect Connor McMichael leads the Knights in scoring with 43 points (25-18–43).

The IceDogs have also been hot, leading the Central Division by a five-point margin while having won eight of their last 10 games. The Dogs are currently without star forward Jason Robertson who is representing the United States at the World Juniors while Daniel Bukac, who suited up for the Czech Republic, will make his return this weekend.

This battle of division leaders is one you won’t want to miss.

 

North Bay Battalion (17-18-1-1) vs. Owen Sound Attack (20-14-1-2)
Saturday January 5th at Owen Sound

Two teams that are fairly familiar with one another, the North Bay Battalion and Owen Sound Attack clash on Saturday at the Bayshore.

The Troops have rebounded from a seven-game losing skid to win six straight as captain Justin Brazeau leads the OHL in scoring with 67 points (37-30–67). Head coach and GM Stan Butler recently returned to the bench following a 30-game absence due to medical leave. Newly acquired forward Mitchell Russell has three points (2-1–3) in his first three games wearing green.

Owen Sound, Russell’s former club, is led by leading scorer Kevin Hancock who comes off a hat-trick in Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the Guelph Storm. The Bears will have Nick Suzuki and Markus Phillips back in the lineup this weekend following their tour of duty with Canada’s National Junior Team.

 

SCHEDULE:

Thursday January 3rd:
London at Niagara – 7:00pm
Oshawa at North Bay – 7:00pm
Mississauga at Peterborough – 7:05pm
Sault Ste. Marie at Sarnia – 7:05pm
Sudbury at Windsor – 7:05pm
Erie at Barrie – 7:30pm

Friday January 4th:
Peterborough at Kingston – 7:00pm
Erie at Niagara – 7:00pm
Windsor at Guelph – 7:30pm
Owen Sound at Kitchener – 7:30pm
Sault Ste. Marie at London – 7:30pm
Mississauga at Oshawa – 7:35pm

Saturday January 5th:
Barrie at Ottawa – 2:00pm
Sarnia at Hamilton – 4:00pm
Sudbury at Flint – 7:00pm
Kitchener at Saginaw – 7:05pm
North Bay at Owen Sound – 7:30pm

Sunday January 6th:
Sault Ste. Marie at Flint – 2:00pm
North Bay at Guelph – 2:00pm
Niagara at Hamilton – 2:00pm
Barrie at Kingston – 2:00pm
Peterborough at Mississauga – 2:00pm
Oshawa at Ottawa – 2:00pm
Kitchener at Windsor – 2:05pm
Sarnia at Erie – 4:00pm
Sudbury at Saginaw – 5:30pm