OHL Weekend Notebook: Oct. 18, 2021
The OHL Weekend Notebook recaps the weekend that was with news, information and interesting facts from both on and off the ice.
Ritchie remains hot
Oshawa Generals rookie talent Calum Ritchie picked up exactly where he left off with another explosive weekend, totalling five points in two games. The second overall 2021 choice struck for four points (2-2—4) in Sunday’s 6-3 win over the rival Peterborough Petes, bringing his League-leading goal total to six over his first five OHL games and leading to recognition as the OHL Player of the Week.
Who’s shocked?
The @OHLHockey Player of the Week is none other than the rookie sensation, Cal Ritchie ????#GensNation pic.twitter.com/bMAyUAbM2d
— Oshawa Generals (@Oshawa_Generals) October 18, 2021
Knights and Bulldogs stay undefeated
The London Knights and Hamilton Bulldogs kept up their winning ways with a pair of victories each.
The Knights stretched their undefeated streak to five games this past weekend after picking up wins over the Windsor Spitfires and Sarnia Sting with standout showings from rookie Colton Smith and forward Sean McGurn. Between the pipes, Brett Brochu was named OHL Goaltender of the Week.
The Bulldogs aren’t far behind with four wins to their names, squashing the Niagara IceDogs 4-0 both on Friday and Saturday.
.@BrettBrochu has been named the @OHLHockey Goaltender of the Week! ????#GoKnightsGo pic.twitter.com/UDL2fiqOlw
— London Knights (@LondonKnights) October 18, 2021
Shutouts all around
OHL action this weekend saw perfect performances in net from Hamilton goaltenders Marco Costantini and Tristan Malboeuf as well as Barrie’s Matteo Lalama.
The Bulldogs blanked the Niagara IceDogs with back-to-back 4-0 results on Friday and Saturday. Costantini stood in net Friday night for a 36-save shutout before Malboeuf stopped all 27 saves he faced the following night in his OHL debut. Lalama backstopped the Colts to a 2-0 defeat of the visiting Mississauga Steelheads in his inaugural League appearance.
Congratulations to @matteolalama on registering his first career @OHLHockey win & shutout in his first career start.
Matteo becomes the first Barrie Colts goaltender to register a shutout in his first Colts appearance.#BackInTheSaddle pic.twitter.com/DbHKiD2vE4
— Barrie Colts (@OHLBarrieColts) October 17, 2021
Smith on a tear
London Knights rookie Colton Smith had a weekend to remember with a five-goal showing in two games. The 17-year-old winger notched back-to-back markers to open the scoring in Friday’s 5-1 takedown of the Spitfires before netting his first OHL hat-trick the following day in an overtime win over the Sting, bringing his point total to seven over a five-game span. He’s the son of Ottawa Senators head coach and former Windsor Spitfires blueliner D.J. Smith.
Colton Smith is on quite the heater ????
After two goals on Friday, the @LondonKnights rookie bangs in his first #OHL hat-trick for a League-leading 5⃣???? on the campaign ???? pic.twitter.com/AJasvEkEGv
— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) October 17, 2021
Rangers remain perfect
The Kitchener Rangers routed the Sarnia Sting 5-1 on Friday in their lone weekend action to remain perfect through their first three games of the season. Reid Valade led the way with two goals and an assist while rookie Cameron Mercer impressed with three assists.
Shorthanded mastery from the @OHLRangers captain ????@LAKings prospect Francesco Pinelli (@CePinelli71) with a dominant display for his third of the season in Friday’s win ???? pic.twitter.com/j8yjpjkZ13
— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) October 16, 2021
First overall picks score their firsts
Among the 31 players who found the back of the net for the first time over the past few days were a pair of recent first overall picks in Sudbury’s Quentin Musty and North Bay’s Ty Nelson.
Musty’s first OHL goal came in a 5-3 loss to the Petes on Thursday and Nelson lit the lamp early in his team’s 7-1 takedown of the visiting Steelheads Friday night.
Milestone Moments with a first overall flavour ????
Take in 31 first career #OHL markers along with three first shutouts from the past week of action.
WATCH ????: https://t.co/2XH6IQGeZb pic.twitter.com/WHFc2cXrRg
— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) October 18, 2021
Saginaw enters the season
The Saginaw Spirit kicked off their season over the weekend with back-to-back visits from the Erie Otters and emerged with a 1-1 record. The Spirit fell 4-2 to the Otters on Saturday, having faced four unanswered goals over the latter two periods and two-point showings from Elias Cohen and Daniel D’Amato, but bounced back with a 2-1 victory the following day as T-Bone Codd scored the deciding goal.
Your Saginaw Spirit hang on to beat Erie on Pink Out Night for their first victory of the season.#SoarWithUs???? #SweetVictory pic.twitter.com/XtzrFfQH18
— Saginaw Spirit (@SpiritHockey) October 18, 2021
Newest captains
The Spitfires, Spirit and Rangers became the latest clubs to officially announce their leadership groups for 2021-22. Third year forward and New York Rangers prospect Will Cuylle was appointed the captaincy in Windsor alongside five teammates who will sport the “A” on their sweaters throughout the year. Heading an eight-man leadership group in Saginaw is overage forward Camaryn Baber, and sporting the captaincy among four alternates in Kitchener is L.A. Kings prospect Francesco Pinelli.
The Windsor Spitfires have announced our 2021-2022 Leadership Group.
Details | https://t.co/5db02K1ENz #WindsorSpitfires pic.twitter.com/eIkwdjs1Np
— Windsor Spitfires (@SpitsHockey) October 14, 2021
Russell’s return
Overage forward Mitchell Russell didn’t miss a beat in his return to the Battalion lineup on Friday, producing four points (2-2—4) in his team’s 7-1 defeat of the Steelheads. The 20-year-old followed up his impressive performance with the shorthanded opening goal in Sunday’s loss to the Colts for a five-point weekend debut.
We missed you, 2️⃣7️⃣
Welcome back @MitchRussell_! pic.twitter.com/FA37vyXn2E
— North Bay Battalion (@OHLBattalion) October 16, 2021
Petes without veterans Austin, Spearing
The Peterborough Petes lost 19-year-old netminder Tye Austin to injury early in the second period of Thursday’s 5-3 win over the Sudbury Wolves. Michael Simpson came in to earn his first career OHL victory, stopping 18 of 20 shots that came his way. Simpson, who attended rookie camp with the Arizona Coyotes, played in both Saturday and Sunday’s matchups as the Petes fell to Kingston and Oshawa. The Peterborough Examiner’s Mike Davies reported Austin could miss four to six weeks after suffering a dislocated shoulder. A case of mononucleosis has kept veteran defenceman Shawn Spearing out of the lineup so far this season.
SIMMER WITH THE SAVE OF THE YEAR ????#GoPetesGo | @SIMPSON31_ pic.twitter.com/MAtF8KVRvE
— Peterborough Petes (@PetesOHLhockey) October 17, 2021
Back to the drawing board
The Mississauga Steelheads and Niagara IceDogs were kept out of the win column this past weekend in back-to-back contests. The Trout fell at the hands of the Troops and the Colts while the IceDogs were kept off the scoresheet altogether with 4-0 losses to the Bulldogs on both Friday and Saturday.
HAMILTON, ONTARIO – 2021 Ontario Hockey League game between Hamilton Bulldogs and Niagara Ice Dogs at FirstOntario Centre on October 15, 2021 in Hamilton, Ontario. (Photo by Ryan McCullough/Ontario Hockey League) pic.twitter.com/1dZfUHH4rP
— Ryan McCullough (@RyanMPhotograph) October 16, 2021
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