OHL 20 in 20: Niagara IceDogs

The slate is clean to begin 2024-25, and the Niagara IceDogs are hopeful that they’ll be able to make some progress with a good portion of their core players returning a year older and more experienced. The Dogs have some intriguing names in their lineup including Winnipeg Jets prospect Kevin He, high-scoring 2026 NHL Draft target Ryan Roobroeck and a Hlinka Gretzky Cup Canadian gold medalist in Ethan Czata. Ben Boudreau gets to start as head coach from Day 1 this season as the former ECHL champion bench boss tries to take the IceDogs franchise to the next phase of what’s been a drawn-out rebuild.

Five Questions Heading Into 2024-25:

1. Does the new look blueline yield immediate returns?
The IceDogs have surrendered over 300 goals four years in a row, a span in which the club has failed to qualify for the playoffs. Wes Consorti worked the phones over the summer and made some personnel changes on the back end, getting considerably more physical while not sacrificing a ton of mobility in the process. Newcomers Jack Brauti and Matthew Virgilio, while not the biggest guys on the ice, compete every shift. Noah Van Vliet is among the biggest bodies in the league this season, and covers a lot of ice in the defensive zone.

2. Is there some sneaky punch in the Niagara offence?
The IceDogs haven’t breached the 200-goal plateau the past two seasons, but things could be coming together offensively. Kevin He took a step production-wise in his sophomore season while second year returnees Ryan Roobroeck and Ethan Czata both appear poised to follow his lead. Don’t overlook the shifty Mike Levin up front for the Dogs along with newly acquired Seattle Kraken prospect Andrei Loshko, who was a point-per-game player in the QMJHL the past two seasons.

3. What’s Wassilyn’s early impact?
If you asked a lot of scouts at the outset of the 2023-24 U16 AAA season who the consensus number one pick would be in the spring, more than a few of them would’ve told you Braidy Wassilyn. At a sturdy 194Ibs., Wassilyn, who went fourth overall to Niagara, has an explosiveness to his game that could render him a useful piece in Ben Boudreau’s offence out of the gate this season. He’ll have some capable teammates to play with, so don’t be surprised if he finds the scoresheet in the early going.

4. Can the Dogs form some chemistry?
The IceDogs have made their share of moves over the past several seasons, with blueliner Andrew Wycisk remaining as the lone holdover from the Burke ownership era that ended in 2022. Niagara has made some intriguing picks in the OHL Priority Selection, with guys like the aforementioned He, Roobroeck, Czata, Ivan Galiyanov and trade additions like Alex Assadourian, Mike Levin and captain Gavin Bryant hopefully getting to a place now where they’ve developed some familiarity playing together. It’ll be interesting to see how committed IceDogs management is to this relatively young group of players regardless of the results on the ice in the opening month of the season.

5. Can Flores and Robertson be one of the league’s top tandems?
It’s been tough to criticize Niagara’s goaltending the past couple seasons, especially given 40-50 shots would be coming that direction most nights. Owen Flores has been with the IceDogs since 2022 and has managed to post respectable numbers despite a 17-50-7-1 record in that span. Charlie Robertson joined him from the North Bay Battalion midway through last season, and both are regarded as quality OHL goaltenders. With ideally what will be more defensive support this coming season, perhaps the IceDogs have a source of stability in the crease.

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