OHL 20 in 20: Oshawa Generals

It’s an exciting time to be an Oshawa Generals fan. The Gennies come off an Eastern Conference title last spring and return a good portion of the core that brought them that success. This year they’ll try and finish the job under a new head coach in Steve O’Rourke, who was promoted after serving as an associate under Derek Laxdal who is off to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. OHL Goaltender of the Year Jacob Oster returns to the crease as the Generals enter 2024-25 with a high set of expectations. They received great fan support last season and Generals fans can expect more of the same from this competitive group in the season to come. There are some early season questions as to who will be back in the lineup in the opening weeks of the season, but regardless the Generals have a deep talent group that will be a force to be reckoned with.

Five Questions Heading Into 2024-25:

1. Are the Generals Eastern Conference favourites?
There’s a debate to be had here for sure, but Oshawa definitely gets consideration given they come in as kings of the Eastern Conference castle in 2024-25. Both Barrie and Brampton have made substantial offseason moves to inject themselves into this conversation, but the Generals have the potential to be a powerhouse once again if all the chips fall in the right places. There’s also rumours swirling of a certain prominent goal-scorer from the Western Conference potentially landing in Oshawa if things unfold a certain way, so GM Roger Hunt may have something up his sleeve to further strengthen the roster. The Generals check all the boxes as first round 2024 NHL Draft picks Beckett Sennecke and Ben Danford come back to try and take care of some unfinished business after a championship loss this past spring.

2. Can O’Rourke pick up where Laxdal left off?
No question, Derek Laxdal contributed a lot to Oshawa’s winning culture, being clear with his expectations to the players from the outset of training camp last fall. With Laxdal off to Coachella Valley of the AHL, O’Rourke steps into his first head coaching gig and looks to further advance a strong culture in Oshawa that he himself helped create. A graduate of the WHL where he was a defenceman with the Tri-City Americans and Moose Jaw Warriors in the early 90’s, O’Rourke has been around the game for a long time, playing professionally before transitioning into coaching and management. He’s served as an assistant in the AHL before a lengthy tenure in the WHL with Red Deer and Prince George. Generals ownership and GM Roger Hunt appear to have full confidence in O’Rourke taking over the role with high expectations coming into the season after an East title last year.

3. Where do Ritchie and Roobroeck wind up?
Pretty big question impacting two of Oshawa’s big pieces down the middle. Ritchie, a former first round pick by the Colorado Avalanche in 2023, will try and earn a roster spot out of training camp this year. After being slowed out of the gate by an injury, he posted 80 points (28-52–80) over 50 games and was a big reason for Oshawa’s playoff success with 30 points (8-22–30) in 21 playoff games. Roobroeck is in a slightly different situation as an overage player who could potentially wind up in the American Hockey League. The 6-foot-7 centreman was taken by the Rangers in the sixth round in 2023, and comes off a 72-point season (26-46–72) with 101 penalty minutes. He’s big and strong enough for the pro game, but it remains to be seen if the Rangers think his best development will happen at the pro level having played 200 games in the OHL. Roobroeck signed a three-year entry-level NHL contract with New York back in May. The answer to this question will have big implications for the Generals this coming season.

4. Will Oster repeat as Goaltender of the Year?
He was great last season wasn’t he? Jacob Oster will be back as an OA this season, playing behind what is essentially the same excellent defence corps minus the graduated Connor Punnett. Ben Danford, Luca Marrelli, Luca D’Amato, Zack Sandhu and the draft eligible David Bedkowski will all be back to form a solid defence in front of Oster, who posted 35 wins, a 2.82 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 60 games last season. He’s currently attending training camp with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

5. Is Griffin ready to bust out in 2024-25?
After going sixth overall in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, Owen Griffin scored just one goal in his rookie season, but did kill penalties in Oshawa and developed his game on the defensive side as the season wore on. He’s come out hot in this preseason, recording five points (3-2–5) through his first three games. The 17-year-old from Markham, Ont. is draft eligible this season, and will look for more substantial minutes and responsibility as he tries to show off his progress to NHL scouts.

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