OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week: Stephen Dhillon

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that goaltender Stephen Dhillon of the Niagara IceDogs is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the regular season week ending February 24 after posting a 4-0-0-0 record including two shutout victories with a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .966.

Dhillon turned aside 113 shots in four games last week and surpassed franchise great Mark Visentin to establish a pair of records for the IceDogs who hold first place in the Central Division standings with a 37-15-7-0 record.  Dhillon became the club’s all-time wins leader with his 90th career victory on Saturday earning first star honours by making 31 saves in a 5-0 shutout win over the Peterborough Petes.  Then on Sunday afternoon he set the IceDogs single season wins record with his 31st victory that came in the form of a 9-0 shutout in Owen Sound where he stopped 21 Attack shots and was named the game’s third star.  His week also included a 30-save performance on Family Day as second star of a 5-2 road win over the Petes, and a 31-save effort on Thursday in a 10-2 win over the Kitchener Rangers.  This marks Dhillon’s second award recognition of the season and the fifth time a goaltender has been the recipient.  He’s also just the third multi-week winner following Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and teammate Jason Robertson who was honoured once as an IceDog and once as a member of the Kingston Frontenacs.

Congrats again to Stephen Dhillon!@OHLIceDogs goaltender sets career #OHL wins mark then new team single season record with 3️⃣1️⃣ victories surpassing @mark1visentin

DETAILS: https://t.co/NU9ywIt3Qm pic.twitter.com/g65nTnpWyZ

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) February 25, 2019

A 20-year-old from Buffalo, New York, Dhillon is playing in his fifth OHL season with the IceDogs after being chosen by the club in the third round of the 2014 Priority Selection.  So far this season he carries a 31-10-7-0 record including five shutout victories which is tied for most in the OHL.  He also holds a goals-against-average of 2.94 and save percentage of .911 which are both among the league’s leaders.  Dhillon also continues to build on his IceDogs record for career games played which currently stands at 189 with an overall record of 91-63-17-9.

Watch video highlights of Dhillon and the IceDogs against the Petes, Rangers, Petes, and Attack.

Also considered for the award this week were a pair of Philadelphia Flyers prospects including past winner Isaac Ratcliffe of the Guelph Storm and the aforementioned Frost.  Ratcliffe tallied seven goals and two assists for nine points in three games to become the first Storm player since 1995 to record back-to-back 40-goal seasons, and Frost became the league’s first 100-point producer accomplishing the feat for the second straight season while eclipsing the 300 career point plateau with three goals and seven assists for 10 points in four games.  Honourable mention goes to Cole Perfetti with six goals and three assists for nine points in four games setting a new Saginaw Spirit record for single season goals by a rookie now with 30.

2018-19 OHL ‘On the Run’ Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Feb. 18 – Feb. 24: Stephen Dhillon (Niagara IceDogs)
Feb. 11 – Feb. 17: Nando Eggenberger (Oshawa Generals)
Feb. 4 – Feb. 10: Jacob Ingham (Mississauga Steelheads)
Jan. 28 – Feb. 3: Riley Damiani (Kitchener Rangers)
Jan. 21 – Jan. 27: Liam Foudy (London Knights)
Jan. 14 – Jan. 20: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Jan. 7 – Jan. 13: Isaac Ratcliffe (Guelph Storm)
Dec. 31 – Jan. 6: Arthur Kaliyev (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Dec. 24 – Dec. 30: Kyle Maksimovich (Erie Otters)
Dec. 10 – Dec. 16: Andrew MacLean (Owen Sound Attack)
Dec. 3 – Dec. 9: Brett Neumann (Kingston Frontenacs)
Nov. 26 – Dec. 2: Jason Robertson (Niagara IceDogs)
Nov. 19 – Nov. 25: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Nov. 12 – Nov. 18: Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads)
Nov. 5 – Nov. 11: Jason Robertson (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 29 – Nov. 4: Kevin Hancock (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 22 – Oct. 28: Stephen Dhillon (Niagara IceDogs)
Oct. 15 – Oct. 21: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 8 – Oct. 14: Damien Giroux (Saginaw Spirit)
Oct. 1 – Oct. 7: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sudbury Wolves)
Sept. 24 – Sept. 30: Lucas Chiodo (Barrie Colts)
Sept. 19 – Sept. 23: Akil Thomas (Niagara IceDogs)