OHL This Week: December 14 to 17, 2023

We move into the final week of OHL action ahead of the holiday break! Here’s what’s happening across the Ontario Hockey League.

Two Game Ticket Packages Now on Sale for 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow:
Two game ticket packages are now on sale for the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow that takes place in Saginaw, Michigan from May 23rd to June 2nd, 2024. Don’t miss your opportunity to see champions clash at the Dow Event Center! These two game packs can be purchased NOW through Ticketmaster! Read more

Greyhounds rise to the top in Week 11 edition of OHL Power Rankings:
The Soo Greyhounds take over the top spot for the first time this season in the Week 11 edition of OHL Power Rankings, remaining the hottest team in the OHL this week. Read more

Rangers, Greyhounds and Spirit included in Week 11 edition of CHL Top 10 Rankings:
The Kitchener Rangers, Soo Greyhounds and Saginaw Spirit are included in the Week 11 edition of the CHL Top 10 Rankings. Read more

Rimouski selected to host 2025 Memorial Cup:
The Canadian Hockey League announced earlier this week that the city of Rimouski, Québec, has been selected to host the 105th edition of the Memorial Cup in 2025 – which will mark the return of the CHL’s championship event to Québec for the first time in 10 years. Read more

Bulldogs’ Lardis named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week:
Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis of the Brantford Bulldogs is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording five goals, two assists, and seven points over three contests as the Bulldogs earned five of a possible six points. Read more

67’s Donoso named OHL Goaltender of the Week:
Max Donoso of the Ottawa 67’s is the OHL Goaltender of the Week after he went 2-0, posting a 1.51 goals-against average and .957 save percentage in three appearances last week. Read more

Spirit’s Haight headlines OHL Plays of the Week presented by FPS Payment:
Let’s look at outstanding offence from the past week, including displays from Brantford’s Nick Lardis, Kitchener’s Luke Ellinas, Niagara’s Kevin He, Brantford’s Calvin Crombie and Saginaw’s Hunter Haight. Watch

Watch the finest saves across the league with OHL Saves of the Week:
Charlie Schenkel of the Soo Greyhounds takes centre stage in the latest batch of OHL Saves of the Week, with other appearances from Peterborough’s Liam Sztuska, Oshawa’s Jacob Oster, Kitchener’s Jackson Parsons, Saginaw’s Nolan Lalonde and the Sarnia Sting duo of Nick Surzycia and Nathan Omeri. Watch

Three first goals in latest edition of OHL Milestone Moments:
First goals from Windsor’s Carson Woodall, North Bay’s Reyth Smith and Owen Sound’s Nico Addy grace this week’s edition of OHL Milestone Moments presented by Syngenta Canada and Grain Farmers of Ontario. Watch

OHL Weekend Notebook:
The OHL Weekend Notebook recaps the weekend that was with news, information and interesting facts from both on and off the ice. Read more

Vaughan Kings headline Week 4 edition of OHL Cup Top 10 Rankings:
The Vaughan Kings remain in the top spot in the Week 4 edition of the weekly U16 AAA rankings for the 2024 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament presented by FPS Payment and hosted by the Greater Toronto Hockey League. The Waterloo Gold Puck champion Ottawa Myers Automotive are on the rise this week. Read more

Five OHL players named to Canada’s 2024 World Juniors roster:
Owen Allard, Owen Beck, Oliver Bonk, Easton Cowan, and Carson Rehkopf will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, which is scheduled to take place from December 26 – January 5 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Read more

Canadian World Junior hopefuls face U SPORTS Selects in Oakville:
Canadian National Junior Team hopefuls split a pair of games against a team of U SPORTS Selects at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ont. Read more

Spirit’s Mangone becomes OHL’s highest-scoring U18 draftee:
With an assist on Braden Haché‘s first period goal on Saturday in Flint, Spirit forward Calem Mangone became the highest scoring player to be drafted in the U18 Priority Selection. The assist gave Mangone 111 career points (40G, 71A), surpassing former Erie Otters captain Daniel D’Amato. The Spirit drafted the Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. native with the second overall pick in the 2021 U18 Priority Selection after an impressive showing with the Soo Greyhounds Midget AAA squad the season before. Read more

Six OHL players named to Czechia’s preliminary roster for 2024 World Juniors:
A total of six OHL players have been named to Czechia’s preliminary roster for the 2024 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship that takes place from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Matyas Sapovaliv of the Saginaw Spirit, Eduard Sale of the Barrie Colts and Tomas Hamara of the Brantford Bulldogs look to defend last year’s silver medal finish. Simon Slavicek of the Flint Firebirds, Adam Zidlicky of the Mississauga Steelheads and Jakub Vondras of the Sudbury Wolves aim to crack the roster for the first time. Read more

OHL trio named to Finland’s preliminary roster for 2024 World Juniors:
Finland unveiled its preliminary roster for the 2024 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships on Tuesday, with three OHL players included. A pair of second round NHL Draft picks in San Jose Sharks choice Kasper Halttunen and Minnesota Wild pick Rasmus Kumpulainen are included on the forward ranks while high-scoring Vegas Golden Knights prospect Arttu Karki is on the back end. Read more

Petes’ Purdeller representing Italy at U20 Division 1B World Championship:
The OHL hasn’t seen too many Italian players over the years, but Peterborough Petes forward Tommy Purdeller is a good one. The 19-year-old from Brunico, Italy is representing his country at the IIHF U20 World Championship, Division 1B tournament in Slovenia. Read more

Battalion forward Pazii representing Ukraine at U20 Division 1B World Championship:
First-year OHL forward Ihnat Pazii is having a great first half with the North Bay Battalion, and now he’s suiting up for his native Ukraine at the IIHF U20 World Championship, Division 1B in Bled, Slovenia. Read more

OHL Prospect Pipeline:
In an all-new series for this season, the OHL takes a look at affiliated prospects from across the province that have signed an OHL scholarship and development agreement, and are currently excelling with their respective junior programs. Read more

OHL mourns the loss of Paul Giallonardo:
The Ontario Hockey League is mourning the loss of an alumnus gone far too soon. Former Windsor Spitfires defenceman Paul Giallonardo passed on Sunday night following a battle with cancer. He was just 39 years-old. Giallonardo, from Unionville, Ont., was selected by the Spitfires in the fourth round of the 2000 OHL Priority Selection. He’d play four seasons for the Spits from 2001-05, recording 18 goals, 73 assists and 91 points over 247 regular season games. He also recorded a career plus/minus rating of plus-18 and appeared in 35 playoff games, putting up 15 points (3-12–15) in the process. Read more

 

COMMUNITY CORNER:

Teddy Bear Toss continues in Brantford, Saginaw and Guelph:
It’s Teddy Bear Toss season in the OHL! Don’t miss the Teddy Bear Toss in your city as teams collect stuffed toys to be distributed to charitable organizations in their communities. Here’s a look at when teams across the league will host their respective Teddy Bear Toss games in November and December. Read more

Sting’s Season of Giving a big success:
The Sarnia Sting announced Thursday that their generous fans have come together to donate 627 toys, 1,114Ibs. of food, 4,198 teddy bears and over $10,000 to the club’s Season of Giving initiative. The contributions will benefit charitable organizations in Sarnia-Lambton.

Luke Misa mini-stick giveaway in Mississauga on Friday:
The first 1,000 fans into the Paramount Fine Foods Centre for Friday night’s game against the Oshawa Generals will receive a specialty Luke Misa mini-stick. Fans can stick around following the game for a post-game autograph session.

Rangers host Holiday Game and Food Drive:
The Kitchener Rangers square off against the Soo Greyhounds Friday night, partnering with the Food Bank of Waterloo Region to collect donations, including cash and non-perishable food items. The Food Bank of Waterloo Region works in collaboration with 120+ community programs and agency partners. Their goal is to reduce hunger in the Waterloo Region and identify proactive solutions to address poverty and food insecurity.

Knights to host Be a Fan, Bring a Can weekend:
This weekend is the London Knights’ Be a Fan, Bring a Can weekend. Bring your non-perishable food items to both games this weekend to support the London Food Bank and Business Cares London this holiday season.

Otters to host Winter Wonderland game on Saturday:
The Erie Otters are set to host their Winter Wonderland game on Saturday ahead of the holiday break! Santa and the Grinch will both be in attendance. 

 

ALUMNI NOTES:

Former OHL Coach of the Year Drew Bannister named Interim Coach of Blues:
Former OHL and CHL Coach of the Year Drew Bannister is the new Interim Head Coach of the St. Louis Blues. Bannister had been in the midst of his third season as head coach of the AHL affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, steering them to a 12-8-2-0 mark through 22 games. He guided the Thunderbirds to an appearance in the 2022 Calder Cup Final. Bannister was head coach of the Soo Greyhounds from 2015-18 following three seasons as an assistant coach with the Owen Sound Attack. Bannister guided the Hounds to a record of 136-50-18 over three seasons, helping them win a Western Conference championship in 2018. Read more

Tavares earns 1,000th NHL point:
All-time OHL goal-scoring leader John Tavares earned his 1,000th NHL point on Monday, as the Toronto Maple Leafs captain registered a goal and an assists in a 4-3 overtime loss against his former team, the New York Islanders. Originally selected first overall by the Islanders in the 2009 NHL Draft, the Mississauga, Ont. native has registered 435 goals, 566 assists, and 1,001 points between the Islanders and the Leafs. In 2005, when he was 14, he became the first player ever to be granted exceptional status to start his junior career in the CHL a year early, as a 15-year-old. Selected first overall by the Oshawa Generals in the 2005 OHL Priority Selection, Tavares went on to play three full seasons with the Generals, before splitting his final year between Oshawa and the London Knights. Tallying 433 points (215-218-433) in 247 regular season games, Tavares earned CHL Rookie of the Year, OHL Rookie of the Year, CHL Player of the Year, OHL Most Outstanding Player, OHL Highest Point Scorer, and broke the all-time OHL goal-scoring record during his four year tenure.

Greaves earns first NHL win:
Former Barrie Colts netminder Jet Greaves earned his first NHL win last Friday, making 41 saves as the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-2. Greaves has appeared in two games with the Blue Jackets this season, playing to a 1-1 record along with a 2.52 goals-against average and .934 save percentage. Signed by Columbus as an undrafted free agent in February 2022, Greaves has played in 12 games with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters this season, recording a 3.09 goals-against average and 0.899 save percentage, along with a 9-3-0-1 record. Selected in the third round (56th overall) by Barrie in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, the Cambridge, Ont. native backstopped the Colts to a 20-27-4-1 record in 60 games played, along with a 3.71 goals-against average and .899 save percentage over two seasons.

Verhaeghe records 200th NHL point
Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe recorded his 200th NHL point on Sunday, finding the scoresheet in a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Waterdown, Ont. native has now registered 106 goals and 94 assists (106-94-200) over 282 regular season games spent between the Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Playing in his fifth NHL season, Verhaeghe was originally selected in the third round (82nd overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 NHL Draft. The Niagara IceDogs’ second round (38th overall) pick in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection, Verhaeghe played four seasons in the OHL, tallying 83 goals, 141 assists, and 224 points over 262 regular season contests.

Bradford named ECHL Player of the Week
Former Barrie Colts, Ottawa 67’s and Owen Sound Attack forward Erik Bradford has been named the ECHL Player of the Week. The Kalamazoo Wings forward recorded 11 points (3-8–11) last week, giving him 26 points (8-18–26) through 22 games this season. The 29-year-old from Orangeville, Ont. is in his ninth pro season, spent largely in the ECHL. Bradford put together three straight seasons of 18+ goals in the OHL during his tenure from 2010-15.

Houser named ECHL Goaltender of the Week
Former London Knights netminder and 2012 OHL Most Outstanding Player Michael Houser is the ECHL Goaltender of the Week, going 2-0 with a 0.50 goals-against average and .980 save percentage with the Jacksonville Icemen. The 31-year-old Houser has enjoyed a well-travelled career that included time with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres as recently as 2021-22. Houser has split time between Jacksonville and the AHL’s Rochester Americans this season. He wons an all-time ECHL record of 138-70-24 with a 2.53 goals-against average and .913 save percentage over 238 games. Houser played for the Knights for three seasons from 2009-12 before signing with the Florida Panthers following his final season.

U SPORTS Report: Leaders at the break
As the first half of the U SPORTS season comes to an end, take a look at OHL Alumni leading the ranks across the country. Read more

 

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

– All games streaming on OHL Live
– Radio and TV broadcast information

Thursday, December 14th
Ottawa at Niagara – 7:00pm
Kingston at Peterborough – 7:05pm
London at Windsor – 7:05pm
Flint at Saginaw – 7:05pm

Friday, December 15th
Barrie at Brantford – 7:00pm
Niagara at Kingston – 7:00pm
Oshawa at Mississauga – 7:00pm
Sudbury at Flint – 7:00pm
North Bay at Erie – 7:00pm
Sault Ste. Marie at Kitchener – 7:00pm
Owen Sound at London – 7:00pm
Saginaw at Sarnia – 7:05pm
Peterborough at Guelph – 7:30pm (CHL Game of the Week, Free on OHL Live)

Saturday, December 16th
Sault Ste. Marie at Guelph – 2:00pm
North Bay at Niagara – 7:00pm
Sarnia at Flint – 7:00pm
Ottawa at Erie – 7:00pm
Windsor at Owen Sound – 7:05pm
Sudbury at Saginaw – 7:05pm
Kitchener at Barrie – 7:30pm

Sunday, December 17th
Brantford at Kingston – 2:00pm
Ottawa at Mississauga – 2:00pm
Sudbury at London – 2:00pm
Peterborough at Oshawa – 6:05pm