OHL This Week: Nov. 16 to 19, 2017

Here’s a look at what’s going on around the OHL this week.

 

COLTS VS. RANGERS, MASTERCARD MEMORIAL CUP TOUR HEADLINE FIRST INSTALMENT OF CHL SATURDAY SHOWCASE:

Shining the spotlight on hockey’s future stars, the first instalment of Sportsnet’s CHL Saturday Showcase is set for Barrie this Saturday as the Colts host the visiting Kitchener Rangers at 3:30pm. Join the veteran broadcast team of play-by-play announcer R.J. Broadhead, game analyst Sam Cosentino and host Rob Faulds as the CHL’s seventh-ranked Colts host the red hot Kitchener Rangers.

Barrie will also serve as the first stop on 100th Mastercard Memorial Cup Celebration Tour that will visit 17 different communities spread out over eight provinces. The Memorial Cup will visit various military bases and legions and provide fans the opportunity to see major junior hockey’s top prize as part of a unique game day experience. Read more

SUZUKI AND TIMMINS CONNECT AS TEAM OHL WINS GAME 4 IN SUDBURY:

Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack) and Conor Timmins (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) both had three points to lead Team OHL to a 4-2 win in Game 4 of the CIBC Canada Russia Series in Sudbury. Sophomore defenceman Kevin Bahl (Ottawa 67’s) also found the back of the net while Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires) made 23 saves in goal. The OHL improves to 24-5-1 in the CIBC Canada Russia Series. Read more

EIGHT OHL PLAYERS EARN SILVER AT 2017 WORLD UNDER-17 HOCKEY CHALLENGE:

Eight OHL players are World Under-17 Hockey Challenge silver medalists with Team Canada Red after a 6-4 loss to the United States in Saturday’s Gold Medal Final. Goaltender Luke Cavallin (Flint Firebirds), defencemen Evan Brand (Kingston Frontenacs) and Colton Kammerer (Sarnia Sting) join forwards Brandon Coe (North Bay Battalion), Mitchell Russell (Owen Sound Attack), Ryan Suzuki (Barrie Colts), Keean Washkurak (Mississauga Steelheads) and Nick Wong (Oshawa Generals) returning to OHL clubs with silver. Read more

OHL TEAMS HONOUR BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN OF SERVICE:

Over the past weekend and in the days leading up to Remembrance Day and Veterans Day, teams from across the Ontario Hockey League honoured the brave who have served in the line of duty. In addition to various ceremonies and moments of silence observed around the league, special commemorative jerseys were worn by eight different clubs all raising proceeds for causes near and dear to the hearts of past and present men and women of service. Read more

OHL MOURNS THE LOSS OF FLOYD CRAWFORD:

The Ontario Hockey League is deeply saddened by the loss of Belleville’s Floyd Crawford who passed away Saturday morning at the age of 88. Crawford was heavily involved in all levels of Belleville hockey including the OHL’s Bulls serving as chief scout and helping the club capture the Robertson Cup in 1999. Read more

DALE HAWERCHUK INDUCTED INTO WINNIPEG JETS HALL OF FAME:

Barrie Colts head coach Dale Hawerchuk saw his #10 raised to the heights of the Bell MTS Place during a special pre-game ceremony on Tuesday night before the Jets played host to the Arizona Coyotes. Hawerchuk played 713 games in his Hall of Fame career in Winnipeg, scoring 379 goals and 929 points while registering six different 100-point seasons in the process. He joins Bobby Hull (9), Ulf Nilsson (14) and Anders Hedberg (15) in the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame. Hawerchuk is in the midst of his eighth season behind the bench in Barrie, winning 249 career regular season games with the Colts in that span. Read more

4TH ANNUAL OHL/HPHL BATTLE OF THE BORDER RECAP:

The fourth annual ‘Battle of the Border’ Showcase in partnership with the Ontario Hockey League and the High Performance Hockey League wrapped up on Sunday at Windsor’s WFCU Centre, home of the OHL’s Spitfires. The event featured 24 teams from across Ontario, Detroit, and Illinois competing in two divisions with Under-16 talent eligible for the 2018 OHL Priority Selection and for the first time in four years included Under-18 players eligible for the 2018 OHL Under-18 Priority Selection. Read more

DON CHERRY NAMED HONOURARY CHARIMAN OF CHL’s 100th MASTERCARD MEMORIAL CUP CELEBRATION:

The Canadian Hockey League today announced details regarding several of the league’s 100th Mastercard Memorial Cup initiatives including the appointment of Canadian hockey icon Don Cherry as Honourary Chairman of the CHL’s 100th Mastercard Memorial Cup celebrations. Read more

STING, GREYHOUNDS AND COLTS IN CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS:  

The Sarnia Sting remained the top ranked team in the CHL this week while the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds rose one spot to fourth. The Barrie Colts made their debut on the rankings, coming in at seventh on the list. Full Rankings

STING’S JUSTIN FAZIO NAMED VAUGHN CHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK:

Justin Fazio of the Sarnia Sting is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending November 12 after posting a 1-0-1-0 record including one shutout with a goals-against-average of 1.98 and save percentage of .926. Fazio stopped 72 shots last week helping the Sting earn three of a possible four points against tough OHL Western Conference competition to maintain first place in the league’s overall standings with a 16-3-1-0 record. Read more

STORM’S RYAN MERKLEY NAMED OHL ‘ON THE RUN’ PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

2018 NHL Draft prospect Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending November 12 after scoring one goal with five assists for six points in two games with a plus-minus rating of plus-4. Merkley becomes the first defenceman to earn the award this season after recording two multi-point performances last week helping the Storm to a pair of victories. Read more

PETES’ JONATHAN ANG SIGNS WITH PANTHERS:

Florida Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Dale Tallon announced Thursday that the club has signed forward Jonathan Ang to a three-year, entry-level contract. A fourth round pick by the Panthers in the 2016 NHL Draft, Ang sits fifth in OHL scoring with the Peterborough Petes, recording 12 goals and 30 points in 21 games. The Markham, Ont. native recently represented the OHL in the 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series. Read more

WAWANESA OHL PLAYS OF THE WEEK:

The 8th edition of the Wawanesa OHL Plays of the Week for the 2017-18 season feature another collection of the league’s Top-5 goals scored in the week ending November 12. This week’s highlights begin with a tic-tac-toe goal set up by Guelph Storm forwards Alexey Toropchenko and Cam Hillis and finished by Isaac Ratcliffe.  The plays continue with a great individual effort by Matthew Strome of the Hamilton Bulldogs and a never say quit effort by Alex Formenton of the London Knights.  Soo Greyhounds Boris Katchouk and Morgan Frost connect with some shorthanded magic, then Aaron Luchuk tops things off with an incredible overtime pass to Luke Boka who wins it for the Windsor Spitfires in overtime. Watch

VOTE AARON LUCHUK IN #CIBCSHOWDOWN:

Windsor Spitfires captain Aaron Luchuk not only headlines the Wawanesa OHL Plays of the Week, but is also the OHL representative featured in this week’s #CIBCShowdown which showcases one great play from all three leagues allowing fans the opportunity to choose their favourite play. See all the plays and vote at chlshowdown.ca.

NO NONSENSE FROM OHL GOALTENDERS IN JANES SAVES OF THE WEEK:

No nonsense from OHL goaltenders as November continues with the eighth edition of #JanesSaves. This week features nine different goaltenders including Leo Lazarev of the Barrie Colts, Justin Fazio of the Sarnia Sting, Cole Ceci of the Oshawa Generals, Garrett Forrest of the Flint Firebirds, Anand Oberoi of the Erie Otters, Olivier Tremblay of the Ottawa 67’s, Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires, Stephen Dhillon of the Niagara IceDogs, and Jacob Ingham of the Mississauga Steelheads. Watch

FOUR PLAYERS INCLUDED IN OHL MILESTONE MOMENTS THIS WEEK:

Curtis Egert (Sarnia Sting), Sam Rhodes (Barrie Colts), Bradey Johnson (Niagara IceDogs) and Mike Petizian (Kitchener Rangers) all scored their first career OHL goal this past week. Watch

ROGERS HOMETOWN HOCKEY TOUR VISITS KINGSTON:

The Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour visited Kingston this past weekend as Ron MacLean, Tara Slone and the Hometown Hockey team produced plenty of interesting content documenting stories from around the Greater Kingston region. The weekend shone a spotlight on former Kingston Frontenacs and Sudbury Wolves netminder Mike Smith now of the Calgary Flames. If you like The Tragically Hip you’ll like some of the stories they have over at hometownhockey.com. The tour shifts to St. Thomas, Ont. this weekend, the home of former Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound and San Jose Sharks star Joe Thornton.

 

COMMUNITY CORNER:

Knights, IceDogs, Colts and Rangers host Special Olympics Awareness Night: November is Special Olympics Game Month in the OHL and four teams will host special events in their rinks this weekend. It’s Special Olympics Awareness Night on Thursday in London, Niagara and Barrie while the Kitchener Rangers host the event on Sunday. The campaign is part of the ongoing commitment by the OHL and LETR to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics. Read more

Knights host ‘Warm & Woolly Drive’ on Friday: The London Knights are collecting new toques, gloves, mitts and socks on Friday night at home to the Saginaw Spirit. Fans are asked to bring donations in support of the Boys & Girls Club of London.

Firebirds host Ladies Night on Saturday: The Flint Firebirds host their annual Ladies Night on Saturday at home to the Erie Otters. There first 500 ladies in attendance will receive a Firebirds branded stemless wine glass. Don’t miss out on this giveaway and many more!

Colts collect over 4,000Ibs. of food in Fill The Bus Campaign: The Barrie Colts have set the bar high, collecting 4,484Ibs. of food in one night for their annual Fill The Bus Campaign. Local minor hockey teams will try and match the Colts effort in the coming weeks. For full details visit barriecolts.com.

Attack Military Appreciation Night jerseys up for auction: The Owen Sound Attack are raising funds for Royal Canadian Legion Branch 6 as they auction off their game worn Military Appreciation Night jerseys from last week. Check them out at CHL Auctions.

Frontenacs game worn camoflauge jersey auction underway: The Kingston Frontenacs are auctioning off their camouflage jerseys from the 2016-17 season in support of the Kingston Military Family Resource Centre. Fans can get in on the bidding over at CHL Auctions.

 

ALUMNI NOTES:

Andreychuk inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame: Former Oshawa Generals forward Dave Andreychuk was inducted into The Hockey Hall of Fame this past week, joining six other members of the 2017 class including past NHL stars in Paul Kariya, Mark Recchi and  Teemu Selanne. The Hamilton, Ont. native scored 57 goals in 67 games during the 1981-82 season. His prodigious output drew the attention of the Buffalo Sabres who made the sniper a first round draft pick the following spring. Andreychuk would go to an NHL career that spanned over two decades. His 640 goals are 14th-best in NHL history and his 274 powerplay markers are an NHL record. In 2004, he accomplished hockey’s ultimate feat, captaining the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup. Read more

MacKenzie champions support for NOFCC: Sudbury Wolves graduate and Florida Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie supports a cause near and dear to his heart. There aren’t many days when the NHL veteran doesn’t think about the kids and families he has met through the Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer. During November’s ‘Hockey Fights Cancer’ initiatives, those thoughts take on extra meaning. A 36-year-old Sudbury, Ont. native, MacKenzie played for his hometown Wolves from 1997-2001, graduating as the team’s captain. Read the full story of MacKenzie’s continued support for NOFCC at nhlpa.com.

Crescenzi makes NHL debut: Kitchener Rangers graduate Andrew Crescenzi made his NHL debut at the age of 25 on Tuesday night, suiting up for the Los Angeles Kings as they fell to the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. A 6-foot-5, 207Ib. centreman from Thornhill, Ont., Crescenzi has spent the past several seasons in the American Hockey League, recording 15 points (7-8–15) with the Ontario Reign last season. He played three OHL seasons in Kitchener from 2009-12, recording 82 points (44-38–82) in 175 regular season games.

Martin named AHL Player of the Week: Mississauga Steelheads graduate Spencer Martin of the San Antonio Rampage is the AHL Player of the Week after going 2-0-0 with a 0.50 goals-against average and a .986 save percentage last week. The Colorado Avalanche prospect is 6-3-1 in 10 games this season, boasting a 2.60 goals-against average and .913 save percentage with one shutout. A third round pick by the Avs in 2013, Martin played four seasons in Mississauga from 2011-15, going 58-74-2-9 with a 3.31 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage over 156 regular season contests.

Lane named ECHL Player of the Week: Brampton Battalion graduate Philip Lane is the ECHL Player of the Week after recording four goals and two assists in three games to help the Gwinnett Gladiators go 3-0-0 last week. The 25-year-old native of Rochester, NY has 10 goals, six assists and 16 points in 13 contests this season. The former second round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2010 played three OHL seasons in Brampton from 2009-12, recording 50 goals, 57 assists and 107 points over 171 career regular season games.

Locke to be honoured by Governor General of Canada: Saginaw Spirit graduate Eric Locke is one of eight Academic All-Canadians who will be honoured by Governor General of Canada Julie Payette. A 23-year-old native of Mississauga, Ont., Locke is studying at the University of Ottawa following three years at St. Francis Xavier University. A former AUS Player of the Year in 2016, Locke has 15 points (5-10–15) in 10 games with the Ottawa Gee Gees this season. He is a three-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian and Dean’s List student who ranked tops in his class in the Bachelor of Science, human kinetics program. He received the StFX’s Larkin Trophy awarded to the top senior male student for excellence in academics and extra-curriculars and was the recipient of the 2016-17 StFX Athletic Director’s Award for Academic Achievement with the highest grades of any male student-athlete on campus. Locke left a legacy in the OHL, graduating as Saginaw’s captain following a four-year career spent between Windsor, Barrie and Saginaw from 2010-14.

Domingues to be featured on CBC’s Dragon’s Den: Former Owen Sound Attack forward Josh Domingues is set to be featured on CBC’s Dragon’s Den, a program that showcases entrepreneurial ventures, providing evaluations and feedback. Domingues’ company, ‘Flash Food Inc.’ will be on the show Thursday, November 23rd. A 28-year-old native of Markham, Ont., Domingues played two seasons in Owen Sound from 2007-09 before finishing his junior career with the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques. Learn all about Domingues’ business venture at flashfood.com.

 

KEY MATCHUPS:

Kitchener Rangers (12-6-2-0) at Barrie Colts (12-4-1-1)
Saturday November 18th at Barrie (Sportsnet CHL Saturday Showcase)

The first CHL Saturday Showcase matchup of the season on Sportsnet is a good one as the red hot Kitchener Rangers roll into Barrie for a Saturday afternoon matchup with the Colts.

Winners in five of their last six, the Rangers sit atop the Midwest Division after defeating the London Knights on Tuesday as Kole Sherwood and Adam Mascherin joined forces on home ice.

The Barrie Colts remain without top 2018 NHL Draft prospect Andrei Svechnikov, but that hasn’t slowed them down. The Colts made their season debut on the weekly CHL Top 10 Rankings this past week, coming in at seventh. The Colts have spread the scoring around this season, with Jason Willms, Zach Magwood and Svechnikov all lighting the lamp 10 times this season.

Hamilton Bulldogs (11-5-1-3) at Ottawa 67’s (12-8-1-0)
Saturday November 18th at Ottawa

Get set for an East Division showdown in the nation’s capital on Saturday as the Hamilton Bulldogs and Ottawa 67’s battle for first in the division.

Two considerably different looking teams statistically, the Bulldogs enter the weekend on a five game winning streak, scoring just 57 goals on the season but limiting their opponents to just 57 in the process. Detroit Red Wings prospect Kaden Fulcher earned his third shutout of the season on Wednesday. The low-scoring Bulldogs stick to their system and are led offensively by 19-year-old veteran Brandon Saigeon with 10 goals and eight assists.

In Ottawa, the 67’s haven’t had any trouble scoring, but they continue to work towards consistency defensively. Ottawa enters play on a three-game winning streak. Sasha Chmelevski, Travis Barron and Tye Felhaber share a three-way tie for the team lead in points.

 

SCHEDULE:

Thursday November 16:
Guelph at London – 7:00pm
Kingston at Niagara – 7:00pm
Sault Ste. Marie at North Bay – 7:00pm
Oshawa at Peterborough – 7:05pm
Owen Sound at Windsor – 7:05pm
Sudbury at Barrie – 7:30pm

Friday November 17:
Hamilton at Kingston – 7:00pm
Oshawa at Mississauga – 7:00pm
North Bay at Niagara – 7:00pm
Windsor at Sarnia – 7:05pm
Sault Ste. Marie at Sudbury – 7:05pm
Guelph at Kitchener – 7:30pm
Saginaw at London – 7:30pm

Saturday November 18:
Hamilton at Ottawa – 2:00pm
Kitchener at Barrie – 3:30pm (CHL Saturday Showcase on Sportsnet)
Erie at Flint – 7:00pm
Owen Sound at Flint – 7:05pm

Sunday November 19:
Ottawa at Kingston – 2:00pm
Niagara at Mississauga – 2:00pm
North Bay at Sudbury – 2:00pm
London at Windsor – 2:05pm
Owen Sound at Flint – 4:00pm
Erie at Saginaw – 5:30pm
Sarnia at Guelph – 6:00pm
Peterborough at Kitchener – 6:00pm
Barrie at Oshawa – 6:05pm

Be sure to catch all of this weekend’s action at ohllive.com.