OHL This Week: Nov. 29 to Dec. 2, 2018

 

A full weekend of OHL action lies ahead. Here’s a look at what’s happening throughout the league.

FRONTENACS AND GENERALS SQUARE OFF ON SPORTSNET CHL SATURDAY SHOWCASE:
East Division foes the Kingston Frontenacs and Oshawa Generals will go head-to-head before a national audience on Saturday afternoon. The two clubs are featured in the next edition of the Sportsnet CHL Saturday Showcase set to get underway at 3:30pm from the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa. Catch all of the action with hosts RJ Broadhead and Sam Cosentino from coast-to-coast.

67’s AND KNIGHTS INCLUDED IN KIA CHL TOP 10 RANKINGS:
The Ottawa 67’s (3) and London Knights (4) are included in the Week 11 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds received an honourable mention. Full Rankings

GREYHOUNDS’ FROST NAMED OHL ‘ON THE RUN’ PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Philadelphia Flyers prospect Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week with nine points in three games. Frost put together a pair of multi-point performances that helped the Greyhounds earn five of a possible six points last week to extend their lead atop the West Division standings. Read more

ATTACK’S SUZUKI REPRESENTS OHL IN CIBC SHOWDOWN:
Owen Sound Attack forward Nick Suzuki is this week’s OHL representative in CIBC Showdown, a weekly feature that allows fans across the CHL to vote for their favourite play across all three leagues. Watch & Vote

WAWANESA OHL PLAYS OF THE WEEK:
The tenth edition of the Wawanesa OHL Plays of the Week for the 2018-19 season feature a collection of the league’s Top-5 goals during the week ending November 25. This week’s highlights include Philip Tomasino of the Niagara IceDogs who splits the defence with speed and skill, defenceman Tyler Tucker of the Barrie Colts picks off a pass and joins the offensive charge, rookie Cole Perfetti of the Saginaw Spirit has a remarkable rush, London Knights forwards Liam Foudy and Alex Formenton break through and connect on a 2-on-0, and Nick Suzuki of the Owen Sound Attack takes elite to a whole other level. Watch

MORE HIGHLIGHT REEL STOPS IN JANES SAVES OF THE WEEK:
No cartwheels in the crease but you’ll still flip over this latest OHL edition of #JanesSaves. Featured this week is Ivan Prosvetov of the Saginaw Spirit, Joseph Raaymakers of the London Knights, Nick Donofrio of the Hamilton Bulldogs, Aidan Hughes of the Sarnia Sting, Kyle Keyser of the Oshawa Generals, Noah Battaglia of the Erie Otters, and Christian Propp of the North Bay Battalion. Watch

SIX OHL MILESTONE MOMENTS THIS WEEK:
Defenders Ryan Bangs (Flint Firebirds) and Louka Henault (Windsor Spitfires) join forwards Paul Cotter (London Knights), Kallaway Mercer (Kingston Frontenacs), Paul Larabie (Kingston Frontenacs) and Jacob Tortora (Barrie Colts) in the latest round of OHL Milestone Moments. Watch

OHL CUP POWERED BY UNDER ARMOUR TOP 10 RANKINGS – WEEK 2:
The second edition of the weekly Top-10 sees the International Silver Stick Finalist Don Mills Flyers hold steady in top spot while the Semi-Finalist Toronto Marlboros remain in second. The Whitby Wildcats, who also reached this past weekend’s Semi-Finals on home ice, rise one spot to third on the list. Additionally, the Mississauga Rebels climb four spots into fifth after playing to a 3-1-1 record this past weekend. The Waterloo Wolves make their first appearance inside the Top-10, coming in at eighth after going 3-2 at the Silver Stick following a quarter-final loss to Whitby. Full Rankings

STORM’S NATE SCHNARR FEATURED ON OHL NEWS RADIO:
Arizona Coyotes prospect Nate Schnarr of the Guelph Storm is this week’s guest on OHL News – Radio Edition with host Terry Doyle. The 19-year-old sits tied for the Storm lead in scoring with 32 points (14-18–32) over 22 games this season. Listen

STEELHEADS’ TIPPETT BECOMES NEW ALL-TIME FRANCHISE GOAL-SCORING LEADER:
Florida Panthers prospect Owen Tippett recently became the Mississauga Steelheads’ new all-time franchise goal scoring leader. The 19-year-old right-winger scored twice as part of a four-point performance in a November 18th 5-3 win over the Sudbury Wolves, netting his 110th and 111th career goals to surpass Darryl Bootland (1998-2002) for most in the 22-year history of the franchise. Read more

2005 LONDON KNIGHTS HONOURED AS CHL TEAM OF THE CENTURY:
The London Knights turned back the clock on Thursday, welcoming members of the 2005 Memorial Cup Championship team back to Budweiser Gardens where they hoisted the club’s first OHL Championship and Memorial Cup title 13 years ago. Franchise cornerstones in Corey Perry, Danny Syvret, Dave Bolland, Rob Schremp and several others brought the Memorial Cup to centre ice before a national audience on Sportsnet. Knights radio play-by-play voice Mike Stubbs walked fans down memory lane, reliving the magic of 2005 as the Knights defeated Sidney Crosby and the Rimouski Oceanic to win it all. Watch

OHL MOURNS THE LOSS OF MICK McGEOUGH:
The Ontario Hockey League joined the greater hockey community in sadness today following the passing of well known official Mick McGeough. What started as a career in the Western Hockey League in 1981 blossomed into over 20 years in the National Hockey League working over 1,000 games and highlighted by his 2006 Stanley Cup Finals assignment. Read more

IAN LEMIEUX COMMITS TO SPIRIT:
The Saginaw Spirit have received a commitment from 2018 sixth round selection Ian Lemieux. The 16-year-old from Bradford, Ont. spent last season with the York-Simcoe Express Minor Midgets. He’s recorded two assists with the Stouffville Spirit Jr. A club this season. Read more

NOLAN DILLINGHAM-MORELLI COMMITS TO STING: 
The Sarnia Sting have received a commitment from 2018 fourth round selection Nolan Dillingham-Morelli. The 16-year-old from Mississauga, Ont. spent last season with the Mississauga Rebels Minor Midgets. He has two assists over 16 games with the Georgetown Raiders Jr. A club this season. Read more

MATTHEW PAPAIS COMMITS TO STORM:
The Guelph Storm has received a commitment from 2018 seventh round selection Matthew Papais. The 5-foot-10, 164Ib. forward from Nobleton, Ont. currently leads all OJHL 2002-born players with 25 points (11-14–25) over 24 games with the Brantford 99ers Jr. A club. In 33 games with the Mississauga Reps Minor Midgets last season, Papais had 34 points (15-19–34). Read more

KNIGHTS’ FORMENTON, OHL GRAD VAN MOERKERKE FEATURED ON JUNIOR HOCKEY MAGAZINE:
Ottawa Senators prospect and World Junior gold medalist Alex Formenton of the London Knights is featured on this week’s edition of Junior Hockey Magazine with Gino Reda. Also included in the CHL graduates portion of the program is OHL grad Luke Van Moerkerke who is now running his own training facility. Listen

OMHA MINOR MIDGET SHOWCASE THIS WEEKEND IN AURORA:
Thirteen Ontario Minor Hockey Association teams from the Eastern AAA Minor Midget League will battle head-to-head in a series of games at the Aurora Community Centre this weekend. The OMHA Minor Midget Showcase features some of the top young talent eligible for the 2019 OHL Priority Selection. For full details visit omha.net.

ALLIANCE HOCKEY AAA ALL-STAR WEEKEND IN WOODSTOCK:
Top OHL Priority Selection and OHL Under-18 Priority Selection eligible talent from ALLIANCE Hockey will be on display at Southwood Arena in Woodstock, Ont. this weekend. The Minor Midget AAA All-Star Game takes place on Sunday at 11:15am before the Midget AAA All-Star Game follows at 1:45pm. For full rosters, visit alliancehockey.com.

GET IN ON OHL LIVE SAVINGS UNTIL SUNDAY:
For the remainder of this week, fans can get in on great savings to see their favourite OHL teams over at OHLLIVE.com. Get 10% off All Access Team Pass and Team Away Pass when using the promo code ‘OHLSAVE18’. The offer runs through Sunday night at 11:59pm. Visit OHLLIVE.com today!

 

COMMUNITY CORNER:

Attack’s Cubs for Cancer event raises $40,000 in support of childhood cancer research: The Owen Sound Attack announced Friday that the club raised $40,000 through the annual Cubs for Cancer event in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. The event, which took place primarily on Saturday, November 17^th saw thousands of hockey fans from the surrounding area support the well-deserving cause. Read more

Firebirds, fans team-up to feed local community:  The Flint Firebirds partnered with C&L Ward to collect non-perishable food items to donate to Catholic Charities. On Tuesday, ABC 12 News featured the Firebirds’ players bringing the food collected from fans to the North End Soup Kitchen. The food was collected during the club’s ‘Stuff the Truck’ Night on November 21st. In total, more than 4,000Ibs. of food was donated, the North End Soup Kitchen’s largest donation received so far this year. Watch

Spitfires fans raise more than $10,000 in recent charity initiatives: Windsor Spitfires fans have raised more than $10,000 in recent weeks during a series of home game nights devoted to assisting local charities and service agencies. Read more

Eventful weekend in Guelph: The Guelph Storm are asking fans attending Friday night’s game against the Oshawa Generals to bring happiness into the home of families in need in the Guelph community. Donate new, unwrapped books that are suitable for children ages newborn to 18 years at all arena entrances. The books collected will be included in the Guelph Salvation Army’s hamper program, which are distributed throughout the Christmas holidays to families in need. On Saturday, the Storm will square off with the Guelph Giants at 1:00pm for the 9th annual benefit game between the two squads. The contest will support special needs hockey in Guelph. On Sunday, the Storm will be participating in the Salvation Army’s Holiday Toy Drive when they play host to the Kitchener Rangers. Each fan who donates an unwrapped toy (or makes a $2 donation) will receive a ‘Chuck-A-Puck’ to participate in the second intermission puck toss for a chance to win one of three great prizes. For full details on the weekend ahead, visit guelphstorm.com.

Petes host Girls Hockey Night on Thursday: The Peterborough Petes will host members of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League’s Markham Thunder as part of Girls Hockey Night on Thursday when they play host to the North Bay Battalion. Numerous local minor girls hockey teams will take part in a pre-game question and answer period with the Markham Thunder’s Nicole Brown and Ailish Forfar, as well as an open skate. Limited spots for the Girls Hockey Night activities remain available. Full details at gopetesgo.com.

Cans For a Cause on Thursday in Windsor: The Windsor Spitfires are encouraging fans to bring canned goods to Thursday’s contest against the Soo Greyhounds and drop them off at one of several checkpoints across the WFCU Centre concourse. All non-perishable food items will go directly to The Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Each donation earns fans a ballot for a chance to win VIP tickets to Paw Patrol Live: The Great Pirate Adventure. Learn more at windsorspitfires.com.

Teddy Bear Toss Saturday in Flint: The Flint Firebirds will hold their annual Teddy Bear Toss Night on Saturday at home to the Erie Otters. Fans are encouraged to bring new or gently used teddy bears or stuffed animals to the game and after the Firebirds score their first goal, fans can launch them onto the ice. The stuffed animals will be collected and donated to the various local charities throughout Flint & Genesee County. Full details at flintfirebirds.com.

Bulldogs host Star Wars Night on Saturday: The Hamilton Bulldogs invite fans to wear their Star Wars gear to FirstOntario Centre Saturday when they play host to the Windsor Spitfires. Members from the Rebel Legion and 501st Canadian bases will be in attendance on Saturday, joining the Bulldogs as they support the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Superhero Night in Saginaw: The Saginaw Spirit host their 3rd annual Superhero Night on Saturday when the Soo Greyhounds visit the Dow Event Center. Superman is the theme of this year’s ‘Superhero Night’ jerseys that will be auctioned off at the conclusion of the game Saturday. Monies raised will benefit the CAN Council, whose goals are to create awareness and protect children from neglect and child abuse. Get the full scoop at saginawspirit.com.

Toonies for Toys Night in Owen Sound: The Owen Sound Attack will be hosting their Toonies for Toys Game in support of the Owen Sound Fire Department Toy Drive on Saturday when they play host to the Barrie Colts. Fans can bring any new unwrapped toys or make a donation inside the arena.

Knights host community skate on Saturday, Teddy Bear Toss on Sunday: The London Knights aren’t in game action, but they will be taking an opportunity to meet their fans for a community skate on Saturday at 1:00pm inside Budweiser Gardens. Santa Claus will be in the house as well, don’t miss it! On Sunday, the Knights take on the Sarnia Sting in their annual Teddy Bear Toss in support of The Salvation Army.

Teddy Bears take flight in Oshawa on Sunday: The Oshawa Generals host their 21st annual Teddy Bear Toss on Sunday when the Windsor Spitfires come to town. The event is in support of the Holiday Hope program with the Durham Children’s Aid Foundation. The program provides gift hampers to approximately 2,000 children and youth in Durham Region. Each hamper includes new toys, books, clothing, household items, and a food voucher. The program supports children of all ages, including older youth, many of whom live independently. Full details at oshawagenerals.com.

 

ALUMNI NOTES:

Gettinger makes NHL debut: Soo Greyhounds graduate Tim Gettinger made his NHL debut on Saturday. The New York Rangers forward played seven minutes in a 5-3 loss to the Washington Capitals. The 20-year-old from North Olmstead, OH, captained the Greyhounds to a Western Conference championship last spring. Gettinger played four seasons in the OHL from 2014-18, recording 91 goals, 96 assists and 187 points over 242 regular season games. Hew as New York’s fifth round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. Gettinger has 11 points (7-4–11) in 20 games with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack this season.

McLeod recalled by Devils: Mississauga Steelheads graduate Michael McLeod has been called up by the New Jersey Devils. The 20-year-old Mississauga, Ont. product has 10 points (3-7–10) in 21 games with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils this season. McLeod was New Jersey’s first round (12th overall) pick in 2016 in the midst of a four-year career with the Steelheads. He helped the club win an Eastern Conference title in 2016. Last season, he recorded 44 points (16-28–44) over 38 regular season games with the Fish before adding 10 points (6-4–10) over six playoff contests.

Vilardi in AHL on conditioning assignment: A player eligible to return to the OHL this season, Kingston Frontenacs forward Gabriel Vilardi is making his way back from injury and is on a conditioning assignment with the AHL’s Ontario Reign. The former Los Angeles Kings first round pick has been sidelined by injury and can play in a maximum of three AHL contests on his conditioning assignment. The former Memorial Cup champion put up 58 points (22-36–58) in 32 games with the Frontenacs last season, helping them reach the Eastern Conference Final.

Keefe sets new Marlies franchise coaching wins mark: 2015 OHL Coach of the Yea Sheldon Keefe has continued his winning ways in the AHL. The former Soo Greyhounds bench boss and standout during his OHL playing days set a new Toronto Marlies franchise record with his 158th career coaching victory on Wednesday. The 38-year-old is currently in his fourth season as head coach of the Marlies and led the club to a Calder Cup title last spring. Keefe served as head coach of the Greyhounds for parts of three seasons, helping lead the team to an appearance in the OHL’s Western Conference Final in 2015.

Mascherin nets first AHL hat-trick: Kitchener Rangers graduate Adam Mascherin scored his first AHL hat-trick this past Sunday, helping the Texas Stars defeat the San Antonio Rampage 7-3. The trio came in a span of 16 minutes, giving Mascherin 12 points (6-6–12) through 17 games this season. The Maple, Ont. native played four seasons in Kitchener, recording 296 career regular season points (122-174–296) over 259 games. He was Dallas’ fourth round pick this past summer.

Strome, DeBrincat, re-connect with Blackhawks: The former Erie Otters dynamic duo of Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat has been reunited in Chicago. The Blackhawks acquired Strome and fellow OHL grad Brendan Perlini this past week in a deal that sent forward Nick Schmaltz back to the Arizona Coyotes. DeBrincat set-up Strome for his first goal as a Blackhawk on Tuesday night. The third overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft, Strome had six points (3-3–6) in 20 games with the Coyotes this season prior to the trade. Perlini had also registered six points (2-4–6) over 22 games in Arizona this season. Strome is a former OHL champion and the leading scorer in Erie Otters club history, playing with the club from 2013-17. Perlini helped the IceDogs win an Eastern Conference title in 2016 and played four OHL seasons between Barrie and Niagara from 2012-16.

Payne named AUS Male Athlete of the Week: OHL graduate Cody Payne has been named Atlantic University Sport’s Male Athlete of the Week. The UPEI Panthers forward earned back-to-back Player of the Game honours in two weekend wins for his club, scoring four times. The native of Davie, Fla., played five OHL seasons between Oshawa, Plymouth, Saginaw and Niagara and was a fifth round pick of the Boston Bruins in 2012. Payne was involved in a trade to the Dallas Stars in April 2013 that saw Jaromir Jagr go back the other way to Boston. Payne has 13 points (6-7–13) in 14 points with UPEI this season.

 

KEY MATCHUPS:

Peterborough Petes (15-11-0-0) vs. Sudbury Wolves (15-8-1-1)
Friday November 30th at Sudbury

Two teams headed in the right direction meet in Sudbury on Friday as the Peterborough Petes take on the Wolves.

The Petes enter the weekend as winners of three straight, fresh off Max Grondin’s first OHL hat-trick that resulted in a 6-3 road win over the Hamilton Bulldogs on Sunday. The Petes have benefitted from the strong play of Winnipeg Jets prospect and leading scorer Declan Chisholm who has 26 points (3-23–26) in as many games. Overage centreman Chris Paquette leads the way in the goal-scoring column, lighting the lamp 13 times this season.

In Sudbury, the Wolves are leading the Central Division with a 15-8-1-1 record and wins in seven of their last 10 to start the weekend. Buffalo Sabres prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been a steady presence, playing to a 13-5-1-1 record with a 2.65 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. In front of him, former first overall pick David Levin leads the Wolves offensively with 22 points (12-10–22) this season.

 

Kingston Frontenacs (7-19-1-0) vs. Oshawa Generals (15-8-2-0)
Saturday December 1st at Oshawa (on Sportsnet)

The Sportsnet CHL Saturday Showcase features the Kingston Frontenacs paying a visit to the Oshawa Generals at 3:30pm.

Having recently dealt leading scorer Jason Robertson, the Fronts have turned to 19-year-old centreman Brett Neumann to carry the load up front. The fourth-year veteran has 31 points (15-16–31) over 27 games this season. Recent blue line acquisitions in Billy Constantinou and Anthony Aguanno will see plenty of ice as the Fronts look to develop their defence corps for the years to come.

The host Generals have won seven of their last 10 and feature one of the hottest goaltenders in the league in Boston Bruins prospect Kyle Keyser. Big 6-foot-5, 212Ib. Florida Panthers prospect Serron Noel leads the team offensively with 30 points (16-14–30) over 25 contests while Swiss winger Nando Eggenberger is also one to watch. He’s recorded eight of his 12 goals this season in the month of November.

 

SCHEDULE:

Thursday November 29:
Owen Sound at Niagara – 7:00pm
North Bay at Peterborough – 7:05pm
Sarnia at Saginaw – 7:05pm
Sault Ste. Marie at Windsor – 7:05pm
Mississauga at Barrie – 7:30pm

Friday November 30:
North Bay at Kingston – 7:00pm
Hamilton at Mississauga – 7:00pm
Flint at Sarnia – 7:05pm
Peterborough at Sudbury – 7:05pm
Oshawa at Guelph – 7:30pm
Niagara at Kitchener – 7:30pm
Erie at London – 7:30pm

Saturday December 1:
Kingston at Oshawa – 3:30pm (Sportsnet CHL Saturday Showcase)
Windsor at Hamilton – 4:00pm
Erie at Flint – 7:00pm
Sault Ste. Marie at Saginaw – 7:05pm
Barrie at Owen Sound – 7:30pm

Sunday December 2:
Sault Ste. Marie at Flint – 2:00pm
Kitchener at Guelph – 2:00pm
Niagara at Hamilton – 2:00pm
Sarnia at London – 2:00pm
North Bay at Ottawa – 2:00pm
Mississauga at Sudbury – 3:05pm
Windsor at Oshawa – 6:05pm