Five Questions: Soo Greyhounds

 

It wasn’t so long ago that the Soo Greyhounds won four West Division titles in a span of four seasons. Two seasons removed from the Covid-19 eliminated 2020-21 campaign, the Hounds are on the come up, looking to be top dog in the West once again.

There’s lots to look forward to in the Soo this season, with strength down the middle, some capable puck-movers on the back end and a goaltender in Charlie Schenkel who, when healthy, has shown he can be among the OHL’s best.

Let’s dive in with Five Questions on the Soo Greyhounds.

1. Is McConnell-Barker the league’s most complete centreman?

There’s certainly a debate to be had, depending on who winds up returning to the OHL for 2023-24, but Bryce McConnell-Barker has to be part of the discussion. The workhorse pivot took the most faceoffs in the league last season, playing in all situations and racking up big minutes down the middle on a young squad. The former fourth overall OHL Priority Selection choice scored 30 goals, and upped his production from 49 points as a rookie to 77 in his second campaign. The London, Ont. native was a third round pick of the New York Rangers in 2022, and signed an entry-level deal with the Blueshirts back in March.

Make that 30 goals for Bryce McConnell-Barker! 🚀

The recently signed @NYRangers prospect makes no mistake on the backdoor pass, adding to the @OHLHoundPower lead against the Spirit 📽️ pic.twitter.com/B7VEa8tjuN

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) March 25, 2023

2. Are Gibson and Kudryavtsev the OHL’s best kept secret?

Perhaps they were, but fans, and certainly NHL clubs have started to take notice. The two returning blueliners put the Hounds in a good position moving into 2023-24, with the hope that they’ll also be able to add Vegas Golden Knights prospect and seventh overall CHL Import Draft choice Arttu Karki to the fold. A former fourth round pick by the Hounds, Andrew Gibson has grown to 6-foot-3 and, if not for an injury, would have competed in the Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. The Detroit Red Wings selected the LaSalle, Ont. native in the second round (42nd overall) last month. Kirill Kudryavtsev earned high marks on last year’s OHL Coaches Poll, finishing top three in Western Conference categories for Most Underrated Player, Best Shot Blocker and Best Defensive Defenceman. The Vancouver Canucks prospect comes off a 50-point season (8-42–50) on the back end.

“He embodies pro-like habits. He’s disciplined and organized with his mindset.”

Drafted in the 7th round at last year’s #NHLDraft, defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev, wraps up our final edition of Building Blue. pic.twitter.com/d7dOFbTYeP

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) June 25, 2023

3. What kind of boost will a healthy Allard and Schenkel provide?

The young Greyhounds went through their share of growing pains last season, some that perhaps would have been alleviated with a full season from both Owen Allard and goaltender Charlie Schenkel. Allard was limited to 14 games as a result of surgery on his left shoulder from an injury suffered at Ottawa Senators development camp. The Ottawa native looks to be in good shape for his 19-year-old campaign, having just attended development camp with the Colorado Avalanche. The 6-foot-5, 200Ib. Schenkel missed time with injury in his draft eligible season, but was brilliant on a few occasions including a 35-save shutout in a 1-0 road win over the London Knights on Oct. 7th. He stopped 33 of 34 before denying 14 of 15 shootout opponents in a marathon 2-1 shootout loss to the Ottawa 67’s on Oct. 21st. Schenkel played in 31 games, looking to build off that total this coming season alongside former second round pick Landon Miller, who had a year of development with the NOJHL’s Soo Thunderbirds in 2022-23.

What a night for Charlie Schenkel! 🌟@OHLHoundPower netminder stops all 35 shots for his first career #OHL shutout.@syngentacanada | @GrainFarmers pic.twitter.com/55EWPCiUIk

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) October 8, 2022

4. Will Martin make an immediate impact?

In the discussion of potentially being the first overall pick in the weeks leading into the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, Waterloo Wolves captain Brady Martin went to the Greyhounds at third overall, and has the Sault Ste. Marie fans excited to see what he can bring. Martin had an outstanding OHL Cup Showcase with 12 points (8-4–12) in six games and helped the Wolves win the ALLIANCE U16 AAA championship, recording 29 points (12-17–29) in 11 playoff matchups. The Elmira, Ont. native has a great shot, is a tremendous competitor, and will be a big part of the Soo offence in the years to come.

Brady Martin's quarterfinal hat trick, a thing of beauty 🎩🎩🎩#OHLCup | @WaterlooU16 pic.twitter.com/oMHJc2EtuB

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) April 1, 2023

5. Can the Hounds turn those one-goal losses into wins this season?

The Hounds missed out on the playoffs, but they were in a lot of close games last season, losing a league-high 15 games in overtime or a shootout. With a large group of returning players including overage candidates Jordan D’Intino and Brenden Sirizzotti looking to play a bigger role offensively, head coach John Dean’s Greyhounds could be poised for a considerable improvement. It was ultimately awarded to Saginaw, but the Hounds cast a bid to host the 2024 Memorial Cup, signalling a belief that they have the makeup to be a competitive presence in the Western Conference once again.

The D'Intino ➡️ Fantino connection 🔥

Jordan D'Intino's beautiful setup for Julian Fantino helped sparked a 7-3 victory for the @OHLHoundPower, while also collecting Sunday's #BestOfOHL honours📽️@MilkUPOntario | #MilkUPxOHL pic.twitter.com/ssk5cRRSxO

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 12, 2023

Five Questions is put together by Josh Sweetland (@joshsweetland). Follow along throughout the summer for an offseason look at all 20 OHL clubs.