IceDogs win the Direct Energy Eastern Conference Championship

The Mississauga IceDogs won the Direct Energy Eastern Conference Championship Series for the Bobby Orr Trophy with a 4-2 win over the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors on Sunday.

The IceDogs, who are in their sixth Ontario Hockey League season, will face the winner of Monday’s Game 7 between the London Knights and Guelph Storm in the Direct Energy OHL Championship Series for the J. Ross Robertson Cup.

Patrick O’Sullivan scored a goal and two assists in the deciding game and led the IceDogs with eight points in the series. O’Sullivan was the first overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection after the IceDogs won just three games in 2001.

“This is a great feeling,” O’Sullivan admitted after winning the series. “When I first got here, I didn’t think that it would be possible to make it to the league finals. But this is a great group of guys and we stuck together.”

O’Sullivan was the IceDogs top scorer in his first season and was named OHL rookie of the year. He has led the team in scoring each of his three seasons in Mississauga and has 19 points in 20 playoff games this season.

“O’Sullivan was the difference in this series,” said Majors coach and general manager Dave Cameron in the post-game media conference on Sunday. “I give full marks to Mississauga, they are deserving champions.”

The IceDogs also received huge contributions from captain Dan Rudisuela and veterans Tomislav Zanoski, Lukas Grauwiler and Blair Jarrett who stepped up offensively after Brad Efthimiou was injured in the second round against the Barrie Colts. O’Sullivan, Rudisuela, Jarrett and Chris Curran, who scored the winning goal on Sunday, are the longest serving members of the IceDogs. They made their playoff debut in a four game sweep by the Ottawa 67’s last March.

After dropping the opening game of the Eastern Conference championship series 3-0 at St. Michael’s College School Arena, the IceDogs responded with a 2-0 shutout win at home in Game 2. Toronto earned a 4-3 win in Game 3 before the IceDogs tied the series again with a 3-0 win in Game 4. The win was David Shantz’s fifth shutout of the playoffs. Tomislav Zanoski scored the winner in overtime at St. Mike’s in Game 4 to set up the series-clincher on Sunday.

“This was a hard fought series,” said IceDogs coach Greg Gilbert, who took over the IceDogs in September after three seasons with the Calgary Flames. “They were six tough games and our guys didn’t quit.”

– Aaron Bell