Impressive showing for OHL stars at Super Series

By Brad Young

By all accounts, the seven players representing the OHL on Team Canada are having an impact on the team’s early success.

Steve Mason of the London Knights backstopped Team Canada to an impressive 4-2 victory in game one. Mason had a lot of rubber thrown at him as Team Canada went down a man 13 times during the game. Mason gave up two early goals in the first period, but found a way to keep Team Canada in the game, stopping 40 shots on this night.

Mason’s teammate with the Knights, Sam Gagner, has proved he is more than capable of taking on a leadership role with Team Canada as an assistant captain. Gagner is leading by example on the ice and continues to display his offensive skills each time he gets a hold of the puck. Gagner scored a goal and added an assist in the opening game victory.

Stefan Legein of the Niagara IceDogs has been a welcomed addition to Team Canada’s lineup. Legein has scored two goals and has been a dominant force in a checking capacity with his linemates, captain Milan Lucic and assistant captain Brandon Sutter. Legein’s success has earned him increased minutes with his linemates.

Drew Doughty of the Guelph Storm has really stepped up his defensive play for Team Canada and has logged some important minutes with his defence partner, assistant captain Karl Alzner. Doughty is responsible for shutting down the Russians top lines and so far, he has done so. Doughty is turning a lot of heads with his play at the rearguard, which should bode well for him as Doughty is eligible for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals is starting to find his form with a solid performance in game two, which saw this youngster create a number of quality scoring chances throughout the game. Asking Tavares to fit it right away with the international style of play is a tall order considering he’s only 16 years-old.

Josh Godfrey of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds has played in one game for Team Canada, which happened to be his first time ever competing on the international stage and he’s proving he can make the adjustment.

Cory Emmerton of the Kingston Frontenacs has shown that he can be used as a utility player for Team Canada. Emmerton has been used during penalty kill situations and has created some offence up front as well.