OHL 2010-11 Season Preview: Eastern Conference
By Aaron Bell
The 2010-11 Ontario Hockey League regular season schedule of games opens on Thursday. Here is a look at the teams in the Eastern Conference.
BARRIE COLTS
Key Returnee: Peter Di Salvo proved to be a playoff-ready veteran in net during the Colts’ run to the OHL championships last season and will be relied on heavily to help keep this year’s much younger squad competitive.
Forwards: The Colts graduate a lot of firepower up front but will look to returnees like Kyle Clifford and Darren Archibald to continue to develop into top-end talents. Alexander Burmistrov didn’t take long to adapt to the OHL style of play as a rookie last season and is likely one of the top offensive producers in the league this season.
Defence: Dalton Prout will be the anchor on a relatively youthful Colts’ blueline this season but is capable of logging lots of minutes and keeping things tidy in front of Di Salvo. Stephen Gaskin and Chris Wiggin are also back from last year’s impressive blueline crew.
Goaltending: Dalton McGrath won eight of his nine regular season starts with the Colts last season and provides them with depth between the pipes.
Behind the Bench: After winning a pair of Memorial Cup championships with the Cornwall Royals in 1980 and 1981, Dale Hawerchuk went on to enjoy a prolific career in the NHL. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001 and this summer was named to replace the departed Marty Williamson as the Colts’ new head coach and director of hockey operations.
BELLEVILLE BULLS
Key Returnee: When Richard Panik came to the Bulls in a deadline deal with the Memorial Cup bound Windsor Spitfires, he supplied instant offence. The Tampa Bay Lightning pick will get a shot at starting his pro career this season but the Bulls are hoping to get him back in the fold instead.
Forwards: The Bulls have one of the youngest lineups in the league this season but veteran forwards like Luke Judson, Adam Payerl and Kyle DeCoste – when he returns from an off-season injury – have all developed into regular contributors. Sophomores Michael Curtis and Austen Brassard both have loads of offensive upside.
Defence: Avalanche prospect Stephen Silas anchors a blueline after watching all-stars P.K. Subban and Shawn Lalonde hold down that role in the past. Veteran Paul Bezzo brings some grit while Steven Strong and Alex Basso both logged considerable ice time last season as rookies.
Goaltending: The Bulls tabbed local product Tyson Teichmann with their first round pick one year ago and have all the faith that he will blossom into another in a terrific line of goaltenders manning the crease at Yardmen Arena.
Behind the Bench: George Burnett enters his sixth season behind the Bulls bench and after missing the playoffs last season, he won’t be content with a losing record this year.
BRAMPTON BATTALION
Key Returnee: Sean Jones emerged as a legitimate scoring threat last season with the Battalion and will be counted on again this season for a regular contribution up front. He has been lighting it up in pre-season games and looks poised to build on his 32 goal, 90 point season last year.
Forwards: Veterans Scott Tanksi, Stephon Thorne and Craig Moore are holdovers from Brampton’s run to the OHL championships two seasons ago while youngsters like Sam Carrick, Philip Lane and Barclay Goodrow are all developing into high-end talent and give the team some depth up front.
Defence: The Battalion have a young crew on the back end and in net and will lean on Cameron Wind, Kyle Pereira and Zach Bell for their experience and leadership. First round pick Marcus McIvor has all the tools to develop into an all-star in Brampton and fellow rookie Dylan Blujus has also been impressive in camp.
Goaltending: The Battalion are going with the unproven goaltending tandem of sophomore Jacob Riley, who played in 10 games as a rookie last season, and Swiss import Dennis Saikkonen.
Behind the Bench: Stan Butler has been behind the Battalion bench ever since they entered the OHL as an expansion team for the 1998-99 season. He is the longest active serving coach in the OHL.
KINGSTON FRONTENACS
Key Returnee: Assuming that he doesn’t make a big enough splash with the Florida Panthers to start the season in the NHL, big defender Erik Gudbranson is the type of talent that can swing the momentum of the season for the Frontenacs.
Forwards: Veterans Ethan Werek and Nathan Moon both return and will fill the net for the Frontenacs this season while youngster Alan Quine is poised for an offensive breakout in his second year. The Fronts have a core of veteran skaters that will all contribute up front including Michael Fine, Mike Farrell and Mitch Lebar.
Defence: Gudbranson is joined on the blueline this season by younger brother Alex, the Frontenacs’ first round pick in May and a punishing hitter. Veterans Taylor Doherty and Cameron Odam return to a defensive group that is adept at both ends of the ice.
Goaltending: The team feels like they hit a home run when they landed German goaltender Philipp Grubauer, who often frustrated the Frontenacs when he played in Belleville. Grubauer has loads of playoff experience after backing the Windsor Spitfires to OHL and Memorial Cup championships last spring.
Behind the Bench: Doug Gilmour returns for his third season behind the bench and has already put his own stamp on the work ethic of the team. He has a good feel for who’s ready to perform on any given night and uses that to his advantage.
MISSISSAUGA ST. MICHAEL’S MAJORS
Key Returnee: Devante Smith-Pelly emerged as an effective power forward for the Majors last season and has the skill and opportunity to turn up the offensive production another notch this season. The Majors are hosting the MasterCard Memorial Cup next May and will hope for Smith-Pelly to be one of their offensive leaders all season.
Forwards: Casey Cizikas and Jordan Mayer highlight an aging group up front that have developed from green OHL rookies into dependable scorers up front. The Majors like to spread around the offence and the addition of two-time Memorial Cup champion Justin Shugg from the Spitfires in the off-season should pay dividends during an extended playoff run.
Defence: The Majors have a veteran group on the back end including overager Marc Cantin, who has loads of playoff experience with the Bulls and Spitfires during the past three seasons. Brett Flemming is also dependable on the back end and sophomore Stuart Percy enjoyed a productive rookie season last year.
Goaltending: The Majors’ goaltending was the envy of the league last year and 18-year-old JP Anderson was a big part of that. He returns as the incumbent while the Majors added overager Anthony Peters from Belleville as insurance for a long season.
Behind the Bench: Dave Cameron has found success at the OHL, World Junior and pro ranks and is looking forward to a season in which he will guide Team Canada at the World Juniors at Christmas and then take the Majors into the Memorial Cup in May.
NIAGARA ICEDOGS
Key Returnee: Andrew Agozzino has been the offensive sparkplug for the IceDogs the past couple of seasons and this year is poised to become one of the OHL’s scoring stars. He fits right into new coach Marty Williamson’s game plan with an energetic style that constantly creates chances.
Forwards: The IceDogs have a good compliment of talent up front in the likes of Agozzino, Freddie Hamilton and Ryan Strome. The newly acquired Steven Shipley – a former first round pick of the Owen Sound Attack – should pay immediate dividends.
Defence: Mike Schwindt and Simon Gronvaldt are they greybeards on a relatively young blueline for the IceDogs. Despite being a sophomore former second round pick Dougie Hamilton will be counted on to supply significant minutes and looks like he’s ready to contribute in all situations. The IceDogs also added overage defenceman Tim Billingsley from the Majors before the start of the season.
Goaltending: Mark Visentin emerged as a star-quality goalie last season and was one of the most surprised people at the draft when the Phoenix Coyotes snapped him up in the first round. He should return with loads of confidence this season.
Behind the Bench: After a six-year run with the Barrie Colts that included a trip to the OHL Championship Series last spring, Williamson moved to St. Catharines in the off-season to become general manager and coach of the IceDogs.
OSHAWA GENERALS
Key Returnee: After enjoying solid offensive production as a rookie, Boone Jenner has all the characteristics of someone ready for a breakout season. He already has international playing experience in Under-17 and Under-18 tournaments and is a leader on and off the ice.
Forwards: Christian Thomas returns as the Generals’ most prolific scorer and after a 41-goal, 66-point season last year as a sophomore, Thomas may be capable of even more this year. The Generals were also able to convince talented winger Lucas Lessio to join their program this year while third overall pick Scott Laughton is dependable at both ends of the ice and will make a contribution early.
Defence: The Generals already have Tony DeHart back in the fold from the New York Islanders camp and hope they do the same with Calvin de Haan, one of the OHL’s elite performers on the blueline. Veterans Scott Valentine and Andrew Wilson provide stability while youngsters like Colin Suellentrop, Jimmy McDowell and Kyle Hope all contributed as rookies last season.
Goaltending: Oshawa is the only team in the history of the OHL to have two first round OHL picks in net and they expect a lot out of both Michael Zador and Kevin Bailie to back them to a strong turn-around this season.
Behind the Bench: Chris DePiero took over the Generals’ bench under trying circumstances late in the 2007-08 season and despite missing the playoffs the past two years, DePiero has a good system in place that should get the most out of his relatively young crew.
OTTAWA 67’s
Key Returnee: Cody Lindsay led the 67’s in scoring with 39 goals and 82 points last season and everything suggests that he will build on that this year as an overager.
Forwards: Former first round pick Tyler Toffoli showed off some of his impressive offensive instincts last year and it’s not out of the question for him to hit the 50-goal and 100-point plateaus this season. This year’s first rounder Sean Monohan was the MVP of the OHL Cup minor midget championship last year and has loads of potential.
Defence: The 67’s have built their franchise on the backs of terrific defencemen and Cody Ceci is falling nicely into that pattern. As a sophomore he will be out against the other team’s top offensive players this season. Marc Zanetti provides a veteran presence and is effective in all situations while rookie Ryan Shipley is a great talent that will be brought along slowly.
Goaltending: The 67’s return their solid tandem of Chris Perugini and Petr Mrazek, who effectively split the netminding duties last season.
Behind the Bench: Chris Byrne had the unenviable task of taking the 67’s bench over after the legendary Brian Kilrea retired from the post last season. He made a fairly seamless transition and started to put his own stamp on the team midway through the year.
PETERBOROUGH PETES
Key Returnee: Ryan Spooner had his terrific sophomore season cut short last year with a broken collar bone but he returns as the Petes most consistent scoring option.
Forwards: The Petes have their deepest forward group since winning the OHL championship in 2006. The likes of Spooner, Nashville Predators’ prospect Austin Watson and prolific sophomore Matt Puempel will give Eastern Conference goaltenders fits all season. Overagers Jack Walchessen and Justin Larson also add leadership to the group.
Defence: Peterborough has a nice blend of experience and youth on the back end with veterans like Adam Sedlak, Adrian Robertson and Jamie Doornbosch all able to log big minutes while providing a steadying influence on top end newcomers Connor Bolland and Slater Koekoek.
Goaltending: Massive netminder Jason Missiaen returns for an overage season and is determined to help the Petes get back into the top half of the Eastern Conference this season.
Behind the Bench: New GM Dave Reid solidified his coaching staff this summer by bringing in Mike Pelino, who has enjoyed success in the pros with the New York Rangers, Florida Panther and the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage as well as a wealth of international experience, including a gold medal as the assistant coach of Canada’s Olympic team in 2002.
SUDBURY WOLVES
Key Returnee: After taking a hit in the draft rankings last season, third-year centre John McFarland is looking to recapture the scoring skills that made him the first overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection two years ago. He’d love nothing more than to prove his detractors wrong with a breakout season.
Forwards: Local product Marcus Foligno has become a strong presence along the left wing for the Wolves over the past three seasons and is hoping to add to his 14 goal, 39 point season from last year. They are looking for a bigger contribution from sophomores Gregory Jambrosich and Kristoff Kontos as well as newcomer Andrei Kuchin, a Russian forward picked up in the Import Draft. The Wolves are also hoping that veteran forward Eric O’Dell can return to the lineup soon after having heart surgery this summer.
Defence: Ben Chiarot anchors a solid core that also includes veterans Josh McFadden, Jake Cardwell and Nick Trecapelli as well as sophomore Justin Sefton, a former first round pick that was brought along slowly as a rookie last season.
Goaltending: Alain Valiquette is one of the most consistent netminders in the league and his return as an overager will help the Wolves improve their win totals from a year ago.
Behind the Bench: After an extended junior and minor pro career, Trent Cull turned his attention to coaching as an assistant with the Guelph Storm in 2004. He spent four seasons as an assistant with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch before taking over the Wolves bench this season.
