OHL Cup stars continue to shine

By Mark McKelvie

The OHL Cup is one of the first opportunities for hockey’s future to be put on centre stage.  Some of the NHL’s top young talent and former OHL stars like Steven Stamkos, John Tavares and Matt Duchene have all passed through the showcase.

Each year the OHL Cup watches stars of tomorrow participate in the week- long tournament and the last five years have been filled with some of today’s best players.

The 2008 OHL Cup title was captured by the Toronto Jr. Canadiens led by top OHL pick John McFarland.  McFarland finished the tournament tied for the scoring lead along with Toronto Young Nats forward, and now a member of the Boston Bruins, Tyler Seguin.   

Seguin, the second overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft and OHL Player of the Year with the Plymouth Whalers was co-leader in scoring despite playing two less games than McFarland racking up four goals and eleven assists in five games for the Young Nats.

“Seguin and Jeff Skinner played together on a line and were pretty dominant,” recalls OHL Director of Central Scouting, Darrell Woodley. “His speed and his skating were head and shoulders above the rest and they’ve got him to where he is now.”

Seguin was dominant at the minor midget level, but like all players he had areas of his game to improve.

“His two-way game needed some work, he was strictly an offensive player in this tournament but to make that next step he learned to play in his own end.” said Woodley.

While 2008’s tournament featured a future Stanley Cup winner in Seguin, the 2009 OHL Cup featured many of today’s OHL stars.

Daniel Catenacci, Ryan Murphy, Ryan Strome and Brett Ritchie all participated in the 2009 showcase.

Strome and Ritchie’s Toronto Marlboros squad captured the tournament defeating the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs in the finals. The Chiefs were led by Oshawa Generals captain Boone Jenner.

“Every time he was out there he was physically intimidating. He was all over the ice and he was their leader,” said Woodley, also noting Jenner was ready at that time to make the jump to the OHL. “Physically he was ready and his game was very complete.”

Jenner had six goals and five assists in seven games to finish second in tournament scoring and has gone on to collect almost 250 career OHL points in four seasons as a General.  The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect is also a two time member of Team Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship. 

Ottawa 67’s star Sean Monahan is ranked fourth among North American skaters in the latest rankings by NHL Central Scouting for June’s NHL Draft.  In 2010, Monahan was selected 16^th overall by the 67’s after an impressive showing at the OHL Cup helping his Mississauga Rebels win the championship.

“The OHL Cup really put Sean on the map,” said Woodley, “He was maybe a mid to late second round pick but with that tournament he elevated his draft status.”

The atmosphere that surrounds the OHL Cup made Monahan want to step his game up.

“Knowing there were scouts there every game really made you want to elevate your game.” said Monahan who led the tournament in scoring with 13 points in seven games.

Along with the championship, Monahan took home tournament MVP honours.

“It was amazing, a great way to end my minor hockey career.”

The next year, two GTHL rivals met in the finals with the Toronto Marlboros winning the championship by defeating the Don Mills Flyers.

The Flyers had lots of skill up front led by current London Knights star Max Domi, but leading the way on the blue line was Darnell Nurse.

Now with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Nurse impressed scouts at the OHL Cup playing a punishing game.

“He hit hard, his biggest attribute was his physical play and it still is today,” said Woodley. “He was an all-around defenceman at that age.”

During the OHL Cup, Nurse had two goals and three assists in seven games, also adding 18 penalty minutes.  This season with the Greyhounds, Nurse played in the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and has put up eleven goals and 27 assists for 38 points in 66 games with the Hounds and is the top ranked OHL defenceman for the upcoming NHL Draft.

Last year’s OHL Cup produced one of the most dominant individual performances in tournament history when Connor McDavid, a bantam age player on the minor midget Toronto Marlboros, proved he had the exceptional ability that would make him the first overall pick of the Erie Otters one year ahead of schedule.

McDavid was named Tournament MVP despite the Marlies overtime loss to the Mississauga Rebels and led the OHL Cup in scoring with eleven goals and eight assists for 19 points in seven games, bettering current Edmonton Oilers forward and former London Knight Sam Gagner’s 17 points in five games during the 2005 event.

Woodley says that at the time McDavid’s hockey smarts may have been underestimated.

“Everyone knew he was a dynamic player and his skating was out of this world but the puck followed him around.  Whenever the puck follows you around the ice it usually means you think the game well, and he anticipated the play so well where he could almost think a step ahead of what other players were going to do.”

This season, McDavid has played for Team OHL in the SUBWAY Super Series, Team Ontario at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and has scored 25 goals and 37 assists for 62 points in 62 games with the Otters.

The OHL Cup continues to showcase the best of the best and the next wave of talent to the OHL. This year is no different with 20 great teams stocked with future stars battling over six days of competitive hockey.

It won’t be long until we look back on some of the names from 2013 and see them excelling at the next level.