OHL Gold Cup a platform for rising stars

By Josh Sweetland/OHL

Wednesday May 13, 2015

Many of them hadn’t even played a 60 minute game in their young careers, but they caught on fast as they were introduced to several new elements that await them in junior hockey as they transition to a faster, more physical brand of play.

Several of the OHL’s top young prospects experienced four days of growth and new experiences at the 2015 OHL Gold Cup in Kitchener this past weekend. A total of 127 players selected in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection composed 78% of the players participating in the tournament presented in partnership by the OHF, Hockey Canada and the Ontario Hockey League.

While players got familiarized with some new elements of the game that they’ll face in their junior careers, the showcase tournament also simulated the short term nature of international competition as players from different teams came together with players from their respective associations in an effort to emerge victorious.

Members of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence looked on throughout the eight team tournament, getting an early glimpse of some of the talent that will infiltrate the OHL ranks this fall.

“You’re looking for talent and players who compete and play a well-rounded game,” said Hockey Canada Program of Excellence head scout Ryan Jankowski. “What’s important though is that we take sample size into account. We’re not just taking a snapshot of what we see here. We’re looking to see what a player can do over the course of a season. The OHL Gold Cup is definitely a good opportunity to see all these young players in one spot and come away with a first impression.”

Jankowski and his scouting staff, which also includes Ontario regional scouts Darrell Woodley and Barclay Branch, are on the lookout for standout players that will be invited to Canada’s National Under-17 Development Camp in Calgary this summer.

“It’s a bit nerve-racking when you know Hockey Canada is up there watching, but you try and play the way you would any other game,” said 2015 OHL Gold Cup Champion and Hamilton Bulldogs first round selection Matthew Strome who finished the tournament with three goals, two assists and five points in five contests.

“The coaches and training staff here are really good at reminding us that we need to focus on what we can control when we’re on the ice,” he continued. “It’s a bit of a different game when you start playing the full 60 minutes. You play more than you would in the typical 15 minute periods so you have to make sure you’re keeping your feet moving in the second half of the game.”

Strome’s Team GTHL Blue played to a perfect 5-0 record in the tournament, taking a 6-2 victory over Team ALLIANCE in Sunday’s Championship game.

In addition to Hockey Canada’s observant presence, scouts from across the OHL flocked to Kitchener to catch a glimpse of the talent their teams acquired in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection in April.

For the players, several of them had already attended OHL Development Camps together, making the on-ice experience of competing against one another all the more interesting.

“We had a good laugh, but when the puck drops we stick to hockey,” said 2015 OHL Priority Selection first overall pick David Levin who competed for Team GTHL Red. The Sudbury Wolves prospect squared off against eight other Wolves selections in the tournament after the group became acquainted at the Wolves Development Camp in late April.

“Once the game is done we’re all smiles again, but you always want to be the best.”

It’s this competitive environment that makes for great scouting opportunities says Hockey Canada head scout Jankowski, who also oversees similar tournaments in Quebec, the Maritimes and Western Canada as players look to make the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence.

“We were fortunate to have the Canada Winter Games in British Columbia this year, a tournament where Ontario came out on top” he said. “But this event helps us get a more well-rounded idea of what the talent level is really like here in Ontario.”

The OHL Gold Cup, which began in 2013, has hosted elite prospects and 2015 NHL draft eligible players such as Travis Konecny, Dylan Strome, Mitch Marner and 2015 Team Canada World Junior gold medalist Lawson Crouse.

The OHL Gold Cup provides an excellent opportunity to young players looking to make an impression as Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence remains on the lookout across the country for the next crop of Canadian World Junior gold medalists.

For standings, statistics and news on the 2015 OHL Gold Cup, visit ohlgoldcup.com.