OHL Information Guide Now Available
The 2005-06 Ontario Hockey League season kicks off on Wednesday in Saginaw, Michigan with a full slate of games on the calendar this weekend. Here is our annual preview of what to look for in the OHL this season.
By Aaron Bell
Belleville Bulls
Key Returnees: Veteran Evan Brophey, a third round pick of the Chicago Black Hawks in July, is the lynchpin in a relatively young Bulls squad. Former first overall pick John Hughes highlights an impressive group of sophomores.
Forwards: Veteran Andrew Gibbons was brought in to add some size and grit to the Bulls relatively small forward lineup. He displayed an impressive shot in the pre-season and will likely ride shotgun with Hughes. Sophomore Matt Beleskey hurt his knee in a promising Under-18 camp and is likely out until early November and Scott Baker is back with the club after losing most of his right index finger in an off-season accident. Shawn Matthias — last year’s underage wild card — looks like he is also ready to chip in offensively.
Defence: The Bulls blueline doesn’t include a single 19-year-old, but overagers Matt Smyth and Matt Kelly will anchor the crew that includes former first round pick Steve Spade and sophomores Wes Cunningham, Bobby Davey and Geoff Killing. P.K. Subban was a sixth rounder in May, but played like a first rounder in August and earned a spot on the club. He is poised with the puck and is willing to take chances to create offence.
Goaltending: Kevin Lalande is back from the Calgary Flames training camp and is eager to be the club’s number one backstop for the first time this season. He has quick reflexes and has mastered the odd angles of the Olympic-sized Yardmen Arena. The Bulls picked up Denmark native Sebastien Dahm in the CHL Import Draft.
Behind the bench: Second year GM and bench boss George Burnett has experienced success at nearly every level of hockey. He made his mark on the team last year and expects to make the big ice surface more of a home team advantage with a team that is built around speed.
Kingston Frontenacs
Key Returnees: Power forwards Bobby Bolt and Chris Stewart will combine to make life difficult for opposing defencemen.
Forwards: Radek Smolenak is one of the best finishers in the Eastern Conference and returned from Tampa Bay’s training camp full of confidence. He is the type of player that will benefit the most from removing the red line. First rounder Luke Pither is an impressive talent up front and possesses spectacular stickhandling skills. He may take a little time to make the adjustment to the OHL, but when he does, he will be a star.
Defence: Ben Shutron quickly established himself as a blueline stud last year as a rookie. Despite his young age, Shutron has the confidence to control the powerplay and is a dependable performer at both ends of the ice. The club will also count on Adam Nemeth to control the tone in their own end and Justin Wallingford uses his giant reach to limit offensive chances.
Goaltending: The Frontenacs acquired Danny Taylor in the off-season to be the club’s number one guy after a couple of years as the back-up in Guelph. Taylor will also be used to tutor top prospect Daryl Borden, one of the youngest goalies in the league this season.
Behind the bench: Jim Hulton quickly established himself in the OHL as a coach that gets the most out of his lineup. After a sub-par season, Hulton will be looking to recapture that magic this season. He was behind the bench for Canada’s gold medal win in the World Juniors last Christmas and is considered one of the best young coaches in the league.
Oshawa Generals
Key Returnees: Veteran forward Peter Tsimikalis, who came over from Ottawa mid-way through last season, has been the club’s best forward through the pre-season. He plays a high energy game that sets the tone for the rest of the team.
Forwards: Hulking winger Adam Berti will likely join Tsimikalis on the Gens’ first line when he returns from Chicago’s NHL camp. Veteran Cal Clutterbuck will also be relied on for offensive production this year. First overall pick John Tavares — who turns 15 this week — has displayed some of the world class skills that made him the top pick in May. He will be brought along slowly, but has the ability to chip in offensively and scored some highlight-reel goals in the pre-season.
Defence: David Halasz and Bret Nasby anchor a blueline that still has more bodies than jobs. Former first round pick James DeLory and rookies Chris Mifflen and Brad Pawlowski will get the chance to gain valuable playing experience this season. Giant Devereaux Heshmatpour has been missing in action this summer but could provide a physical presence if he returns to the club.
Goaltending: The crease has been one of the biggest question marks for Oshawa early in the season. Ben Thomas played his way into one spot with a strong training camp and pre-season while veteran Carlo DiRienzo, Import pick Stefan Grauwiler and Fabio Luongo — brother of Florida Panthers’ star Roberto — are competing for the starter’s job.
Behind the bench: Former OHL and NHL defenceman Randy Ladouceur was brought in mid-way through last season and is looking forward to a fresh start with the club. After his playing days, Ladouceur was an assistant with the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes for eight seasons.
Ottawa 67’s
Key Returnees: Chris Hulit blossomed into a bona-fide OHL scoring star with the 67’s last year. He bagged 31 goals last season and added 11 more in the playoffs to help Ottawa’s run to the Memorial Cup.
Forwards: Hulit and centre Julian Talbot will be the heart and soul of Ottawa’s offence this season. They will likely be joined by left winger Bryan Bickell, who has been in Chicago for the Black Hawks training camp. First round pick Logan Couture led the team in scoring in the pre-season and is confident at both ends of the ice. As a 16-year-old last year, Jamie McGinn blossomed into one of the league’s brightest young stars. He scored the series-winning overtime goal against Peterborough in the semi-finals and was arguably Ottawa’s best forward at the Memorial Cup.
Defence: Ottawa’s blue line is fairly young this year, but stalwarts Elgin Reid, Brodie Beard and Derek Joslin are adept at playing both ends of the rink. First overall European pick Jakub Vojta was a fourth round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in July. He is a solid two-way defender that should fit in nicely with Ottawa’s approach.
Goaltending: Danny Battochio was spectacular in Ottawa’s run to the Memorial Cup last year. His 60-save performance in Ottawa’s double overtime win over the Kelowna Rockets paved the way to a semi-final berth. Anthony Guadagnolo and Matthew Spezza have put up a spirited battle for the back-up role.
Behind the bench: Brian Kilrea is a legend. He is the winningest coach in CHL history. He’s a Hall of Famer. And at 60 years old, Kilrea proved to the entire hockey community that he is still on top of his game when he guided his overachieving group to the OHL Championship Series last year. No coach in the history of the league has been able to do more with his roster than Killer and he’ll have the club contending again this year.
Peterborough Petes
Key Returnees: Veteran winger Jamie Tardif led the club with 37 goals last year and is one of several returning forwards that should help the Petes contend for a run to the OHL championship.
Forwards: In addition to Tardif, the Petes are blessed with depth at all forward positions. Veterans Patrick Kaleta, Jordan Morrison, Liam Reddox, Greg Stewart and Daniel Ryder (pictured) are all proven performers. In the second half of last year, rookie Jordan Staal blossomed into a dynamic talent. He was one of the Petes key players in their drive to the conference finals and already looks like a veteran in pre-season this year. First rounder Zach Harnden is also very talented and will benefit from playing with the Petes experienced front line.
Defence: The Petes will miss the presence of captain Mark Flood, but after that, the blueline is virtually untouched from last year. Aaron Dawson, Trevor Hendrikx, Kyle Raftis and Bryan Young will eat up loads of ice time in dependable fashion. Throw in European pick Marek Lapin from Slovakia and rookie Tyler Sheldrake and the Petes will have one of the league’s top defence corps this season.
Goaltending: Veteran David Shantz is looking for a fresh start after taking a step backwards last year. He is determined to prove that he is capable of being one of the league’s elite goaltenders once again. He returned from the Florida Panthers camp ready to back the Petes to another long playoff run. Trevor Cann won’t see much time as a 16-year-old, but will apprentice under Shantz to take over the staring role in the years to come.
Behind the bench: Coaching legend Dick Todd returned to the Petes after an 11 year absence that included some time as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers and a little more time as a semi-retired scout. After missing the playoffs the previous season, Todd guided the club to an impressive playoff run that concluded in the Conference championship against Ottawa.
2005-06 Season Preview
East Division
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