OHL preview: East Division

By Aaron Bell
The 2008-09 Ontario Hockey League regular season officially kicks off on Wednesday when the Saginaw Spirit host the London Knights. A full slate of games is scheduled for this weekend.
Here is a look around the East Division. Watch for the Western Conference previews on Thursday.
Belleville Bulls
Key Returnee: Mike Murphy (pictured) served notice last season that his unorthodox style could be successful. He went from being a question mark as the Bulls’ starter to winning the OHL’s goalie of the year hardware. He is a competitor that is well liked in the Bulls’ dressing room and will shoulder the load again this season.
Forwards: Veterans Eric Tangradi, Cory Tanaka and Bryan Cameron will need to pick up the slack after the graduation of top guns Shawn Matthias, Matt Beleskey and Jan Mursak. Returning forwards like Stephen Johnston, Matt Tipoff and Tyler Randell will get a lot more ice time this season and all look ready to respond. Andy Bathgate and Luke Judson spent time with the Bulls during their Memorial Cup run last year that will benefit them moving forward. Mike Neal missed almost all of last season with a knee injury and is anxious to get back on track.
Defence: Gold medal winner P.K. Subban and Shawn Lalonde are dynamic skaters that keep the opposition on their toes while veteran Nick Pageau is an unheralded performer that is strong at both ends of the ice. Rookie Bjorn Krupp already looks like a veteran while first rounder Stephen Silas will also join the mix.
Goaltending: Murphy turned in an impressive performance last season after the graduation of all-star Kevin Lalande. European pick Philipp Grubauer is waiting in the wings to take over when Murphy graduates and already looks good.
Behind the Bench: In four seasons with the Bulls, Burnett has taken the team from missing the playoffs to being a perennial contender. No other team has more playoff experience coming into this season and Burnett is a proven winner that could find himself in the finals again this season.
Kingston Frontenacs
Key Returnee: Nathan Moon blossomed into a top offensive producer last season racking up 35 goals and 77 points. The Penguins’ draft pick is especially dangerous on the powerplay and will play in all the key situations again this season.
Forwards: Overage Matthew Kang hasn’t grabbed a lot of headlines in his three OHL seasons but consistently puts up good numbers. Given the right circumstances, he could put together a 100 point campaign. Josh Brittain has developed into a top-end power forward that can be hard to handle when he carries the puck into the offensive zone while Andris Dzerins looks capable of doubling his 20 goal, 50 point output from a year ago. Ethan Werek joined the club a year after being their first round pick and already looks comfortable playing a physical style.
Defence: First round pick Erik Gudbranson was the run-away winner in an informal poll done on the league’s web site about which top pick would have the best rookie season. He has been teaming with sophomore Taylor Doherty as twin towers on the Fronts’ blueline. Kevin Christmas is reliable and when Corbin Crawford returns from off-season shoulder surgery, he will bring a no-nonsense game.
Goaltending: The Frontenacs have a bit of a question mark in goal with a pair of 18-year-olds in Mavric Parks and Anthony Peters. Neither has been a number one starter but both look ready to compete for the role.
Behind the Bench: Larry Mavety returns after making himself a mid-season replacement for the underachieving Bruce Cassidy last season. He is popular with his players and brings a boat load of experience to the table.
Oshawa Generals
Key Returnee: Expectations are obviously high – again – for John Tavares as he enters his fourth season with the Generals. The scouts will be watching closely to see how his game improves this year and if he puts together a season like he did two years ago when he was the CHL’s player of the year, he will be the third straight OHL player taken first overall in the NHL draft.
Forwards: While the Generals don’t have the same scoring depth as last season, they boast a group of forwards that will improve with more ice time including Tyler Taylor and Kory Nagy while veteran Brett Parnham slid under the radar last year to produce an effective 32 goals and 66 points. He is capable of a big increase this year.
Defence: Captain Eric Regan is rock solid and gives the Generals’ blueline some swagger while the talented Michael Del Zotto cut through some criticism last year to be a first round NHL pick after all. He is great offensively and showed a big improvement in his commitment to defence last season which made him one of the best blueliners in the Eastern Conference last season.
Goaltending: Neil Conway was brought to town as an overager and will be counted on to tutor first round pick Kevin Bailie. Shea Cooper and Daryl Borden are still in the mix but will likely find new homes soon.
Behind the Bench: Chris DePiero was impressive in a late-season replacement behind the Generals’ bench. After a bit of a slide down the homestretch, DePiero had the Generals playing a much better team game that got them into the conference finals. He has a great resume and is highly regarded.
Ottawa 67’s
Key Returnee: Logan Couture is one of the league’s elite performers and he will be called on to carry a lot of the load again this season. He has a rare knack for scoring goals and seems to thrive on big expectations. He has had the injury bug the past couple of years but may earn a ticket to San Jose with a solid final season in junior.
Forwards: Thomas Kiriakou, Adam Zamec, Michael Latta and Cody Lindsay all scored double digit goals last season and need to step up with more this year while veteran Cory Cowick was brought in for his grit and playoff experience. First rounder Tyler Toffoli scored a pile of goals playing minor midget with John McFarland last season and already looks like an elite scorer at this level. He is a star in the making. Big pivot Ryan Martindale looked good as a rookie last season and should build on that success.
Defence: Minnesota prospect Tyler Cuma anchors an impressive group that also includes veterans Julien Demers and Martin Paryzek. The dependable Sean Ryan will also eat up some time while 16-year-olds Derek Hartwick and Ryan Hanes will be brought along slowly.
Goaltending: The 67’s went with the rookie tandem of local product Adam Courchaine and third round pick Chris Perugini with good results last season. They will likely share most of the load again this season.
Behind the Bench: Legendary coach Brian Kilrea has racked up more records and awards than he will ever know what to do with. He announced that this will be his final season behind the bench and will focus on his GM duties next season.
Peterborough Petes
Key Returnee: Big winger Zach Harnden has improved in each of his three seasons in Peterborough and looks poised to take another big step forward this season. He struggled to find the net late last year and into the playoffs but is ready to take on a bigger role.
Forwards: Tony Romano comes in from London in the off-season and will get a chance to play a big role with the Petes up front. Brett Theberge, Pat Daley and Yves Bastien are all proven performers at this level and combine to give the Petes a lot of depth. Zack Kassian looked good as a rookie last season and first round Ryan Spooner was an offensive dynamo at the minor midget level last season.
Defence: The Petes aren’t expecting Zach Bogosian back from Atlanta but will go with a young group that includes Jake Laplante, Jamie Doornbosch and sophomores Derek Holden and Chad Lowry. Local rookie Jeff Braithwaite bears some resembles to a young Chris Pronger but will be brought along slowly.
Goaltending: Incumbent Trevor Cann will be pushed by Jason Missiaen, who was picked by the Montreal Canadiens after looking good in a limited role last season. He will be looking for more starts this season.
Behind the Bench: Former OHL player Ken McRae will make his OHL coaching debut after spending five years in the Central Hockey League. He was a first round pick of the Quebec Nordiques and helped the Houston Aeros win an IHL championship.