OHL This Week: Jan. 28 to 31, 2016

Thursday January 28, 2016

By Josh Sweetland/OHL

The 2016 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Vancouver, BC kicks off the weekend followed by a full 10-game schedule on Friday! Settle in for an exciting weekend around the OHL.

 

AT THE RINKS:

Teen Night in Sudbury on Friday: All teens aged 19 and under can catch the Sudbury Wolves for just $10 on Friday night as they host the visiting Niagara IceDogs.

Ryan Ellis jersey retirement on Saturday: The Windsor Spitfires will honour one of the best defencemen to ever don the uniform on Saturday night as Ryan Ellis’ #6 will ascend to the heights of the WFCU Centre. Ellis was one of the centerpieces of the Spitfires’ back-to-back MasterCard Memorial Cup titles in 2009 and 2010 before recording a 100-point season as CHL Defenceman of the Year in 2011. Ellis is the Spitfires all-time franchise leader in points by a defenceman with 313 over 226 career regular season games.

Firebirds fight hunger on Saturday: The Flint Firebirds continue their fight against hunger throughout the month of January on Saturday night at home to the Sarnia Sting. Fans who bring in five cans of food receive $5 off a silver ticket.

Shocks and Saves in Saginaw Saturday: The Saginaw Spirit host their annual Shocks and Saves charity hockey game on Saturday prior to squaring off against the Kitchener Rangers. Fans can asks for a charity ticket when ordering and $5 will support the fight against heart disease. For more information please visit saginawspirit.com.

 

COMMUNITY CORNER:

Greyhounds support Healthy Kids Community Challenge: The Soo Greyhounds took to the streets for some ball hockey in support of a new community initiative in Sault Ste. Marie. Visit soogreyhounds.com for the full story. 

Help design the next Bulldogs jersey: Fans can have a say in the next Hamilton Bulldogs jersey that is set to be revealed prior to the start of next season! Submit your designs through e-mail, social media or in-person before February 13th. Download the jersey template at hamiltonbulldogs.com.

IceDogs Pink in the Rink jersey auction set for Sunday: At the conclusion of the IceDogs home game on Sunday, January 31st there will be a live auction held in Section 105 of the Meridian Centre to bid on the specially made pink jerseys the Niagara IceDogs wore for their annual Pink in the Rink event in support of the Canadian Cancer Society and Women’s Cancer Research.  For full details on the jersey auction please visit niagaraicedogs.net.

 

PETES’ MATTHEW MANCINA TAKES WEEKLY HONOURS:

Goaltender Matthew Mancina of the Peterborough Petes is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending January 24 after posting a 2-0-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 1.50 and save percentage of .963. 

Mancina stopped 78 of 81 shots faced last week helping the Petes win back-to-back games to maintain their hold on second place in the OHL’s East Division standings with 50 points. He currently carries a 14-10-1-3 record with one shutout, and holds the league’s sixth best goals-against-average with a mark of 2.67 and the fifth best save percentage at .920.

 

2016 BMO CHL/NHL TOP PROSPECTS GAME IN VANCOUVER SET FOR THURSDAY:

20 draft eligible OHL prospects take centre stage in Vancouver on Thursday as the 2016 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is right around the corner. OHL stars Matthew Tkachuk (Team Orr) and Jakob Chychrun (Team Cherry) will serve as captains for the game. Catch the action live across the country on Sportsnet Thursday night at 9:00pm EST/6:00pm PST. For news, stories, history and more, visit bmotopprospects.ca.

 

TVCOGECO HOCKEY DAY IN THE OHL ON SUNDAY

Sunday January 31st is TVCOGECO Hockey Day in the OHL! For the third year in a row, TVCOGECO will be airing exclusive OHL coverage and live hockey action across Ontario.

The excitement begins at 1:00pm when the Sarnia Sting visit the Windsor Spitfires followed by a 4:00pm clash between the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Niagara IceDogs. The Kingston Frontenacs visit the Peterborough Petes at 7:00pm to round out the day.

For more details on TVCOGECO Hockey Day in the OHL, visit tvcogeco.com.

 

TIP TOP TAILORS OHL PLAYS OF THE WEEK – WEEK 17: 

Peterborough Petes captain Eric Cornel headlines the 17th edition of the Tip Top Tailors OHL Plays of the Week! Be sure to vote for Eric in this week’s CHL Fan Choice poll at www.fanchoice.ca!

  

GETTING ON THE BOARD: FIRST OHL GOALS IN 2015-16:

Check out the players who have scored their first OHL goal in the past week! 138 different players have accomplished the milestone this season! Click on a player’s name below to watch his first OHL goal!

Daniel Bernhardt, Joseph Garreffa, Connor Hall, Stephen Templeton

 

ALUMNI NOTES:

Thornton collects 1,300th career point: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds graduate Joe Thornton became the 33rd player in NHL history to earn 1,300 points on Monday with a pair of assists in a 6-1 San Jose Sharks win over Colorado. Thornton also joined Patrick Marleau on Saturday in becoming just the second Sharks player in franchise history to play 800 games with the club. Thornton’s remarkable career continues, one that found its junior beginnings in Sault Ste. Marie from 1995-97 when he collected 71 goals, 127 assists and 198 points over 125 career OHL regular season games.

McDavid eyes return: Erie Otters grad Connor McDavid continues on the road to recovery in Edmonton as he works his way back from a broken collarbone he suffered on November 3rd against Philadelphia. The 2015 CHL Player of the Year had five goals, seven assists and 12 points through his first 13 NHL games earlier this season. McDavid has been cleared for full contact and is aiming to make his return on Tuesday February 2nd when the Oilers host the Columbus Blue Jackets.

DeMelo scores first NHL goal: Mississauga Steelheads graduate Dylan DeMelo scored his first career NHL goal on Monday, helping the San Jose Sharks defeat Colorado 6-1. The London, ON, native has played 23 games with the Sharks this season after spending two seasons in the American Hockey League. A former sixth round pick by the Sharks in 2011, DeMelo played four seasons with Mississauga, appearing in 218 regular season games to record 25 goals, 100 assists and 125 points to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-34.  

McCarron’s road to success documented: This week’s AHL Over The Boards segment focuses in on Oshawa Generals graduate and former MasterCard Memorial Cup champion Michael McCarron. Learn more about his journey to the NHL at theahl.com.

Campbell named ECHL Goaltender of the Week: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds graduate Jack Campbell is the ECHL’s Goaltender of the Week after going 2-0 with a 0.50 goals-against average, a .986 save percentage and one shutout last week for the Idaho Steelheads, the ECHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars. The Port Huron, MI, native is 6-3-0 with three shutouts, a 1.45 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage in the ECHL this season. He’s also seen 12 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars. Campbell played two OHL seasons from 2010-12, going 45-29-5-6 with a 3.62 goals-against average and an .890 save percentage in 91 regular season games between Windsor and Sault Ste. Marie.

 

KEY WEEKEND MATCHUPS:

Windsor Spitfires (29-12-5-0) vs. Kitchener Rangers (32-8-4-0)
Friday January 29th at Kitchener

The Spitfires and Rangers meet in the third of four meetings this season on Friday after Windsor took a pair of overtime decisions earlier in the season.

Entering the weekend as winners of three straight, Windsor currently holds a widening nine point lead on first place in the West Division due in large part to continued production from big shooters in Brendan Lemieux, Logan Brown and draft eligible blueliner Mikhail Sergachev.

The Rangers have won their last two contests and trail second place London by three points in the Midwest Division. Captain Ryan MacInnis enters play on a 21-game point streak that dates back to November 10th.

Niagara IceDogs (23-15-3-3) vs. Barrie Colts (27-16-0-2)
Saturday January 30th at Barrie

The Barrie Colts host the Niagara IceDogs on Saturday as the two Central Division foes meet for the fifth time this season.

The Colts currently hold down first place in the Central with a four point edge on Niagara and North Bay who are neck-and-neck with 23 wins each. Barrie is currently 13-6 against divisional opponents this season, having split their four games against Niagara at two wins apiece. Newly acquired forward Dylan Sadowy enters the weekend on a five game point streak having collected six goals and an assist in three games last weekend.

The IceDogs enter action off a 4-1 win over Erie on Sunday. Having been prone to streaky play over the past two months, the Dogs are looking to find consistency down the stretch toward the postseason with a veteran group in place.

 

WEEKEND SCHEDULE: 

Thursday, January 28
BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Vancouver, BC – Live on Sportsnet and NHL Network at 9:00pm EST

Friday, January 29
Owen Sound at Kingston – 7:00pm
Peterborough at Ottawa – 7:00pm
Niagara at Sudbury – 7:00pm
Flint at Sarnia – 7:05pm
Saginaw at Sault Ste. Marie – 7:07pm
North Bay at Guelph – 7:30pm
Windsor at Kitchener – 7:30pm
Erie at London – 7:30pm
Hamilton at Mississauga – 7:30pm
Barrie at Oshawa – 7:35pm

Saturday, January 30
Owen Sound at Ottawa – 1:00pm
Oshawa at Hamilton – 7:00pm
Kitchener at Saginaw – 7:05pm
London at Windsor – 7:05pm
Niagara at Barrie – 7:30pm
Sarnia at Flint – 7:30pm

Sunday, January 31
Sarnia at Windsor – 1:00pm
Sudbury at North Bay – 2:00pm
Kitchener at Sault Ste. Marie – 2:07pm
Hamilton at Niagara – 4:00pm
Guelph at Saginaw – 4:00pm
Mississauga at Erie – 5:00pm
Ottawa at Oshawa – 6:05pm
Kingston at Peterborough – 7:00pm
 

CATCH ALL OF THE ACTION ON OHL LIVE