Plenty of memories made on Wild Card Play-In Day
With the stakes high and the pressure mounting, Wild Card Play-In Day presents a golden opportunity for players to step up and lead their teams into the OHL Cup Showcase Powered by Under Armour.
As we’ve seen in years past, Wild Card teams have gone on to do big things, even winning the entire showcase as was the case with Sean Monahan’s Mississauga Rebels in 2010.
Last year’s success story featured Nathan Dunkley’s big three-point (2-1–3) performance to lead the Quinte Red Devils past the Vaughan Kings 4-2. The Red Devils would play to a 3-0-1 record to reach the Quarter-Finals before falling to the Toronto Jr. Canadiens 3-2.
“There’s a lot of pressure leading into that game,” said Dunkley as he reflected on the experience. “You spend your whole season working towards that point and it’s a one-game shot. You have to come prepared and make it count.”
Dunkley, who also played in the 2015 OHL Cup as an underage forward on a Quinte team that included Brady Gilmour (Saginaw Spirit), Aidan McFarland (Mississauga Steelheads) and goaltender Anthony Popovich (Guelph Storm), had a goal and two assists in five games following the Wild Card victory.
“We had an underdog sort of team and it was a really exciting feeling to win that game,” he added. “We didn’t end up winning the OHL Cup, but just to get into the tournament made the season seem complete. I thought we performed well.”
Dunkley was eventually chosen 17th overall by the Kingston Frontenacs in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection. He says adjusting to life in the OHL has taken time, but the experience has been outstanding.
“I’ve really strived for consistency in my game,” said the Campbellford native. “The OHL season is long and it can be tiring at points. You really learn the importance of rest, eating properly and using your time the right way.”
Despite the learning curve, Dunkley has made the jump rather seamlessly, recording six goals, 24 assists and 30 points through 55 games as a rookie. He’s not the only first round pick that had an impactful Wild Card Play-In Day last year.
Though Dunkley’s Red Devils came away victorious, London Knights first round pick Liam Foudy recorded a hat-trick that can easily be lost in the shuffle as his Markham Majors fell 5-4 to Adam McMaster (North Bay Battalion), Hunter Holmes (Flint Firebirds) and the Niagara North Stars.
McMaster had a goal and two assists in the Niagara North victory while Holmes netted a goal and an assist. Holmes would go on to finish tied for third in OHL Cup scoring with six goals, three assists and nine points in four games as Niagara North played to a 1-3-0 mark.
Wild Card Play-In action begins at 2:00pm at the Scotiabank Pond as the Halton Hurricanes, Mississauga Reps, Toronto Young Nationals, Grey-Bruce Highlanders, Kitchener Jr. Rangers, Toronto Titans, York-Simcoe Express and Mississauga Senators all vie for an OHL Cup berth before the showcase gets underway at 7:00pm.
