Road to the 2016 OHL Cup

Friday March 4, 2016

By Josh Sweetland/OHL

The 2016 OMHA Minor Midget AAA Championship is underway featuring SCTA top contenders Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs and Southern Tier Admirals, joined by the York Simcoe Express, Barrie Jr. Colts, and the tournament host Clarington Toros coming out of the ETA.

The top four teams secure a berth in the 2016 OHL Cup, while the fifth place team will look to gain entry to the showcase through a Wild Card matchup.

The Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs took first place in the SCTA this season, playing to a record of 29-3-4 with a league-high 163 goals-for and a stingy 61 goals surrendered.

“What I’d say about Hamilton is that they have the depth that could see them skate with a quality GTHL team and enable them to put up a good battle,” said Director of OHL Central Scouting Darrell Woodley. “They have those players on their third line that can put the puck in the net whereas some of the other teams in this loop are just aiming to keep the puck out of their own net when that third unit sets foot on the ice.”

Drawing considerable attention from evaluators throughout the season has been Bulldogs leading scorer Jack Wismer, a 6’0″, 184Ib. right-winger. The Stoney Creek, ON, product finished the season with 19 goals, 32 assists and 51 points in 35 games while the Dogs also received quality production from other priority selection targets in Jared Hill, Marino Moro, Matthew Bridgwater and Jackson Doherty up front. 

On the blueline, converted forward Adrien Beraldo has come along throughout the season and developed into a reliable minute-eater for Hamilton. The son of former Soo Greyhounds blueliner Paul Beraldo is joined by other solid options in Trevor LeDonne and Michael Caruso on the back end in Steeltown.

Big 6’3″, 207Ib. goaltender Tanner Sheppard looks to be a good bet to hear his named called come April and stands as one of the more imposing figures in creases across the province this season. The one goaltender who would challenge that size and presence will be an opponent in Clarington this weekend.

6’5″, 225Ib. Southern Tier Admirals netminder Blair Coffin takes up a lot of net and looks to lead his club to an OMHA title this weekend.

“Southern Tier is peaking at the right time,” said Woodley. “They underachieved early in the year but have elevated their game recently and look like a force to be reckoned with.”

The Admirals got a shot in the arm when go-to forward Owen Cole returned to the lineup to help them defeat the Niagara North Stars in the SCTA semi-finals. Cole had 14 goals, 11 assists and 25 points in 25 contests this season and gives Southern Tier a reliable scoring option.

Another Soo Greyhounds connection has greatly benefited an SCTA contender as Daylen Groulx, the son of Hounds all-time leading scorer Wayne Groulx (187-290–477), joins Cole as an offensive catalyst in the Southern Tier lineup. The Fort Erie, ON, native finished the season with 30 points (15-15–30) in 22 games, second in team scoring behind Tyler Angle (19-13–32).

While Hamilton and Southern Tier compete in Clarington this weekend, the Niagara North Stars and Halton Hurricanes still have OHL Cup ambitions aiming for a spot in one of five Wild Card entry-games.

The Stars are powered by high-end forwards in Hunter Holmes and SCTA leading scorer Adam McMaster but were unable to get by Southern Tier in the semi-finals, falling 3-0.

“McMaster might be the best skater in the draft, he can back up defencemen in a hurry” noted Woodley. “Holmes possesses the projectability and scoring touch that will have a lot of teams taking notice. I think consistency was a big issue with Niagara North throughout the season. They’ve got some real talent in guys like Holmes, McMaster and Riley McCourt, but they weren’t able to put things together as a team towards the end.”

Niagara North will have a shot at clinching an OHL Cup wild card berth against the Halton Hurricanes who were eliminated in four games by Hamilton in their semi-final matchup.

“Halton has a couple interesting players in Mitchell Hewitson who, when he gets involved and uses his 6’3″ frame can be a big presence on the wing,” noted Woodley. “Defenceman Luke Beamish has also come along nicely this season and has shown a nice skating ability to go with good puckhandling skills.”

In goal, 6’1″, 165Ib. Adriano Mamone has come up big for the Hurricanes throughout the second half of the season and could be a valuable asset in a one-game showdown.

Other SCTA notables heading into the OHL Priority Selection include Grey Bruce centreman Connor Roberts, whose Highlanders were eliminated in the SCTA qualifiers while he was off at the Youth Olympic Winter Games in Norway. Drawing comparisons to Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf with his big 6’3″, 204Ib. frame as a 15-year-old, Roberts brings a strong two-way presence down the middle and likely won’t be available for long on April 9th.

Grey Bruce teammates in forwards Brendan Cederberg, Zackary Trott and goaltender Lucas Pfeil also had strong seasons in helping the Highlanders to a third place finish with a record of 18-10-8.

Guelph Gryphons captain Mitchell Morrison was also a prominent name in the SCTA this season, finishing fourth in league scoring with 23 goals, 25 assists and 48 points in 30 games. Morrison saw late season action with the Guelph Hurricanes Jr. B club following his club’s elimination at the SCTA qualifiers.

With the 2016 OHL Cup a little over a week away, this weekend’s OMHA Championships will determine four more teams headed to the annual showcase while others set their sights on making the most of a wild card opportunity.

 

Here’s a look at what’s happening across Ontario as clubs inch closer to qualifying for the 2016 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament. 

GTHL:

*** Toronto Marlboros, Mississauga Rebels, Toronto Red Wings and Toronto Jr. Canadiens have qualified for the 2016 OHL Cup.

SEMI-FINALS – SERIES A
(1) Toronto Marlboros vs. (4) Toronto Jr. Canadiens
Series tied 2-2 in points

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Marlboros – (F) Michael Little
Jr. Canadiens – (D) Ryan Merkley

SEMI-FINALS – SERIES B
(2) Mississauga Rebels vs. (3) Toronto Red Wings
Mississauga leads series 5-1 in points

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Mississauga – (F) Riley Damiani
Toronto – (F) Barrett Hayton

ALLIANCE:

*** The champion, finalist and third place team qualify for the 2016 OHL Cup

ALLIANCE CHAMPIONSHIP
(1) London Jr. Knights vs. (2) Waterloo Wolves
Series tied 1-1 in points

PLAYERS TO WATCH
London – (F) Eric Guest – 33 GP, 18-25–43
Waterloo – (F) Spencer Kersten – 33 GP, 9-25–34

ALLIANCE CONSOLATION SERIES
(4) Kitchener Jr. Rangers vs. (6) Windsor Jr. Spitfires
Series begins Friday, March 4th

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kitchener – (F) Eric Uba – 33 GP, 17-25–42
Windsor – (D) Owen Lalonde – 33 GP, 13-24–37

OMHA – ETA:

***The two York-Simcoe Express and Barrie Jr. Colts, along with the host Clarington Toros and two finalists from the SCTA will compete in the 2016 OMHA Championships in Bowmanville from March 4-6. 

SEMI-FINALS – SERIES A
(1) Kingston Frontenacs vs. (3) Barrie Jr. Colts
Barrie wins series 6-0 in points

SEMI-FINALS – SERIES B
(1) York-Simcoe Express vs. (3) Quinte Red Devils
York-Simcoe wins series 7-3 in points

OMHA – SCTA

***The Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs, Southern Tier Admirals, Niagara North Stars and Halton Hurricanes emerged as winners of the SCTA qualifiers in Hamilton, ON. The Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs and Southern Tier Admirals will compete against the two finalists from the ETA along with the host Clarington Toros in the 2016 OMHA Championships in Bowmanville, ON, from March 4-6.  Niagara and Halton will now compete against each other in SCTA Consolation action with the winner earning one of 10 spots in OHL Cup Wild Card entry games.

SEMI-FINALS – SERIES A
(1) Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs vs. (6) Halton Hurricanes
Hamilton wins series 7-1 in points

SEMI-FINALS – SERIES B
(2) Southern Tier Admirals vs. (4) Niagara North Stars
Southern Tier wins series 6-0 in points

For more information on the 2016 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament, visit ohlcup.ca.