Power Rankings in the first few weeks of the season are rather pointless. For one it is such a small sample size that you really can't come to any quantifiable conclusions. The big thing is though that so many keys players are still at camp that you dont really get a true picture of what a team is capable of.
That being said I have committed to doing a power rankings this season based on a formula I have been fooling around with the last few seasons. It is weighted towards recent play but since we are early in the season that doesn't mean much. At the very least organizing teams into a list with flawed rankings due to the fact that we have only played 1 week with some teams only playing 1 game will give people something to complain about. If sports have taught us anything it is that people are happy when they get to complain (@Petes_Updates I'm looking in your direction).
Enjoy but keep in mind that these will be subject to some wild swings over the next few weeks while teams gel and slowly see their star players trickle back into their lineups.
1) Windsor Spitfires 3-0-0 Power Rank % (PR%) .98
Couldn't have asked for a better opening week. Michael DiPietro should be on his way to POW honours after picking up 3 wins with a GAA of 1.00 and a SV% of .966
Games This Week: Sept 28 vs Kit
2) Niagara Ice Dogs 1-0-0 PR% .9567
This Ice Dogs took game 1 of the K-9 cup Challenge presented by TSN 1150 and 610 CKTB. They ranking takes advantage of the small sample size but their young players showed great growth in that first game. Looks like Niagara his stepping on the gas in their Jr Hockey cycle.
Games This Week: Sept 29 vs Eri; Sept 30 vs Ptb; Oct 1 @ Ptb
3) Oshawa Generals 2-0-0 PR% .9202
The young Gens came out flying this weekend as their 15 goals were tops in the league. They steamrolled Sudbury and took advantage of a Soo team missing some key pieces at NHL camp. They will be a threat all year in the East with their depth and speed.
Games This Week: Sept 28 @ Ptb; Sept 29 @ Gue; Oct 1 vs Ldn
4) North Bay Battalion 2-0-0 PR% .9108
In the OHL Fan Boys season preview podcast Neate Sager and Steve McLean talked about Stan Butlers ability to take cast offs from other teams and have them have career years on the Battalion. Well with 5 goals on the opening weekend former Storm forward Luke Burghardt is 29% of the way to a career high in goals.
Games This Week: Sept 27 vs Sby; Sept 29 vs SSM
5) Kingston Frontenacs 2-0-0 PR% .8958
Kingston isn't wasting any time showing the league how they will win games this year. Great goaltending by Helvig (2 wins .937 sv%) and timely scoring from Robertson (3 goals including OT winner). Have to be pleased with the supplemental scoring from 2017 1st round pick Cody Morgan who had goals in both games.
Games This Week: Sept 29th @ Ldn; Sept 30 @ Sar; Oct 1 @ Ham
6) Flint Firebirds 2-0-0 PR% .88
Flint jumps out to an impressive start even while leading returning scorer Ryan Moore continues to serve a suspension from the playoffs. Newest Firebird Nicolas Mattinen hasnt wasted anytime showing the Flint faithful what he can offer with 3 points in 2 games. Not bad for a player whose career high is 10 points.
Games This Week: Sept 30th vs Ott
7) Ottawa 67s 2-1-0 PR % .6455
The 67s got absolutely run over by the Colts in the opening game of the season. They recovered nicely by winning their next 2 while riding a hot power play.
Games This Week: Sept 29 @ Sag; Sept 30 @ Fli; Oct 1 @ Sar
8) Barrie Colts 1-1-0 PR% .6017
Thumped the 67s on opening night only to follow that up with a tough loss at the hands of North Bay the next night. If they offence clicks like it did on opening night this will be an exciting team to watch but can they do enough to stop chances at the other end?
Games This Week: Sept 28 vs SSM; Sept 29 @ SBY; Sept 30 vs Ham
9) Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds 1-1-0 PR% .5815
Dominated a depleted London Knights team on Sunday playing their 3rd game in 3 nights after the shorthanded Hounds struggled vs Oshawa the night before. Rumours swirl around the Soo that Hamilton is pushing hard for Raaymakers. Could the Vet D that they are looking for be playing in the other steel city?
Games This Week: Sept 28 @ Bar; Sept 29 @ NB; Oct 1 @ Sby
10) Sarnia Sting 1-1-0 PR% .5502
The Sting split their opening weekend although they did so without the services of their star forward Jordan Kyrou who is still at NHL camp. He will add another dimension once he returns
Games This Week: Sept 30 vs Kgn; Oct 1 vs Ott
11) Kitchener Rangers 1-1-0 PR% .5453
2nd year forward Riley Damiani had a great weekend with 3 points well on his way to the OHL sophmore jump in production. Team showed great poise by earning the split with a road win in Sarnia after dropping their opener at home vs Flint
Games This Week: Sept 28 @ Wsr; Sept 29 vs OS; Sept 30 @ Eri
12) Erie Otters 1-1-1 PR% .5445
Picked up a big opening win against the Petes on Thursday before losing a 3rd period lead vs Kingston and then dropping their final game of the week vs Ottawa. Tough way to start the season by only getting 3 points vs the East but one of their longest road trips of the year is now out of the way.
Games This Week: Sept 29 @ Nia; Sept 30 vs Kit
13) Owen Sound Attack 0-0-1 PR% .5429
Only 1 game on opening weekend for the Attack as they lost in a shootout vs the Firebirds. Outshot their opponents 46-27 but ran into a hot goalie. Wont be this far down the list for long as this team is dangerous
Games This Week: Sept 29 @ Kit; Sept 30 vs Miss
14) London Knights 1-2-0 PR% .3699
Knights were missing plenty of star power this weekend where they played 3 games in less than 48 hours with plenty of KM put on the bus in between. Special Teams were very unLondon like and should improve greatly in the coming weeks.
Games This Week: Sept 29th vs Kgn; Oct 1 @ Osh
15) Saginaw Spirit 0-1-1 PR% .3365
A popular sleeper pick by some did not have the opening week they had hoped for coming away with only 1 point from their 2 games with only 3 goals. They will need more out of Blade Jenkins who could only muster 3 shots on goal in their opening 2 games.
Games This Week: Sept 29 vs Ott; Sept 30 vs Gue
16) Guelph Storm 0-1-1 PR% .3139
Lost their home opener in a shootout before running into the wall that is known as Michael DiPietro. Their import Toropchenko looked strong but they will need more from the rest of their lineup. That said it has only been 2 games so I would not worry
Games This Week: Sept 29th vs Osh; Sept 30th @ Sag
17) Mississauga Steelheads 0-2-0 PR% .2631
Not the start the Steelheads wanted to their season after last year. If anything it magnifies this teams need to have Michael McLeod in the lineup.
Games This Week: Sept 29 vs Ham; Sept 30 @ OS
18) Sudbury Wolves 0-2-0 PR% .1836
The Wolves gave up 3 goals late to North Bay on Sunday to blow their lead. They were shorthanded 6.5 time per game this weekend. If they want to improve they will need to stay out of the box.
Games This Week: Sep 27 @ NB; Sept 29 vs Bar; Oct 1 Vs SSM
19) Peterborough Petes 0-1-0 PR% .1524
The Petes did not have the start to the season they had hoped for against the reigning OHL champion Erie Otters. Playing only 1 game hurts them in these power rankings but on the brightside they have no where to go but up and up is where they shall go
Games This Week: Sept 28 vs Osh; Sept 30 @ Nia; Oct 1 vs Nia
20) Hamilton Bulldogs 0-1-0 PR% .1433
Bulldogs looked strong at times vs the Ice Dogs but at the end of the day goaltending seemed to be the difference. They have the talent but will need Fulcher to play stronger and will also need better play from their defence.
Games This Week: Sept 29 @ Miss; Sept 30 @ Bar; Oct 1 vs Kgn
Monday 25 September 2017
Friday 22 September 2017
2016-17 OHL Suspension Tracker
Something new I decided to do this year is keep a running total of the suspensions handed out this season. Ive kept databases of it in the past but this seems like something that would be of interest to my followers. I will break it down by teams so that those fan bases who feel the league has it out for them (Barrie im looking at you although some suspensions the last few years make your complaints valid) and in the event London doesnt get many it will be more fuel for everyone to complain.
I will also break it down by suspension type whether it is head checking, boarding, slashing, etc. To possibly quantify how hard the league is working to crack down on certain infractions. If any of my readers have any suggestions I am always open to it. Also if there is every a suspension that I miss feel free to let me know.
By Team
Barrie 6 Suspension - 27 Games
Erie 2 Suspension - 6 games
Guelph 4 Suspension - 18 games
Hamilton 3 Suspension - 15 games
Kingston 3 Suspension - 15 Games
Kitchener 1 Suspension - 2 Games
London 1 Suspension - 10 Games
Oshawa 2 Suspension - 15 Games
Ottawa 1 Suspension - 2 Games
Owen Sound 2 Suspension - 8 Games
Peterborough 2 Suspension - 7 games
Niagara 5 Suspension - 23 games
North Bay 3 Suspension - 9 games
Saginaw 2 Suspensions - 4 games
Sault Ste. Marie 2 Suspension 7 Games
Sudbury 1 Suspension 2 Games
Offence
Checking from Behind 1 Suspension - 3 games
Head Check 17 Suspension - 102 games
Kneeing 1 Suspension - 2 games
Slashing 5 Suspension - 20 games
Slew Foot 9 Suspension - 18 games
Fighting 4 suspensions - 11 games
Inappropriate Conduct 2 Suspension - 10 games
Kicking 1 Suspension - 4 games
February
Feb 1
Robert Thomas 5 games Slashing
Late in the 3rd period Bulldogs forward Robert Thomas gave Petes forward Zach Gallant a slash to the face. Gallant needed stitches on the play and Thomas was given a 5 minute misconduct. @GeneralsUpdates has the video of the incident here. Be sure to give him a follow on twitter. January
Jan 27
Joey Keane 5 games Verbal Slur
Keane was handed a game misconduct vs the Greyhounds early in the 2nd period. It seemed like an odd time for a penalty especially a misconduct as there didnt seem to be much bickering going on but it sounds like either a ref or a linesman heard Keane direct a verbal slur towards a Greyhound which comes with an automatic 5 game suspension. Once it goes in the referees report post game a player is in hot water.
Jan 26
Hudson Wilson 2 Games Fighting in the final 5 minutes
I believe this is fighting in the final 5 minutes. The boxscore on the OHL website has the instigator, the fight and the inst-Misc all at different times throughout the 3rd period. A fight in the final 5 mintues results in an automatic 2 game suspension
Jan 11
Maxim Golod 4 games kicking
After being crosschecked from behind after the whistle by Icedogs defender Justin MacPherson Golold retaliated by kicking his skate at his shin pad. It was a lapse in judgement for the clearly frustrated Golod and kicking comes with an automatic 4 game suspension and league review. The league decided that no further games were needed. You can watch a clip of the kick here thanks to @GeneralsUpdates
Jan 7th
Kirill Maksimov 4 games head check
Kirill Maksimov is starting to develop quite the reputation as the OHL slaps him with his 2nd suspension of the season. Maksimov was dinged for a major for headchecking at the 8 minute mark of the 3rd in a one sided 6-3 game vs Kingston. The Fronts made him pay by adding 2 power play goals on the man advantage and the OHL deemed he should sit another 4 games due to the severity of the hit.
Jan 6th
Jacob Friend 4 games Head Check
Owen Sounds OA leader on the blue line got hit with a 5 minute major for head checking at 1:34 of the 2nd vs Kitchener. The league acted quickly and Friend didnt dress again the rest of the weekend before the league finally announced that he would be sitting for 4 games.
December
Dec 16
Tyler Burnie 8 games head check
Burnie was given the suspension for a check to Owen Sound defenceman Sean Durzi on December 16th. He was given the go ahead to play on the 17th vs Kitchener but had the suspension handed to him during the Christmas break. A tough break for the Fronts as the development of Burnie has been a huge reason for their success this season
Dec 14
Daylon Groulx 4 games head check
Groulx was given a 5 minute major at the 10:01 mark of the first period against the Barrie Colts. The league decided to hand him a 4 game suspension. As has been the case in most instances this year if you get a game misconduct it reduces the length of your suspension by a couple of games.
Brad Chenier 2 games Slewfooting
Chenier was handed a 5 minute major for slewfooting at the 12:56 mark of the 3rd period vs the Bulldogs. It was the 9th time a 2 game auto suspension for a slewfoot was upheld.
Dec 10
Luke Bignall 2 games Slewfooting
Bignall got tagged with a slewfooting major at 11:34 of the 3rd period vs North Bay. This comes with an auto 2 game suspension although the league can overturn in. In this case they did not feel it was warranted.
Dec 6
Narvin Mutter 8 games head check
Mutter was suspended indefinitely after catching a Guelph storm player in the head with a hit. There was no penalty on the play as the ref did not have a clear view however the Storm immediately sent video to the league who agreed a suspendable infraction occurred.
Dec 2
Zack Porier 4 games Head Check
For the 2nd time this season Porier picked up a 5 minute major for head checking. After getting a 10 game suspension the first time he was handed only 4 games this time. Luckily for Porier David Branch does not see much value in giving extra punishment to repeat offenders.
November
Nov 26
Liam Hawel 2 games slewfooting
Hawel picked up a 5 minute major for slewfooting at of the period vs the. Comes with an auto 2 game suspension but we actually had one this week reversed. Unfortunately for the Storm they felt the Hawel slewfoot was deserved
Nov 22
Zach Shankar 5 games headchecking
A 5 minute major for headchecking followed with a fight where Shankar got a misconduct for a helmet violation. This usually comes with an auto suspension but it sounds like this portion was rescinded. He never took of his or his opponents helmet in the fight but while grabbing his opponents shoulder it looked like he inadvertently jostled it on a few occasions which could have been what the ref saw. Good on the league for rescinding that but he still got 5 games for his head check
Nov 19
Adrian Carbonara 8 games headchecking
There have been worse head checks given few games this year. This would fall under reputation as well as the player who Carbonara hit who happened to be the star of the Steelheads Michael McLeod.
Nov 5
Cole Fraser 5 games fighting an unwilling opponent
Surprisingly the suspension from this game was not got an Ang cross check but for Fraser being the aggressor and fighting someone who was not interested in fighting. This is the 3rd suspension this season due to fighting.
Nov 4
Riley Stillman 5 games Head Check
Thank you to @generalsupdates for providing the link to the hit. No penalty was called on the play but Bulldogs forward Marian Studnic left the game and did not return. This obviously factored into the suspension length as well as the fact that he wasnt given a penalty on the play. I think he got lucky getting only 5 based on some of the other headcheck suspensions this year but how can you give him 5 when Vallatti only got 2 games? A suspension dartboard is the only logical explanation.
October
Oct 27th
Noah Carroll 2 games Headcheck
This one came in late from the league as Carroll played the next game in Flint. The suspension wasnt announced till Wednesday before the Hounds played Sudbury. Because it wasn't an auto suspension Carroll was not penalized for playing the Saturday game. The fact that the head check came with 13 seconds left in the game didnt help Carroll.
Oct 26
Pavel Gogolev 2 games Slashing
The Petes 2nd year forward got hit with a match penalty for slashing in the 1st period against the Saginaw Spirit. Unfortunately for the burgeoning NHL draft prospect that comes with an automatic 2 game suspension + a league review. The league decided that the 2 games was a sufficent punishment so Gogolev has to sit the rest of the weekend which included a big rivalry game vs the Oshawa Generals
Justin Lemke 2 Games 2nd fight in same stoppage
The Bulldogs Captain got hit with an automatic 2 game suspension for partaking in the 2nd fight in the same stopage with Barrie Colts players Christopher Cameron. At the request of the Colts the league reviewed the play and decided to add an instigator to Lemke which nulified the automatic suspension to Cameron. Lemke will miss the rest of the weekend which includes a game against London. On the brightside for Hamilton this will allow for more ice time for Connor Walters and Stephan Templeton who they will be looking to shop/find a new home for in hopes of opening an OA spot for a forward and more ice time to their younger developing D.
Oct 22
Alex Turko 10 Games Head checking
The London Knights forward picked up his 2nd Major penalty of the year on Sunday. His first coming on September 23rd vs Saginaw for Checking from Behind. This time he caught Steelheads forward Trent Fox in the head. The OHL broke down the suspension here. Also you can find more video of the hit here.
Zach Porier 10 Games Head Checking
Porier is the repeat offender of the 3 players given majors this past weekend for Head Checking infractions. Porier served at least 2 suspensions last season for the North Bay Battalion. He Caught top 2017 draft prospect Barrett Hayton with a head check in the 3rd period of Sundays game against the Soo.
Oct 21
Giovanni Vallati 2 games Head Checking
The 2nd year defender gave a blindsided elbow to the head of Oshawa Generals forward Kyle MacLean. It is not the type of play you expect from Vallati but it was incredible dirty none the less and actually quite shocking that he did get more than 2 games for his infraction. There were 3 other head checks this weekend that were all direct contact with the head and either blindside or a vulnerable opponent. They both got 10 and Vallati gets 2? IMO this was the most egregious of the 3 hits. He doesnt have the suspension history of Porier or the Major penalty history of Turko but 2 games is far too short. Being a NHL draft prospect clearly worked in his favour for this.
You can find video of the hit here thanks to the twitter account of @GeneralsUpdates
Oct 11
Nicolas Porco 2 games Slewfoot
The reigning GTHL minor midget player of the year and the Spirits 1st round pick did not have the return to his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie as he had hoped as he got hit with a 5 minute major for slewfooting in the 2nd period and will miss the rest of the week for the Spirit
Max Grodin 2 games Fighting < 5 minutes to go in 3rd
The Spirit forward instigated a fight against Greyhounds defenceman Noah Carroll with less than a minute go in Saginaw's loss on Wednesday. The fact that there was an instigator penalty allowed Carroll to escape suspension although he did not show much interest in partaking in the fight at the end of the game. Grodin will sit for the rest of the weekend as the Spirit try to gain some traction on their season
Oct 9
Kyle Potts 4 games Match Penalty Slash
A match penalty comes with an automatic 2 game suspension plus an automatic league review. The league deemed it necessary to tack an extra 2 games on the suspension for Potts. The fact that this came with less than 2 minutes to go in the 3rd period did not help. Surprisingly enough a rather blatant headcheck to Potts earlier in the 3rd escaped supplemental discipline from the league offices.
Oct 6
Nathan Dunkley 5 games Inappropriate conduct
The burgeoning star 2nd year forward was tagged for 5 games by the OHL for using inappropriate words while skating by the Flint bench after scoring a goal last week. This is a tough blow to the Fronts who have depth issues to begin with up front and having Dunkley out of the lineup for 5 games leaves a crater size hole up front. As a 17 year old it is something that he should no better and hopefully something he can learn from as his game grows.
Doug Graham has more on it here
Oct 5
Kirill Maksimov 2 games Slewfoot
The dynamic Icedogs forward got hit with the 5th slewfooting major of the season in his game vs the Sudbury Wolves. An automatic 2 was handed the forward who only missed the remaining games that week.
Justin Murray 4 games head check
The Colts defender picked up Barrie's 4th suspension of the season but at only 4 games it is the shortest head check suspension handed out this year by David Branch. A minor break for the Colts who are short on depth and can't possible continue to pick up wins the way they have with all of these suspensions.
Oct 1
Zach Shankar 4 games Slashing
The Icedogs OA blue liner was given a match penalty for a slash in the 3rd period of their game against Peterborough. It is the 2nd slashing suspension of the year and both have been over 4 games which is quite unexpected as the league has never taken stick infractions seriously when it comes to supplemental discipline. The league has yet to put the suspension up but Matt and DJ from @Icedogsthisweek were able to break the news of the suspension yesterday.
September
Sept 30
Ben Hawerchuck 8 games head check
One of those sneaky David Branch suspensions that seemingly come out of nowhere. Ben Hawerchcuk caught Bulldogs defenceman Jack Hanley with the headcheck and no penalty was called. The Bulldogs sent video to the league to be reviewed and the Colts got hit with their 3rd suspension of the year and Hawerchuk his 2nd in only 2 weeks!
Sept 29
Matt Shoemaker 2 games Slewfoot
The Guelph Storm OA defender picked up the OHLs 3rd Slew footing major of the year (4th if you include the preseason) 2 of the 3 slew footing penalties have come against the Oshawa Generals so congrats to them for figuring out how to draw those 5 minute power plays. The suspension has yet to be placed on the OHL website but Tony Saxon has confirmed it via twitter
Sept 28
Sean Allen 10 games Head check
The Gens bruising defender was given a 2 minute minor for head checking against the Petes but the league seems to have come down hard on him giving him an indefinite suspension while they take their special suspension dart board out of storage to decide how many games he gets.
Sept 24
Jack Duff Erie Otters 2 games Slewfoot
A controversial call as there were some in the Ottawa media who felt that Duff was not deserving of the 5 minute major. The league however decided not to overturn the auto suspension and the Otters forward has to sit 2 games
Sept 22nd
Ben Hawerchuk Barrie Colts 2 games Kneeing
Received his major the same game as Rhys Forhan but with Barrie off till Thursday his suspension didnt come down till Wednesday. Had to know it was coming because there aren't many instances where Barrie gets a major that does not result in a suspension of some kind.
Darian Pilon Sudbury Wolves 2 games Slew Foot
The most suspended team last year gets one in their 1st regular season game of the year. The real surprise here is that it took one of the Pilon brothers 46:06 to commit a suspendable offence. This one was for a slewfoot.
Rhys Forhan North Bay Battalion 3 games Checking from Behind
At 4:40 of the 3rd period against Barrie Forhan was given a 5 minute major for checking from behind. Before Sundays game against Sudbury he was handed a 3 game suspension for his actions.
Sept 15th
Domenico Argento Kingston Frontenacs 2 games Slew Foot
Argento the rookie '00 for the Fronts got hit with a major for slewfooting against the 67s with that comes an auto 2 game suspension. I can only think of 2 instances the last 2 seasons where a player did not get an auto 2 game for slewfooting and that was Senyshyn last year and Ryan MacInnis 2 years ago while playing for Kitchener.
Joe Carrol Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 5 games Slashing
No penalty was called on the play but the Sudbury Wolves asked the league to look into it. They came down hard on the '17 draft pick giving him 5 games. The league tends not to take stick infractions seriously so I cant imagine how bad this must have been to warrent a 5 game suspension. Either that or David Branch is off his dart throwing game. After all Ryan Rupert (a repeat offender) got 5 games for taking a baseball swing at Nick Cousins abdomen with the replays being picked up by TSN and SportsNet.
Peter Ruicci of the Sault Star has more information on it at the bottom of this article
Sept 4th
Tyler Tucker Barrie Colts 6 games Head Check
Tucker the 2nd year rearguard for the Barrie Colts is a repeat offender having been on the receiving end of some suspensions last season. The league takes head shots seriously so you knew they were going to comedown hard on Tucker
@VeryBarrieColts breaks it down here
I will also break it down by suspension type whether it is head checking, boarding, slashing, etc. To possibly quantify how hard the league is working to crack down on certain infractions. If any of my readers have any suggestions I am always open to it. Also if there is every a suspension that I miss feel free to let me know.
By Team
Barrie 6 Suspension - 27 Games
Erie 2 Suspension - 6 games
Guelph 4 Suspension - 18 games
Hamilton 3 Suspension - 15 games
Kingston 3 Suspension - 15 Games
Kitchener 1 Suspension - 2 Games
London 1 Suspension - 10 Games
Oshawa 2 Suspension - 15 Games
Ottawa 1 Suspension - 2 Games
Owen Sound 2 Suspension - 8 Games
Peterborough 2 Suspension - 7 games
Niagara 5 Suspension - 23 games
North Bay 3 Suspension - 9 games
Saginaw 2 Suspensions - 4 games
Sault Ste. Marie 2 Suspension 7 Games
Sudbury 1 Suspension 2 Games
Offence
Checking from Behind 1 Suspension - 3 games
Head Check 17 Suspension - 102 games
Kneeing 1 Suspension - 2 games
Slashing 5 Suspension - 20 games
Slew Foot 9 Suspension - 18 games
Fighting 4 suspensions - 11 games
Inappropriate Conduct 2 Suspension - 10 games
Kicking 1 Suspension - 4 games
February
Feb 1
Robert Thomas 5 games Slashing
Late in the 3rd period Bulldogs forward Robert Thomas gave Petes forward Zach Gallant a slash to the face. Gallant needed stitches on the play and Thomas was given a 5 minute misconduct. @GeneralsUpdates has the video of the incident here. Be sure to give him a follow on twitter. January
Jan 27
Joey Keane 5 games Verbal Slur
Keane was handed a game misconduct vs the Greyhounds early in the 2nd period. It seemed like an odd time for a penalty especially a misconduct as there didnt seem to be much bickering going on but it sounds like either a ref or a linesman heard Keane direct a verbal slur towards a Greyhound which comes with an automatic 5 game suspension. Once it goes in the referees report post game a player is in hot water.
Jan 26
Hudson Wilson 2 Games Fighting in the final 5 minutes
I believe this is fighting in the final 5 minutes. The boxscore on the OHL website has the instigator, the fight and the inst-Misc all at different times throughout the 3rd period. A fight in the final 5 mintues results in an automatic 2 game suspension
Jan 11
Maxim Golod 4 games kicking
After being crosschecked from behind after the whistle by Icedogs defender Justin MacPherson Golold retaliated by kicking his skate at his shin pad. It was a lapse in judgement for the clearly frustrated Golod and kicking comes with an automatic 4 game suspension and league review. The league decided that no further games were needed. You can watch a clip of the kick here thanks to @GeneralsUpdates
Jan 7th
Kirill Maksimov 4 games head check
Kirill Maksimov is starting to develop quite the reputation as the OHL slaps him with his 2nd suspension of the season. Maksimov was dinged for a major for headchecking at the 8 minute mark of the 3rd in a one sided 6-3 game vs Kingston. The Fronts made him pay by adding 2 power play goals on the man advantage and the OHL deemed he should sit another 4 games due to the severity of the hit.
Jan 6th
Jacob Friend 4 games Head Check
Owen Sounds OA leader on the blue line got hit with a 5 minute major for head checking at 1:34 of the 2nd vs Kitchener. The league acted quickly and Friend didnt dress again the rest of the weekend before the league finally announced that he would be sitting for 4 games.
December
Dec 16
Tyler Burnie 8 games head check
Burnie was given the suspension for a check to Owen Sound defenceman Sean Durzi on December 16th. He was given the go ahead to play on the 17th vs Kitchener but had the suspension handed to him during the Christmas break. A tough break for the Fronts as the development of Burnie has been a huge reason for their success this season
Dec 14
Daylon Groulx 4 games head check
Groulx was given a 5 minute major at the 10:01 mark of the first period against the Barrie Colts. The league decided to hand him a 4 game suspension. As has been the case in most instances this year if you get a game misconduct it reduces the length of your suspension by a couple of games.
Brad Chenier 2 games Slewfooting
Chenier was handed a 5 minute major for slewfooting at the 12:56 mark of the 3rd period vs the Bulldogs. It was the 9th time a 2 game auto suspension for a slewfoot was upheld.
Dec 10
Luke Bignall 2 games Slewfooting
Bignall got tagged with a slewfooting major at 11:34 of the 3rd period vs North Bay. This comes with an auto 2 game suspension although the league can overturn in. In this case they did not feel it was warranted.
Dec 6
Narvin Mutter 8 games head check
Mutter was suspended indefinitely after catching a Guelph storm player in the head with a hit. There was no penalty on the play as the ref did not have a clear view however the Storm immediately sent video to the league who agreed a suspendable infraction occurred.
Dec 2
Zack Porier 4 games Head Check
For the 2nd time this season Porier picked up a 5 minute major for head checking. After getting a 10 game suspension the first time he was handed only 4 games this time. Luckily for Porier David Branch does not see much value in giving extra punishment to repeat offenders.
November
Nov 26
Liam Hawel 2 games slewfooting
Hawel picked up a 5 minute major for slewfooting at of the period vs the. Comes with an auto 2 game suspension but we actually had one this week reversed. Unfortunately for the Storm they felt the Hawel slewfoot was deserved
Nov 22
Zach Shankar 5 games headchecking
A 5 minute major for headchecking followed with a fight where Shankar got a misconduct for a helmet violation. This usually comes with an auto suspension but it sounds like this portion was rescinded. He never took of his or his opponents helmet in the fight but while grabbing his opponents shoulder it looked like he inadvertently jostled it on a few occasions which could have been what the ref saw. Good on the league for rescinding that but he still got 5 games for his head check
Nov 19
Adrian Carbonara 8 games headchecking
There have been worse head checks given few games this year. This would fall under reputation as well as the player who Carbonara hit who happened to be the star of the Steelheads Michael McLeod.
Nov 5
Cole Fraser 5 games fighting an unwilling opponent
Surprisingly the suspension from this game was not got an Ang cross check but for Fraser being the aggressor and fighting someone who was not interested in fighting. This is the 3rd suspension this season due to fighting.
Nov 4
Riley Stillman 5 games Head Check
Thank you to @generalsupdates for providing the link to the hit. No penalty was called on the play but Bulldogs forward Marian Studnic left the game and did not return. This obviously factored into the suspension length as well as the fact that he wasnt given a penalty on the play. I think he got lucky getting only 5 based on some of the other headcheck suspensions this year but how can you give him 5 when Vallatti only got 2 games? A suspension dartboard is the only logical explanation.
October
Oct 27th
Noah Carroll 2 games Headcheck
This one came in late from the league as Carroll played the next game in Flint. The suspension wasnt announced till Wednesday before the Hounds played Sudbury. Because it wasn't an auto suspension Carroll was not penalized for playing the Saturday game. The fact that the head check came with 13 seconds left in the game didnt help Carroll.
Oct 26
Pavel Gogolev 2 games Slashing
The Petes 2nd year forward got hit with a match penalty for slashing in the 1st period against the Saginaw Spirit. Unfortunately for the burgeoning NHL draft prospect that comes with an automatic 2 game suspension + a league review. The league decided that the 2 games was a sufficent punishment so Gogolev has to sit the rest of the weekend which included a big rivalry game vs the Oshawa Generals
Justin Lemke 2 Games 2nd fight in same stoppage
The Bulldogs Captain got hit with an automatic 2 game suspension for partaking in the 2nd fight in the same stopage with Barrie Colts players Christopher Cameron. At the request of the Colts the league reviewed the play and decided to add an instigator to Lemke which nulified the automatic suspension to Cameron. Lemke will miss the rest of the weekend which includes a game against London. On the brightside for Hamilton this will allow for more ice time for Connor Walters and Stephan Templeton who they will be looking to shop/find a new home for in hopes of opening an OA spot for a forward and more ice time to their younger developing D.
Oct 22
Alex Turko 10 Games Head checking
The London Knights forward picked up his 2nd Major penalty of the year on Sunday. His first coming on September 23rd vs Saginaw for Checking from Behind. This time he caught Steelheads forward Trent Fox in the head. The OHL broke down the suspension here. Also you can find more video of the hit here.
Zach Porier 10 Games Head Checking
Oct 21
Giovanni Vallati 2 games Head Checking
The 2nd year defender gave a blindsided elbow to the head of Oshawa Generals forward Kyle MacLean. It is not the type of play you expect from Vallati but it was incredible dirty none the less and actually quite shocking that he did get more than 2 games for his infraction. There were 3 other head checks this weekend that were all direct contact with the head and either blindside or a vulnerable opponent. They both got 10 and Vallati gets 2? IMO this was the most egregious of the 3 hits. He doesnt have the suspension history of Porier or the Major penalty history of Turko but 2 games is far too short. Being a NHL draft prospect clearly worked in his favour for this.
You can find video of the hit here thanks to the twitter account of @GeneralsUpdates
Oct 11
Nicolas Porco 2 games Slewfoot
The reigning GTHL minor midget player of the year and the Spirits 1st round pick did not have the return to his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie as he had hoped as he got hit with a 5 minute major for slewfooting in the 2nd period and will miss the rest of the week for the Spirit
Max Grodin 2 games Fighting < 5 minutes to go in 3rd
The Spirit forward instigated a fight against Greyhounds defenceman Noah Carroll with less than a minute go in Saginaw's loss on Wednesday. The fact that there was an instigator penalty allowed Carroll to escape suspension although he did not show much interest in partaking in the fight at the end of the game. Grodin will sit for the rest of the weekend as the Spirit try to gain some traction on their season
Oct 9
Kyle Potts 4 games Match Penalty Slash
A match penalty comes with an automatic 2 game suspension plus an automatic league review. The league deemed it necessary to tack an extra 2 games on the suspension for Potts. The fact that this came with less than 2 minutes to go in the 3rd period did not help. Surprisingly enough a rather blatant headcheck to Potts earlier in the 3rd escaped supplemental discipline from the league offices.
Oct 6
Nathan Dunkley 5 games Inappropriate conduct
The burgeoning star 2nd year forward was tagged for 5 games by the OHL for using inappropriate words while skating by the Flint bench after scoring a goal last week. This is a tough blow to the Fronts who have depth issues to begin with up front and having Dunkley out of the lineup for 5 games leaves a crater size hole up front. As a 17 year old it is something that he should no better and hopefully something he can learn from as his game grows.
Doug Graham has more on it here
Oct 5
Kirill Maksimov 2 games Slewfoot
The dynamic Icedogs forward got hit with the 5th slewfooting major of the season in his game vs the Sudbury Wolves. An automatic 2 was handed the forward who only missed the remaining games that week.
Justin Murray 4 games head check
The Colts defender picked up Barrie's 4th suspension of the season but at only 4 games it is the shortest head check suspension handed out this year by David Branch. A minor break for the Colts who are short on depth and can't possible continue to pick up wins the way they have with all of these suspensions.
Oct 1
Zach Shankar 4 games Slashing
The Icedogs OA blue liner was given a match penalty for a slash in the 3rd period of their game against Peterborough. It is the 2nd slashing suspension of the year and both have been over 4 games which is quite unexpected as the league has never taken stick infractions seriously when it comes to supplemental discipline. The league has yet to put the suspension up but Matt and DJ from @Icedogsthisweek were able to break the news of the suspension yesterday.
September
Sept 30
Ben Hawerchuck 8 games head check
One of those sneaky David Branch suspensions that seemingly come out of nowhere. Ben Hawerchcuk caught Bulldogs defenceman Jack Hanley with the headcheck and no penalty was called. The Bulldogs sent video to the league to be reviewed and the Colts got hit with their 3rd suspension of the year and Hawerchuk his 2nd in only 2 weeks!
Sept 29
Matt Shoemaker 2 games Slewfoot
The Guelph Storm OA defender picked up the OHLs 3rd Slew footing major of the year (4th if you include the preseason) 2 of the 3 slew footing penalties have come against the Oshawa Generals so congrats to them for figuring out how to draw those 5 minute power plays. The suspension has yet to be placed on the OHL website but Tony Saxon has confirmed it via twitter
Sept 28
Sean Allen 10 games Head check
The Gens bruising defender was given a 2 minute minor for head checking against the Petes but the league seems to have come down hard on him giving him an indefinite suspension while they take their special suspension dart board out of storage to decide how many games he gets.
Sept 24
Jack Duff Erie Otters 2 games Slewfoot
A controversial call as there were some in the Ottawa media who felt that Duff was not deserving of the 5 minute major. The league however decided not to overturn the auto suspension and the Otters forward has to sit 2 games
Sept 22nd
Ben Hawerchuk Barrie Colts 2 games Kneeing
Received his major the same game as Rhys Forhan but with Barrie off till Thursday his suspension didnt come down till Wednesday. Had to know it was coming because there aren't many instances where Barrie gets a major that does not result in a suspension of some kind.
Darian Pilon Sudbury Wolves 2 games Slew Foot
The most suspended team last year gets one in their 1st regular season game of the year. The real surprise here is that it took one of the Pilon brothers 46:06 to commit a suspendable offence. This one was for a slewfoot.
Rhys Forhan North Bay Battalion 3 games Checking from Behind
At 4:40 of the 3rd period against Barrie Forhan was given a 5 minute major for checking from behind. Before Sundays game against Sudbury he was handed a 3 game suspension for his actions.
Sept 15th
Domenico Argento Kingston Frontenacs 2 games Slew Foot
Argento the rookie '00 for the Fronts got hit with a major for slewfooting against the 67s with that comes an auto 2 game suspension. I can only think of 2 instances the last 2 seasons where a player did not get an auto 2 game for slewfooting and that was Senyshyn last year and Ryan MacInnis 2 years ago while playing for Kitchener.
Joe Carrol Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 5 games Slashing
No penalty was called on the play but the Sudbury Wolves asked the league to look into it. They came down hard on the '17 draft pick giving him 5 games. The league tends not to take stick infractions seriously so I cant imagine how bad this must have been to warrent a 5 game suspension. Either that or David Branch is off his dart throwing game. After all Ryan Rupert (a repeat offender) got 5 games for taking a baseball swing at Nick Cousins abdomen with the replays being picked up by TSN and SportsNet.
Peter Ruicci of the Sault Star has more information on it at the bottom of this article
Sept 4th
Tyler Tucker Barrie Colts 6 games Head Check
Tucker the 2nd year rearguard for the Barrie Colts is a repeat offender having been on the receiving end of some suspensions last season. The league takes head shots seriously so you knew they were going to comedown hard on Tucker
@VeryBarrieColts breaks it down here
Wednesday 20 September 2017
2016-17 OHL Playoff and Awards Prediction
The last part of my Season Preview I will take a stab at predicting the playoff results as well as this years award winners. Remember though that Predictions like records are meant to be broken or in this case wrong. Lets face it to many variables in predicting the OHL from Injuries to Trades to development of teenagers.
First a recap of how I think the conferences will finish for a more in depth look I have links up top to my Conference Previews
East
(1) Mississauga - Picked them last year if I keep picking them I am bound to be right
(2) Peterborough - If they get Korostolev back they will be dangerous.
(3) Oshawa - Young core that is exciting and won a playoff round last year. Very deep.
(4) Hamilton - Not confident with this pick. Vet D returns but they struggled last year
(5) Kingston - Great goalie, one of the best pair of imports and developing offensive talent.
(6) Barrie - Have a trio of young electric Russians. Can they score their way to a playoff spot?
(7) Niagara - Burgeoning talent but how quickly can young D overcome lose of Mantha and Haydon?
(8) Ottawa - Pair of '98s and '99s lead the offence with a well regarded group of young D
(9) Sudbury - Moved a fair bit of young talent. How far can Sokolov and Levin take this team?
(10) North Bay - The East is better than last year but I dont think North Bay is.
West
(1) Sault Ste Marie - I feel this team is better than last years team was in September.
(2) Owen Sound - McNiven will be a tough loss to over come but they are deep at F and D
(3) London - Team is deep enough where Kooy can develop and not worry about being shell shocked
(4) Kitchener - Mascherin and Stanley are nice pieces. Can the rest of the roster come along?
(5) Flint - I'll admit this is very bullish. Young D needs to develop quickly. Can Forrest steal games?
(6) Guelph - A lot hinges on Popovich. If they pick up Raaymakers they could flirt with home ice.
(7) Sarnia - Love their depth at C. Fazio is underappreciated. Question is do they sell?
(8) Windsor - Dipietro is the best goalie in the league. 2 NHL 1st round picks up front
(9) Saginaw - LOTS of young talent coming in but leading returning scorer only had 47 points.
(10) Erie - Has the talent now to finish as high as 6th but they have to sell dont they?
Playoff Predictions
Based on my predicted (best guess) regular season finish
East
Mississauga over Ottawa
Peterborough over Niagara
Oshawa over Baarrie
Kingston over Hamilton
Mississauga over Kingston
Oshawa over Peterborough
Mississauga over Oshawa
West
SSM over Windsor
Owen Sound over Sarnia
London over Guelph
Kitchener over Flint
SSM over Kitchener
Owen Sound over London
SSM over Owen Sound
SSM over Mississauga
Award Predictions
Red Tilson Award (MOP)
1) Nick Suzuki - Huge numbers on a top team
Jordon Kyrou - Can he carry the Sting to a high playoff seed or does he get traded
Dylan Wells - Top goalie on a top team. Petes success depends on him
Conor Timmins - One of the best players on the best team in the league
Jason Robertson - Leading returning scorer from the Eastern Conference
Owen Tippett - Top NHL draft pick is a year older and bigger. Ready for jump in production
Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy
1) Nick Suzuki - Plenty of talent around him to put up big numbers once again
Jorodn Kyrou - Does he finish the year in Sarnia?
Jason Robertson - Teams will gameplan for him.
Adam Mascherin - No Bracco to help pad stats early
Ryan Moore - Being an OA means no WJC threat. Can he take advantage of the extra games?
Matthew Strome - Has the IQ and puck skills to create offence and capitalize on chances
Max Kaminsky
1) Victor Mete - Best D in the league but can he put up the points to win the award?
Conor Timmins - 2nd among OHL D in ES points last year. Now he gets PP time.
Matthew Timms - Should continue to pile on points as Petes #1 D
Ryan Merkley - Growing pains in year 1. Roster is older and more talented in year 2. Watch Out!
Nick Hague - A lot depends on McLeod coming back but all around game is strong
Logan Stanley - In convo with Mete for top 19 year old D. Will voters over look offence?
Goaltender of the Year
1) Dylan Wells - Best 19 year old goalie in league playing on strong team in the weaker conference
Jeremy Helvig - Best OA goalie in the league has had a strong 2 year run.
Michael DiPietro - Best goalie in the league but does he have the talent in front of him to pad stats
Jacob Ingham - Was a revelation for Steelheads last year can he keep it up?
Mathew Villalta - The crease is his. No doubt he can get over his bad start in the playoffs.
Overage Player of the Year
1) Ryan Moore - No longer has Sherwood but they young Firebirds are a year older which will help
Jeremy Helvig - Top 3 goalie in the league will have a chance to carry a team
Garret McFadden - Will be overshadowed by Merkley but will have a chance at a career year
Sam Miletic - Hard for OAs to put up big numbers in London with their young talent but Miletic can
Matt Luff* Dont think he comes back but if he does he will put up lots of points
Other must read OHL Season Previews
From Brock Otten at OHL Prospects Blog
West Preview
Awards Preview
Also on Brock's blog you can find his preseason Top 30 for the NHL draft and a great Import draft recap.
Awards Preview
Also on Brock's blog you can find his preseason Top 30 for the NHL draft and a great Import draft recap.
From Josh Brown at the Waterloo Record
From Matt and DJ from @IcedogsThisWeek
From OHLFanBoys Podcast
Not an article but their 2 hour season preview podcast
Ryan Pyette from the London Free Press
Offers his insight with his Season Preview
Doug Graham from the Whig Standard
Offers his insight on the Eastern Conference
Ryan Pyette from the London Free Press
Offers his insight with his Season Preview
Doug Graham from the Whig Standard
Offers his insight on the Eastern Conference
Some must follow OHL twitter Accounts that didnt fall under any particular team.
OHL Prospects Blog @BrockOtten
OHL Fan Boys Podcast @ohlfanboys
Host Steve @stevemclean88
Host Brian aka the toast @Toast84
For your Draft Pick Data base needs @WriteMattWilson
The Venerable @NaitSayger
For your OHLdraft needs @TheScoutdotca
Head Scout the scouting worlds Earl of Essex @Asykes_7
SCTA Scout great opinions poor choice of team fandom @Stewbucs
Last but not least @msconduct one of the best the league has to offer. Writes for dobber hockey and recrutes.
A new OHL podcast from Matt and DJ of Icedogs this week and their producer Sawyer. @OHLtothepoint
Another great podcast to follow along with is @AroundtheOHL hosted by Jake Jeffery @AOHLjake
Bulldogs Radio colour man Louis Butko @TSN_LouisB has a great OHL radio show on TSN 1150 in Hamilton
Finally for all your coverage south of the border dont forget to give a follow to OHL Pucks & Stripes @OHLPucks
A new OHL podcast from Matt and DJ of Icedogs this week and their producer Sawyer. @OHLtothepoint
Another great podcast to follow along with is @AroundtheOHL hosted by Jake Jeffery @AOHLjake
Bulldogs Radio colour man Louis Butko @TSN_LouisB has a great OHL radio show on TSN 1150 in Hamilton
Finally for all your coverage south of the border dont forget to give a follow to OHL Pucks & Stripes @OHLPucks
Tuesday 19 September 2017
Eastern Conference Preview 2017-18
(1) Mississauga Steelheads
HC James Richmond
GM James Richmond Season 1
Top Returning score: Owen Tippett 44-31-75
2017 1st round pick: Cameron Gaylor
Key Additions
Albert Michnac - Import pick played last year with Guelph before having his rights rescinded.
Merrick Rippon - Highly covered '00 born Dman. Refused to commit to Kitchener. Played last year in the CCHL
Key Subtractions
Spencer Watson - Completely changed the direction of this team last year when he joined the lineup
Vili Saarijarvi - One of the best puck moving D in the league last year. Will be a huge hole to fill.
Stefan LeBlanc - Vet OA Dman whose minutes will be missed.
Reasons to be optimistic
The Steelheads seem to have finally found themselves a goalie in 2016 2nd round pick Jacob Ingham. A top 4 goalie in the Eastern Conference will give this team the confidence to take chances on offence knowing they have Ingham back there to shut the door.
Reasons to be pessimistic
This team struggled last year till Watson and Saarjarvi were healthy. Can they fill the void left by these two who have now moved on from the OHL?
It is very plausible that Michael McLeod sticks with the New Jersey Devils. That would be a huge blow to the offence as he was one of the best forwards in the league in the 2nd half of the season last year. While depth wise they are in a better position this year than last year it would still be a tough loss to swallow.
After years of medicrioty having a HC and GM in the dual role the Steelheads had a chance this summer to make a splash when it was announced James Boyd was leaving. Instead of making a progressive move like snagging Greyhounds director of scouting Victor Carniero the Steelheads gave the GM role to their head coach James Richmond who will now hold both titles. Hopefully the results will be different this time but if I were a Steelheads fan I would be frustrated by this move.
Important Twitter Follows
@IainMissiNews Offers great coverage of the Steelheads for Mississauaga.com
(2) Peterborough Petes
HC Jody Hull
GM Mike Oke season 5.5
Top Returning Scorer: Matthew Timms 11-52-63
2017 1st round pick: Nick Robertson
Key Additions
Gleb Babinstev - Import pick will be counted on to transition quickly to OHL life as his minutes will be needed on the blueline
Hunter Jones - OJHL all prospect team. Will help form the best Duo in the league with Dylan Wells
Key Subtractions
Steven Lorentz - OA grad forward whose offence will be missed
Kyle Jenkins - OA Dman whose offence on the backend will be missed
Brandon Prophet - Efficient penalty killer and leader of the Petes blueline
Matt Spencer - Never developed into the true #1 that was expected but was still an above average defender in the OHL
Nikita Korostelev* - Dont shut the door so fast. Plausible he comes back and would be instant OA of the year candidate.
Reasons to be Optimistic
The Petes return the top goalie in the Eastern Conference as well as 7 of their top 10 scorers from last years team. Their defense is young but littered with intriguing options that should be able to grow this season.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
Lost both assistance coaches from last years team so while they return the same HC and GM for the 5th full season it will be a rebuilt staff. They are returning a lot of young players last year who will be looking to take the next "step" this season and there is always the unknown in players like that.
Important Twitter Follows
@Petes_updates Petes fan who offers great angry coverage of the team.
(3) Oshawa Generals
HC Bob Jones
GM Roger Hunt
Top Returning Scorer: Domenico Commisso 19-44-63
2017 1st round pick: Mitchell Brewer
Key Additions
Mitchell Brewer - Teams 1st round pick last year helped Georgetown in the OJHL playoffs as an affiliated player at 15.
Nico Glass - One of the top incoming import selections should help solidify the Gens blueline.
Key Subtractions
Jeremy Broduer - Top OA goalie in the league last year helped Gens exceed expectations.
Medric Mercier - Came over from the Greyhounds and led all OA Dmen in goals last season.
Reasons to be Optimistic
This team was young last year and expected to battle for one of hte final playoff spots. Instead they took control of the conference early, Sold their top players and peak prices so they are now loaded with assets to be contenders for the next 3 seasons and still finished 3rd in the conference last year and got 2 rounds of playoff experience for their young roster.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
Bob Jones is temporary out as head coach while he deals with a health issue. The top coach in the eastern conference the most important thing right now is that he returns to full health. Outside of that this team has lots of depth and you have to wonder if there is enough ice time to go around to properly develop these players as they look to peak over the next 3 seasons
Important Twitter Follows
@generalsupdates Another fan update account. While biased towards the Gens this account genarally offers well thought out opinions.
(4) Hamilton Bulldogs
HC John Gruden Year 2
GM Steve Staios Year 2
Top Returning Scorer: Mathew Strome 34-28-62
2017 1st round pick Connor McMichael
Key Additions
Owen Burnell - Former Greyhounds draft pick could never crack the soo lineup. Signed with Hamilton after toiling in the GOJHL
Arthur Kaliyev - Only 16 but a huge coup by the Bulldogs to get such a well regaurded US born player to commit
Jake Murray - One of the top alliance players his draft year should help fill a depth role this year for the Bulldogs before becoming a leader in his 18 year old season.
Key Subtractions
Cole Candella - Van draft pick moved to SBY to clear room for younger D mildly surprising
Michael Cramarossa - Team leader in assists played in all roles for the Bulldogs
Niki Petti - Teams #1 center last year battled injures but was still their 2nd best forward all year.
Dawson Carty - OA goalie came over from Kitchener to solidify the team in net
Matt Luff* Kings pick could be back as an OA but has the AHL option. Offensive leader of the team last year.
Reasons to be Optimistic
This team has a veteran blueline with 3 '97s and 3 '98s. Mind you I expect some to be moved to open up playing time for the finally healthy Reilly Webb (huge fan) and the burgeoning talent in '00 Riley McCourt. The wealth of veteran expierience gives this Bulldogs team options
Reasons to be Pessimistic
This is a team whos time to compete is now and it looks like they swung and missed on their import selection. Things may change as Ikonen is a Montreal Canadians draft pick and the Bulldogs owner has a minority share in that franchise but as the season starts it sure looks like a missed oppertunity.
How will this team create offence without Matt Luff (assuming he is in the AHL) and Niki Petti? This team was hard to watch last year without these two players and it something they will need to get over quickly.
Important Twitter Follows
@KristhayesRuns the bulldogs blog Reckless Restraint
@RCDuthie Play by Play man on the Bulldogs Cable 10 broadcasts
(5) Kingston Frontnacs
HC Jay Varady 1st year
GM Darren Keily 1st year
Top Returning Scorer Jason Robertson 42-39-81
2017 1st round pick Cody Morgan
Key Additions
Bryan Laureigh: The NJ native is a FA signing out of the Shattuck St. Mary's program in Minnisota.
Paul Larabie: 2015-16 HEO player of the year. Spent last season in the CCHL with the Nepean Raiders
Key Subtractions
Stephen Desrocher - OA defender soaked up a lot of minutes for the Fronts
Reasons to be Optimistic
Jeremy Helvig is returning for this OA season which gives the Fronts a top 3 goalie. This team is also returning the highest scoring player in the Eastern Conference who will be entering his 18 year old season. Their 2 import picks Nyman and Rasanen will be starting their 2nd season in the leagues so there should be little to no cultural adjustment which is often over looked in import picks.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
It's Kingston they always seem to find a way to disappoint. More seriously however this team had trouble scoring last season and you have to wonder if those problems will be solved by just relying on the growth of their younger players?
Important Twitter Follows
@dougout47 Doug Graham from the Whig Standard sets the standard for Fronts Coverage.
(6) Barrie Colts
HC Dale Hawerchuk
GM Jason Ford
Top Returning Scorer: Lucas Chiodo 22-31-53
2017 1st round pick Ryan Suzuki
Key Additions
Leo Lazarev - OA goalie came over from Ottawa. a much needed improvement in net.
Andrei Svechnikov - Heavy favourite for rookie of the year.
Alexey Lipanov - Tampa Bay draft pick should put up huge numbers
'/
Key Subtractions
This team stunk last year nobody will really be missed
Reasons to be Optimistic
They have argubaly the most dynamic import duo in the leauge. Both players should have no problem topping a point per game this season and a pair of 80+ point seasons is not out of the question.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
This team lacks depth in a bad way. Outside of the 2 Russians there isnt much on this team offensively. This is a team that finsihed in last place last year and just doesnt have the base of talent that even some others have.
Important Twitter Follows
@GenePereira1 Covers the Colts for the Barrie Examiner and is also a colour commentator on their Rogers TV broadcasts
@VeryBarrieColts A great Barrie Colts centric blog
(7) Niagara Icedogs
HC Billy Burke 1st season
GM Joey Burke 1st season
Top Returning Scorer
2017 1st round pick
Key Additions
Elijah Roberts - Skilled defender in need of a change of scenery. Could really take off with the Ice Dogs.
Zach Shankar - OA from North Bay should soake up leveraged minutes to help insulate young blueliners
Philip Tomasino - 1st round pick could be the highest scoring '01 in the OHL this year.
Key Subtractions
Ryan Mantha - OA defenceman had a career year last year. His minutes will be missed.
Aaron Haydon - Versatile OA who spent his entire 5 year career in Niagara.
Reasons to be Optimistic
They return the most underrated goalie in the OHL in Stephen Dhillon. They have a budding OHL super star in Akil Thomas. Maksimov looked fantastic since coming over from Saginaw at the trade deadline and they have an open OA slot to add to their lineup when needed.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
Both the GM and HC are the owners sons. This team was horrid last year and continually outplayed if not for the stellar play of Dhillon they likely would have been in the running for the 1st overall pick, this team is better than last years but how much growth has there been and what happens if Dhillon goes down with an injury? The backline still has a lot of questions marks, the Roberts acquisition helps but they need 2 or 3 guys to really step up.
Important Twitter Follows
@Icedogsthisweek Articles, TV, Podcasts Matt and DJ do it all
(8) Ottawa 67s
HC Andre Tourigny 1st year
GM James Boyd 1st year
Top Returning Scorer: Austen Keating 22-41-63
2017 1st round pick Graeme Clarke
Key Additions
Mitchell Hoelscher: played in 6 games for Ottawa last year. Was nearly a point per game player for the Elmira Sugar Kings as a 16 year old and was named a 2nd team all star in the midwestern conference.
Olivier Tremblay: OA goalie coming over from the QMJHL. Was stellar last year with Ryoun-Noranda in the last half of the year
Key Subtractions
Leo Lazarev - Veteran of 3 years his presence in the crease will be hard to replace
Artur Tyanulin - The highest scoring import in the East last year.
Reasons to be Optimistic
Have a strong pair of '98 (Barron, Felhaber) and '99 (Keating, Chmelevski) born forwards. Their head coach has a long history of success in the QMJHL.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
The defence still remains quite young although not with out bright spots like Hoefenmayer and Bahl. A lot of their success depends on the growth of this unit but there is a lot of growth potential. Is Lafreniere good enough to be a number 1 goalie in the OHL and if he faulters will Trembley be able to duplicate the late season success he had last season?
Important Twitter Follows
(9) Sudbury Wolves
HC Corey Stillman 1st year
GM Rob Papineau 1st year
Top Returning Scorer: Dmitry Sokolov
2017 1st round pick: Blake Murray
Key Additions
Cole Candella - development stalled under Gruden in HAM. Will thrive under Stillman and Smith
Nolan Makkonen - Young Dman from the Soo came over in the Lalonde trade
Zack Malik - Import pick son of former NHL Marek
Kyle Rhodes - Came over from Guelph. Has had a great preseason could be in for a career year
Key Subtractions
Owen Lalonde - 2016 2nd overall pick sent to Guelph after asking for a trade.
Alan Lyszczarczyk - Skilled forward should be in for a career year in Owen Sound
Kyle Copabianko - Will be hard to replace his PP minutes this season.
Reasons to be Optimistic
Barclay Branch is no longer the GM of this team. They have a new arena on its way. Matos is gone and in his place is former NHLer Corey Stillman and his associate coach is former Soo Thunderbirds HC Jordan Smith who has helped develop plenty of future OHLers with the Soo's Jr A team. If he can stay motivated Sokolov could have a real shot at 60 goals this year. There is talent on this roster. If they play a more disciplined style of hockey they could see a great improvement.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
2016 1st round pick Owen Lalonde asked to be traded. They are still in the Sudbury Arena which has its issues. This was one of the most undisciplened teams in the league last year finsihing near the top in fights, major penalties and suspensions. There is talent but not enough to fight back from these situations night after night.
Important Twitter Follows
@Ben_Leeson covers the Wolves for the Sudbury Star.
(10) North Bay Battalion
HC Stan Butler
GM Stan Butler
Top Returning Scorer: Brett McKenzie 29-38-67
2017 1st round pick Brandon Coe
Key Additions
Luke Burghart - Acquired from Guelph will help the offensive depth on the Battalion
Luke Moncada - Also came over from Guelph will be a nice extra body to have.
\
Key Subtractions
Zack Shankar - Surplus OA who filled important minutes last year
Zach Porier - Former 1st round pick in need of a chagne of scenery
Mark Shoemaker - Surplus OA who filled important minutes last year
Brent Moran - When healthy he was good enough to make them a playoff team last year
Max Kislinger - Import from Germany was traded to open up a slot to draft an import that wont play for North Bay.
Reasons to be Optimistic
Their Jr A affiliate won the NOJHL title last year. They have a top 3 OHL draft pick playing for them and Cam Dineen should be healthy. They have a veteran defence corps that will hopefully help limit chances against.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
They had a top 7 import selection but he wont be playing in North Bay this season after trading an import to open up his slot. There goaltending duo isnt one that really instills confidence. This team was offensively challanged last year and things may not get any easier this season.
Important Twitter Follows
Western Conference Preview 2017-18
(1) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
HC Drew Bannister
GM Kyle Raftis
Leading Returning Scorer: Boris Katchouk 35-29-64
2017 1st round draft pick: Hayden Fowler
Key Additions
Keeghan Howdeshell - From the same draft class that brought the Hounds Gettinger, Katchouk, Kopacka and Timmins. Howdeshell went the USNTDP route and spent last year in the USHL. Was slated to join Ferris State but opted for the Hounds
Ryan Roth - Slick FA signing from the HPHL. Stood out at USA Hockey camps this summer
Zack Trott - 2016 draft pick was a scoring sensation in Jr C last year for Staynor. Has continued to put the puck in the net through preseason.
Key Losses
Zach Senyshyn - Bruins 1st rounder scored over 100 career goals with the Hounds
Blake Speers - Spent 2 years as the Hounds captain.
Colton White - Underrated Dman who is off to the Devils farm team.
Gustav Bouramman - Import pick who played 3 years with the Hounds
Bobby MacIntyre - Offensive revelation after coming over from the Steelheads for a mid round pick
Joseph Raaymakers* - former #1 goalie is holding out looking for a trade.
Reasons to be Optimistic
The Greyhounds return 3 30 goal scorers from last years team in Katchouk, Gettinger and Kopacka. They have one of the top puck moving deference in the OHL in Connor Timmins and two burgeoning talents in Morgan Frost and Barrett Hayton. There continue to be whispers that one of their elite import selections will be making their way to the OHLs most Northwesterly outpost.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
This team lost a lot of talent from last years team. They also have a rather bare cupboard in terms of tradeable draft picks. They had to get creative last year it it looks like they will have to do it again.
Twitter Must Follows
@Bradcoccimiglio
(2) Owen Sound Attack
HC Todd Gill
GM Dale DeGray
Leading Returning Scorer: Nick Suzuki 40-58-98
2017 1st round draft pick: Mitchell Russell
Key Additions
Zach Bowman - Has his fans in this league. Could a forgotten goalie from Sudbury lead another western conference team to glory?
Alan Lyszczarczyk - Should help add some depth scoring and should be in line for a career year as he never had the talent around him in Sudbury that he does in Owen Sound.
Key Subtractions
Petrus Palmu - the pint sized finnish import put up 98 points last year
Michael McNiven - OHL goalie of the year last season
Santino Centorame - most underappreciated of a deep OA defenceman crop last season.
Reasons to be Optimistic
This team returns 121 goals and 255 points between Nick Suzuki, Jonah Gadjovich and Kevin Hancock. On paper they have one of the best bluelines in the league led by Marcus Philips and Jacob Friend. They also have plenty of assets to make moves at the deadline after holding off last year and Dale DeGray is easily a top 3 GM in the OHL
Reasons to be Pessimistic
Goaltending. Zach Bowman was aqcuired from Sudbury in August but he doesnt have the track record of success to not come without questions. That said last years OHL champs picked up a forgotten goalie from Sudbury and were able to turn that into a championship.
Twitter Must Follows
@Mark14Mckelvie Rogers TV play by play host for Attack games
(3) London Knights
HC Dale Hunter
GM Rob Simpson
Leading Returning Scorer: Cliff Pu 35-51-86
2017 1st round draft pick
Key Additions
Tim Fallowfield - standout at the Bulldogs rookie camp in 2016. Signed by the Spits in 2017 then signed by the Knights later in 2017 because he was on their protect list and Windsor couldnt sign him in the first place
Alec Regula - 2016 draft pick has signed with the Knights after winning a USHL championship with Chicago as a 16 year old
Harrison Cottam - Signed as a FA in 2016. suited up for Niagara Falls in the GOJHL last year where he picked up 62 points in 49 games.
Key Subtractions
Mitchell Stephans - World Jr Alum picked up from Saginaw at the deadline in a failed attempt to get past Erie
Mitchell Vande Somple - Dynamic puck moving Dman picked up from Oshawa
JJ Piccnich - OA sniper off to play professional hockey
Janne Kuokkanen - Carolina draft pick off to play in the AHL after a year with London
Tyler Parsons - One of the best goalies in recent memory wasnt will be sorely missed
Olli Juolevi - Vancouver draft pick off to bigger and better things
Reasons to be Optimistic
They are the London Knights they dont rebuild they just reload. Dale Hunter knows how to maximize his roster and will develop young players to create internal competition that will push the level of play throughout the lineup. They still have plenty of assets to trade if they decide to push all in again this year.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
They have major question marks between the pipes. Kooy is an intriguing goalie but doesn't have the experience of others which leads to some variability in his projection.
Twitter Must Follows
@MoDaCoatLFPress Sports reporter for the London Free Press
@RyanatLFPress Covers the OHL for the London Free Press
(4) Kitchener Rangers
HC Jay McKee
GM Mike McKenzie
Leading Returning Scorer Adam Mascherin 35-65-100
2017 1st round draft pick: Grayson Ladd
Key Additions
Logan Stanley - Top 3 OHL defender should solidify the Rangers backend by soaking up 35+ minutes a game
Anthony Dumont-Bouchard - OA goalie from the QMJHL who should help soak up some minutes till Opilka comes back
Adam Liska - 1st round import pick from Slovakia who should bring some offensive depth the Rangers
Rickard Hugg - 2nd round import pick from Sweden was captain of Swedens U18 and Hlinka team last year
Jack York - 17 year old defender from the CCHL who passed on a commiutment to Maine to sign with the Rangers
Key Subtractions
Elijah Roberts - Promising 16 year old had some road bumps last year. Passed on the depth chart and was sent to Niagara where he will get a fresh start.
Reasons to be Optimistic
This was a good team last year just not as good as the rest of the west. They have added a legitimate top pair OHL defender in Logan Stanley. The rest of the roster is a year older and they have a Scoring title contender in Adam Mascherin ready to lead the way offensivly
Reasons to be Pessimistic
Is Richardson ready to take the reins between the pipes and start fulfilling some of the promise he has shown at the Jr B level? Will Opilka be the same goalie he was 2 years ago when he gets healthy mid season? Will this team finally return to the level that OHL fans expect out of a big market franchise like Kitchener?
Twitter Must Follows
@BrownRecord Id put him in the top 5 among OHL reports with Victor Fernendes in Erie, Peter Ruicci in the Soo and Tony Saxon in Guelph
@Farwell_OHL Rangers Radio play by play voice
(5) Flint Firebirds
HC Ryan Oulahan
GM Barclay Branch
Leading Returning Scorer Ryan Moore 39-51-90
2017 1st round draft pick Ethan Keppen
Key Additions
Jack Wismer - 2016 2nd rounder selected with a pick from the McLeod trade. Put up 17 points in 17 games in an injury shortened year for Ancaster in the GOJHL
Max Kislinger - Import picked up from North Bay in a trade before the import draft adds 103 games of OHL experience to the Flint lineup
Nikita Alexandrov- hulking 6'7" defender from Russia adds size to a young but intriguing Flint blue line
Nicolas Mattinen - Steep price paid for Londons 6th D man. Will need career year to justify price
Key Subtractions
Everett Clark - gritty leader will be sorely missed on the PK
Kole Sherwood - Lethal scorer who had disciple issues. Offence will be hard to replace
Alex Peters - Captain and veteran of 5 OHL seasons
Mathieu Henderson - One of the highest scoring defenders in the OHL last year
Jalen Smereck - The best combination of skill and physicality will be missed.
Reasons to be Optimistic
They have one of the best young coaches in the league behind their bench. Was robbed by not getting a coach of the year nomination last year. Strong core of returning vets with a nice mix of burgeoning young talent. Already reaping the rewards of the Ryan McLeod trade and should see more fruits from that ripping this season.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
They have Barclay Branch now calling the shots as GM who has had a less than stellar track record while calling the shots. Goalie Garrett Forrest has shown promise but is he ready to be THE guy on a team looking to make the next step. If he falters is it really fair to expect Luke Cavallin to pull a Jacob Ingham steal the job? They also lost their top 3 defenceman last year all of whom ate up big minutes on the backend for the Firebirds.
Twitter Must Follows
@DominicHennig Radio and TV play by play man for the Firebirds. Also their director of communications.
(6) Guelph Storm
HC George Burnett
GM George Burnett
Leading Returning Scorer Ryan Merkley
2017 1st round draft pick: Tag Bertuzzi
Key Additions
Owen Lalonde - '16 2nd overall pick had some bumps in Sudbury but showed considerable promise.
Zach Porier - Former 1st rounder from North Bay who could use a change of scenery
Cam Hillis - Would have been a 1st round pick in '16 if he was OHL commited. Broke commitment to Providence to sign with the Storm this summer
Alexey Toropchenko - Import pick and Blues NHL pick. Will by dynamic offensivly once he becomes acclimatized to North America
Mark Shoemaker - Veteran Dman from North Bay who will help fill some high leveraged minutes on the backend to help insulate some of the young defenders on the roster
Key Subtractions
Nolan Makkenen - Traded to Sudbury in the Lalonde deal
Nic Sicoly - lost in the numbers game and still looking for a team. Could be a Bobby MacIntyre lite in the right situation
Albert Michnac - Rights rescinded to open up import spot to select Toropchenko. Selected by the Steelheads
Reasons to be Optimistic
Arguably the best grouping of '00 born talent int he OHL led by Merkley, Lalonde, Hillis and Kirwin. Veteran scoring in Smith, Schnarr and Radcliffe to take pressure off the young talent. The anchor around this franchises neck that was the '12 and '13 OHL priority selection has almost been let go.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
Decided to go with a GM and HC in the dual role. A role that Burnett had with Belleville and Hamilton and while he had success in the past it had come few and far between in his latter years with the franchise.
Twitter Must Follows
@SaxonOnTheStorm covers the storm for Guelph Today. Fantastic game reports and opinion pieces.
(7) Sarnia Sting
HC Derien Hatcher
GM Nick Sinclair
Leading Returning Scorer: Jordan Kyrou 30-64-94
2017 1st round draft pick: Jamieson Rees
Key Additions
Hugo Luefvenius - Won a bronze medal with Swedens U17 team in 2016
Key Subtractions
Jeff King - OA defenceman was a key shutdown guy who added some offence
Kevin Spinnozzi - OA defenceman was one of the best at bringing offence from the backline last year.
Reasons to be Optimistic
They bring back one of the top offensive players in the leauge in Jordon Kyrou. They have solid goaltending with Justin Fazio. Rymsha, Ruzicka and Salinitri give them an enviable group of centers.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
This is Sarnia and nobody knows how to Sarnia better than Sarnia. There is some quality on their blueline but still some questions marks. Have they done enough to stay compatative in the West?
Twitter Must Follows
@stingupdates Brings all the up to date news on the Sting that you need
(8) Windsor Spitfires
HC Trevor Letowski
GM Warren Rychel
Leading Returning Scorer Gabriel Vilardi 29-32-61
2017 1st round draft pick: Nathan Staios
Key Additions
Mathew MacDougall - Highly regarded prospect wouldnt report to Barrie.
Kirill Kozhevnikov - 1st round import selection
Lev Starikov - 2nd round import selection is a towering 6'7" defenceman
Key Subtractions
Jeremy Bracco - One of the most dynamic offensive players in the OHL last season
Logan Stanley - Top flight 1st pair defender was moved to Kitchener as a 2nd part to the Bracco trade
Graham Knott - Midseason pick up from Niagara offered depth scoring for the Spits
Mikael Sergachev - 1st round NHL pick was a minutes eater for the Spits
Mario Culina - last years back up but one of the more underrated goalies in the leauge. shocked he didnt hook on with antoher team.
Reasons to be Optimistic
Michael DiPietro is still in net the unquestioned top goalie in the OHL. 2 NHL 1st round picks Logan Brown and Gabe Vilardi are skating up front for the Spits. They can still recruit with the best of them as seen by some of their offseason trades.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
This team will still need to sell to recoup assets traded for last years MemCup. This team has lost a lot of talent and has a very young back line that will expierience growing pains.
Twitter Must Follows
@winstarparker Covers the Spits for the Windsor Star
(9) Saginaw Spirit
HC Troy Smith
GM Dave Drinkill
Leading Returning Scorer Brady Gilmour 26-21-47
2017 1st round draft pick: Nicholas Porco
Key Additions
Blade Jenkins - 2016 1st round pick defected from the USNTDP to join the Spirit.
Tom Bappert - 2nd round import pick. Captained Germanyès U18 team last year.
Ben Badalamenti - FA signing who played in the HPHL last season for Honeybaked.
Key Subtractions
Hayden Hodgson - Spirit leading scorer has graduated from the OHL
Filip Hronek - Red Wings draft pick was one of the top Dmen in his age group in the OHL last year.
Marcus Niemelainen - Finnish Import decided it was time to move on from Saginaw even though he had a year of eligibility remaining.
Reasons to be Optimistic
Blade Jenkins has joined the team! That alone is a reason to invest in Season Tickets if you are a hockey fan in Saginaw. They have a young group ready to grow together and if things fall right could be among the confrences best in a year or two.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
Their leading returning goal scorer has 47 points. This team is going to need to grow up and it will need to do it fast. They have a lot of potential but potential doesnt win hockey games. As young and intriguing as they are these arent new words used to describe the Spirit in recent years although this does seem different.
Twitter Must Follows
@JoeySpiritOHL Radio and TV play by play guy for the Spirit
(10) Erie Otters
HC Chris Hartsburg
GM Dave Brown
Leading Returning Scorer Taylor Raddysh 42-67-109
2017 1st round draft pick Emmett Sproule
Key Additions
Stephane Patry - 1st round import pick. Played on the Swiss U18 team last year as an underage and on this summers Hlinka team.
Alex Gritz - PA native comes to Erie in an offseason trade with the Greyhounds.
Key Subtractions
Alex DeBrincat - will go down as one of the best OHLers of all time
Darren Raddysh - 2016-17 Max Kamensky winner for top D man.
Dylan Strome - Former OHL scoring champ.
Anthoney Cirelli - WJC alum came over from Oshawa was a point per game player for Erie
Reasons to be Optimistic
There is still lots of talent on this team with Taylor Raddysh, Jordan Sambrook and Ivan Lodnia. This team has the talent to easily make their way to the playoffs. When they do plan on selling they should recoup a lot of assets and position themselves for a quick rebuild.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
They have no assests so a sell off is desperately needed. Can they build up a big enough cushion were they can still make the playoffs if they sell off at the deadline? They had questionable goaltending last year that was covered up by an elite team. How will they fair this season with a weaker team up front.
Twitter Must Follows
@GoErieHockey Offers great covered of the Erie Otters
@Aaron_cooney Radio voice of the Otters and rumor has it he will have an hour long radio show dedicated to the Otters this season on Wednesday nights
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