By Steve Fitzsimmons /
It’s hard to believe that we’re almost a third of the way through the OHL campaign already. There have been several teams who have shown themselves to be OHL championship contenders and are gearing up to knock the Windsor Spitfires off as the champs. That will be a formidable task to accomplish, as the Spitfires continue to play well and are getting better as the season moves along. It won’t be long until we’re talking World Juniors and the Olympics. It’s great to be a hockey fan this time of year.
Western Conference
Windsor Spitfires
?Rookie G Troy Passingham has certainly been proving that he’s a solid and capable netminder, leading the OHL in wins with a 17-2-0-2 record and a very impressive 2.44 GAA and .907 save percentage. He’s also been making important stops at key times for the Spitfires, which is far more important than his numbers. He is draft eligible for the 2010 NHL Draft and should find himself on the NHL Central Scouting list once it’s revealed in the near future.
Kitchener Rangers
A guy that just doesn’t get his due is C Chris Mackinnon. All he does is continue to put up the numbers with whatever team he plays for. With 11 goals and 31 points in 22 games, which puts him sixth in OHL scoring, he is headed for his best season yet...F Jeremy Morin has shown the OHL his sniping ability in the early part of this season. With 18 goals and 27 points in 21 games, he’s been a huge offensive contributor to the excellent start the Rangers have put together so far.
Saginaw Spirit?
Made a trade with Barrie, picking up D Ryan O’Connor and C Michael Sgarbossa for D T.J. Brodie and Nick Crawford. O’Connor is a solid OHL D-man who can add some offence, with 12 points in 22 games, while Sgarbossa is a very impressive young centre clipping along at about a point a game this year. The Spirit hurt their chances at contending this year with the move, but pick up solid younger assets moving forward in the next few seasons. It just seemed a little early in the season to make a move like this, especially given the great start the team is off to.
London Knights?
Hard to believe that the top scorer on the club is 55th in league scoring, that being C Nazem Kadri, who has 19 points in 19 games. The Leafs’ first round pick is getting a lot more attention than he’s used to, but many OHL pundits thought he might challenge for the OHL Scoring Title. There’s little doubt he has the talent to pick it up, but finishing among the top 10 OHL scorers is going to be tough...C Phil McRae has been playing some quality hockey, with six goals and 19 points in 21 games. The St. Louis Blues draft choice is getting better every season and this year is no exception.
Plymouth Whalers?
G Matt Hackett has raised his level of play in recent weeks, looking more like the player we saw last year at his best. He now has an 11-8 record and a .928 save percentage and 2.65 GAA. He has the talent to be among the best goalies in the OHL and looks poised to challenge for that position...C Tyler Seguin is having an all-world start to his season. Pundits wondered how he would cope without Chris Terry and Matt Caria on his line. Consider that question answered emphatically—he’s just fine.
Guelph Storm?
Have been savaged by injuries to several key players, with Matt Kennedy, Mike Latta, Peter Holland, Evgeny Molitilov and Tim Campbell all out at the same time. F Taylor Beck has played his best hockey with 11 goals and 33 points in 20 games, but the team has struggled with so many regulars out...D Sam Lofquist, formerly of the Minnesota Golden Gophers, has joined the club. A 1990 birthdate, Lofquist had four points in 35 games last season with Minnesota and was a healthy scratch in recent weeks with the Gophers, making him re-evaluate where he wanted to play.
Soo Greyhounds?
A team that has returned to earth after a quick start, but is still well capable of claiming a play-off spot in this ultra tough Conference. D Jacob Muzzin is headed for a career season in his 4th year in the league. After registering 29 points in 62 games last year, Muzzin has 22 points in 22 games already...LW Vern Cooper has been a solid addition from the Plymouth Whalers, as he’s notched 10 goals and 22 points in 23 games, after a 17-goal, 37-point campaign last season. He’s also improved his defensive play substantially as well.
Erie Otters?
So you win some, you lose some. They lost Ryan O’Reilly to the Colorado Avalanche and he’s making a strong case for Rookie of the Year. Many felt they wouldn’t get back G Jaroslav Janus either, but he’s been sent back by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He immediately gives Erie superior netminding and a huge opportunity to climb out of the bottom of the conference and make their way up the standings. Janus has looked great in his first four starts and who can forget his stellar performance at the World Juniors last year?
Sarnia Sting?
A nice story is emerging with Sarnia-native and rookie C Zack MacQueen. The 5-9, 165-pound 18-year-old has found a role, notching five goals and seven points in 20 games. He’s been a nice find for the team and it never hurts the box office if a local guy makes good either...LW Kale Kerbashian is on pace to shatter his previous career high for points at 43, as he has seven goals and 22 points in 21 games. The fourth-year veteran is also showing leadership for this young team.
Owen Sound
Attack?RW Bobby Mignardi is heading for a career season and potentially an All-Star game selection, as he is showing a level of offence previously not seen by him. With 15 goals and 24 points in 23 games for the Attack, his efforts have put him among the top 20 scorers in the league. Not bad for a guy who had 48 points in 68 games last year...Import RW Roman Berdnikov has finally come off the injury list and joined the club. The native of Omsk, Russia has shown a solid level of skill early on, with two assists in four games and looks dangerous with the puck.
Eastern Conference
Mississauga St. Mike Majors?
Sent a loud and clear message that they are contenders, knocking off the Kitchener Rangers, losers of only four games this year. The Majors are doing it with excellent defence, timely scoring and top-shelf goaltending...G Chris Carrozzi has re-established himself as a top flite OHL goalie, after a sub-par campaign last season. He leads the OHL with a 2.36 GAA and has a very solid save percentage of .914.
Barrie Colts?
Made a great trade to enhance their position for this season, acquiring D TJ Brodie and D Nick Crawford from Saginaw. In both players, they get NHL drafted quality D-men who can add offence from the point. Both players are averaging a point a game this season. Crawford had a goal and four points in his debut for Barrie, while Brodie was plus-3 on the night. The Colts look poised to be a force to be reckoned with in the East.
Kingston Frontenacs?
Talk about turning your game around. That’s exactly what hulking D Taylor Doherty has done. After struggling last year in his draft season and being selected by San Jose, he has simplified his game and is not trying to do too much and is having solid results. After being minus-14 last year and notching 20 points in 68 games, Doherty has put up 11 points in 24 games, is playing a very solid defensive game, and is using his size effectively and is plus-5. It may turn out that San Jose has found a gem with their 57th overall selection in the 2009 Draft.
Peterborough Petes?
Rookie LW Matt Puempel had talked with Hockey Now in a previous issue on focusing on good defence and that the offence would come. Well, it’s arrived—11 goals and 15 points in his first 18 games. That puts him among the rookie leaders in goals...second-year C Ryan Spooner has picked off where he left off last season, with nine goals and 26 points in 23 games. He’s eligible for the 2010 NHL Draft. Expect to see his name high on the list when NHL Central Scouting releases their rankings.
Brampton Battalion?
Word is the return of C Cody Hodgson is imminent to the team. The reigning CHL player of the year should make an immediate impact and guarantee the team a playoff berth if the club decides to keep him. They may opt to trade Hodgson for significant return, especially given that Hodgson should be playing for Vancouver next season...Rookie D Zach Bell has been a steady, tough-as-nails-type for Brampton. At 6-1, 205 pounds, he’s a hard-hitting guy who makes opponents pay the price. He’s also got a quick shot release from the blueline and could be a factor on the powerplay in the future.
Niagara Ice Dogs ?
C Alex Friesen has been carving out a great start to the season, with 12 goals and 24 points in 20 games and is a very credible plus-14. He is on pace to smash his career high of 33 points last season. A combination of maturation as a player and increased ice time have resulted in his substantial improvement...LW Chris DeSousa continues to impress, with 10 goals and 27 points in 24 games. The undrafted fourth-year player looks poised to be creating some potential future pro opportunities for himself with his strong play.
Ottawa 67’s?
C Ryan Martindale is continuing to show the progression he’s shown in each of his three seasons with Ottawa. From garnering 17 points in his rookie year, to 47 points last season, to being on pace for around 80 points this year, with 10 goals and 29 points in 22 games. The 6-3, 190-pound Brooklin-Native has put himself on the NHL Draft radar for this year with his evident upside.
Belleville Bulls?
C Adam Payerl has been a helpful addition to the club this season, coming over from the Barrie Colts in a trade. The 6-2, 194-pound Kitchener-native has cranked up the offence in his game, with five goals and 15 points in 23 games, putting him on pace for a 40- to 45-point season. That compares to his 17 points in 68 games with Barrie last season. He also makes opposing players earn every inch of ice against him.
Oshawa Generals?
RW Christian Thomas has been doing something his famous father could not—get noticed by NHL scouts for the NHL Draft. Dad Steve went undrafted but carved out a highly successful career in the NHL. Christian has been creating some serious offensive mojo, with nine goals and 22 points in 22 games. This is after registering eight goals and 25 points for the entire season last year. The 5-9, 171-pound Toronto-native has surely played his way into being a candidate to be drafted reasonably high in the draft.
Sudbury Wolves
Made a nice pickup, getting gritty and hard working C Steve Reese from the Sarnia Sting. Reese has made a nice impression already, with six points in five games and brings a high-level work ethic and great defensive instincts to the table, along with his solid offensive game. They acquired him for a fourth and a seventh round draft choice. |