By Mike Beasley /
It’s that time of year again folks, Santa Claus is on his way followed by the World Junior Hockey Championship.
If you’re a kid or a junior hockey fan it doesn’t get any better than this unless you’re both which means you’re in heaven.
But first let’s get you up to date with all the news, events and happenings from the OHL, over the past few weeks.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Defenceman Tyler Cuma of the Ottawa 67s was called up to Canada’s World Junior championship team selection camp on Dec. 13 to replace injured D Patrick Wiercioch.
“Wiercioch came in with a knee injury and our medical people didn’t feel it had healed to the point where it was in his best interest to be on the ice,” Murray said.
Cuma was injured at last year’s camp and missed out on playing the World Juniors in Ottawa. He was not among the 36 players originally invited to this year’s camp.
Wiercioch is the second player dropped from the list due to injury. C Cody Hodgson informed the team he could not play due to a back injury.
THE BEAT GOES ON AND ON FOR COLTS
The Barrie Colts’ torrid winning streak hit 19 consecutive games on Dec. 12 with a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa 67’s. It’s the longest winning streak in the OHL in ten years. The Colts last loss came on October 22 in a 4-3 shoot-out loss to the Sarnia Sting. After 32 games this season Barrie’s record was 27-4-0-1.
GRUBAUERS GETS CALL FOR GERMANY
Belleville Bulls goaltender Philipp Grubauer will be representing Germany at the 2010 World Junior Championship Division I Group A being held in Megeve and Saint Gervais, France from Dec. 14-20.
The winning country in the six-team tournament will earn a promotion to the top division and will compete in the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championship in Buffalo, New York.
Grubauer and Team Germany will begin the tournament against Japan on Dec. 14 and will also face Denmark, France, Slovenia, and Ukraine.
SASAKATCEWAN VIA THE CZECH REPUBLIC
The Peterborough Petes will be represented at the 2010 World Junior Championship tournament in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, as second-year defenceman Adam Sedlak has been invited to play for the Czech Republic.
OHL CONTENT ON TEAM USA
They play hockey in the OHL but may represent America at the WJHC in Saskatoon. Forwards Phil McRae... (London Knights), Jeremy Morin... (Kitchener Rangers), AJ Jenks... (Plymouth Whalers) as well as defencemen, Cam Fowler.... (Windsor Spitfires), John Moore... (Kitchener Rangers) and Brian Lashoff... (Kingston Frontenacs). D John Carlson is a former London Knight and is a lock on the U.S. blueline. Carlson suited up for three games in a Washington Capitals uniform this season and is currently playing for the Hershey Bears.
KINGSTON WANTS THE CUP
The Kingston Frontenacs want to host the 2011 Memorial Cup. Even though the Windsor Spitfires may be considered the front-runners by many in the competition to stage the national Junior hockey championship tournament, the Frontenacs submitted a letter to the Ontario Hockey League on Dec. 10 announcing their intent to bid.
Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors and Barrie Colts also have hinted they will bid for the event.
“There’s a reason why you play the games,” Frontenacs owner Doug Springer said when asked if he felt the powerful Spitfires could be topped in the bidding battle.
“We’re in this to win; we’re not in this to hand it to anybody. We’ve assembled an incredible team and we’re hard at work...we plan to put together a bid that is really hard to ignore.”
The Frontenacs will make their submission in February. In March, the OHL will make a short-list of teams that get to make a presentation to the selection committee in April.
The winner is expected to be announced in May.
SAGINAW ACQUIRES PROVEN BLUELINER
The Saginaw Spirit completed a trade with the Eastern Conference’s Sudbury Wolves, adding defenceman Peter Hermenegildo to the Spirit roster. In return, the Wolves picked up defenceman Nick Trecapelli, Sudbury’s fourth round pick in the 2010 OHL Priority Selection (acquired by Saginaw via an earlier trade) and Saginaw’s fifth round pick in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection.
Hermenegildo is a 1991-born defenceman from Thornhill, Ont. that was selected by the Sudbury Wolves 47th overall in the 2007 OHL Priority Selection. He has tallied three goals and seven assists in 20 games this season, 21 goals and 41 assists in his three-year Ontario Hockey League career. |