By Sam Laskaris /
With 21 entrants, there’s plenty of news within the Central Canadian Hockey League this season. Here’s a brief glimpse of each club.
EAST DIVISION
AJAX ATTACK
The Attack has had its share of struggles in recent years. But the organization can brag about having the league’s scoring leader. Blake Boddy was averaging more than two points per game, with 33 points in 16 games.
BOWMANVILLE EAGLES
Bowmanville’s 20-year-old forward Michael Markovic has been racking up his share of points on the powerplay this season. Markovic, who was leading the Eagles with 21 points in 15 games, had 10 power play points, including five goals.
COBOURG COUGARS
The Cougars are hoping to return to their early-season winning ways. After winning its first three regular season contests, by mid-October the Cobourg squad had yet to win again and was mired in an 11-game losing slump.
LINDSAY MUSKIES
With a bit more home success the Muskies could be a division contender instead of a middle-of-the-pack club. Lindsay won four of its first five road matches. But the Muskies had only three victories in seven starts at home.
MARKHAM WAXERS
Despite losing two of their three mid-October games in one week, the Waxers were still vying for top spot in the divisional standings. Markham, which had nine wins in 14 matches, was just three points out of first place.
PETEROBOROUGH STARS
Things are starting to look up for the Stars. The Peterborough squad had a tough start, losing its first four regular season games. But the Stars have improved their fortunes by mid-October and had won four of its last six battles.
PICKERING PANTHERS
The Panthers, who had five victories in their first 15 games, would be much better off if they had more players like forward Tyler von Englebrechten. He was tied for ninth in the league scoring race with 25 points in 15 games.
STOUFFVILLE SPIRIT
Though it had scored a division-low of 34 goals in 12 games, the Stouffville squad still had a winning record, with seven wins and five losses. Part of the Spirit success was because it had also given up just 35 goals thus far.
WELLINGTON DUKES
The division-leading Dukes will be represented by two players – goaltender Jordan Ruby and defenceman David Pratt – at this year’s World Junior A Challenge. Both Wellington players will suit up for the Team Canada East squad.
WHITBY FURY
It’s not a Law but a Whitby forward seems to score points in bunches. Taylor Law has already had a pair of four-point games and three three-point evenings. He’s also leading the Fury with 21 points through 13 games.
WEST DIVISION
BURLINGTON COUGARS
The Cougars, who won nine of their first 11 games, had a mini-slump. Burlington lost two out of its three games in one October week, giving up seven goals in each loss. The Cougars sandwiched those losses with a 7-1 win.
DIXIE BEEHIVES
The Beehives, who had scored just 40 goals in their first 17 matches, need to receive some more offensive production to stay competitive in the division. Dixie had just three players who had scored five goals or more.
HAMILTON RED WINGS
The Red Wings have been a rather streaky squad this season. After winning just one of their first four games, they won five of their next six outings. But Hamilton followed this stretch by losing its next two contests.
NEWMARKET HURRICANES
With 11 wins in 13 games, the Hurricanes have proven they could be THE team to beat in the West. With its 22 points, Newmarket was tied atop the division standings with the Junior Canadiens, who had played three more games.
NORTH YORK RANGERS
North York had won exactly half (seven) of its first 14 games. But the Rangers were among the league leaders in one category - most shootout appearances. The Rangers were 2-2 in their four matches decided by shootouts.
ORANGEVILLE CRUSHERS
At his current pace, Crushers’ sniper Mike Arnold will surpass the 29-goal mark he hit last season well before this Christmas. Arnold had a team-high 17 goals in 14 games. And Orangeville had 23 games to go before its holiday break.
ST. MICHAEL’S BUZZERS
Lucas Lessio, a 16-year-old forward, continues to put up some big numbers for the Buzzers. Lessio, who will attend the University of Michigan starting in 2011, has 25 points, including 12 goals, in his first 13 games with St. Michael’s.
SEGUIN BRUINS
The Bruins had a rather promising start to their season, winning three out of their first five matches. But the Seguin side has struggled ever since and had suffered eight consecutive losses, falling to the bottom of the division standings.
STREETSVILLE DERBYS
Good things seem to happen for the Derbys when Justin Baker is on the ice. The blueliner was leading Streetsville in scoring with 18 points in 13 games. He was also a plus-11, the only Derby with a double-digit, plus-minus figure.
TORONTO JUNIOR CANADIENS
The Junior Canadiens have plenty of firepower this season. In mid-October the club had eight players on its roster that were averaging at least a point per game, including Kelly Jackson, who had a team-high 31 points in 16 games.
UPPER CANADA PATRIOTS
The Patriots are hoping it’s a turning-point in their season. For the first time this year, Upper Canada registered back-to-back victories, a 5-4 shootout triumph over North York on Oct. 16 followed by a 4-3 win over Bowmanville two nights later. |