By Mike Beasley /
It may be the middle of summer but things have been heating up around the OHL for the last couple weeks and will get even hotter as the new season approaches.
SPITS BRING HOME CUP
Congratulations to the Windsor Spitfires organization on their 2009 Memorial Cup victory. The Spitfires captured the Cup in dramatic fashion, losing their first two game of the round robin before rebounding with four consecutive wins.
Windsor becomes the first Ontario based team to win national honours since the 2005 London Knights.
OTTERS HOME TO GET FACELIFT
The Erie County Convention Center Authority (ECCCA) has secured $32 million in state funding for improvements to the Louis J. Tullio Arena, home of the Erie Otters.
The ECCCA would like to add an additional $10 million in funding from the County for the renovation project.
If approved, the $42 million renovation project could begin by late August with actual on site renovations beginning as early as December.
BOUGHNER GETS NATIONAL TEAM GIG
Bob Boughner, head coach of the 2009 Memorial Cup champion Windsor Spitfires has been named as the coach of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 team.
Boughner replaces Dave Lowry who was named as an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames.
OHL RULES AT NHL ENTRY DRAFT
A total of 45 OHL players were drafted by NHL teams at this year’s amateur entry draft.
That number is close to half of the total number of players (99) that were selected from CHL teams.
Seven OHL players were chosen in the first round including John Tavares, Matt Duchene, Nazem Kadri, Ryan Ellis, Calvin DeHaan, Zack Kassian and Peter Holland.
The Windsor Spitfires and Guelph Storm led the way with five players being selected from their rosters. Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors had four.
Last year the OHL had 46 players hear their names called.
KINGSTON TO HOST ALL-STAR CLASSIC: The City of Kingston and the Kingston Frontenacs will welcome the rest of the OHL to the Limestone City on February 2 and 3 for the 2010 All Star Classic.
The two day event will take place at the K-Rock Centre in downtown Kingston.
This will be the second time that Kingston has hosted the league All Star game.
The first time was in 1981 when it was held at the Memorial Centre.
Check out the Frontenacs flashy new website at www.kingstonfrontenacs.com for team news and upcoming events.
BATTLE OF OTTAWA RIVER THIS SEPTEMBER
It will be OHL versus QMJHL this September as the Ottawa 67’s and Gatineau Olympiques will square off in a home and home exhibition series.
The teams will meet at the Ottawa Civic Centre on Friday, September 4 and then again two nights later at Gatineau’s Robert Guertin Arena.
“It’s always a great experience when we play the Olympiques,” said Jeff Hunt, 67’s Owner and Governor. “They are usually one of the top teams in the QMJHL with an exciting “Fire Wagon” brand of hockey, which is great entertainment for the fans and a terrific challenge for our team.”
Between 1975 and 2002, the two teams played 32 games against each other including eight home and home regular season meetings from 2000 to 2002.
The 67’s all time record against their cross river Major Junior rivals is 23-8-1.
NINE OHL PLAYERS GET INVITE TO U.S. NATIONAL JUNIOR CAMP
Eight skaters and one goaltender have been invited to the U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, New York in early August.
G Brandon Maxwell, Kitchener Rangers...D Adam Comrie, Saginaw Spirit...Beau Schmitz, Plymouth Whalers...Cam Fowler, Windsor Spitfires... John Carlson, London Knights along with forwards AJ Jenks, Plymouth...Philip McRae, London...Andrew Yogan, Erie Otters and Jeremy Morin, Kitchener will be looking to earn on the American squad that will compete at the 2010 World Junior Championships which will be held in Regina and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan from December 26, 2009 to January 5, 2010.
OHL CONTENT AT CANADA’S WJC EVALUATION CAMP
Canada will be well represented again at this year’s World Junior Championships by players from the OHL.
Here’s a list of OHL players that have been invited to Canada’s summer evaluation camp in Calgary, Alta. later this month that may end up making the final roster:
Goalies: Matt Hackett, Plymouth Whalers; Edward Pasquale, Saginaw Spirit; Scott Stajcer, Owen Sound Attack
Defencemen: T.J Brodie, Saginaw Spirit; Matt Clark, Brampton Battalion; Tyler Cuma, Ottawa 67’s; Calvin de Haan, Oshawa Generals; Ryan Ellis, Windsor Spitfires; Cameron Gaunce, Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors; Shawn Lalonde, Belleville Bulls; Alex Pietrangelo, Niagara IceDogs
Forwards: Josh Brittain, Barrie Colts; Stefan Della Rovere, Barrie Colts; Matt Duchene, Brampton Battalion; Taylor Hall, Windsor Spitfires; Adam Henrique, Windsor Spitfires; Cody Hodgson, Brampton Battalion; Nazem Kadri, London Knights; Zack Kassian, Peterborough Petes; Greg Nemisz, Windsor Spitfires; Ryan O’Reilly, Erie Otters
WHALERS GO SWEDISH WITH IMPORT PICK
The Plymouth Whalers selected RW Gabriel Landeskog with the third pick in the 2009 CHL Import Draft.
The Whalers picked first among the 20 ?OHL teams.
Landeskog, 16, played for Djurgården this season. He began the year in the Under-18 League with 4-5-9 points in 5 games before being promoted to the U-20 team where he had 7 goals and 14 assists in 31 games. He moved up to the Swedish Elite League for Djurgården becoming the youngest player in the team’s history.
Landeskog is eligible for the 2011 NHL ?Entry Draft.
HAPPY 20th ANNIVERSARY PLYMOUTH
The Plymouth Whalers will be celebrating their 20th season in the OHL this year after joining the circuit at the beginning of the 1990-1991 campaign. |