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20 teams at a glance – Ontario Hockey League

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By Josh Sweetland/OHL

The 2022-23 OHL season is a little over 50 percent through, and with the trade deadline behind us, we take the opportunity to view the first half at a glance and gear up for what’s sure to be an intense second half of competition. There are a number of new faces in different destinations across the League, and we’ll take the opportunity to review a few of those. Since we typically cover such things alphabetically, and the Windsor Spitfires made arguably the biggest addition this past week, we’ll go in reverse order this time, just to switch things up!

Windsor Spitfires (23-9-3-1, T-1st in West Division)
Shane Wright, a Windsor Spitfire! The reigning Western Conference champions are dialled in again, with GM Bill Bowler seizing the opportunity to add Canada’s captain in World Junior gold medalist Shane Wright, who spent the first half of the season with the NHL’s Seattle Kraken. Reasons for optimism in Windsor extend beyond Wright, as the Spits are the highest scoring team in the league with 4.47 goals-per-game this season. Windsor addressed their back end in recent weeks with additions of Dallas Stars prospect Jacob Holmes and Swiss World Junior representative Rodwin Dionicio. Sophomore netminder Joey Costanzo has come on strong of late, continuing a six-game winning streak with an overall record of 10-2-0-1.

Stat Pack: The Spitfires are 17-2 this season when scoring first, and 18-0 when holding a lead after two periods … Matthew Maggio‘s five goals on Dec. 15 vs. Erie are the most in a single game this season. Maggio scored two shorthanded goals in that game, becoming the sixth player in club history to do so … Maggio has goals in six consecutive road games … Windsor is the League’s highest-scoring second period team, with 61 goals in the middle stanza this season.

Sudbury Wolves (14-18-3-0, 4th in Central Division)
We knew from the outset that the Sudbury Wolves wouldn’t have any trouble scoring goals, but staying out of the box has been another matter. Quentin Musty has been as advertised. The former first overall pick went on an 18-game point streak from Oct. 29 to Dec. 28, the longest by a Wolves player since Mathew Campagna‘s 18-game run in 2012-13. Last year’s top-voted rookie in the Eastern Conference, David Goyette has picked up where he left off, leading Sudbury with 51 points (25-26–51) in 34 games. A notable change leading into the second half in Sudbury is a change between the pipes as former QMJHL netminder Kevyn Brassard enters the fold via CHL waivers. Brassard won his debut last week after spending the first half of the season with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Former overage netminder Joe Ranger is joining the London Nationals of the GOJHL. The Wolves hold down the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference by a single point on ninth place Oshawa.

Stat Pack: The Wolves are the League’s second-most penalized team, with the second-worst performing penalty kill … Their 34.2 shots-per-game are the second-highest in the OHL … Musty’s six assists and seven points on Dec. 4 in a 13-2 win over Niagara tied a pair of franchise records.

Soo Greyhounds (12-14-7-4, 5th in West Division)
The Hounds have found themselves in 13 overtime or shootout scenarios this season, the most of any team in the Western Conference, and 19 of their outings have been decided by one goal. You could look at it one of two ways for the Hounds, who are 2-11 in overtime this season – they’ve managed to be in games and have gained some valuable points in the process. Alternatively, those overtime losses leave a lot of points on the table. NHL Draft eligible goaltender Charlie Schenkel remains sidelined as he hasn’t played since Nov. 25. His last appearance was a 35-save shutout win over the Mississauga Steelheads. Emerging blueliner Andrew Gibson, a fourth round pick in 2021, is off to Langley, BC later this month for the Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Stat Pack: Captain Bryce McConnell-Barker leads the League with 445 face-off wins, indicative of the big minutes he’s logging down the middle for the Greyhounds in all situations … The Hounds have struggled against West Division opponents, going 1-5-4-0 against them.

Sarnia Sting (18-12-4-2, 3rd in West Division)
It’s an exciting season in Sarnia! The Sting boast a number of prominent names led by OHL scoring leader Ty Voit, a draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs. General Manager Dylan Seca has bolstered the lineup with the additions of Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Luca Del Bel Belluz and Chicago Blackhawks pick Ethan Del Mastro, who comes off a World Junior gold medal for Canada. Not to be forgotten is franchise cornerstone Ben Gaudreau, a San Jose Sharks prospect the Sting selected with the seventh overall pick of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection. On the back end, Dallas Stars prospect Christian Kyrou sits second in scoring among League blueliners with 44 points (10-34–44) in 33 games. Overage forward Nolan Burke was so good in the first half, he earned himself an entry-level NHL contract with the Nashville Predators. The Sting missed a lot of man games to injury in the first half, and are hopeful for a healthier stretch run towards the playoffs.

Stat Pack: Surprisingly, in spite of Sarnia’s high-powered offence, their power play is 19th in the League. They’ve also had the second-highest number of advantages with 165 on the season.

Saginaw Spirit (24-11-2-0, T-1st in West Division)
One of the surprises of the first half, the Saginaw Spirit have enjoyed a great deal of success, with contributions coming from a pair of the League’s youngest players. Not to be overlooked, Pavel Mintyukov may very well be the League’s Red Tilson Trophy recipient if the season ended today, the Anaheim Ducks prospect, who has moved on to the Ottawa 67’s, led the Spirit in scoring with 54 points (15-38–54) in 37 games, good for third-best in the OHL. On to the rookies, exceptional status sensation Michael Misa has been just that, exceptional. Misa leads OHL rookies with 39 points (19-20–39) and his 23.5 percent shooting rate is the fifth-best in the OHL. First-year defender Zayne Parekh took home December’s OHL Rookie of the Month recognition as his 11 goals are the most by an OHL rookie defenceman. No doubt, it’ll be a different Saginaw team post-Mintyukov, but they’ve still got the personnel to have success, with mid-season addition Hunter Haight finding his stride, and World Junior silver medalist Matyas Sapovaliv coming off an outstanding performance for Czechia.

Stat Pack: Zayne Parekh leads all OHL defencemen with an 18.6 percent shooting percentage … the Spirit have surrendered the League’s second-lowest shot against rate of 26.8 per-game … the Spirit were the only team to be held without a shot on goal in a period this season, being blanked by the Oshawa Generals in the third period of a 3-2 win on Oct. 30 … Tristan Lennox recently became the fifth goalie in Spirit history to play 100 games.

Peterborough Petes (21-13-1-2, 2nd in East Division)
Is this the year in Peterborough? The Petes are in the hunt for their first OHL title since 2006 and have the names to make things interesting with World Junior gold medalist Brennan Othmann returning to the lineup this week. New additions Avery Hayes and Gavin White bring championship experience over from the Hamilton Bulldogs, joining Canadian World Junior gold medalist Owen Beck on a Petes team riding a current eight-game winning streak. The Petes are playing in front of arguably the League’s best goaltender to this point in the season as Michael Simpson leads the way with a League-best .918 save percentage and the most minutes played with 1,686.

Stat Pack: The Petes have dominated second periods this season, outscoring opponents 55-27, only to be outscored 45-36 in the third period of games … Jax Dubois is the League’s top face-off man, with a 60.8 percent success rate in 558 attempts, with new teammate Owen Beck close behind at 58.9 percent. If that wasn’t enough, Tucker Robertson has won 57.1 percent of his draws this season, making the Petes the best face-off team in the League statistically.

Owen Sound Attack (18-14-3-1, 2nd in Midwest Division)
The Bears have battled some injuries and been consistently inconsistent throughout the season’s first half, with both Gavin Bryant, veteran defenceman Teddy Sawyer and overage netminder Nick Chenard all missing some time. 2023 NHL Draft prospect Colby Barlow is an intriguing watch every night, leading the League’s draft eligibles with 25 goals on the campaign, a figure that includes an OHL-best seven game winners. Barlow, who will compete in the 2023 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Jan. 25 in Langley, BC, went on a franchise record 10-game goal-scoring streak from Nov. 12 to Dec. 4. Minnesota Wild prospect Servac Petrovsky, who had a strong showing for Slovakia at the World Juniors, joins Mississauga’s James Hardie as one of two players to record three hat tricks this season.

Stat Pack: The Attack are 9-0-0-0 when leading after the first period this season … Gavin Bryant‘s 29.2 percent shooting percentage leads the OHL … in an interesting wrinkle, utility man Sam Sedley, typically a defenceman, has taken 50 face-offs this season … Petrovsky’s three power play goals on Dec. 11 vs. Sault Ste. Marie make him the fourth player in Attack/Platers history to record three PP markers in a game … The Attack are the only team in the OHL this season to be held to 14 shots on goal in a game, twice – Oct. 8 vs. Mississauga and Jan. 8 at Ottawa … the Attack are on pace to record their 12th consecutive season with at least 30 wins or more.

Ottawa 67’s (28-6-1-1, 1st in East Division)
The 67’s have been the class of the League thus far in 2022-23, treating the Ottawa faithful to a League-best 16-2 record on home ice. The Barber Poles are the only team with double-digit goals against, allowing just 89 in 36 games thanks to the goaltending tandem of Max Donoso and Collin MacKenzie. The 67’s have feasted on divisional foes, going a combined 9-0 against Kingston and Oshawa. Their recent additions of a healthy Jack Beck, reigning OHL Playoff MVP Logan Morrison and Saginaw Spirit standout Pavel Mintyukov on the back end, only serve to make what’s been the best OHL team in the first half even better.

Stat Pack: 67’s head coach Dave Cameron is 18 games away from 800 on his OHL career … Ottawa is 22-0 when carrying a lead into the third period this season … they’ve surrendered a League-low 26.4 shots-per-game … new addition Logan Morrison owns the OHL’s longest point streak of the campaign, going 19 games from Nov. 4 to Dec. 17 as a member of the Hamilton Bulldogs … Collin MacKenzie‘s memorable 15-for-15 shootout performance in Sault Ste. Marie on Oct. 21 set a new League record for consecutive stops in a shootout – defenceman Gavin Ewles came through with the game winner.

Oshawa Generals (13-19-1-3, 5th in East Division)
Featuring a new coach this season in former Dallas Stars assistant Derek Laxdal, the Generals set out to forge somewhat of a new identity in the first half without graduated long-time contributor Ty Tullio in the AHL and former captain Lleyton Moore having moved on to the Kitchener Rangers. Rookie winger Beckett Sennecke has been among the best first-year players in the League with 27 points (12-15–27) in 32 games. Big-name centre Calum Ritchie has also produced close to a point-per-game, and will compete in this month’s Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. With scoring winger Brett Harrison off to Windsor, goals will be harder to come by for Oshawa, who owns the OHL’s best power play at 26.3 percent entering Wednesday’s action.

Stat Pack: Oshawa’s first-ranked power play is at its best on the road, operating at 28.6 percent away from the Tribute Communities Centre … Ryan Gagnier is one of two players in the League (Sasha Pastujov) with two shootout game winners … the Generals are 1-13-0-1 when trailing after one period this season.

North Bay Battalion (26-10-0-1, 1st in Central Division)
The reigning Central Division champs are in good shape to add another Emms Trophy to their collection. The Battalion have been a powerhouse, leading the OHL with just over 36 shots-per-game while getting solid contributions from mid-season additions Josh Bloom and Pasquale Zito on offence. Veteran blueliner Paul Christopoulos leads the OHL by a considerable margin, owning a plus-36 rating while defenceman Wyatt Kennedy is tied for the rookie lead at plus-16. The Troops had a taste of the Eastern Conference Championship Series last year, and have the majority of that group back in place minus overagers Brandon Coe, Mitchell Russell and Grayson Ladd. Winnipeg Jets prospect Dom DiVincentiis is the League’s only 20-game winner between the pipes as he owns an OHL-best 2.55 goals-against average.

Stat Pack: The Troops are 17-0-0-1 when scoring first and 5-0 when entering the second period in a tie game … North Bay owns the League’s best penalty kill at 87.3 percent, joining the Mississauga Steelheads with a League-leading nine shorthanded goals … The Troops are statistically the OHL’s best third period team, outscoring opponents 59-38 … Blueliner Ty Nelson leads the OHL with 195 shots on goal … Matvey Petrov has at least one point in every home game this season, a 16-game trend.

Niagara IceDogs (8-19-5-1, 5th in Central Division)
The IceDogs had their share of first half struggles, particularly on defence where they’ve surrendered a League-high 39 shots-per-game. With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, the Dogs will look to settle into good habits under recently named head coach Ryan Kuwabara. Nineteen-year-old forward Daniel Michaud has been a bright spot for the IceDogs, scoring in each of their last six home games. Michaud has 12 goals and 22 points on the season, sitting second to recent addition Zakary Lavoie who has lit the lamp 14 times between Niagara and Mississauga. Rookie forward Kevin He has also been solid for the IceDogs, one of six OHL rookies with at least 10 goals on the season.

Stat Pack: Goaltenders Owen Flores (Nov. 4 at Sudbury) and Josh Rosenzweig (Nov. 12 at Ottawa) are the only two OHL goaltenders this season to make 50 saves in a game … the Dogs have been outshot in 29 of their 33 games so far … Niagara is 0-20 when trailing after two periods.

Mississauga Steelheads (17-16-4-0, 3rd in Central Division)
If there’s one team where first half analysis may be rendered fairly irrelevant, it’s the Mississauga Steelheads, who have an entirely new look. Ethan Del Mastro, Luca Del Bel Belluz and Owen Beck are onto new adventures as overage winger James Hardie remains, looking to set a pair of new Steelheads franchise records with a goal in Friday’s game at home to Niagara. Steelheads head coach and GM James Richmond has brought in promising young rookies and childhood friends Porter Martone and Jack Van Volsen, the fifth and sixth overall picks of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection respectively. Adam Zidlicky scored twice in his Steelheads debut last week, and hard-working addition Angus MacDonell also found the scoresheet. What the second half looks like for the young Steelheads is anyone’s guess!

Stat Pack: The Trout have only been outshot in nine of their 37 games this season … they’re one of two teams (North Bay) with nine shorthanded goals on the season – new addition Justin DeZoete scored one in his debut.

London Knights (26-9-1-0, 1st in Midwest Division)
Gunning for their fourth consecutive Midwest Division title, the London Knights are the OHL’s best road team thus far with a 13-3 mark away from Budweiser Gardens. Their nine-game winning streak came to a halt in Sault Ste. Marie on Sunday, but there is no denying how good the Knights have been since the start of November. London’s blue line has been involved offensively throughout the campaign, with 2023 NHL Draft prospect Oliver Bonk leading all OHL rookies with 12 points on the power play. The “twin” combination of Denver Barkey and Easton Cowan has had fans on the edge of their seats all season, and new additions in Ryan Winterton and Ryan Humphrey join former Hamilton Bulldogs OHL champion teammate George Diaco in green and gold. After starting slow, Brett Brochu has found his game in the past month-and-a-half, joining rookie partner Zach Bowen in helping the Knights play to a mark of 13-5 when outshot this season.

Stat Pack: Head coach Dale Hunter is 18 wins away from 900 in his OHL career … Brochu’s 79 wins are the third-most in Knights history, five back of second-place Gene Chiarello … The Knights have been fast starters all season, outscoring opponents 51-26 in first periods, but they’ve been outdone 40-38 in the third period of games … the Knights have figured out the East Division, going 10-2-1-0 against those opponents.

Kitchener Rangers (15-17-2-0, 4th in Midwest Division)
The results might not be there right now, but the Kitchener Rangers clearly believe they can get there. The Blueshirts have lost their last six outings, but the undeniable talent in the lineup led by December’s OHL Player of the Month Francesco Pinelli would lead one to think that trend can’t continue for long. The Rangers are backstopped by an OHL champion in Marco Costantini, and have seen newly-signed Winnipeg Jets prospect Danny Zhilkin join the club from the rival Guelph Storm. The Rangers, who own two first round picks in this spring’s 2023 OHL Priority Selection, will be able to re-load on young talent moving into next season, but for now the purpose and direction appears to be abundantly clear, and a big second half turnaround is imperative. The Rangers remain hopeful they’ll see big winger Mitchell Martin return to the lineup in the coming weeks.

Stat Pack: Good starts are important for the Rangers, who are 13-3 when scoring first as opposed to 2-16 when they don’t … Kitchener is 1-11 when trailing after one period … the Rangers are one of three teams (Saginaw, Sudbury) that have yet to see a shootout this season.

Kingston Frontenacs (17-17-1-1, 3rd East Division)
The Frontenacs have made clear their intention to bid for hosting rights to the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Kia, and their direction this season has corresponded to having that opportunity in their sights. Veterans with entry-level NHL contracts, former captain Shane Wright has moved on to the Windsor Spitfires while 26-goal scorer Francesco Arcuri is a Kitchener Ranger. Remaining in place with strong forecasts for 2023-24 are Chicago Blackhawks prospect Paul Ludwinski, sophomore winger Matthew Soto, mid-season addition Owen Outwater and the newest Frontenac, 2023 NHL Draft prospect Ethan Miedema. Goaltenders Ivan Zhigalov and Mason Vaccari have both had their share of strong performances in the Kingston crease and will continue to be relied upon with a younger group in front of them. Veteran addition Ian Lemieux will be a valuable piece on the blue line, joining Ottawa Senators prospect Ben Roger in shouldering a good load.

Stat Pack: Third periods have been tough for the Fronts this season, as they’ve been outshot 430-288 in the final frame.

Hamilton Bulldogs (15-17-4-0, 4th East Division)
The reigning OHL champions said goodbye to some long-time centrepieces this past week and have a playoff spot in their sights as part of their title defence. 2023 NHL Draft prospect Nick Lardis got off to a great start in black and gold, as the Oakville native scored in each of his first two games. Lardis will be competing in the Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game later this month. A defenceman moves into Hamilton’s scoring lead as Ottawa Senators prospect Jorian Donovan has 28 points (8-20–28) in 34 games. Local product Patrick Thomas has goals in each of his last three games and points in nine of 10. Dallas Stars prospect Artem Grushnikov remains one of the League’s best shut down types, and will be important for Hamilton in the second half.

Stat Pack: The Dogs have been slow starters this season, being outscored 50-35 in first periods, the only period they’ve been consistently outshot in … Hamilton leads the OHL with 485 penalty minutes … their power play has surrendered a League-high 10 shorthanded goals against.

Guelph Storm (15-18-4-1, 4th Midwest Division)
The Guelph Storm are in the process of trying to salvage a disappointing start to the 2022-23 campaign. Mid-season addition Max Namestnikov injected some spark into the Storm as the former third overall OHL Priority Selection choice has recorded 20 points (11-9–20) through 19 games in crimson. Boston Bruins prospect Matthew Poitras continues to create offence with 33 assists in as many games. 2023 NHL Draft prospect Cam Allen remains sidelined with an upper body injury, hopeful for a return in the coming weeks. With a healthy Braeden Bowman, the addition of 6-foot-5 Ottawa Senators prospect Chandler Romeo to the blue line and a veteran workhorse in Patrick Leaver between the pipes, the Storm are hopeful a positive second half is in store.

Stat Pack: The Storm have showed some fight playing from behind, leading the League with five wins when trailing after two periods.

Flint Firebirds (19-15-2-1, 4th West Division)
Last year’s memorable trip to Game 7 of the Western Conference Championship Series has fans in Flint hungry for more. The ‘Birds don’t have the presence of 50-goal man Brennan Othmann up front anymore, but they’re hopeful recent addition Nolan Dann can fill a goal-scoring void as he looks to follow-up 29 goals with the Sarnia Sting prior to spending the first half of this season with the Niagara IceDogs. Detroit Red Wings prospect Amadeus Lombardi has been one of the more consistently productive forwards in the League this season, leading the way with 50 points (23-27–50). Chicago Blackhawks pick Gavin Hayes has heated up post-Christmas, with seven goals since returning from the break. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Braeden Kressler is back healthy and provides an important piece to the Firebirds with his blend of speed and prowess in the face-off circle. Flint has added muscle to the blue line throughout the season, with San Jose Sharks prospect Artem Guryev and 6-foot-4, 202Ib. presence Blake Smith who both play a physical game.

Stat Pack: The Firebirds are 12-0 when leading after two periods … Flint is the League’s highest-scoring first period team with 53 goals in the opening frame … Dmitry Kuzmin is one of the more intriguing statistical stories, leading all players with five shorthanded points (2-3–5). Kuzmin posted a plus-6 rating in a game on Dec. 1 at Peterborough, only to go minus-6 on Dec. 10 vs. Sarnia … Tyler Deline is the only OHL blueliner with two shootout goals this season.

Erie Otters (12-20-0-3, 5th Midwest Division)
The Otters are turning over a new leaf heading into the second half as the search for a new head coach is on. With losses in nine of 10, assistants Vince Laise and Wes Wolfe will manage the bench in the interim after BJ Adams was relieved of his post earlier this week. The loss of leading scorer Brett Bressette to injury is one of several bumps in the road for Erie through the first half as the Otters also missed Colby Saganiuk, Sam Alfano, Liam Gilmartin and Artyom Kulakov for lengthy stretches at various points. Looking ahead, new addition Pano Fimis scored his first as an Otter last week. New addition Ondrej Molnar, a 2023 NHL Draft prospect from Slovakia, had points in his first seven OHL games. Sophomore centreman Carey Terrance will compete at the 2023 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game later this month. Columbus Blue Jackets free agent signing Nolan Lalonde looks to get back into a rhythm in the coming weeks following a string of tough outings in the crease.

Stat Pack: Otters defender Spencer Sova leads all OHL rearguards with eight power play goals … second overall 2022 OHL Priority Selection choice Malcolm Spence leads OHL rookies with 87 shots on goal.

Barrie Colts (19-10-4-2, 2nd Central Division)
The Colts didn’t get off to the start they wanted, but they’ve fought and clawed their way up the OHL standings, one hard-fought win at a time. The Colts lead the League in overtime/shootout appearances with 15, logging a total of 24 points in those scenarios as they’ve collected an OHL-high 12 wins in one-goal games. LA Kings first round pick and Canadian World Junior gold medalist Brandt Clarke returns to the Colts, joining shutdown blueliner Braden Haché as a key addition to the Barrie blue line. Arizona Coyotes prospect Anson Thornton found his groove in December, being named the League’s Goaltender of the Month. With overage vets Evan Vierling, Ethan Cardwell and Declan McDonnell taking their final run at an OHL championship, the Colts might have something big in store for the second half.

Stat Pack: Barrie has allowed the League’s second-highest total of 36.6 shots-per-game … veteran defender Connor Punnett sits tied for the League-lead in game winning goals by a defenceman with three.

 

 



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