We’re down to the final two weeks of the OHL regular season and the pace is picking up! We’ve got the playoffs, as well as the OHL Cup Showcase right around the corner. Here’s the latest from across the League.
2023 OHL Playoff Tracker:
The OHL Playoff Tracker provides an updated look at the standings as matchups for the first round of the 2023 OHL Playoffs continue to take shape. Read more
Watch the OHL Playoffs on OHL Live:
OHL Live playoff streaming passes are now on sale. Don’t miss a second of the action! Watch
67’s, Knights and Spitfires make Week 23 edition of Kia CHL Top 10:
The Ottawa 67’s, Sarnia Sting and North Bay Battalion are included in the Week 23 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings while the Barrie Colts received an honourable mention. Watch
Bulldogs’ Panwar named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week:
Sahil Panwar of the Hamilton Bulldogs is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording three goals, four assists and seven points in three games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-4. Read More
Battalion’s DiVincentiis named OHL Goaltender of the Week:
Winnipeg Jets prospect Dom DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion is the OHL Goaltender of the Week with two wins including a shutout, a goals-against average of 0.50 and a save percentage of .984. Read more
OHL Weekend Notebook:
The OHL Weekend Notebook recaps the weekend that was with news, information and interesting facts from both on and off the ice. Read more
Spitfires duo dazzles in OHL Plays of the Week:
See contributions from the Peterborough duo of Avery Hayes and Brennan Othmann, Sudbury teammates Kocha Delic and Quentin Musty, Owen Sound Attack blueliner Nolan Seed, Oshawa’s Stuart Rolofs and Windsor’s Shane Wright and Matthew Maggio. Watch
Sting’s Gaudreau headlines OHL Saves of the Week:
Goaltenders were diving all over the place in the latest round of OHL Saves of the Week, with contributions from Sarnia’s Ben Gaudreau, Kingston’s Ivan Zhigalov, Owen Sound’s Nick Chenard, Sudbury’s Kevyn Brassard, North Bay’s Dom DiVincentiis, Sault Ste. Marie’s Samuel Ivanov and Flint’s Will Cranley.. Watch
OHL This Week Podcast: Episode 23
The playoffs are right around the corner! While Oshawa and Kingston grind it out for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the latest OHL This Week Podcast looks ahead to the post-season with the East Division’s Ottawa 67’s, Peterborough Petes and Hamilton Bulldogs. Listen
Hometown hero Matthew Maggio excelling for Spitfires:
Matthew Maggio grew up around the Windsor Spitfires, and is making the most of his opportunity as he wears the ‘C’ for his hometown team. Watch
Meet the Future – Carson Rehkopf:
Kitchener Rangers forward and 2023 NHL Draft prospect Carson Rehkopf used lacrosse to help develop his explosive speed and hands. Watch
Generals’ Butler signs with Blue Jackets:
Oshawa Generals overage forward Cameron Butler has signed a three-year entry-level NHL contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Butler has scored a career-high 24 goals along with 59 points in 59 games with the Generals this season. Read more
Battalion’s McDonald signs with Stars:
The Dallas Stars have signed North Bay Battalion forward Kyle McDonald to a three-year entry-level contract. The contract will begin in the 2023-24 season. McDonald has 45 points (28-17–45) in 38 games this season. Read more
Greyhounds’ Kudryavtsev signs with Canucks:
The Vancouver Canucks have signed Soo Greyhounds defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev to a three-year entry level contract. Kudryavtsev, 19, has appeared in 60 games with they Greyhounds so far this season, ranking tied for third in overall team scoring and first among defencemen with 45 points (6-39-45). The 5-foot-11, 200lb. defenceman was originally selected by Vancouver in the seventh round, 208th overall at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Read more
67’s’ Boucher to be sidelined for remainder of season:
The Ottawa 67’s and and Ottawa Senators recently provided an update on injured forward Tyler Boucher, who will miss the remainder of the season as he undergoes shoulder surgery. Read more
Registration now open for OHL Performance Development League presented by CCM:
Registration is now open for the third season of the OHL Performance Development League (PDL) presented by CCM. The OHL PDL is an off-season development initiative targeted at young players incorporating Small Area 3-on-3 Games with weekly skill specific development sessions over a 10-week program. Enhancements to this program include on-ice skills with Power Edge Pro (PEP) and information seminars for players and parents. Read more
Five to Watch for the 2023 OHL Priority Selection:
Each week, OHL Central Scouting takes a look at some of the top 2007-born prospects eligible for the 2023 Priority Selection, breaking down what stands out about their skillset on the ice. Read more
Seven more teams clinch OHL Cup berths in latest round of Top 10 Rankings:
Seven more teams have secured their place at the 2023 OHL Cup that gets underway with Wild Card play on Tuesday, March 28th. The top-ranked Toronto Marlboros, fifth-ranked Toronto Jr. Canadiens, sixth-ranked Mississauga Senators and seventh-ranked Mississauga Rebels have all secured GTHL semi-final spots, booking their ticket to the annual showcase. In the ALLIANCE ranks, the eighth-spot London Jr. Knights, honourable mention Waterloo Wolves and unranked Sun County Panthers join the ninth-ranked Huron-Perth Lakers, who became the first team to clinch last week. Read more
ALLIANCE stage set for 2023 OHL Cup:
The ALLIANCE Semi-Finals are set, with four teams booking their trip to the 2023 OHL Cup that begins Tuesday, March 28th at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto. The London Jr. Knights, Huron-Perth Lakers, Waterloo Wolves and Sun County Panthers are all headed to the year-end showcase. Here’s a look at how they got there. Read more
COMMUNITY CORNER:
Rangers partner with You Can Play for community training session:
The Kitchener Rangers partnered with You Can Play on Wednesday to run an interactive and scenario-based training session community covering 2SLGBTQ+ 101, Symbols & Signals, Identity, Behavior, and Language. The session had participants engaged and getting real-world scenarios for practicing how to make hockey an inclusive sport.
Spirit raise $77,000 on Hockey for the Homeless night:
In their 11th annual Hockey for the Homeless night, the Saginaw Spirit raised over $77,000 for the Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan and the Samaritan Youth Shelter. The Spirit wore specialty Super Mario-themed jerseys Saturday night that were auctioned off after the game, with proceeds benefiting the shelter. Admission fees from the Rescue Ministries’ pregame broomball tournament, the Spirit of Hope Telethon, and numerous event sponsors all helped achieve the most successful Hockey for the Homeless night to date. Read more
Steelheads hold Indigenous Celebration Game:
The Mississauga Steelheads were decked out in specialty Indigenous jerseys on Wednesday, defeating the Barrie Colts 6-5 in a shootout. The uniforms were designed by local Indigenous artist Kory Parkin and were auctioned-off online, with proceeds going to the 2-Spirited People of the First Nations. Fans can submit their bids on these special jerseys here.
Knights’ Rogers tv host Paige Martin looks back on her journey to the NHL:
Having proudly served as on-air host of London Knights hockey on Rogers tv for several seasons, Paige Martin is making strides in the hockey community. With a passion for storytelling, Paige continues to throw herself in new and challenging environments as she joins the Edmonton Oilers as their new Digital Content Producer. Read more
Andrew Verner and Petes raise over $16,000 at World Kidney Day game:
It was World Kidney Day Game Night at the PMC on Thursday. The game was recognizing Petes Associate Coach, Andrew Verner, who was diagnosed with glomerulonephritis in 1999 and received a kidney transplant exactly two years ago to the day. The night, spearheaded by Verner, was created to raise awareness about organ donor registration and to raise funds for equipment used in the lifesaving delivery of dialysis treatment at Peterborough Regional Health Centre. Read more
IceDogs present Rankin Cancer Run with $6,506.85 cheque:
The Niagara IceDogs presented the Rankin Cancer Run with a cheque for $6,506.85 earlier this week, funds raised through the club’s Lace up for Cancer specialty jersey night.
St. Patrick’s Day across the League:
It’s St. Patrick’s Day across the League! Join the Flint Firebirds, London Knights, Kitchener Rangers, Guelph Storm, Barrie Colts and Sudbury Wolves are they celebrate St. Patrick on Friday. Visit team websites for more information.
Sting to celebrate Leigh Cunningham’s 1,500th game on Saturday:
The Sarnia Sting will celebrate long-time radio play-by-play voice Leigh Cunningham on Saturday as he puts on the headset for his 1,500th career OHL contest. Cunningham’s time in the OHL spans back to 1998 as he’s spent time with the Sting, the London Knights, North Bay Centennials, Windsor Spitfires and Saginaw Spirit over 25 seasons. For more information, visit sarniasting.com
Rangers to host 2000s Retro Game on Sunday:
The Kitchener Rangers are set to host their 2000s Retro Game on Sunday. The Rangers encourage fans to wear their best 2000’s and 2010’s look as they honour our history from the past two decades! The game will include activations, music and more.
ALUMNI NOTES:
Raddysh nets first NHL hat trick:
Former Erie Otters and Soo Greyhounds forward Taylor Raddysh scored his first career NHL hat trick on Tuesday, leading the Chicago Blackhawks over the first place Boston Bruins 6-3. All three of Raddysh’s goals came in the third period as the 25-year-old extended his point streak to four games. Raddysh has 20 goals, 13 assists and 33 points in 67 games for Chicago in this, his second NHL season. He helped the Otters win an OHL championship in 2017, recording 31 points (12-19–31) oer their 22-game playoff run.
Afanasyev makes NHL debut:
Former Windsor Spitfires forward Egor Afanasyev made his NHL debut with the Nashville Predators on Saturday at the age of 22. A 6-foot-4, 211Ib. left-winger from Tver, Russia, Afansyev saw 8:24 of ice in a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. He suited up in 10 minutes of action on Sunday as the Preds defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-4. Selected by Nashville in the second round (54th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Afanasyev spent the 2019-20 season in Windsor, recording 31 goals, 36 assists and 67 points over 62 games. Read more
Foerster makes NHL debut:
Barrie Colts graduate Tyson Foerster got the call from the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday and made his NHL debut at the age of 21, seeing over 13 minutes of ice while blocking three shots and registering a pair of shots as the Flyers fell 1-0 on the road in Carolina.Foerster played his U16 AAA hockey in the Barrie Jr. Colts program before being selected by Barrie in the third round of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. His figures jumped from 10 goals and 23 points in his 16-year-old OHL season to 36 goals and 80 points in his NHL Draft year, with a strong showing at the 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Hamilton powering his stock into the first round where the Flyers chose him 23rd overall. Read more
OHL grads Torchia, Lajeunesse earn U SPORTS national recognition:
Former Oshawa Generals and Kitchener Rangers goaltender Nathan Torchia, as well as former Sarnia Sting, Sudbury Wolves and Erie Otters forward Troy Lajeunesse were recognized on the national stage this week. Torchia, of the Windsor Lancers men’s hockey program, was named U SPORTS men’s hockey Goaltender of the Year following an excellent season that featured a 2.04 goals-against average and .936 save percentage in the Windsor crease. Lajeunesse earns the R.W. Pugh Trophy for Most Sportsmanlike Player as the University of Prince Edward Island forward led the Panthers in both goals (15) and points (30) while taking just six minor penalties all season.
OHL grads headline OUA Awards and All-Stars:
Several OHL graduates were recently recognized for outstanding seasons in Ontario University Athletics men’s hockey. Headlining the list are West Division Most Valuable Player Jacob Roach, West Division Defender of the Year Jake Gravelle, West Division Randy Gregg Award winner Kyle Bollers, West Division True Sport Award winner Kyle Pettit, along with West Division Goaltender of the Year Nathan Torchia. Read more
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
– All games streaming on OHL Live
– Radio and TV broadcast information
Thursday March 16th
Peterborough at North Bay – 7:00pm
Friday March 17th
Erie at Mississauga – 7:00pm
Hamilton at Flint – 7:00pm
Kingston at London – 7:00pm
Peterborough at Sudbury – 7:05pm
Windsor at Sault Ste. Marie – 7:07pm
Owen Sound at Barrie – 7:30pm
Sarnia at Guelph – 7:30pm
Saginaw at Kitchener – 7:30pm
Ottawa at Oshawa – 7:35pm
Saturday March 18th
London at Flint – 7:00pm
Guelph at Erie – 7:00pm (CHL TV Game of the Week Free View)
Kingston at Sarnia – 7:05pm
Hamilton at Saginaw – 7:05pm
Windsor at Sault Ste. Marie – 7:07pm
Niagara at Barrie – 7:30pm
Kitchener at Owen Sound – 7:30pm
Sunday March 19th
Sudbury at North Bay – 2:00pm
Peterborough at Niagara – 2:00pm
Kingston at Kitchener – 2:00pm
Mississauga at Oshawa – 6:05pm
