The Thomas Milne era in Newmarket begins in less than ideal circumstances as the Hurricanes have not earned a point since Sept. 16 - a seven-game losing skid - and have four straight opponents coming up with win percentages north of .722. Up first. the South Division leading Oakville Blades come to the Ray Twinney Sports Complex Thursday night with the Southwest Conference's Player of the Month for September, Ryan Foss, in tow.
For their part, head coach Mike Tarantino's Blades are 7-2-0-1, and the scary thing is that despite that shiny record, the club as a whole knows they have not hit anywhere near their stride. Foss' line, with his committed mates of Bryce Misley (Vermont) and Jackson Bales (Merrimack), have been extremely consistent, combining for 21 of Oakville's 49 goals so far, and all three have at least 17 points through the club's 10 contests. The next highest point-getter is Clarkson commit Drew Worrad, who has 11, and while this doesn't specifically trouble the Blades' staff, the significance rests with the fact that this roster has so much more potential than it has shown so far.
Oakville's well-prepared staff will know that if the underdog Hurricanes are going to cause them trouble, it will either come through the highly skilled combination of Todd Winder and Alex Ierullo, or the impressive power-play acumen of Newmarket captain and defender Christian Dedonato. Newly acquired offensive-minded defenceman Cole Thiessen has not disappointed either for Newmarket, and could be an X-factor for the Hurricanes on the night.
The Blades, on the other hand, cannot wait for the combination of Christian Rajic and Jack Jeffers to really explode, and they appear to be slowly finding the right track with each nabbing points in their last three games with the physical grinder Tyler Hildebrandt on their wing.
Chris Elliot was strong in net in Oakville's last game, a 4-1 win at the often tricky confines of Port Credit Arena in Mississauga, but expect veteran Brendan McGlynn to get the call. The dimensions will be more to the Blades' liking in Newmarket, as the ice surface, though not as big as at Sixteen Mile in Oakville, is still at least regulation size.
Aidan Doak came in relief of Jesse Hodgson in Newmarket's latest contest in Cobourg, and did well, allowing one goal on 21 shots. Both have struggled this year, but I expect the more veteran Doak to get the start on Thursday in Milne's first game behind the Hurricanes' bench.
My prediction is that on paper the Hurricanes are in very tough, but the high-powered Blades have a history of not fully showing up in games that are perceived as mismatches - both teams have a chance to prove that assessment wrong.
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Neugybowl Previews: Game #1 - Toronto @ North York Oct. 2
Another year, another Neugybowl. Is it self serving to create such a thing? I don't know. It's been a fun joke among people that know what I'm talking about, so let's keep it going!
Last year the Oakville Blades were the clear winners of the Neugybowl, taking seven wins from nine games with a tie thrown in. North York got the silver medal by going 4-3-1, while Toronto limped to the bronze at 1-7-1. This year there is a fourth entry into the event, the Newmarket Hurricanes, so competition, and potential for more difficult math for Jamie, is increased.
I will endeavour to write game previews for each Neugybowl clash, and the first one goes Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Victoria Village Arena when the Rangers and Patriots do battle for the first time this year.
Head coach Mario Cicchillo and general manager Mark Joslin seemed to have successfully righted the Toronto ship. Clearly they started where all hockey teams need to be started, in goal, and in their platoon of Tyler Fassl and Cam Gray, I can say they are happy beyond a doubt. Both the Texan Gray, and the newly acquired Sauble Beach-native Fassl were brilliant at the showcase, the former stuffing the high-powered Whitby Fury, and the latter doing just enough to clip the similarly emerging Kingston Voyageurs. Which of the two they have the most confidence in at this point is uncertain, but surely both are wins on the part of the Pats. Fassl was excellent in a Friday night road win in an often-tricky Lindsay Recreation Centre, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's Gray that gets Joslin's old organization the Rangers Sunday afternoon.
To give Fassl's brilliance so far some context though, he is 3-0 with a 2.24 goals-against average, and a league-best .940 save percentage - not too shabby.
A major key to the Pats turning it around is the emergence of an excellent top defence-pairing in league second-year man Nick Kalpousos, and rookie Ryan Wells. Wells sat out in Lindsay for rest, and to give guys in suits some playing time, but this mobile, intelligent pairing will see big minutes on Sunday. Those around the league, especially those that saw Newmarket last year and the Young Nats midgets before, knew what Kalpousos could bring, but Wells was a bit of a wild card, and the Pats clearly hit a home run on that young man. Beyond them, Graeme MacLean has been very safe, smart and involved all over the ice, despite a lack of points, and always seems to show up in big moments for the Pats thus far, especially at the defensive end. Who will Cicchilo match up against Keegan Blasby and Chris Sekelyk, should those two NYR monsters be on a line together? Could be Cicchilo' own physical defensive monster Josh Chiarot. We will have to find out!
Up front, Joslin has finally found success in bringing some depth. The Jeff Joynt, Colton Kalezic, Andrew Petrucci (who is a man, and proved it against Whitby at the showcase) unit has been extremely consistent since training camp, but getting Dante Spagnuolo from Trenton and Oliver Benwell to report has been huge for secondary scoring. Off-season Guisten Annetta is back from injury and is still finding his sea legs, but showed promise on a Kanata Junior 'A' team that really struggled last year. I expect he'll make an impact before it's all said and done for Toronto. Paul Violo hasn't produced so far this year, but the rookie out of the Toronto Marlies has promise and is my sleeper to have a solid first year in the league.
Jeremie Lintner has been excellent in net for North York, and I expect he'll get the start again after a great showing at the Showcase vs. Trenton, and then again Friday night in Buffalo. His numbers speak well for him once again (just like last year), with the athletic goaltender sporting a 2.25 GAA (0.01 behind Fassl, as an aside), and a league third-best .936 save percentage. The Rangers are fine in net.
Key veteran defender Shawn Tessier didn't have a training camp due to an illness, and while he is fully recovered from that, he has yet to fully find his groove. A man with vast junior experience, including 52 games in the Ontario Hockey League, the two-way defender will be great for NYR, he just needs to catch up to the rest of the field after circumstances that were out of his control befell him. One asset he certainly has is the brilliant addition of Matthew Ferrari, a big-bodied, smooth-skater who joins Tessier as the Rangers' No. 1A or 1B defender. I expect these two to take on the Petrucci unit, if Schomogyi has his way.
The club's other returning defenceman, Adam Giacomin, is a key veteran leader, and plays an old-school, physical brand of hockey. His presence alongside the likes of offensively inclined rookies Joey Maziarz and Harrison Toms will be huge for head coach Geoff Schomogyi and staff teaching the young guys how to play at this level. A lot is expected of Cornell committed Peter Muzyka, but the big, rangy defender is jumping straight from minor midget, and that is never an easy jump. He will learn, settle, and be a fine player at this level eventually; I have no doubt.
I mentioned Sekelyk and Blasby earlier, and for good reason: those two can be unstoppable at this level, if they want to. They were absolutely smothered by both Whitby and Trenton at the Showcase, but holding them down long just won't happen this year. They both are big and strong, with huge shots, great hands, and wonderful patience with the puck, and the Rangers need them to be key leaders in the energy and effort area to be successful as a club. It's hard not to enjoy watching the combination of Louis Kereakou, Nick Zanette, and captain Kyle Clarke. Those three play with energy, passion, and very underrated skill, and clearly value wearing the Ranger logo on their chest. They were one of the true underrated units in the league last season, and came up big with a goal apiece on Friday night's win in Buffalo. When they are at their best, this North York team is at a whole other level.
Rookie Rocco Andreacchi and veteran Ryan Hunt have been impressive at times, but like most of this North York forward corps, have yet to find great consistency throughout the first six games of the year.
Despite whatever has happened through the games so far, it is still very early, and the information we have on any of the teams in the league (with the probable exception of Trenton), is still too limited to know for sure what is in store.
My prediction is that it will be a one-goal, hard-fought tight game. The Pats have won four in a row and are feeling great about themselves, while the Rangers are breathing a sigh of relief after the win Buffalo following a rough showing at the Showcase. I'll go the cliche route: whoever is better between the goalies, Gray/Fassl and Lintner, will decide the outcome.
Let the Neugybowl begin.
Last year the Oakville Blades were the clear winners of the Neugybowl, taking seven wins from nine games with a tie thrown in. North York got the silver medal by going 4-3-1, while Toronto limped to the bronze at 1-7-1. This year there is a fourth entry into the event, the Newmarket Hurricanes, so competition, and potential for more difficult math for Jamie, is increased.
I will endeavour to write game previews for each Neugybowl clash, and the first one goes Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Victoria Village Arena when the Rangers and Patriots do battle for the first time this year.
Head coach Mario Cicchillo and general manager Mark Joslin seemed to have successfully righted the Toronto ship. Clearly they started where all hockey teams need to be started, in goal, and in their platoon of Tyler Fassl and Cam Gray, I can say they are happy beyond a doubt. Both the Texan Gray, and the newly acquired Sauble Beach-native Fassl were brilliant at the showcase, the former stuffing the high-powered Whitby Fury, and the latter doing just enough to clip the similarly emerging Kingston Voyageurs. Which of the two they have the most confidence in at this point is uncertain, but surely both are wins on the part of the Pats. Fassl was excellent in a Friday night road win in an often-tricky Lindsay Recreation Centre, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's Gray that gets Joslin's old organization the Rangers Sunday afternoon.
To give Fassl's brilliance so far some context though, he is 3-0 with a 2.24 goals-against average, and a league-best .940 save percentage - not too shabby.
A major key to the Pats turning it around is the emergence of an excellent top defence-pairing in league second-year man Nick Kalpousos, and rookie Ryan Wells. Wells sat out in Lindsay for rest, and to give guys in suits some playing time, but this mobile, intelligent pairing will see big minutes on Sunday. Those around the league, especially those that saw Newmarket last year and the Young Nats midgets before, knew what Kalpousos could bring, but Wells was a bit of a wild card, and the Pats clearly hit a home run on that young man. Beyond them, Graeme MacLean has been very safe, smart and involved all over the ice, despite a lack of points, and always seems to show up in big moments for the Pats thus far, especially at the defensive end. Who will Cicchilo match up against Keegan Blasby and Chris Sekelyk, should those two NYR monsters be on a line together? Could be Cicchilo' own physical defensive monster Josh Chiarot. We will have to find out!
Up front, Joslin has finally found success in bringing some depth. The Jeff Joynt, Colton Kalezic, Andrew Petrucci (who is a man, and proved it against Whitby at the showcase) unit has been extremely consistent since training camp, but getting Dante Spagnuolo from Trenton and Oliver Benwell to report has been huge for secondary scoring. Off-season Guisten Annetta is back from injury and is still finding his sea legs, but showed promise on a Kanata Junior 'A' team that really struggled last year. I expect he'll make an impact before it's all said and done for Toronto. Paul Violo hasn't produced so far this year, but the rookie out of the Toronto Marlies has promise and is my sleeper to have a solid first year in the league.
Jeremie Lintner has been excellent in net for North York, and I expect he'll get the start again after a great showing at the Showcase vs. Trenton, and then again Friday night in Buffalo. His numbers speak well for him once again (just like last year), with the athletic goaltender sporting a 2.25 GAA (0.01 behind Fassl, as an aside), and a league third-best .936 save percentage. The Rangers are fine in net.
Key veteran defender Shawn Tessier didn't have a training camp due to an illness, and while he is fully recovered from that, he has yet to fully find his groove. A man with vast junior experience, including 52 games in the Ontario Hockey League, the two-way defender will be great for NYR, he just needs to catch up to the rest of the field after circumstances that were out of his control befell him. One asset he certainly has is the brilliant addition of Matthew Ferrari, a big-bodied, smooth-skater who joins Tessier as the Rangers' No. 1A or 1B defender. I expect these two to take on the Petrucci unit, if Schomogyi has his way.
The club's other returning defenceman, Adam Giacomin, is a key veteran leader, and plays an old-school, physical brand of hockey. His presence alongside the likes of offensively inclined rookies Joey Maziarz and Harrison Toms will be huge for head coach Geoff Schomogyi and staff teaching the young guys how to play at this level. A lot is expected of Cornell committed Peter Muzyka, but the big, rangy defender is jumping straight from minor midget, and that is never an easy jump. He will learn, settle, and be a fine player at this level eventually; I have no doubt.
I mentioned Sekelyk and Blasby earlier, and for good reason: those two can be unstoppable at this level, if they want to. They were absolutely smothered by both Whitby and Trenton at the Showcase, but holding them down long just won't happen this year. They both are big and strong, with huge shots, great hands, and wonderful patience with the puck, and the Rangers need them to be key leaders in the energy and effort area to be successful as a club. It's hard not to enjoy watching the combination of Louis Kereakou, Nick Zanette, and captain Kyle Clarke. Those three play with energy, passion, and very underrated skill, and clearly value wearing the Ranger logo on their chest. They were one of the true underrated units in the league last season, and came up big with a goal apiece on Friday night's win in Buffalo. When they are at their best, this North York team is at a whole other level.
Rookie Rocco Andreacchi and veteran Ryan Hunt have been impressive at times, but like most of this North York forward corps, have yet to find great consistency throughout the first six games of the year.
Despite whatever has happened through the games so far, it is still very early, and the information we have on any of the teams in the league (with the probable exception of Trenton), is still too limited to know for sure what is in store.
My prediction is that it will be a one-goal, hard-fought tight game. The Pats have won four in a row and are feeling great about themselves, while the Rangers are breathing a sigh of relief after the win Buffalo following a rough showing at the Showcase. I'll go the cliche route: whoever is better between the goalies, Gray/Fassl and Lintner, will decide the outcome.
Let the Neugybowl begin.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Trenton-Toronto trade, my analysis
It is September 21st, 2016, and finally the deal that sends Jeremy Pullara to Trenton for rookie forward Dante Spagnuolo and 19-year-old goaltender Tyler Fassl back to Toronto, is done. It took a long time, and a lot of figuring out, but it is done, and those three will be on the ice tonight; ironically as the Trenton Golden Hawks head to Westwood Arena to take on the Toronto Patriots.
This is a move well-done by both squads, and in my opinion really reflects good relationship the two GMs, Jerome Dupont of Trenton and Mark Joslin of Toronto, have with each other. The old hockey adage regarding trades is so often true: you have to give up steak, to get steak. Well, I know for sure Trenton got Kobe Beef; and while Spagnuolo and Fassl have to prove themselves at this level, I'd be willing to wager they'll turn out to be great assets as well.
In the soon-to-be 20-year-old Pullara, Trenton gets a winner through and through. No matter what era of hockey you're talking, Jeremy is a metric powerhouse. He is an elite face-off man (I'd put him against anyone in the OJHL), he is player with a far more solid frame than his 6', 175-pound line would suggest, and he is an excellent puck possessor. Jeremy has a cannon of a shot, and scored 27 goals last year on a Patriots team that had all sorts of trouble doing so. He also has a knack for terrorizing Trenton at the Duncan McDonald Memorial Gardens, so it is also a case of "can't beat 'em? acquire 'em."
Not only is he a great player at this level, but he has an extra comfort factor in that he joins one of his closest friends, Louis Di Matteo, on the Hawks. Louis was with Jeremy in midget and his first two years of junior, and is an elite OJHLer in his own right, counting as one of the few true high level power-play quarterbacks on the back end this year (as an aside: watch out for the combination of DiMatteo and Josh Allan on Trenton's power play this year...scary stuff).
But as I started the last paragraph, he is a winner. He went from the Telus Cup bronze medal game to a Dudley Hewitt cup semi-final over the span of two years, and with that winner's heart, he certainly has the personality to take those two experiences of falling just short of big-time glory as a big-time chip on his shoulder.
Call me biased if you want, I know the kid well, and we have a great relationship. But I'm also being honest: Golden Hawks fans better buckle up.
Back the other way, Joslin and the Pats have to be happy with themselves. Nobody started more games in Greater Ontario Junior 'B' Hockey League than Fassl did, and only one other goaltender won more games (and, with no disrespect to Mark Sinclair, the guy who I was just talking about, I might be able to win a few games in net for Caledonia...). So in Fassl and Cameron Gray, Toronto is now very able in net - and some say that is half of hockey.
The forward Toronto got, the recently-turned 18-year-old Dante Spagnuolo, is a kid that scored over 40 goals two years in a row in midget with an excellent Richmond Hill Coyotes squad. He's a strong kid, has great speed, nice hands, and a good frame, and while he has yet to get a chance to prove it at this level, the Pats can have two or three seasons with him in their Top 6 to give him that opportunity. On top of that, Dante is an excellent young man with a great head on his shoulders, and there was not one ounce of sulk in him regarding the move from the Dudley Hewitt Cup hosts. He knows his opportunity to produce will be great in Toronto, and that maturity will serve him very well.
Bottom line is I like this trade all around and it is refreshing to see a truly even trade in this day and age.
This is a move well-done by both squads, and in my opinion really reflects good relationship the two GMs, Jerome Dupont of Trenton and Mark Joslin of Toronto, have with each other. The old hockey adage regarding trades is so often true: you have to give up steak, to get steak. Well, I know for sure Trenton got Kobe Beef; and while Spagnuolo and Fassl have to prove themselves at this level, I'd be willing to wager they'll turn out to be great assets as well.
In the soon-to-be 20-year-old Pullara, Trenton gets a winner through and through. No matter what era of hockey you're talking, Jeremy is a metric powerhouse. He is an elite face-off man (I'd put him against anyone in the OJHL), he is player with a far more solid frame than his 6', 175-pound line would suggest, and he is an excellent puck possessor. Jeremy has a cannon of a shot, and scored 27 goals last year on a Patriots team that had all sorts of trouble doing so. He also has a knack for terrorizing Trenton at the Duncan McDonald Memorial Gardens, so it is also a case of "can't beat 'em? acquire 'em."
Not only is he a great player at this level, but he has an extra comfort factor in that he joins one of his closest friends, Louis Di Matteo, on the Hawks. Louis was with Jeremy in midget and his first two years of junior, and is an elite OJHLer in his own right, counting as one of the few true high level power-play quarterbacks on the back end this year (as an aside: watch out for the combination of DiMatteo and Josh Allan on Trenton's power play this year...scary stuff).
But as I started the last paragraph, he is a winner. He went from the Telus Cup bronze medal game to a Dudley Hewitt cup semi-final over the span of two years, and with that winner's heart, he certainly has the personality to take those two experiences of falling just short of big-time glory as a big-time chip on his shoulder.
Call me biased if you want, I know the kid well, and we have a great relationship. But I'm also being honest: Golden Hawks fans better buckle up.
Back the other way, Joslin and the Pats have to be happy with themselves. Nobody started more games in Greater Ontario Junior 'B' Hockey League than Fassl did, and only one other goaltender won more games (and, with no disrespect to Mark Sinclair, the guy who I was just talking about, I might be able to win a few games in net for Caledonia...). So in Fassl and Cameron Gray, Toronto is now very able in net - and some say that is half of hockey.
The forward Toronto got, the recently-turned 18-year-old Dante Spagnuolo, is a kid that scored over 40 goals two years in a row in midget with an excellent Richmond Hill Coyotes squad. He's a strong kid, has great speed, nice hands, and a good frame, and while he has yet to get a chance to prove it at this level, the Pats can have two or three seasons with him in their Top 6 to give him that opportunity. On top of that, Dante is an excellent young man with a great head on his shoulders, and there was not one ounce of sulk in him regarding the move from the Dudley Hewitt Cup hosts. He knows his opportunity to produce will be great in Toronto, and that maturity will serve him very well.
Bottom line is I like this trade all around and it is refreshing to see a truly even trade in this day and age.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Early August Pre-Season Power Rankings SW Top 5
Well, it's August, and that means the OJHL season is going to be upon us before you know it! Camps will start in just over two weeks, and pre-season games right after, and while it's true that I have no idea who will make certain teams, both in and out of the league, this blog is for fun; so with that in mind, I'll make power rankings based on what I know at the moment.
Here is the SW Conference Top 5, in my opinion.
Southwest Conference
#1: Oakville Blades - the team is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, and while they didn't get the Dudley Hewitt Cup tournament as they had hoped, new general manager Jordan Seliger, head coach Mike Tarantino, and company, are absolutely loaded. Adding grit in defenders Nick Turenko and Jeff Clarke, and in big forward Chris Brill-Morgan will make trips to Sixteen Mile a lot less fun, while former St. Catherine's Junior 'B' power forward Tyler Hildebrandt has all the tools to supplement an offence already full of firepower. Christian Rajic is easily among the Top 3 most explosive players in the conference (maybe even the league), and look for sophomore D-man Michael Mannara to step into a bigger role this year. Jackson Bales will look to be a key producer as well, along with Ryan Foss and Bryce Misley, who was one of the league's top 1999-birth year forwards a year ago.
#2: Georgetown Raiders - Head coach and GM Greg Walters built a young team last year that went to the finals by clearly and seriously buying in. They also had an elite veteran goaltender last year in Andrew Masters, who they lose to graduation, but whoever wins the starter job between new-comers Josh Astorino and Marcus Paulino will have a finely-tuned machine in front of them. Jack Jacome is with the aforementioned Rajic in the Top 3 most dangerous customers in the conference (also, maybe the best player in the league), while smart big men Austin Cho, Griffin James, and Jake Payette will make the Raiders D-Corps as tough to face as any in the OJHL. Look for big years up front from talented scorers Jordan Crocker, Daniel Hardie, and Ryan Takamatsu. It should be another fun year at Alcott Arena.
#3: North York Rangers - new bench boss Geoff Schomogyi inherits an extremely dangerous and cohesive group that were within one game of the conference final last year. The health of elite goaltender Jeremie Lintner will be huge for the Rangers, as when he was healthy last season, he was as good as anyone in the OJHL. The loss of Grayden Gottschalk to the Ontario Hockey League will hurt, but Chris Sekelyk and Keegan Blasby are as good power forwards as there are in the OJHL. Additionally, the sublime skill of Nick Campoli should put the sophomore centreman firmly on the radar of National Hockey League scouts. The energy line of new captain Kyle Clarke, with Louis Kereakou and Nick Zanette were extremely effective last season, and all three took steps forward productively. A lot of impetus on the back end will be put on former OHLer Shawn Tessier, who came to the Rangers in the middle of the season last year, but he has a lot of character behind him in Adam Giacomin and Jacob DeMaeyer. It's worth repeating though: if Lintner is healthy, everyone should fear NYR.
#4: Buffalo Jr. Sabres - who stays or goes on a year-to-year basis south of the border is a mystery to me, but from the great improvement they made as an organization last season at their beautiful HarborCenter arena, I can only assume they'll continue that growth curve. Slippery talisman and captain Zach Evancho is gone, but if all or most of Chris Berger, Timmy Nicksic, David Baskerville, and Brendan Dunning are back, than Buffalo should certainly be an offensive force. On the back end their monster Wilson Vershay is gone, but true hockey fans love the gritty, in your face style of Evan Bennett, and Aaron Reinig and his cannon of a shot only scratched the surface of his potential last year (and he had nine goals and 35 points!). The amount of power plays Buffalo gets every year will serve Reinig very well this year though, you can count on that. Canisius commit Tucker Weppner has the tools to be a solid goaltender in this league, but whether he puts it together for a full season will go a long way in determining Buffalo's fate.
#5: Burlington Cougars - The Cougars had an incredible turnaround with Mark Jooris at the helm as head coach and GM last year, and even though they lose captain and power-play trigger man Willy Paul, they do keep a big corps of the group that upset the Blades in the second round last year, and pushed the Raiders to six games in the conference final. The biggest question is whether star defenceman Zac Hermann will make the USHL's Omaha Lancers - my belief is that he is more than good enough to do so - which leaves the question of whom will replace them at the top of the Cougars defence depth chart; especially with Griffin James off to Georgetown. One option could be Junior B import Max Balinson, who has a lot of skill. Veteran scorers Chris Cobham, David Thompson, and James McLaughlin look to lead the line up front, and will be supported by talented newcomer Jeff Schrattner. Like last year, they will score goals; but can they keep them out? I haven't seen import goaltender Mario Cavaliere enough to make a claim on him, though both of last year's goalies have graduated.
Here is the SW Conference Top 5, in my opinion.
Southwest Conference
#1: Oakville Blades - the team is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, and while they didn't get the Dudley Hewitt Cup tournament as they had hoped, new general manager Jordan Seliger, head coach Mike Tarantino, and company, are absolutely loaded. Adding grit in defenders Nick Turenko and Jeff Clarke, and in big forward Chris Brill-Morgan will make trips to Sixteen Mile a lot less fun, while former St. Catherine's Junior 'B' power forward Tyler Hildebrandt has all the tools to supplement an offence already full of firepower. Christian Rajic is easily among the Top 3 most explosive players in the conference (maybe even the league), and look for sophomore D-man Michael Mannara to step into a bigger role this year. Jackson Bales will look to be a key producer as well, along with Ryan Foss and Bryce Misley, who was one of the league's top 1999-birth year forwards a year ago.
#2: Georgetown Raiders - Head coach and GM Greg Walters built a young team last year that went to the finals by clearly and seriously buying in. They also had an elite veteran goaltender last year in Andrew Masters, who they lose to graduation, but whoever wins the starter job between new-comers Josh Astorino and Marcus Paulino will have a finely-tuned machine in front of them. Jack Jacome is with the aforementioned Rajic in the Top 3 most dangerous customers in the conference (also, maybe the best player in the league), while smart big men Austin Cho, Griffin James, and Jake Payette will make the Raiders D-Corps as tough to face as any in the OJHL. Look for big years up front from talented scorers Jordan Crocker, Daniel Hardie, and Ryan Takamatsu. It should be another fun year at Alcott Arena.
#3: North York Rangers - new bench boss Geoff Schomogyi inherits an extremely dangerous and cohesive group that were within one game of the conference final last year. The health of elite goaltender Jeremie Lintner will be huge for the Rangers, as when he was healthy last season, he was as good as anyone in the OJHL. The loss of Grayden Gottschalk to the Ontario Hockey League will hurt, but Chris Sekelyk and Keegan Blasby are as good power forwards as there are in the OJHL. Additionally, the sublime skill of Nick Campoli should put the sophomore centreman firmly on the radar of National Hockey League scouts. The energy line of new captain Kyle Clarke, with Louis Kereakou and Nick Zanette were extremely effective last season, and all three took steps forward productively. A lot of impetus on the back end will be put on former OHLer Shawn Tessier, who came to the Rangers in the middle of the season last year, but he has a lot of character behind him in Adam Giacomin and Jacob DeMaeyer. It's worth repeating though: if Lintner is healthy, everyone should fear NYR.
#4: Buffalo Jr. Sabres - who stays or goes on a year-to-year basis south of the border is a mystery to me, but from the great improvement they made as an organization last season at their beautiful HarborCenter arena, I can only assume they'll continue that growth curve. Slippery talisman and captain Zach Evancho is gone, but if all or most of Chris Berger, Timmy Nicksic, David Baskerville, and Brendan Dunning are back, than Buffalo should certainly be an offensive force. On the back end their monster Wilson Vershay is gone, but true hockey fans love the gritty, in your face style of Evan Bennett, and Aaron Reinig and his cannon of a shot only scratched the surface of his potential last year (and he had nine goals and 35 points!). The amount of power plays Buffalo gets every year will serve Reinig very well this year though, you can count on that. Canisius commit Tucker Weppner has the tools to be a solid goaltender in this league, but whether he puts it together for a full season will go a long way in determining Buffalo's fate.
#5: Burlington Cougars - The Cougars had an incredible turnaround with Mark Jooris at the helm as head coach and GM last year, and even though they lose captain and power-play trigger man Willy Paul, they do keep a big corps of the group that upset the Blades in the second round last year, and pushed the Raiders to six games in the conference final. The biggest question is whether star defenceman Zac Hermann will make the USHL's Omaha Lancers - my belief is that he is more than good enough to do so - which leaves the question of whom will replace them at the top of the Cougars defence depth chart; especially with Griffin James off to Georgetown. One option could be Junior B import Max Balinson, who has a lot of skill. Veteran scorers Chris Cobham, David Thompson, and James McLaughlin look to lead the line up front, and will be supported by talented newcomer Jeff Schrattner. Like last year, they will score goals; but can they keep them out? I haven't seen import goaltender Mario Cavaliere enough to make a claim on him, though both of last year's goalies have graduated.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Plundering the Coyotes
It should come as no surprise that Jerome Dupont and Mark Jooris, the general managers of the Buckland Cup champion Trenton Golden Hawks and the OHA Coach of the Year at the junior level, respectively, were paying attention to the 2015-16 Richmond Hill Coyotes AAA midgets. Of course, being ranked No. 1 in Ontario will do that, and although the club slipped up at the OMHAs, and had to watch a North York Rangers team that many of the Coyotes were familiar with lift the Telus Cup in New Brunswick a month later, it was still a remarkable year for head coach Kevin Ryan and company.
In order to accomplish that sort of notoriety at the midget level, a club has to be flush with junior ready - or almost ready - talent, and this group was no different, and this off-season, Richmond Hill's ranks are being plundered at an incredible rate. According to the team's twitter account, 11 players from the squad, comprising 1998 and 1999-birth year players, have moved on to juniors, and look to make an instant impact, especially on the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
The 2013-14 York Simcoe Express minor midgets certainly deserve a shoutout along these same lines (the group that spawned recent Colorado Avalanche second rounder Cameron Morrison), with the pick of the Coyotes litter coming out of there. The group of YSE minor midgets/Coyotes midgets includes new Burlington Cougar Andrew Badali, a mature and fleet-footed winger, as well new Trenton Golden Hawks Cole Thiessen, a smooth skating, point-producing machine from the back end, and the dynamically skillful Dante Spagnuolo.
Joining Badali on the Cougars is Darius Dimitriadis, a great passer with a solid frame, while sniper Conor Smart will look to fill one of the holes left in the high-powered offence of the Oakville Blades. Vinny Boniauto, a speedster that played on a very good Toronto Titans minor midget team two years ago, will join new head coach Justin Teakle on the Orangeville Flyers.
I am not privy to the other signings at the moment, though I'm sure whoever runs the Coyotes' fine twitter account will divulge that information soon enough. Nevertheless, the young men about to break into the OJHL out of Richmond Hill, as well as their excellent, athletic goaltender Ryan Franz, who is set to join Kanata of the Central Canadian Hockey League, are all fine individuals who I have seen play many times.
They will make their marks on the OJ before long.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
OJHL Transactions Notebook #1: My teams in June
OJHL transactions come in all shapes and sizes. Often they
are of the player-for-cash variety, in the absence of draft picks like in major
junior, and most general managers would rather deal a player of real quality to
another league, or at least out of division, rather than risk facing him in a
key game down the stretch or in the playoffs.
This off-season so far, bringing players in from Junior B,
or sending them back there, has been the norm around the league. Teams like the
Oakville Blades, North York Rangers, Wellington Dukes, and Trenton Golden Hawks
had a lot of success last year finding veteran players from the more quality
Junior ‘B’ outfits, so digging for that next ‘later-blooming’ gem has been the
name of the game so far.
We have also seen teams off-load to Junior B, bringing in
cash from those wealthy, quality outfits that provide no risk of on-ice
competition.
With the off-season transaction market in the OJHL in full
swing, I have decided to put together a little notebook of my thoughts
concerning what has gone on so far.
I’ll start with the three teams I know the most about.
The first, and easiest team for me to talk about is the
Oakville Blades. I was around one of their mid-summer split-squad games, which
was really quite competitive and high tempo for a summer game I might add, and
I was impressed with what GM Mike Daley and Coach Mike Tarantino and staff have
started to build. It is no secret to anyone that star talent the likes of
Patrick Kudla and Josh Kosack will be highly sought out by next-level clubs,
and that Tyler Rollo has his heart set on being a fulltime Peterborough Pete
next year. Captain Ryan Garvey will skip his overage year and head to St.
Lawrence University next year, while the big-bodied, highly-touted defender Ian
Blacker has rightfully signed and committed himself to the OHL’s London Knights
for 2016-17. So with all that in mind, Daley and company have done well to move
on, and take whatever fallback they get from that treasure trove as bonus.
The Oakville transactions that have been reported signal a
clear design to be a far less enjoyable team to face in the physicality
department. Tyler Hildebrandt from St. Catherine’s Junior B is a big boy with a
smooth stride, and by all accounts is a late bloomer with a huge offensive
upside, who will not have any trouble getting around Sixteen Mile Sports
Complex’s big ice surface.
Dealing young Eric Holland to Aurora is certainly painful,
as he is a very talented kid with a lot of potential, but it makes sense in the
overall scheme of things to bring in the versatile and truculent Nicholas
Turenko in exchange. The well-built 6-foot-2 veteran Turenko says he is most comfortable
playing defence, but I’ve seen him play centre plenty of times, and he has done
well at that as a two-way ‘East Division-type’ player (as an aside, I guess
OJHL people use ‘East-Division-type player’ as a term meaning ‘he’s not a nice
guy on the ice’). I’ve also heard nothing but great things about Turenko’s
character.
The last kid to be reported heading to Oakville so far this
off-season is the former Strathroy Junior B defender Jeff Clarke. Another big,
6-foot-2 physical type, the former Elgin-Middlesex Chief was a well-thought-of
pick of the London Knights (sounds like Ian Blacker…), and is only a 1999-birth
year. I know coach Tarantino will move the pairings around a lot all year this
season coming up; but I expect big things from the recent Lake Superior State
commit Mike Mannara, and the big-bodied presence of Clarke appears a strong fit
beside either him, or the equally fleet-of-foot Brayden Sampson.
The Blades have a great facility and organization, and
Daley, with his staff, does a very nice job recruiting kids and making deals,
so I’m sure there is more adding to come. I did see a whole bag load of
monsters in Oakville red, white, and blue at their split-squad game.
Neither the North York Rangers nor the Toronto Patriots, the
other teams that I have ties to, have revealed anything so far, with the
exception of the Pats adding former Toronto Jr. Canadiens bench boss Mario
Cicchillo behind the bench, so anything I could say would be pure speculation.
All I can say about the Pats is that I know for an absolute
fact that Coach Cicchillo is a huge believer in the games of Lee Lapid and Eric
Eremita, the two guys he sent to his new club in the middle of the year last year.
I have seen good things from both, and can especially attest to the very high
quality of their respective characters – they are both very good kids. No idea
if the likes of Jeremy Pullara, Mario Ferraro, or Louis di Matteo – the holdovers
from the 2015 championship – are back.
The Rangers lost a bunch of guys to graduation, including
leaders like Jeremy Szabo, Michael Morgan, Tyler Currie, and Gianluca Baggetta,
but a new group will keep the club very competitive this season. What can motivated
20-year-olds Keegan Blasby, Jeremie Lintner, and Shawn Tessier accomplish this
year? I can’t wait to find out. The only transaction I know from them is that
they’ve added 17-year-old winger Jake Dale from Blyth Academy Prep.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
A little look at the 2016 Dudley Hewitt Cup
The 2016 Dudley Hewitt Cup, or the "Central Canada Region Junior 'A' Championship" as it is officially termed, begins this afternoon in the northeastern Ontario community of Kirkland Lake.
Kirkland Lake, a town with a population just under 9,000, is home to the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League powerhouse Gold Miners. While they are the hosts, they also were the finalists in their league, losing out to the other NOJHL team in the event, the Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds, who represented the region at the RBC Cup after winning the Dudley last year.
I don't mean any disrespect to anyone, I really don't. The Thunderbirds, the Gold Miners, and the Fort Frances Lakers (the team that will represent the Superior International Junior Hockey League for the third year in a row), are all legitimate champions in their own leagues, and do well to compete year in and year out. That being said, the Trenton Golden Hawks, the champions of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, are a different animal to the teams that the OJHL has sent in recent years.
Now, you know I can say that with good conscience, as I worked for the last two OJ teams to make the event, and had a really good look at the St. Mike's team that went back in 2013, so I am actually taking a risk in making that statement. I loved the Toronto Patriots teams that represented our league in Wellington in 2014, and Fort Frances last year; they represented passion, and unity, and commitment to playing the game the right way, as they were well instructed to by their coaching staffs (Jason Fortier, Ed Kirsten, Brandon Cordua, Derek Foam, Ryan Daniels, Mike Tarantino, etc.). And they had plenty of talent to go along with it, there is no doubt about that. HOWEVER, I still maintain this Trenton team is the type of beast that shouldn't simply believe they can compete at the RBC Cup, like Fortier's Pats did in Vernon. B.C. in 2014, but actually that they are legitimate favourites to win the national championship.
The prevailing story line for the Golden Hawks has certainly been their national-calibre depth, and the tremendous talents of Daniel Urbani in net, but there are secondary ones.
The most intriguing to me personally is a shot at redemption for Mitch Emerson. As a 19-year-old deadline acquisition for the Pats last year, Emerson played a huge role in being a finisher for pretty young Toronto team down the stretch. But the whole Patriots team struggled to score in the Dudley Hewitt last year, as they dominated puck possession in every game, but were used to a more counter-attacking style in the OJHL to find the back of the net. Mitch did score a huge goal for the Pats at the tournament last year, Toronto's fourth goal on a nice wrister from the slot that brought the club tantalizingly close to an epic comeback in the semi-finals against the host Lakers, but I know he would've wanted to contribute more overall (but believe me, he isn't alone in that category).
So, while he certainly has no need to put any sort of undue pressure on himself in Kirkland Lake this week, with a deep group of forwards around him and a scholarship already in his pocket, I expect him to be a real presence. I expect him to tell the Hawks, who, despite being an older group, do not have the same kind of experience he does in general, that taking anyone for granted can kill you, and with that information in tow, the Hawks are well-suited to be successful.
The emergence of Josh Allan as a secondary productive presence to superstar captain Adam Clements on the back end was crucial to Trenton's dominance in the playoffs. He should be great again in Kirkland Lake.
The team at the event I expect to give the Hawks their biggest headache is the Soo Thunderbirds, a well-coached, confident, veteran team used to winning, and very used to winning on the ice in Kirkland Lake (their biggest NOJHL rivals, in fact). What an incredible year for 21-year-old Michael Caruso. I don't care what league you play in...30 goals for a defenceman is impressive, and the hometown boy was brilliant. His little brother Matt is a small, skilled forward on the club too, and did well as a 97-born player to lead the Birds in post-season scoring. I get the sense that the Thunderbirds were building for this year, and will not need to lean on anyone specifically (like they did last year with this year's emerging NHL prospect Boris Katchouk, a member of Canada's U18s, who had a great season with the OHL's Greyhounds after lighting the Dudley Hewitt on fire). The likes of Matt Pinder, Jaren Bellini, and Brett Jeffries all have done well representing the northern league at the yearly regional all-star event, and if former OJHLer Khadyn Butterfly is in any sort of shape to contribute, he will be an absolutely dynamite addition to this squad. On paper, they should face the Hawks in the final.
The biggest thing I'll say about the Fort Frances group is that they do have excellent goaltending. Both Pierce Dushenko, who was sensational at times at the Dudley last year, and rookie Brandon Bodnar, who owned almost all SIJHL goaltending categories this season, are very capable. Now 21-year old forward Dylan Robertson has stepped out of the shadow of the departed Wyatt Cota and Lucas Debenedet, and has turned in a very productive year. Big-minute offence-first defender Nick Minerva was very productive again as well, but after the goalies, Robertson and Minerva, I can't really comment any more.
I haven't seen any of the current Kirkland Lake Gold Miners, but I know diminutive forward Brayden Stortz put up a massive season, with 100+ points in 54 games. Expect him, 51-goal man Logan Fredericks, and crucial defender Blake Anderson to be at the forefront if the hosts are to make noise. Victor-Olivier Courchesne will have be brilliant in net as well.
As I mentioned, the game is played on ice. But Trenton is deep, veteran, confident, and unlike the past three OJHL entrants into the Dudley, are used to travelling on buses to games, and are used to an organization that spares no expense and energy to keep its players focused, and well-supported. Their coach, Jerome Dupont, has won an RBC Cup before, and has been the Dudley a couple times as well, so he knows full-well what to expect. I'm sure he's put in a call to Jason Fortier as part of what I know is an extensive amount of preparation Dupont will have done already - he is one of the best prepared coaches in Junior 'A' hockey. So with all that, it's time for the Hawks to prove me right.
Kirkland Lake, a town with a population just under 9,000, is home to the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League powerhouse Gold Miners. While they are the hosts, they also were the finalists in their league, losing out to the other NOJHL team in the event, the Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds, who represented the region at the RBC Cup after winning the Dudley last year.
I don't mean any disrespect to anyone, I really don't. The Thunderbirds, the Gold Miners, and the Fort Frances Lakers (the team that will represent the Superior International Junior Hockey League for the third year in a row), are all legitimate champions in their own leagues, and do well to compete year in and year out. That being said, the Trenton Golden Hawks, the champions of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, are a different animal to the teams that the OJHL has sent in recent years.
Now, you know I can say that with good conscience, as I worked for the last two OJ teams to make the event, and had a really good look at the St. Mike's team that went back in 2013, so I am actually taking a risk in making that statement. I loved the Toronto Patriots teams that represented our league in Wellington in 2014, and Fort Frances last year; they represented passion, and unity, and commitment to playing the game the right way, as they were well instructed to by their coaching staffs (Jason Fortier, Ed Kirsten, Brandon Cordua, Derek Foam, Ryan Daniels, Mike Tarantino, etc.). And they had plenty of talent to go along with it, there is no doubt about that. HOWEVER, I still maintain this Trenton team is the type of beast that shouldn't simply believe they can compete at the RBC Cup, like Fortier's Pats did in Vernon. B.C. in 2014, but actually that they are legitimate favourites to win the national championship.
The prevailing story line for the Golden Hawks has certainly been their national-calibre depth, and the tremendous talents of Daniel Urbani in net, but there are secondary ones.
The most intriguing to me personally is a shot at redemption for Mitch Emerson. As a 19-year-old deadline acquisition for the Pats last year, Emerson played a huge role in being a finisher for pretty young Toronto team down the stretch. But the whole Patriots team struggled to score in the Dudley Hewitt last year, as they dominated puck possession in every game, but were used to a more counter-attacking style in the OJHL to find the back of the net. Mitch did score a huge goal for the Pats at the tournament last year, Toronto's fourth goal on a nice wrister from the slot that brought the club tantalizingly close to an epic comeback in the semi-finals against the host Lakers, but I know he would've wanted to contribute more overall (but believe me, he isn't alone in that category).
So, while he certainly has no need to put any sort of undue pressure on himself in Kirkland Lake this week, with a deep group of forwards around him and a scholarship already in his pocket, I expect him to be a real presence. I expect him to tell the Hawks, who, despite being an older group, do not have the same kind of experience he does in general, that taking anyone for granted can kill you, and with that information in tow, the Hawks are well-suited to be successful.
The emergence of Josh Allan as a secondary productive presence to superstar captain Adam Clements on the back end was crucial to Trenton's dominance in the playoffs. He should be great again in Kirkland Lake.
The team at the event I expect to give the Hawks their biggest headache is the Soo Thunderbirds, a well-coached, confident, veteran team used to winning, and very used to winning on the ice in Kirkland Lake (their biggest NOJHL rivals, in fact). What an incredible year for 21-year-old Michael Caruso. I don't care what league you play in...30 goals for a defenceman is impressive, and the hometown boy was brilliant. His little brother Matt is a small, skilled forward on the club too, and did well as a 97-born player to lead the Birds in post-season scoring. I get the sense that the Thunderbirds were building for this year, and will not need to lean on anyone specifically (like they did last year with this year's emerging NHL prospect Boris Katchouk, a member of Canada's U18s, who had a great season with the OHL's Greyhounds after lighting the Dudley Hewitt on fire). The likes of Matt Pinder, Jaren Bellini, and Brett Jeffries all have done well representing the northern league at the yearly regional all-star event, and if former OJHLer Khadyn Butterfly is in any sort of shape to contribute, he will be an absolutely dynamite addition to this squad. On paper, they should face the Hawks in the final.
The biggest thing I'll say about the Fort Frances group is that they do have excellent goaltending. Both Pierce Dushenko, who was sensational at times at the Dudley last year, and rookie Brandon Bodnar, who owned almost all SIJHL goaltending categories this season, are very capable. Now 21-year old forward Dylan Robertson has stepped out of the shadow of the departed Wyatt Cota and Lucas Debenedet, and has turned in a very productive year. Big-minute offence-first defender Nick Minerva was very productive again as well, but after the goalies, Robertson and Minerva, I can't really comment any more.
I haven't seen any of the current Kirkland Lake Gold Miners, but I know diminutive forward Brayden Stortz put up a massive season, with 100+ points in 54 games. Expect him, 51-goal man Logan Fredericks, and crucial defender Blake Anderson to be at the forefront if the hosts are to make noise. Victor-Olivier Courchesne will have be brilliant in net as well.
As I mentioned, the game is played on ice. But Trenton is deep, veteran, confident, and unlike the past three OJHL entrants into the Dudley, are used to travelling on buses to games, and are used to an organization that spares no expense and energy to keep its players focused, and well-supported. Their coach, Jerome Dupont, has won an RBC Cup before, and has been the Dudley a couple times as well, so he knows full-well what to expect. I'm sure he's put in a call to Jason Fortier as part of what I know is an extensive amount of preparation Dupont will have done already - he is one of the best prepared coaches in Junior 'A' hockey. So with all that, it's time for the Hawks to prove me right.
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