OHL Team-By-Team Reports

February 22, 2012
Posted in Ontario Edition, Major Junior

BY SAM LASKARIS /

With just over a month to go in the Ontario Hockey League regular season schedule, here’s some news and tidbits from all 20 clubs.

 

EAST DIVISION

BARRIE COLTS

Mathias Niederberger is making his first season with the Colts a memorable one. Niederberger, who played pro in Germany last season with the DEG Metro Stars, has become Barrie’s No. 1 puckstopper this year. He had a .275 GAA and 20 wins in 37 appearances.

BRAMPTON BATTALION

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ brass is undoubtedly happy to see its draftee Sam Carrick leading the Battalion in scoring. The Maple Leafs’ fifth-round pick from the 2010 NHL Draft, had 51 points in 55 games, including a team-high 29 goals.

MISSISSAUGA ST. MICHAEL’S MAJORS

Riley Brace’s role has certainly changed with the Majors this season. A year ago, the Majors, who advanced to the OHL and Memorial Cup finals, had plenty of other players to provide offence. Brace, a 15-goal man last season, now is the team’s main sniper. He had 30 goals and 67 points in 52 games.

NIAGARA ICEDOGS

Just go ahead and call him the shutout king. IceDogs’ goalie Mark Visentin, a member of the Canadian national Junior squad the past two years, had recorded a league-high nine shutouts through his first 33 appearances this season. Visentin had won 23 of his games and had an impressive 2.15 GAA.

SUDBURY WOLVES

Right-winger Derek Schoenmakers has been producing rather well for the Wolves since he was acquired in an early January trade from Mississauga. The 19-year-old Schoenmakers earned 14 points, including a half-dozen goals in his first 17 games with Sudbury.

 

CENTRAL DIVISION

BELLEVILLE BULLS

The younger siblings of Montreal Canadiens’ blueliner P.K. Subban are making a name for themselves with the Bulls this season. Belleville’s sophomore goalie Malcolm Subban had a sparkling 2.06 GAA in 23 appearances while rookie defenceman Jordan Subban had chipped in offensively with 16 points in 43 matches.

KINGSTON FRONTENACS

Russian goaltender Igor Bobkov has certainly been a workhorse for the Frontenacs this season. Bobkov, an Anaheim Ducks’ draftee who is an overager with the Kingston side, had appeared in 47 of the Frontenacs’ first 54 games. Bobkov played 21 games in the OHL last season with London.

OSHAWA GENERALS

Generals’ left winger Andy Andreoff does not receive as much publicity as his teammate Christian Thomas, a New York Rangers’ draftee and son of former NHLer Steve Thomas. But Andreoff and Thomas were tied for the Generals’ scoring lead with 54 points. Andreoff had 20 goals and 34 assists in 45 matches.

OTTAWA 67’S

Ottawa sniper Tyler Toffoli will need a strong finish in order to crack the 100-point plateau again this season. Toffoli, a Los Angeles Kings’ prospect, had 108 points last season. As for this year, he had a league-leading 82 points with 15 regular season contests remaining.

PETERBOROUGH PETES

The Petes, who are jockeying for the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference, need to find some ways to keep the puck out of their own net. Peterborough had allowed 225 goals in 55 games, the second highest total in the league. Only non-playoff bound Erie had yielded more goals.

MIDWEST DIVISION

ERIE OTTERS

Otters’ rookie forward Connor Brown has been one of the few bright spots for his team this season. Brown made the jump up to Erie after playing his first junior campaign with the St. Michael’s Buzzers of the OJHL. He was leading Erie in scoring with 35 points, including 18 goals, after 52 games.

GUELPH STORM

Storm right winger Scott Kosmachuk has been especially effective this season when the Storm has enjoyed a man  advantage. Kosmachuk had netted 24 goals through 51 games - and 10 of those markers had been while Guelph was on the power play. A year ago, he had just six goals and zero on the PP.

KITCHENER RANGERS

A player from Europe is still creating a buzz in Kitchener. But it’s not Sweden’s Gabriel Landeskog, who played the past two years with the Rangers and is now starring in the NHL with Colorado. German native Tobias Reider, an Edmonton Oilers’ draftee, was leading Kitchener with 64 points in 46 games.

LONDON KNIGHTS

Knights’ forward Seth Griffith should easily be able to more than double his goal-scoring production of a year ago. Griffith had 22 goals in his first full season in London. As for this year, he had netted 40 goals in 53 games. Griffin was also leading the Knights in scoring with 74 points.

OWEN SOUND ATTACK

Overager Mike Halmo has added another dimension - scoring, and lots of it - to go along with his toughness in his final season of Junior eligibility. Halmo is having a career year. He was leading the Attack in both scoring (72 points) and penalty minutes (137) after 54 games. His previous high was 43 points.

 

WEST DIVISION

PLYMOUTH WHALERS

The Whalers were doing their best to ensure the only battle in their divisional standings would be for second place. Plymouth had a 15-point lead over second place Sarnia. The Whalers are led by third-year forward Stefan Noesen, who had 63 points in 49 games.

SAGINAW SPIRIT

An over-ager has been a Fine addition to the Spirit roster this season. Forward Michael Fine, who is in his fifth OHL campaign, is producing almost at a point-per-game clip (53 points in 54 matches). Fine spent the past two years in Kingston and also played two seasons in Sault Ste. Marie.

SARNIA STING

Not many could have predicted that Charles Sarault - and not highly-touted pro prospect Nail Yakupov, who has missed his share of games - would be leading the Sting in scoring. Sarault, who played the past three years in the league with Kingston, had a team-high 69 points after 53 games.

SAULT STE. MARIE GREYHOUNDS

Greyhounds’ centre Nick Cousins, who finished second in team scoring last year, should easily win the Soo scoring race this season. Cousins had 67 points, including team highs in goals (28) and assists (39) through 51 games. He had 23 points more than his second highest scoring teammate, Brett Findlay.

WINDSOR SPITFIRES

How much do the Spitfires miss high-scoring defenceman Ryan Ellis and his 101 points last season? Ellis is now with the NHL’s Nashville Predators. The Windsor blueliner with the most points on the team is now Nick Ebert, who had just three goals and 29 points through 55 contests.

Previous Story: Bench Talk / Off The Wire
Next Story: Here, there, anywhere for Knights fans