Canucks bolster lineup for 2018-19

Mitchell Mendonca back in GOJHL after winning Ontario junior A title

Mitchell Mendonca is back home, and back in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

After spending the past two seasons in the Ontario Junior Hockey League with the Wellington Dukes, and falling three goals short of winning a Canadian junior A championship in May, the Thorold native will be playing with the Niagara Falls Canucks.

Mendonca, a 6-foot, 175-pound, left-shooting centre who turns 20 on July 20, had 17 goals and 23 assists for 40 points in 44 regularseason games in his second season in the Ontario Junior Hockey League with Wellington.

In 22 playoff games, he scored six goals and collected six assists for a Dukes team whose lineup was bolstered down the stretch with the addition of Canucks captain Andrew Barbeau and Frank Pucci, who led Niagara Falls in goals during the regular-season with a leaguehigh 42.

“We welcome Mitch to the Canucks family and look forward to watching him light up the lamp at the Gale Centre this season,” the team said in a post on Instagram.

In 2015-16, Mendonca had five goals and three assists for eight points in 43 games in the Ontario Hockey League with the Hamilton Bulldogs.

The graduate of the Southern Tier Admirals triple A program had 18 goals and 23 assists in 57 games over two seasons in junior B with the Thorold Blackhawks before going on to the OHL.

Also joining the Canucks for the 2018-19 season is 6-foot-3, 200-pound, left-shooting defenceman Brandon Bastasin. The Mississauga native, who turns 20 on Nov. 5, had five assists in nine games for the Burlington Cougars followed by six assists in 42 games with the Markham Royals.

Bastasin had two goals in 32 games for the Sudbury Wolves during the 2015-16 OHL season.

“Brandon brings in a wealth of experience from the OHL and OJHL and will be a leader on and off the ice,” the Canucks said.

Niagara-on-the-Lake native David D’Agostino, 20, has also been added by the Canucks to bolster their blue line. The 5foot-11, 185-pounder had six goals and 16 assists for 22 points in 49 games with the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League in 2016-17.

He is described by the Niagara Falls team as a “smooth-skating defenceman who will definitely feel right at home on the large ice at the Gale Centre.”

The three will join returning players including forwards Garrett Downie, Justin Kyle, Pat McCabe, rearguard Dillon Hall and goaltender Zach Moore.