Another fine tribute at the Aud
KITCHENER — One thing all OHL clubs do right is celebrate Remembrance Day, or Veterans Day across the border.
And the Kitchener Rangers are getting an extra stick tap for the ceremony before the game against the visiting Windsor Spitfires this past Friday.
The team wore specially designed Remembrance Day sweaters for the 13th consecutive year and auctioned them off to raise money for charity.
There was also a moving performance of Amazing Grace sung with a bagpipe accompaniment followed by a moment of silence.
Also, of note, the Rangers were the first organization to don sweaters honouring veterans during the opening game of the Memorial Cup in 2008, a tradition that has been continued by every tournament host ever since. Now, on to the OHL 21.
1. Wasn’t Andrei Svechnikov’s injury supposed to hamper the Barrie Colts? The Russian had 14 points in 10 games when he suffered a wrist injury that will likely keep him out until Christmas. But the Eastern Conference-leading Colts are 5-2-1-0 without him.
2. The future is now, at least in net for the Erie Otters. The club has rotated veteran goalie Troy Timpano and rookie Anand Oberoi for the past eight games. So far, it’s advantage Timpano who is 2-1-0-1 to Oberoi’s 1-2-1-0.
3. Start combing the Flint Firebirds roster for trade bait. The team is mired in a nine-game losing streak and has been outscored 57-13 in that span. Names of interest include overage forwards Ryan Moore and Maurizio Colella, and Dallas Stars draft pick Nicholas Caamano.
4. Don’t look now but the Guelph Storm are two points out of first in the Midwest Division (heading into Tuesday) which adds some drama to Friday’s game against division leaders, the Kitchener Rangers. Blueliner Ryan Merkley is riding an eightgame point scoring streak (four goals, 11 assists).
5. The Hamilton Bulldogs have solved their overage dilemma by trading defenceman T.J. Fergus to the Barrie Colts Monday. The ’Dogs had four 20-year-olds in the back end, and every team has to cut down to three OAs by early January. Hamilton acquired blueliner Kade Landry in the deal with Barrie but also sent a fourthround pick to the Colts. The team traded three picks to Erie — including a third-rounder — for Fergus in September.
6. The Kingston Frontenacs are a perfect example of why this league is tough to analyze. The Fronts lose seven straight then spit off five consecutive wins against some tough opponents. Through it all, goalie Jeremy Helvig has played consistently well.
7. Something is going to have to give in the Kitchener Rangers’ crease when veteran Anthony Dumont-Bouchard (upper body) returns. The Blueshirts recently welcomed back Chris McGonigle (hip) who looked good in relief of regular Luke Richardson this past weekend in Windsor.
8. Despite playing 18 games for the Montreal Canadiens heading into Tuesday, some scouts around OHL rinks still believe that 19year-old defenceman Victor Mete will be back with the London Knights at some point this season.
9. Mississauga is back in the game now that forward Owen Tippett has returned after an extended tryout with the Florida Panthers. Now the focus shifts to Michael McLeod, who has been cleared to skate with the New Jersey Devils after suffering a knee injury. At 19 years old, it’s Devils or the Fish for the Missy native.
10. Waterloo native Ben Jones sure is a special-teams specialist. Nine of his 10 goals with the Niagara IceDogs have come on the power play (eight) or short-handed (one). He also leads the ‘Dogs in scoring with 20 points in 18 games.
11. A feel-good story in North Bay has defenceman Cam Dineen enjoying a bounceback campaign (19 points in 20 games) after missing about half of last season with a knee injury. With the Troops in last place you can bet the Arizona Coyotes draft pick is a trade target for several OHL clubs.
12. Remember when the Oshawa Generals bid to host this year’s Memorial Cup? Maybe it’s a good thing it didn’t work out. The Gens have lost five straight and are two points out of missing the playoffs in the east. Only Flint and Sudbury have allowed more than the team’s 83 goals against.
13. The OHL is going outdoors again. The Ottawa 67’s will host the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques at TD Place on Dec. 17. When London played Plymouth outside four years ago the game set a Canadian Hockey League attendance record with 26,384 fans. 14. I hate to sound like a broken record but Owen Sound has allowed 4.6 goals a game over the past five contests. A long shot hope that OA candidate Michael McNiven may return took a hit when the goalie was promoted from the ECHL to the AHL and earned his first pro win this past weekend. 15. It’s not just Owen Sound struggling in between the pipes. Peterborough has been even worse of late. The Petes have coughed up six goals per game over their past five tilts. Goalie Dylan Wells also allowed four goals in Team OHL’s 5-2 loss to Russian junior all-stars last week. 16. A little late on this but I know Saginaw was holding out hope — and maybe still is? — that forward Martin Necas would be assigned to the Spirit. Instead, the Carolina Hurricanes sent the Czech, who was selected 10th overall in this year’s CHL import draft, to the Czech Extraliga for the rest of the season.
17. The pace was unsustainable. Sarnia saw its 14-game winning streak end with three straight losses. But just when you thought they were coming back to the pack, the Sting make a huge statement by blanking pre-season darlings Owen Sound, 7-0.
18. Two reasons why you have to admire Sault Ste. Marie’s scouting staff. They lure Swede Ramus Sandin to town a month into the season and he’s basically a point per game. And how about Cole MacKay? He’s a fifth-round pick that has six points in nine games after returning from a knee injury.
19. The Sudbury Wolves have dressed 11 rookies, which puts them in a tie with Saginaw for the most freshmen iced this season. Niagara has played the least with four rookies while the Kitchener Rangers are the lowest in the West with only five greenhorns (as designated by the OHL).
20. Windsor’s impressive 12-71-0 start means the team will likely hang on to its stars for a playoff run, right? Not so fast. As one person told me: “Anyone that is an overager or a 19-year-old NHL draft pick is gone.” The Spits do lack draft picks. Meanwhile, Gabe Vilardi is back skating after missing all season with a knee injury.
21. London’s Tyler Rollo is the current Captain Clutch in the OHL. The Knights overager has three goals and all of them are game winners. Barrie’s Luke Bignell and Guelph’s James McEwan aren’t far behind. Both players have five markers this season and three of them have clinched wins.