OHL 21: Early season surprises
Ryan Suzuki on a tear for Barrie Colts in the first month of season
Things are settling down in the Ontario Hockey League.
It has been more than a month since opening night and the season’s quarter mark is a couple of weeks away.
So it’s a good time to survey the league to see what is standing out — good or bad — with each club.
1. Barrie is an overage factory. Every year Colts’ elders shine and it’s happening again. Ryan Suzuki has 24 points in 13 games and is nine points off the OHL lead. Wait, what? He’s a sophomore? Oh mama. The last second-year scoring champ was Erie’s Dylan Strome in 2015.
2. That Erie is hanging around Windsor and Sarnia in the standings certainly stands out. Only Kyle Maksimovich and Gera Poddubnyi have reached double digits in scoring, so being two points out of seventh in the west ain’t half bad for the young club.
3. Flint looked like it was going to be the Mr. Big of OHL chocolate bars — not your first choice, but decent. So far, the Firebirds are looking more like an EatMore. The team is 0-13-1-0, owns the worst PP (6.5 per cent) and PK (9.6 per cent) in the league and, as a group, has only scored six more goals than Ottawa’s Tye Felhaber.
4. A veteran defenceman, additional scoring and goalie depth is supposedly on Guelph’s shopping list. As for surprises? Well, forward Cam Hillis is in a bit of a sophomore slump with one goal and three assists through a dozen tilts. He had 20 ginos last season.
5. Maybe Wayne Brady should head to Hamilton as the “Let’s Make A Deal” host might come in handy. There were already pieces to trade — Matt Strome, Mac Entwistle — but getting Brandon Saigeon back from the Colorado Avalanche was a boon. Imagine if Will Bitten and Robert Thomas return, too?
6. Kingston forwards Jason Robertson (14 goals) and Brett Neumann (8) account for 70 per cent of the Fronts’ scoring. Ryan Cranford is the only other player that has more than one goal, and he has two.
7. Where are the rookies? Kitchener has six freshmen getting decent minutes but not one has scored this season. The lack of production is beginning to show as the Rangers are falling back to the pack in the West.
8. It’s tempting to enjoy London’s pedestrian 6-4-2-0 start. But you know as soon as you do, the Hockey Gods would send D Evan Bouchard and F Alex Formenton back from the NHL and the Knights would win another title. Remember, the club was 1-9 to start last year before going 38-20 the rest of the way.
9. Mississauga gets a slow clap of respect for being fifth overall in the OHL (heading into Wednesday). That’s a bigger surprise than Andy Dufresne’s tunnel out of Shawshank. Cole Carter’s 90-point pace deserves an honourable mention.
10. Star players are filling the net and goalie Stephen Dhillon has been solid in Niagara. So why are the IceDogs seventh — as of Wednesday — in the East? Good question. Methinks the return of chicken fingers to the media room might help things improve.
11. Justin Brazeau has been bravo in North Bay. So, too, has the power play. The Troops are three points out of last in the East but are money with the man advantage with a top-rated clip of 34.1 per cent.
12. The Generals battling basement dwellers in the East is a shock for the supposed conference title contenders. There are signs — three straight wins — that things are turning around. Though using an OA spot on a backup goalie is a bit puzzling.
13. Ottawa forward Marco Rossi is becoming a fan favourite at the TD Place Arena. The Austrian leads all OHL rookies with 18 points in 16 games and is tied for second in the OHL at plus-15. I wonder if the 67’s play Mozart’s Requiem after he scores?
14. Three wins in their past four games is masking the fact that Owen Sound has allowed more goals (48) than it has scored (44). Maybe it’s time to give Nathan Torchia (2.00 GAA with OJHL Georgetown) a call?
15. Peterborough is showing signs of being a conference contender rather than a playoff bubble team. With picks to spare the Petes could be a player at the trade deadline. For now, sophomore goalie Hunter Jones — 2.50 GAA and 930 save percentage — stands out.
16. First Guelph released Albert Michnac. Then Mississauga practically gave him away for a fifth-round pick. Now Saginaw is cashing in. The Czech native is on a 12-game point scoring heater and on pace to break the Spirit’s single season scoring record.
17. One win in the past eight games is probably good for Sarnia’s rebuilding plans. But three goals from sniper Adam Ruzicka puts him on pace for about half of last year’s total (36). That’s not good for his trade value.
18. Teams covet Soo forward Morgan Frost and goalie Matthew Villalta but parting with the duo is harder when you’re staring down in the standings. The Greyhounds are first in the West and own the best PK in the league. Oh to have the Soo’s problems.
19. Sudbury is 8-6-1-0 but doesn’t have a single player among the top 50 in OHL scoring so it might be time to dip into that draft pick reserve to rectify things. Buffalo Sabres prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukonen has been better than advertised in net with a sparkling 2.39 GAA.
20. Michael DiPietro owns the crease in Windsor. But Spits “backup” Kari Piiroinen has a higher save percentage (.912).
The Finn is ready to fly and DiPietro is ready for another Memorial Cup. Let the bidding begin.
21. So you want to be an OHL coach? North Bay’s Stan Butler and Hamilton’s Dave Matsos have been forced to the sidelines due to health issues while Flint’s Ryan Oulahen resigned for personal and family reasons. Sounds stressful. I think I’ll keep my job in the press box.