The Junior Report

Ryan Ellis has been named the Ontario Hockey League’s defenceman of the year.

Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires has been named this year's Top Defenceman in the Ontario Hockey League. It is the second time he has won the award. PHOTO BY CHL IMAGES

On Tuesday the OHL announced the Windsor Spitfires blueliner is the recipient of the Max Kaminsky Trophy awarded to the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenceman of the Year. It is the second time Ellis, a Nashville Predators prospect, has earned the award.

Despite missing time for the World Junior Hockey Championships, where he captained Canada to a silver medal, Ellis led all defencemen in scoring and finished tied for fourth overall in the OHL with 101 points in 58 games, scoring 24 goals and 77 assists. He became the first defenceman to score 100 points in a season since Jamie Rivers of the Sudbury Wolves recorded 121 points in his award-winning 1993-94 campaign.

A three-time finalist, Ellis won the award for the first time in his sophomore 2008-09 season and becomes just the third defenceman in OHL history to win the award twice following Denis Potvin (Ottawa, 1972-73), and Bryan Berard (Detroit, 1995-96).

“It’s very exciting for me to win this award for the second time,” said Ellis. “I’d like to thank all those who voted for me and to be named the OHL’s Top Defenceman with so many worthy candidates within our league is an honour and something that means a great deal to me personally.”

Ellis, a 20-year-old from Freelton, Ont., set career-high numbers in goals, assists, and points competing in his fourth season with the Spitfires. With 314 points in 226 career games, Ellis became just the third defenceman in OHL history to record 300 career points and trails only Rick Corriveau, who recorded 329 points in 260 games with London and Niagara Falls from 1987-92, and Denis Potvin, who recorded 330 in 257 games with the Ottawa 67’s from 1967-73 for career points by an OHL defenceman. Ellis also ranks second all-time in Spitfires scoring behind Bill Bowler who produced 467 points in 250 career games.

“I’m not sure where you start with Ryan, he’s been a great ambassador for the Windsor Spitfires during his time with us and he’s competed at every level and on the biggest stages, winning every championship imaginable in junior hockey,” said Spitfires head coach Bob Jones. “He’s led and represented our team exceptionally well, and in my opinion has been the top player in both the OHL and CHL this season. What Ryan has done for our team and accomplished in the past four seasons is truly remarkable. The Windsor Spitfires are very proud of what he’s accomplished, and he is a very deserving winner of the OHL’s Top Defenceman award this season.”

A Nashville Predators prospect selected in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, 11th overall, Ellis was named the OHL Defenceman of the Month three times (November, January, and February). He was named Best Offensive Defenceman for the third-straight year in the Western Conference Coaches Poll, and also finished first in voting in the Smartest Player and Hardest Shot categories.

The Max Kaminsky Trophy is awarded each year to the Most Outstanding Defenceman as selected by OHL General Managers. Teams were not permitted to vote for their own nominee. Players received five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote and one point for a third place vote. Ellis received 93 of a maximum 95 points in the voting process ahead of Ryan Murphy of the Kitchener Rangers who finished second with 47 points. Dougie Hamilton of the Niagara IceDogs finished in third place with 15 points.

Ellis will be formally presented with the Max Kaminsky Trophy at the OHL Awards Ceremony which takes place on Wednesday June 8, 2011, at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. He will also be the OHL’s nominee for CHL Defenceman of the Year.

Following is a recap of other award winners who have been announced, along with some of the other awards that will be announced over the coming weeks:

2010-11 OHL Award Winners

Rookie of the Year – Nail Yakupov, Sarnia Sting

Coach of the Year – Mark Reeds, Owen Sound Attack

Overage Player of the Year – Jason Akeson, Kitchener Rangers

Scholastic Player of the Year – Dougie Hamilton, Niagara IceDogs

High School Academic Player of the Year – Andrew D’Agostini, Peterborough Petes

Post-Secondary School Player of the Year – Derek Lanoue, Windsor Spitfires

Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year – Jason Akeson, Kitchener Rangers

Humanitarian of the Year – Jack Walchessen, Peterborough Petes

Defenceman of the Year – Ryan Ellis, Windsor Spitfires

Goaltender of the Year – TBA

OHL All-Star Teams – TBA

Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy winner – TBA

Executive of the Year – TBA

Bill Long Award winner – TBA

Most Outstanding Player of the Year – TBA

It’s three golds and counting for the U.S. Men’s National Under-18 hockey team.

The U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team topped Sweden in overtime, 4-3, in Germany today to win the gold medal at the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation World Men’s U18 Championship. Connor Murphy (Dublin, Ohio) had two goals, including the game-winner at 6:06 of the overtime period, and added an assist, as Team USA captured its third straight gold medal in the tournament.

The U.S. overcame a two-goal third-period deficit to send the game into overtime and eventually emerge with its sixth gold medal in tournament history (2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011), and its third-straight gold.

“We knew how talented Sweden was from past tournaments,” said Ron Rolston, head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team. “This year, our players fought hard to come from behind and earn this gold medal.”

Sweden jumped out to a quick lead with a goal at 3:24 of the first period. A late power play tally by Team USA’s Jacob Trouba tied the game, 1-1, however. Connor Murphy and Trouba passed the puck inside the offensive zone before Trouba launched a shot through traffic for the marker.

Sweden took a 3-1 lead on tallies at 12:51 and 17:50 of the second period, but the U.S. responded in the third. Less than two minutes into the frame, Rocco Grimaldi flipped the puck to Murphy at the top of the right faceoff circle, where he snapped a quick shot for the score. Then, with 1:29 left in regulation, Reid Boucher wired a shot past Sweden goalie Niklas Lundstrom to send the game into overtime tied, 3-3.

Just as a Sweden penalty expired six minutes into the extra frame, Robbie Russo skated the puck into the offensive zone before locating Murphy at the left point. Murphy’s first wrist shot attempt was blocked, but his rebound slap shot found the net for the game-winning tally.

John Gibson made 28 saves in the win for the U.S., while Lundstrom stopped 37 shots in the loss for Sweden.

Murphy was named Team USA’s Player of the Game, while Gibson received the directorate award as the tournament’s best goaltender. Gibson, J.T. Miller and Robbie Russo were named Team USA’s best three players.

All 22 players on the 2011 U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team come from USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, based in Ann Arbor, Mich.

CANADA FINISHES FOURTH AT TOURNAMENT

Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team finished in fourth place at the 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, dropping a 6-4 decision to Russia in Sunday’s bronze medal game.

Canada finished the preliminary round in second place in Group B with a 3-1 record and finished second in Group B. They advanced past Germany 4-3 in the quarter-finals before dropping a heart-breaking 5-4 overtime decision to the United States in Saturday’s semifinal.

On Sunday, Canada held a 2-1 lead in the second period before allowing four unanswered goals to the Russians. Ryan Murray (Everett, WHL) and Brett Ritchie (Sarnia, OHL) scored to cut the lead to 5-4 in the final minute, but the Canadians came up a goal short.

Ryan Murphy (Kitchener, OHL) scored once and added three assists for Canada, finishing the tournament with 13 points, a record for a Canadian at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship, eclipsing the previous mark of 12 set by Pierre-Marc Bouchard in 2002 and equaled by Cody Hodgson in 2008. Murphy was also named the tournament’s top defenceman.

Canada finished seventh at last year’s IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Minsk and Bobruisk, Belarus.

The Winnipeg Thrashers (West) have won the 2011 TELUS Cup, claiming Canada’s 33rd National Midget Championship with a 3-1 win over the London Jr. Knights (Central) in Sunday night’s gold medal game at Mile One Centre in St. Johns, NFLD.

Justin Derlago opened the scoring midway through the second period, Connor Lockhart notched the game-winner 1:01 into the third period, Corey Petrash added an insurance goal 99 seconds later and Teagan Sacher stopped 31 shots as Winnipeg became just the second Manitoba team to win the national championship, joining the 2004 Brandon Wheat Kings.

The gold medal is the seventh in eight years for the West Region; it has appeared in every gold medal game during that stretch, with only the Thrashers in 2008 failing to take home the national championship.

It took until the 9:16 mark of the second period for the first goal to be scored in Sunday’s game, with Derlago’s shot from a sharp angle sneaking past London netminder Craig Wood, who was named the tournament’s Top Goaltender at Friday’s awards banquet.

That was it for scoring until Lockhart buried a rebound on a Winnipeg power play 1:01 into the second period, and Petrash returned from getting second-intermission stitches on his forehead to make it 3-0 just 99 seconds later.

Cale Duberry ended Sacher’s shutout bid with six minutes to go, but that was the only goal the Jr. Knights could manage against the Winnipeg goaltender, despite outshooting the Thrashers 32-18.

In Sunday morning’s bronze medal game, the Lions du Lac St-Louis (Quebec) got a pair of third-period goals from Anthony Duclair to break a 3-3 tie and earn a 5-3 victory over the Vancouver North West Giants (Pacific), giving the Lions their sixth medal in as many trips to the National Midget Championship.

The 2011 TELUS Cup is the third and final event held in Newfoundland and Labrador during the 2010-11 season to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador. Last August, Canada’s National Junior Team held its summer development camp at Mile One Centre, while the top four women’s teams in the world – Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States – took part in the 2010 4 Nations Cup in St. John’s and Clarenville in early November.

The 2012 TELUS Cup will be held in April 2012 in Leduc, Alta., with the Leduc Oil Kings serving as the host team.

If you want individual tickets for the 2011 Mastercard Memorial Cup, today is the day.

The 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup is quickly approaching. Single-game tickets for this years tournament, set to take place in Mississauga, are on sale today at 10 a.m. PHOTO BY AARON BELL/CHL IMAGES

Tickets for single games go on sale to the general public today (Monday, April 18) at 10 a.m. Five-hundred red level tickets for each round robin game and the semi-final game will be made available.

The 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup festivities will get underway on Thursday, May 19, while the action on the ice will start on Friday, May 20.  The host Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors will host the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in the opening game.

Tickets will be available at ticketmaster.ca or by visiting the Hershey Centre box office.  Tickets for these games will start at $45 plus applicable taxes and fees. Here is the schedule of games that tickets will be made available for:
Round-Robin Game 1 – QMJHL vs. Mississauga on Friday May 20, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Round-Robin Game 2 – OHL vs. WHL on Saturday May 21, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Round-Robin Game 3 – Mississauga vs. WHL on Sunday May 22, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Round-Robin Game 4 – OHL vs. QMJHL on Monday May 23, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Round-Robin Game 5 – WHL vs. QMJHL on Tuesday May 24, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Round-Robin Game 6 – Mississauga vs. OHL on Wednesday May 25, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Semi-Final – Friday May 27, 2011 at 7:00 pm

According to the Memorial Cup website, there are also ticket packages still available for all games. While the platinum seating is sold out gold seating ($595 plus taxes and applicable fees) and red seating ($495 plus taxes and applicable fees) are still available by calling the Majors at 905-502-7788, ext 1.

The 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup marks the first time the games will be hosted in the Greater Toronto Area since the current tournament format began in 1972.  The event will feature the champions of the Ontario Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, along with the host Majors.

For more information please visit www.mastercardmemorialcup.com.

Some of Canada’s top Midget hockey teams will take to the ice in Newfoundland this week.

The 2011 Telus Cup begins Monday, with five of Canada’s top Midget teams joining the host St. John’s Privateers for the 33rd annual national Midget hockey championship. Hitting the ice with the Privateers will be the five regional champions, the Halifax Titans (Atlantic), Lions du Lac St-Louis (Quebec), London Jr. Knights (Central), Vancouver North West Giants (Pacific) and Winnipeg Thrashers (West). The six competing teams will take to the ice at Mile One Centre hoping to earn one of the two berths in Sunday’s nationally televised gold-medal game.

The Privateers are the lone returning team from the 2010 TELUS Cup in Lévis, Que., where they won the bronze medal as the Fog Devils. Lac St-Louis is just one gold medal away from tying Regina and Notre Dame as the only teams to win four national championships, and London is the only team without prior National Midget Championship experience in this year’s field. In all, three of the teams competing in St. John’s have played at the TELUS Cup within the last five years (St. John’s, Vancouver and Winnipeg).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

International Scouting Services has selected three players from each of the six competing teams that it believes are TELUS Cup Players to Watch.
The players are as follows:

HALIFAX TITANS: Adam Brown, Jacob Fancy, Adam Stevens. Players selected in QMJHL draft: None.
LIONS DU LAC ST-LOUIS: Jonathan Drouin, Anthony Duclair, Michael Matheson. Players selected in QMJHL draft: Patrick Walsh – Quebec 2010 (1st round, 14th overall); Michael Matheson – Shawinigan 2010 (2nd round, 27th overall); Dylan Trevis – Acadie-Bathurst 2010 (11th round, 185th overall).
LONDON JR. KNIGHTS: Stuart King, Ryan Tuffin, Craig Wood. Players selected in the OHL draft: Justin Tugwell – Oshawa 2010 (6th round, 104th overall); Craig Wood – Kingston 2010 (7th round, 127th overall); Stuart King – Sault Ste. Marie 2010 (7th round, 140th overall); Mitch Davies – Oshawa 2010 (14th round, 164th overall); Ryan Tuffin – Saginaw 2010 (14th round, 273rd overall).
ST. JOHN’S PRIVATEERS: Marcus Cuomo, Marcus Power, Ryan Power. Players selected in QMJHL draft: Marcus Power – Rouyn-Noranda 2010 (6th round, 103rd overall).
VANCOUVER NORTH WEST GIANTS: Joseph Carvalho, Alex Kerfoot, Sam Reinhart. Players selected in WHL draft: Sam Reinhart – Kootenay 2010 (1st round, 15th overall); Jackson Houck – Vancouver 2010 (3rd round, 57th overall); Joseph Carvalho – Prince George 2010 (4th round, 73rd overall); Bo Pellah – Spokane 2010 (6th round, 126th overall); Mitch Fyffe – Kootenay 2009 (9th round, 189th overall); Alex Kerfoot – Seattle 2009 (12th round, 254th overall); Dexter Dancs – Vancouver 2010 (12th round, 255th overall).
WINNIPEG THRASHERS: Tyler Kauk, Corey Petrash, Teagan Sacher. Players selected in WHL draft: Dylan Kuczek – Brandon 2009 (2nd round, 40th overall); Adam Henry – Lethbridge 2009 (3rd round, 55th overall); Sean Collins – Medicine Hat 2008 (3rd round, 60th overall); Brendyn Illchuk – Tri-City 2008 (8th round, 176th overall); Lyrik Friesen – Brandon 2009 (10th round, 216th overall).

THE TOURNAMENT

The gold medal game will be held Sunday, April 24 at 4 p.m. (NT) and will be shown on TSN/RDS (check your local listings). All other games at the tournament, including both semifinals and the bronze-medal game, will be available through FASTHockey at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com for $7 per game.

A number of future NHLers have taken part in the National Midget Championship since its inception in 1979, including Daniel Briere (Gatineau, 1994), Rod Brind’Amour (Notre Dame, 1986-87, Ron Francis (Sault Ste. Marie, 1980), Kris Letang (College Antoine-Girouard, 2003), Steve Yzerman (Nepean, 1980) and many more.

For more information on the Telus Cup, including rosters, schedules and more, visit www.hockeycanada.ca/teluscup. You can also follow the tournament via social media on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teluscup or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HC_TELUSCup.

While the first round of the playoffs is over for the Ontario Hockey League’s Eastern Conference teams, the West has yet to be won.

All four series in the Western Conference are still in play, including one that is headed to a Game 7.

Game 7 for the Kitchener Rangers and Plymouth Whalers could be a goaltending battle. Will it be Mike Morrison of the Rangers (left) who has helped Kitchener win back-to-back Games to force a Game 7? Or will Plymouth's Scott Wedgewood, the league's busiest netminder in the playoffs, be able to help steal a victory for the Whalers? PHOTOS COURTESY OF OHL IMAGES

A Mike Morrison shutout on Saturday, helped force a Game 7 between the Kitchener Rangers and Plymouth Whalers. Morrison stopped 40 shots for the Rangers, who will host Game 7 on Monday night. Plymouth opened the series with two wins, and despite losing Game 3, battled back to win Game 4 and put the Rangers on the brink. Kitchener has bounced back with the two wins to tie up, however.

The difference in Game 7 could be netminding – whether or not Morrison can earn a third-straight win for Kitchener, or whether Plymouth goalie Scott Wedgewood can steal the win. Wedgewood is by far one of the most underrated netminders in the league, showing a strong save percentage despite having a 3.22 goals-against average in the playoffs. He has been the most busiest goalie, making 248 saves – over 50 more than any other goalie (Michael House is second with 197 saves).

The Owen Sound Attack and London Knights continue to alternate victories, with Owen Sound having a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6 in London on Sunday. Wins have gone 3-2 Attack, 5-1 Knights, 5-3 Attack, 5-2 Knights and 6-0 Attack.

The Saginaw Spirit have a 3-2 lead on the Guelph Storm, with Game 6 on Sunday. Saginaw opened the series with a 3-2 win, but Guelph took a lead after winning Game 2 6-2 and Game 3 7-3. Saginaw, however, has bounced back to win two-straight games, 4-3 and 5-4, to regain the series lead.

EASTERN CONFERENCE SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

The OHL has announced the schedule for the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors and Sudbury Wolves open their series on Friday, April 8 in Mississauga, at 7:30 p.m. Game 2 is Sunday, April 10, 7 p.m. in Sudbury; Game 3, Tuesday, April 12, at 7 p.m. in Mississauga; Game 4, Wednesday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Sudbury; Game 5, Friday, April 15, 7:30 p.m. in Mississauga; Game 6, Sunday, April 17, at 7 p.m. in Sudbury; and Game 7, Monday, April 18, at 7 p.m. in Mississauga.

Mississauga (1) opened the playoffs with a 4-0 sweep of the Belleville Bulls (8), while the No. 7 Sudbury Wolves shocked in an upset 4-0 sweep over the No. 2 Ottawa 67′s.

The No. 3 Niagara IceDogs will face the No. 4 Oshawa Generals in a series starting Thursday, April 7, at 7 p.m. in Niagara. Game is Saturday, April 9, 7:05 p.m. in Oshawa; Game 3, Monday, April 11, at 7 p.m. in Niagara; Game 4, Wednesday, April 13, at 7 p.m. in Niagara; Game 5, Friday, April 15 at 7 p.m., in Niagara; Game 6, Sunday, April 17, at 6:05 p.m., in Oshawa; and Game 7, Monday, April 18, at 7 p.m. in Niagara.

The IceDogs are coming off a 4-0 sweep of the Brampton Battalion, while the Generals won their series 4-1 over the Kingston Frontenacs.

After a brief rest, teams still in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs will return to action this weekend.

All four series in the second round of the Q’s 2011 President Cup playoffs begin on Friday night.

VICTORIAVILLE vs. SAINT JOHN

The No. 1 Sea Dogs will face the No. 11 Tigres. Both teams swept their opening series, with the Sea Dogs disposing of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (16), and the Tigres upsetting the Acadie-Bathurst Titan (6) with a 4-0 sweep.

Jonathan Huberdeau of the Saint John Sea Dogs, one of the top prospects for this year's NHL Entry Draft, is one of the top playoff scorers after the first round of the QMJHL, tied for second with teammate Zack Phillips. PHOTO COURTESY OF OHL IMAGES

Jonathan Huberdeau and Zack Phillips are tied for second in the Q’s playoff scoring, with 12 points each in the opening round. Stanislav Galiev also had a great start, with five goals and three assists in the opening series. Netminders Jacob DeSerres and Mathieu Corbeil-Theriault shut down any Screaming Eagles scorers in the four games.

Philippe Maillet led the Tigres against the Titan, with three goals and six assists in four games.

The series is as follows:

April 8: VICTORIAVILLE VS. SAINT JOHN – 7:30 pm

April 9: VICTORIAVILLE VS. SAINT JOHN – 7:00 pm

April 12: SAINT JOHN VS. VICTORIAVILLE – 7:00 pm

April 13: SAINT JOHN VS. VICTORIAVILLE – 7:00 pm

April 15: SAINT JOHN VS. VICTORIAVILLE – 7:00 pm

April 18: VICTORIAVILLE VS. SAINT JOHN – 7:00 pm

April 19: VICTORIAVILLE VS. SAINT JOHN – 7:00 pm

LEWISTON VS. MONTRÉAL

The No. 2 Montreal Junior swept the Halifax Mooseheads (15) in round one, and will now look to continue their momentum against the No. 8 Lewiston Maineiacs. Lewiston won its opening round series against the Moncton Wildcats (9) 4-1.

Jeremy Gouchie led the Junior in the opening round with two goals and five assists in the opening four games, while Jean-Francois Berube had a save percentage of .955, earning two shutouts in Montreal’s series against Moncton.

Nicholas Champion had a strong opening series in net for Lewiston, turning out a 4-1 record, with a 1.95 goals-against average.

The series is as follows:

April 8: LEWISTON VS. MONTRÉAL – 7:05 pm

April 9: LEWISTON VS. MONTRÉAL – 7:05 pm

April 12: MONTRÉAL VS. LEWISTON – 7:00 pm

April 13: MONTRÉAL VS. LEWISTON – 7:00 pm

April 15: LEWISTON VS. MONTRÉAL – 7:05 pm

April 17: MONTRÉAL VS. LEWISTON – 7:00 pm

April 19: LEWISTON VS. MONTRÉAL – 7:05 pm

SHAWINIGAN VS. QUÉBEC

The No. 3 Quebec Remparts will be facing the No. 7 Shawinigan Cataractes. Quebec scored 27 goals in their four-game sweep over the Val D’Or Foreurs (14), while Shawinigan edged the P.E.I Rocket (10) 4-1 in the opening round.

Jonathan Audy-Marchessault led the Remparts in the opening round, scoring five goals and adding 10 assists in the four games, leading all playoff scorers with 15 points. In net, Louis Domingue played all four games, finishing with one shutout and a 2.00 goals-against average.

Gabriel Girard was strong in net for Shawinigan in the opening round, playing all five games, with a 1.58 goals-against average and one shutout against the Rocket.

The series is as follows:

April 8: SHAWINIGAN VS. QUÉBEC – 7:00 pm

April 9: SHAWINIGAN VS. QUÉBEC – 7:00 pm

April 12: QUÉBEC VS. SHAWINIGAN – 7:00 pm

April 13: QUÉBEC VS. SHAWINIGAN – 7:00 pm

April 15: SHAWINIGAN VS. QUÉBEC – 7:00 pm

April 17: QUÉBEC VS. SHAWINIGAN – 7:00 pm

April 19: SHAWINIGAN VS. QUÉBEC – 7:00 pm

GATINEAU VS. DRUMMONDVILLE

The Drummondville Voltigeurs (4) swept the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, and now face the Gatineau Olympiques (5), who are coming off a 4-1 win over the Rimouski Oceanic.

Ondrej Palat led Drummondville offensively in the opening around, with four goals and five assists in four games. Top prospect Sean Couturier also had a strong opening round, with three goals and five assists. Guillaume Nadeau played in all four games for Drummondville, but wasn’t at his best, finishing with a 3.18 goals-against average, and just a .861 save percentage.

For Gatineau, Tye McGinn and Jean-Gabriel Pageau had three goals and four assists each in the opening series. Francois Lacerte had a .915 save percentage, and 2.13 goals-against average in four games.

The series is as follows:

April 8: GATINEAU VS. DRUMMONDVILLE – 7:30 pm

April 9: GATINEAU VS. DRUMMONDVILLE – 7:00 pm

April 12: DRUMMONDVILLE VS. GATINEAU – 7:00 pm

April 13: DRUMMONDVILLE VS. GATINEAU – 7:00 pm

April 15: GATINEAU VS. DRUMMONDVILLE – 7:30 pm

April 17: DRUMMONDVILLE VS. GATINEAU – 7:00 pm

April 19: GATINEAU VS. DRUMMONDVILLE – 7:00 pm

Highly touted teen Aaron Ekblad is officially eligible for the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection draft.

On Thursday the Ontario Hockey Federation announced the 15-year-old defenceman was granted “exceptional player status.” The announcement was made after a review by Hockey Canada, and the decision allows him to be eligible for the OHL draft on May 7.

The process was administered by Hockey Canada with a Special Evaluation Panel assembled to evaluate Ekblad’s hockey and academic documentation and assess his level of maturity in reaching their decision.

“The process established for the exceptional player is an extensive evaluation of the player in all aspects of life,” said OHF executive director Phillip McKee. “Aaron should be very proud, just as the OHF is of him, for achieving the exceptional player status.”

Born February 7, 1996, the 15-year-old Ekblad is a six-foot-three, 200-pound defenceman with the Sun County Panthers Minor Midget AAA program. This season he recorded 34 points in 30 regular season games before producing 21 points in 18 playoff games. Last season at 14-years-old, he was named a First-Team All-Star at the 2010 All Ontario Bantam AAA Championships after leading Sun County to an ALLIANCE Championship title.

Ekblad becomes the first player since John Tavares in May, 2005, to be granted “exceptional player” status. Tavares was later selected first overall by the Oshawa Generals in the 2005 OHL Priority Selection and played four OHL seasons recording 433 points in 247 career games before being selected with the first overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders.

Ekblad is also one of 60 skaters that will participate in the 2011 OHL Development Combine powered by Under Armour this weekend, April 2-3, at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga.

Ekblad and the OHF will be holding a media conference call this afternoon to introduce Ekblad and discuss the announcement.

The Ontario Hockey League Cup Showcase Tournament final is all set.

The Don Mills Flyers, led by sniper Max Domi, will face off against the top-ranked Toronto Marlboros, and GTHL Player of the Year Nicolas Ritchie, on Sunday afternoon.

Max Domi and his Don Mills Flyers teammates will be facing the Toronto Marlboros in the OHL Showcase Cup Tournament final on Sunday afternoon. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images

Don Mills doubled the Toronto Jr. Canadiens 6-3 in the first semi-final matchup, with Adam Bateman leading the way with a goal and an assist. Domi and Aidan Wallace had a goal and an assist each, while Darnell Nurse and Matt Buckles rounded out the scoring. Dalton Hnatko led the way for the Canadiens with two goals and an assist. Brandon Robinson had the other goal, also earning an assist.

The Marlboros shut out the Markham Majors 6-0 in the other semi-final matchup. David Perklin had three goals and an assist to lead the Marlboros, but it was Jordan Subbam who was named the team’s player of the game, with one goal. Jaden Lindo and Aaron Berisha rounded out the scoring. Alexander Fotinos earned the shutout for Toronto.

The championship final takes place at 2 p.m., with the action shifting from Hershey Centre in Mississauga to the Herb Carnegie Arena in North York.
The OHL Cup is a tournament that provides scouts an opportunity to see some of the province’s best players at the elite level play prior to the OHL Priority Selection Draft in May. Last year 197 players that competed in the tournament were selected in the 2010 OHL draft, including 14 in the first round.

Oshawa Generals 10 vs. Kingston Frontenacs 1: Oshawa goals: Christian Thomas (2), Alain Berger (2), Lucas Lessio (2) Cody Payne, JP Labardo, Andy Andreoff, Nicklas Jensen; Kingston goal: Ryan Spooner. Oshawa leads the series 2-0.

Owen Sound Attack 3 vs. London Knights 2: Owen Sound goals: Garret Wilson (2), Robby Mignardi. London goals: Jared Knight, Stephen Sanza. Owen Sound leads the series 1-0.

Plymouth Whalers 6 vs. Kitchener Rangers 5: Plymouth goals: Stefan Noesen, Tyler Brown, Garrett Meurs, Beau Schmitz, Jamie Devane, Dario Truttman. Kitchener goals: Gabriel Landeskog (2), Matthew Tipoff (2), Michael Catenacci. Plymouth leads the series 1-0.

Saginaw Spirit 3 vs. Guelph Storm 2: Saginaw goals: Ryan O’Connor, Josh Shalla, Vincent Trocheck. Guelph goals: Taylor Beck, Francis Menard. Saginaw leads the series 1-0.

Tomorrow’s action: Sudbury at Ottawa, 2 p.m.; Windsor at Erie, 7 p.m. (1-0 Erie); Owen Sound at London, 7 p.m. (1-0 Owen Sound); Mississauga at Belleville, 7:05 p.m. (1-0 Mississauga); Kitchener at Plymouth, 7:05 (1-0 Plymouth).

By Scott Rosts

When it comes to this year’s Ontario Hockey League playoffs, only one thing is for sure – the Mississauga St. Michaels Majors will be in the Memorial Cup.

Justin Shugg will be looking for his third-straight Memorial Cup, this year with the host Mississauga St. Michael's Majors. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Of course, that’s a given, since the OHL regular season leaders (53-13-0-2) earned an automatic berth as hosts of the Canadian Hockey League’s championship this year. Their performance during the 2010-2011 season, however, indicates they are likely contenders anyways. They finished third overall on the CHL’s season-ending Top 10 rankings, with over 25 weeks on that list, and they will likely have no problem in the Eastern Conferece’s opening round against the No. 8 Belleville Bulls.

The offensive punch of Casey Cizikas, Devante Smith-Pelly and Justin Shugg, who brings much experience having won back-to-back Memorial Cups with the Windsor Spitfires, will be too much for the Bulls, while in net JP Anderson has established himself amongst the best goaltenders in the league, leading the OHL with a 2.36 goals-against average, 38 wins and six shut outs.

While the Bulls boast some young talent, especially between the pipes with Jordan Subban and Tyson Teichmann, they are not up to par with Mississauga.

The seventh-ranked Sudbury Wolves can boast a powerful offence when healthy, with players like Marcus Foligno, Eric O’Dell and Michael Sgarbossa, but it will be tough to match the offensive threats on the roster for No. 2-seeded Ottawa. The 67′s are led by co-recipient of the OHL’s Top Scorer Award Tyler Toffoli, along with Shane Prince and Ryan Martindale. Petr Mrazek boasts strength in net for Ottawa, finishing the year with a league-leading .920 save percentage.

Don’t be surprised if the Niagara IceDogs (3) play their way to the OHL finals, if not further. Their offence is extremely deep, led by Ryan Strome. Add players like Freddie Hamilton, Andrew Agozzino, Steve Shipley, Alex Friesen and David Pacan, and you have a team that can score no matter what line is on the ice. With a talented and young blueline, headlined by draft-eligible Dougie Hamilton, and strong netminding in Mark Visentin, the IceDogs should have no problem handling the Brampton Battalion (6) in the opening round.

The fourth-seed Oshawa Generals and fifth-seed Kingston Frontenacs will likely continue their evenly matched regular season. While Oshawa won five of eight battles this season, virtually every game was close, with five of the eight games going to overtime or shootout. It will be hard to ignore Ryan Spooner and Ethan Werek up front for Kingston, but Christian Thomas and his supporting cast of Lucas Lessio, Boone Jenner and Nicklas Jensen help bolster the Oshawa offence. Defensively, you have to give the edge to Kingston, who packs a powerful punch with Taylor Doherty and Erik Gudbranson, but Calvin de Haan is a leader on the blueline for Oshawa. In net, you can expect Oshawa’s Peter DiSalvo to step up big, giving it his all in his overage season, while you have to wonder how much of a difference it would be for Kingston to have a healthy Philip Grubauer in net for the playoffs, instead of Franky Pallazese.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

The Owen Sound finished the season as the top overall seed in the West for the first time in 21 years and come into the playoffs hot, facing the eighth-seed London Knights. Expect Attack forward Joey Hishon to continue his strong offensive performance – he had 87 points in the regular season. He is surrounded by six other 20-plus goal scorers, including 40-goal scorer, and Owen Sound captain, Garrett Wilson. London had just one 30-goal scorer, Vladislav Namestnikov, but they boast a pair of shut-down defencemen in Jarred Tinordi and Scott Harrington. They will need Jared Knight to step up and help carry the load in the playoffs.

The Guelph Storm should have had home-ice advantage in the playoffs, but instead finished seventh and are facing the second-seed Saginaw Spirit. Expect to see much more from this high-potential team, and their offensively-gifted forwards like Taylor Beck, Peter Holland, Richard Panik and Michael Latta. New management and a new coach helped light a fire under the Storm this season, and it will carry over for a good run int he playoffs.

You can’t ignore what the Kitchener Rangers (3) have to offer, as they gear up to face the Plymouth Whalers (6). It’s not far fetched to suggest Kitchener has a roster that will compete for a Memorial Cup, led offensively by Jason Akeson, who tied Tyler Toffoli as the OHL’s top scorer, potential 2011 No. 1 NHL Entry Draft pick Gabriel Landeskog and Jerry D’Amigo, who had 28 points in 21 games after being sent down to Kitchener from Toronto’s AHL team. The player to watch will be Plymouth goaltender Scott Wedgewood, who has the ability to steal hockey games, and would have been in the spotlight had he played for a better team this season.

Potential 2011 No. 1 NHL Entry Draft pick Gabriel Landeskog and the Kitchener Rangers will be contenders during this year's OHL playoffs. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

It looks like the Windsor Spitfires (4) will have their run of back-to-back trips to the Memorial Cup – both successful – end. The mighty have fallen, and the Erie Otters (5) have the potential to come out of the opening round of the playoffs victorious. Greg McKegg, one of three 40-goal scorers on Erie, will lead the way offensively, while Ramis Sadikov showed his strength in net, winning 36 games this season for the Otters. If Windsor wants to have a chance, it will have to rely on Zack Kassian not only for offensive contributions, but to help shut down Erie’s top forwards. Ryan Ellis managed to rack up a 100-point season, despite missing action during his time as captain of Canada in the World Juniors. He can make a difference on both ends of the ice. Windsor is on shaky ground in net, however. Jack Campbell, who won a gold medal with the U.S. Junior team in 2010 and a silver in 2011, will have to play up to those abilities to help the Spits advance.

The puck is about to drop on a showcase of some of the Ontario Hockey League’s future stars.

The Ontario Hockey League, in association with the Greater Toronto Hockey League, announced the final schedule for the 2011 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament, hosted by the GTHL at Hersey Centre in Mississauga, on Monday.

The 2011 OHL Showcase Cup tournament takes place March 22-27 and features 20 of the top minor midget teams in Ontario and the USA. The champions and finalists from minor hockey associations in Ontario, including the GTHL, OMHA, ODMHA and ALLIANCE are participating in the tournament. In addition a team from Hockey Northwestern Ontario and the NOHA will compete.

“The 2011 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament is shaping up to be extremely competitive,” said OHL Director of Central Scouting and Player Development Rob Kitamura.  “Last year’s event showed that a wildcard team can excel and win the Championship by coming together and outperforming the rest of the competition at the right time.  This year’s group is very similar with talent across the entire 20-team field which should make for an exciting event.”

The action begins Tuesday evening at 6:45 p.m. on Rink 2 at the Hershey Centre with the Markham Majors taking on the Barrie Colts.  Other Tuesday night action included the Toronto Marlboros against the Halton Hurricanes at 7:15 p.m. on the Main Bowl, the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and the York Simcoe Express at 8:30 p.m. on Rink 2, and the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs against the Don Mills Flyers at 9 p.m .on the Main Bowl.

Round-robin action continues through Friday at Hershey Centre before the top two teams in each division qualify for one of the four quarter-final matchups on Saturday morning, with semi-final games played Saturday night at Hershey Centre.  The championship final is set for 2 p.m. at Herb Carnegie Arena in North York.

Teams participating in this year’s Showcase Tournament have been broken into four divisions. They are as follows (final top-10 ranking in brackets):

Division 1:

Toronto Marlies (GTHL Champions) (1)

Halton Hurricanes (OMHA Invite)

North Jersey Americans (USA Invite)

Ottawa Valley Titans (ODMHA Finalists)

Great North Midget League Wolves (NOHA Representative)

Division 2:

Don Mills Flyers (GTHL Invite) (3)

St. Catharines Jr. Falcons (OMHA Invite)

Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs (ALLIANCE Champions) (5)

Ottawa Jr. 67’s (ODMHA Champions)

Oakville Rangers (OMHA Invite)

Division 3:

Welland Tigers (OMHA Champions) (6)

Mississauga Senators (GTHL Invite)

Thunder Bay Kings (HNO Representative)

Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL Finalists) (2)

York-Simcoe Express (OMHA Invite) (8)

Division 4:

Waterloo Wolves (ALLIANCE Finalists) (7)

Barrie Colts (OMHA Finalists) (9)

TPH Thunder (USA Invite)

Markham Majors (GTHL Invite) (10)

Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs (OMHA Invite)

There are more than 270 OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the Ontario Hockey League’s 2010-11 season.  This figure represents more than 50 per cent of the entire OHL.  The Kingston Frontenacs and Ottawa 67′s lead the way with 19 OHL Cup graduates listed on their rosters followed by the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors with 17.

More than 50 players competed in the 2010 OHL Cup Tournament and are playing in the OHL as 1994-born rookies, with a total of 175 selected in the 2010 OHL Priority Selection. Fourteen of those players were chosen in the first round including four players among the top five picks such as Brendan Gaunce of the Markham Waxers selected second overall by the Belleville Bulls, Scott Laughton of the Toronto Marlboros chosen third overall by the Oshawa Generals, Jarrod Maidens of the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs selected fourth overall by the Owen Sound Attack, and Matthew Campagna of the Toronto Young Nationals chosen fifth overall by the Sudbury Wolves.

Each of the last three players selected first overall in the NHL Entry Draft are OHL and OHL Cup graduates including Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning, John Tavares of the New York Islanders, and Taylor Hall of the Edmonton Oilers.

A full roster, complete schedule, and more information on the OHL Cup is available online at www.ohlcup.ca. The site will feature live tournament scoring, results and statistics during the event.

It’s been a dismal season for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, but the team president is encouraging the fans to stay patient as they forge ahead and assess “all aspects of the hockey organization.”

The Greyhounds were the first time mathematically eliminated from the Ontario Hockey League playoffs earlier this week, when the Guelph Storm defeated the Kingston Frontenacs 4-2 Sunday afternoon. And while the club likely won’t finish last overall in the league — a spot the Barrie Colts seem destined to finish — the team president issued a statement to indicate a “full assessment” of the organization is underway.

“The Soo Greyhounds wish to assure fans that we are in the process of reviewing all aspects of the hockey organization. There are numerous unique challenges in competing with teams in Southern Ontario. Notwithstanding, we have always worked to provide the best available talent on the ice, in coaching and administration,” said team president Dr. Louis Lukenda in a statement on the club’s website.

Lukenda expressed appreciation for the patience of the fan base, and expressed high hopes for his squad in the future. The club boasts some top prospects including, speedy forward Daniel Catenacci (2011 eligible), defenceman Gianluca Curcuruto, who has already been touted as a high pick for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and already-drafted blueliner Brock Beukeboom, a big defender who was picked in the third round of the 2010 draft by Tampa Bay, but recently had his rights dealt to St. Louis.

“We decided two years ago to go with youth and allow a team to grow together in a run at a championship. We believe that our young team has an exceptional amount of talent, are growing together through hard times and should be in a position to capitalize on their hard work,” he said.

That doesn’t mean, however, there won’t be changes ahead. He ends the statement by saying, “After a full assessment, the organization will move in a manner that it believes will move us toward that championship.”

The Soo had a record of 20-33-5-3 as of Thursday afternoon, putting them in last West Division, and the Western Conference. They remained ahead of Barrie, Sudbury and Belleville in the overall standings, however.

The Philadephia Flyers have snapped up the rights to two OHLers.

On Wednesday the National Hockey League club announced it signed high-scoring Kitchener Rangers winger Jason Akeson, and Plymouth Whalers centre Tyler Brown to entry-level contracts.

High-scoring Kitchener Rangers forward Jason Akeson has signed an entry-level deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. PHOTO BY AARON BELL/OHL IMAGES

Akeson, 20, currently leads the OHL in scoring with 103 points – 24 goals and 79 assists. He also has a plus/minus-rating of plus-26 in 59 games this season. The career year for the Orleans, Ont. native far exceeds his 80-point output (24G, 56A) in last year’s 65-game campaign. His 79 assists are just four behind the Kitchener team record of 83 set by Dwight Foster 34 years ago.

A free agent invite to the Anaheim Ducks training camp this past fall, Akeson has been a surprise atop the OHL scoring race this season and has left many wondering why he was never drafted by an NHL club. Given his potential, it appeared it was only a matter of time before an NHL team signed him, and the Flyers won the race to ink him.

Brown, 21, has 54 points, 24 goals and 30 assists,along with a plus/minus rating

Tyler Brown, who has 24 goals and 30 assists for the Plymouth Whalers so far this season, also signed with the Flyers today. PHOTO BY AARON BELL/OHL IMAGES

of plus-7 in 59 games this season for Plymouth.  His 54 points rank third on the team, and he leads the Whalers with four shorthanded goals this season.

With his position in the top-20 of the Western Hockey League’s scoring leaders, and the pressure of his draft year on his shoulders, you can only applaud Ty Rattie for his performance this season.

Ty Rattie played in the CHL Top Prospects Game in January and then went on to tally 10 points in his next four games for the Portland Winterhawks. PHOTO BY AARON BELL/CHL IMAGES

In 57 games the young forward, who turned 18 earlier this month, has tallied 26 goals and 45 assists, for 71 points – close to double what he amassed last season, when he had 37 points in 61 games. The six-foot, 170-pound Portland Winterhawks winger is a projected first-round draft pick and suited up among the top prospects in January during the CHL’s Top Prospects game in Toronto.

You can’t help but wonder, however, just how much higher his totals would be if he hadn’t battled a mini slump during November and December, where at one point he had just three points in an 11-game stretch.

Rattie told The Oregonian in a recent story that, “Coming back after Christmas is the toughest part, after settling back in with your life at home”, but it certainly hasn’t shown on the ice. In 20 games since after Christmas the Alberta native has averaged over a point a game, with 24 points in 20 games since the holiday break – including 10 points in four games after the Top Prospects game, where you can’t help but assume he gained a big boost of confidence. He had an assist on his team’s only goal in the showcase game, played in front of NHL scouts and general managers, and rang a shot off the post, as well.

Ranked No. 3 of draft-eligible WHLers in the preliminary rankings in November, not much changed when the mid-term rankings came out in January. He was still third-highest for the league, and 11th overall among domestic skaters – five spots behind teammate Sven Baertschi. Surrounded by top-notch prospects like Ryan Johansen, a fourth overall pick by Columbus last season, and Nino Niederreiter, picked right after Johansen as the fifth overall pick by the New York Islanders, can only help Rattie. Just as those two have emerged into key pieces of the Portland offence, Rattie will continue to develop his game alongside those two can’t miss prospects, and he could climb the rankings when NHL Central Scouting issues its next list in the spring.

AROUND THE WHL: The WHL Player of the Week is forward Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings. Stone picked up 13 points, scoring four goals and nine assists to go with a plus-6 plus/minus rating, in three games this past week, helping the Wheat Kings to 3-0-0-0 record… Just a day after the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames skated outdoors, the Regina Pats defeated the Calgary Hitmen 3-2 at McMahon Stadium. It was the first outdoor CHL game contested in Canada and the affair set a new Canadian Hockey League attendance record as 20,888 fans took in the outdoor game… Nino Niederreiter‘s first hat trick of the season helped the Portland Winterhawks clinch a playoff spot following a 6-3 win over the Chilliwack Bruins Saturday… The Vancouver Giants spent a day in first-place of the B.C. Divison before being knocked to second by the Kelowna Rockets on Feb. 20. The Rockets seem to have the Giants’ number this season, extending its winning streak over Vancouver to four-straight with the 6-3 win… 2007 Memorial Cup MVP Milan Lucic will be honoured by the Vancouver Giants next Friday night… How busy have Chilliwack Bruins netminders been? So busy that they set single-record save records in back-to-back games this past weekend. Lucas Gore of Kamloops set a Chilliwack franchise single-game record with 64 saves Sunday as the Bruins blew a 3-1 lead and lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash. The previous record, 55, was set by teammate Braden Gamble in Portland just a day earlier… WHL scoring leader Linden Vey of the Medicine Hat Tigers is just one point away from eclipsing the 100-point mark (40G, 59A). Vey has an opportunity to break the century mark this season when the Tigers face the Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday.