Hello OHL fans, it's time for another heap of news, stats and happenings from around the exciting world of Major Junior hockey. Let's start with some Sudbury Wolves stuff first.
Well, it wasn't the start the locals wanted this past weekend.
Mississauga slaughtered the team on Friday, 10-4. They were
then beat by Brampton 4-3 on Sunday.
The good
Despite the rough start, there were some encouraging signs. One
of them was power forward Akim Aliu. The six-foot-three,
209-pound forward had a goal and two points, but the real story
was in his efforts. Every shift, Aliu was doing something. He
was a hitting machine, annihilating opponents over and over
again. He was decent on draws and tried hard until the last
second of each game. When the rough stuff happened, Aliu was
usually in the middle of it, looking for somebody to pound.
Win or lose, Aliu is going to be a real treat to watch this
season as he attempts to make amends for his roller-coaster
season last year. Aliu is eligible for the 2007 NHL draft, and
scouts should be watching this big kid very carefully because
he could be a star.
The bad
The Wolves specialty teams struggled valiantly but
unsuccessfully. Against Mississauga, they allowed five power
play goals on 13 chances and two goals on four chances versus
Brampton.
The ugly
Kevin Beech, the lanky puck stopper, wasn't his usual reliable
self this past weekend, allowing 10 goals on 44 shots in two
games. He was tagged with two losses and sports a bloated
goals-against-average of 6.85 and a save percentage of .773. He
has it in him to turn things around, but he must do it
quickly.
Four Wolves players - Jesse Messier, Patrik Lusnak, Justin
Larson and Tyler Arps - all scored their first career OHL goals
this weekend. Hopefully, there are plenty more to come.
The Wolves will retire Ron Duguay's #10 jersey this Friday
before the game against Toronto. Duguay is expected to attend
to the delight of fans.
Nick Foligno has been stellar at the Ottawa Senators camp and
getting plenty of playing time during exhibition games. He
could surprise and play a few games in the NHL regular season.
In two pre-season games, Foligno had one assist.
Former Wolves tough guy Chanse Fitzpatrick was also getting a
long look in Ottawa. He was invited to camp because Ottawa was
short players. He made the most of his chance, and earned the
right to play in an exhibition game.
How about those IceDogs? Many people picked them to finish out
of the playoffs again. The only problem is, they have different
ideas. The team has been built to capitalize on the new rules
and are all about puck possession. They're fast and gritty.
They won their first two games, outscoring the opposition 16 to
four. They did it without their captain and emotional leader
Cody Bass to boot. This team is only a few players, mainly
defencemen, away from being a serious contender. Head coach
Mike Kelly said it best when he stated "we will surprise some
teams."
Mississauga was the league doormat last season, going 21-40-5-2
and finishing third last in the league.
I couldn't help but be impressed with Brampton centre Cody
Hodgson. Last Sunday, against the Wolves, the gritty forward
showed why he was the most highly coveted OHL prospect last
season. He won draws, battled hard for space, kept his feet
moving at all times and even chipped in with a goal and two
points. In his first two games, Hodgson has three goals and
five points in his first two games. He's not just going to be
just a player this season, he'll be a star.
