BY SCOTT HADDOW
Hey fans, it's time for another round of
OHL stats, news and happenings.
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Tough-guy Justin Allen dons Sudbury
blue and silver for the first time during a game in
Windsor last Thursday. |
Let's start with the Sudbury
Wolves.
The only way to describe forward Justin
Allen's immediate impact with the Wolves is hard
hitting.
Allen, acquired from Owen Sound last week for
a 10th round draft pick, has brought a nasty mean streak and
some serious muscle to a lineup that was lacking in those
departments.
Yes, the Wolves weren't pushovers before
picking up the rugged winger, but they didn't want their
best players fighting all the time and taking care of dirty
business.
In his first three games, the Pickering
native engaged in three fights, serving a stern message to the
rest of the league that if a team thinks they're going to
goad the Wolves top players into trouble, then they will have
to deal with Allen's bad mood and swift fists.
The six-foot-one, 210-pounder fought
Windsor's Mitch Manu (six-foot-two and 210-pounds) and
Brian Soso (six-foot-five and 220-pounds) in his first game
with the Wolves last week on the road.
The next night against London, Allen scrapped
tough guy Josh Beaulieu. Allen handed all his opponents a
severe beating.
Good old Sudbury fans are going to enjoy this
guy.
When Ben Pouliot and Marc Staal return from
the World Junior Championship (WJC), they will find they have
more space to operate in thanks to Allen's presence.
Speaking of Staal and Pouliot, they were
among eight OHL stars to be named to Canada's WJC
squad.
Guelph's Ryan Parent, Erie's Ryan
O'Marra and Michael Blunden, Saginaw's Tom Pyatt,
Peterborough's Steve Downie and London's Dave Bolland
were the other players making the cut with Team Canada's
brass.
Once again, the OHL proves it's one of
the best development leagues and clearly shows that some of the
best junior players in the world play right here in our
backyard.
The eight OHL players will definitely have a
huge impact on the WJC. These boys can score, hit, grind it out
and make your jaw drop with unbelievable plays.
All the Canadian action will be covered live
by TSN. No player will be able to sneeze without having it
analyzed. Canada's first game is against Finland on Monday,
Dec. 26. Game time is 6:30 pm. A full version of Canada's
schedule is available on line at hockeycanada.ca or
tsn.ca
Enjoy the WJC fans, and cheer on Staal and
Pouliot because it's going to be awesome!
These stars shine almost every week at the
Sudbury Arena.
Guelph goalie Ryan MacDonald is the OHL
Player of the Week. MacDonald wasn't in the giving mood
last week by only allowing one goal in two wins. MacDonald made
54 saves in the victories, including 25 stops in a 5-0 win over
Saginaw.
