Howdy OHL fans, it's time for another round
of news, stats and happenings from around the league.
Looks like the Wolves got a big boost from
the return of Devin DiDiomete. The rugged forward popped two
goals in a 4-3 shoot-out win over
Peterborough and fought during a 4-3 win over
Oshawa. His efforts helped Sudbury to a 2-1 record over the
weekend. In the six games he missed,
the Wolves went 3-3.
It was nice to see back up goalie Chris Abbey
get his first win of the season, after he made 34 saves against
Oshawa on Sunday. Abbey is now 1-
3-0-1 on the season.
Nicholas Tuzzolino and Mark Versteeg-Lytwyn,
two players acquired from Sarnia at the deadline, have really
shaped up their defensive play. In 21 games with the Wolves,
Tuzzolino has three goals, 10 points and is a +3. He was an -8
with Sarnia. Versteeg-Lytwyn has three goals, 12 points and a +
4 rating in 21 games with Sudbury. He was a -9 with
Sarnia.
Former Wolves sniper Bobby Chaumont had a
decent first season in the university ranks. Chaumont played
with Dalhousie University in the Atlantic loop, leading the
team in scoring with 12 goals and 23 points in 28 games.
Unfortunately the team stunk, going 3-25-0
and missed the playoffs.
Remember last season when Wolves forward Kyle
Musselman was given a one-year suspension for punching Ottawa's
Mark Mancari during the playoffs? Many considered it harsh, but
the league identified Musselman as a repeat offender. Musselman
had been suspended earlier in that season for five games for
bullying tactics in a game against Toronto.
I guess that same labelling doesn't apply to
star players. Case in point, Peterborough's Steve Downie was
recently handed his third suspension of the 2005-06 season for
being assessed a double instigating fighting penalty for
attacking Mississauga's Nathan Martine in a game on Feb.
25.
Downie was given two games. Earlier this
season, Downie was suspended for five games for what OHL
commissioner David Branch called bullying
tactics in a game against Belleville where
Downie attacked Andrew Gibbons with less than a second to go in
the game.
At the start of the season when he was with
Windsor, Downie was hit with a five-game suspension for an
on-ice altercation with then-teammate Akim Aliu over a hazing
incident.
How many strikes does this guy get? Four?
Five? Where does it stop?
Don't get me wrong, I think Downie is a great
player, but enough is enough. The OHL needs to rid itself of
discrimination towards non-star players and treat all offenders
as equal and give them all lengthy suspensions.
Peterborough has lost its grip on first
overall in the OHL. The Petes had dominated the top spot for
almost all season, but London wrestled away the title this past
weekend. London has won 10 straight games to push their point
total to 95. The Petes have gone 5-4-0-1 in their last 10 and
sit at 92 points.
With a Memorial Cup win last year, London is
poised again to take another run at the title this
season.
In 2004-05, there wasn't one player to hit
the 50-goal mark. Three players surpassed the mark this
weekend.
Owen Sound's Mike Angelidis bulged the twine
four times against Guelph to hit 52 goals in 64 games. London's
Rob Schremp (51 goals in 52 games)
and David Bolland 51 goals in 54 games) also
hit the magical mark.
