BY SCOTT HADDOW
Hey OHL fans, it's time for another heap of news, stats
and happenings from the best major junior hockey league in the
world.
I'll start with some Sudbury Wolves stuff first.
With just two games remaining before the playoffs, the Wolves
are in desperate need of a few veteran players stepping up to
provide the club with a positive punch.
Kevin Baker, Marc Staal and Devin DiDiomete need to
re-establish themselves as top players on the club or this
season could come to a crashing halt very early in the
playoffs.
Baker has lost a step this season and his stats don't lie.
Last season, Baker recorded 34 goals and 63 points in 68 games.
So far this year, Baker has managed just 21 goals and 34 points
in 62 games.
Baker, with the exception of his fabulous series against
Brampton two years ago, has been hard to find in the playoffs.
The Wolves need this slick pivot to find his game now and start
scoring at a better pace. It's not that he doesn't have
the skill, because he has great offensive tools and blazing
speed, but some serious intensity is needed from him.
Most hockey people give me dirty looks when I say Staal needs
to fine tune his game overall. To me, this solid defender
hasn't been the same player we're accustomed to seeing
over the last few seasons.
There are flashes of brilliance, like when he goes for an
end-to-end rush, but other than that, Staal has been average
this season.
Last year, Staal put up 11 goals, 49 points and a  plus 12
rating in 57 games. This year, he has five goals, 34 points and
plus 2 rating in 51 games.
Sudbury needs the Staal from Team Canada's World Junior
Championship gold medal winning squad in order to go anywhere
during the tough  playoff grind.
Staal could hold the key against some tough teams in the
Eastern Conference with his superior ability to shut down big
scorers.
As for DiDiomete, the rugged forward has really tailed off
since January 1.
In 25 games since Jan. 1, DiDiomete has just three goals and 10
points. Prior to the slump, DiDiomete was on pace for a
54-point season.
Overall, DiDiomete has 20 goals and 38 points in 60 games.
Around the league...
Quick, who leads the league in plus/minus rating? It's
defenceman Brett Bellemore of the Plymouth Whalers.
Bellemore, a second year defender, doesn't put up a lot of
points, but he sure keeps opponents from racking them up
against Plymouth.
In 48 games, Bellemore has zero goals and just 12 points, but
is an astonishing plus 49.
Not only does Bellemore lead the OHL, but he leads the entire
CHL network in plus/minus.
The WHL leader is Vancouver's Jonathon Blum at plus 34,
while the QMJHL leader is Cape Breton's Chris Culligan at
plus 44.
Hockey isn't just about goals all the time and
defensive-minded players such as Bellemore deserve more
recognition.
Speaking of goals, Oshawa's John Tavares is going to lead
the OHL in goals scored this season...as a 16-year-old!
Tavares has 69 goals and 124 points in 63 games. Next is
London's Patrick Kane, who has 57 goals in 56 games.
The season Tavares has had this year is simply remarkable and
only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what he will
probably do over the next two seasons before he's drafted
by one lucky NHL team.
Tavares is a goal-scoring machine. He has had 18 games this
season where he has scored at least two goals. This includes
seven games with at least three goals and three four-goal
games.
Tavares has the potential to obliterate the records of most
goals and points scored in a season, and he could do it as soon
as next season.
The most goals record belongs to Windsor's Ernie Godden,
who ripped 87 goals back in 1980-81.
The most points scored is held by Ottawa's Bobby Smith with
192 back in in 1977-78, the same year a kid named Wayne Gretzky
finished second in OHL scoring during his one and only season
of major junior hockey.
Keeps your eyes peeled fans as Tavares could smash both those
records next season and make OHL history.
I have to tip my hat to the London Knights. Love them or hate
them, they sure know how to set the bar high when it comes to
consistency.
This past weekend, thanks to a 7-6 shootout win over Owen
Sound, London hit the 100-point mark for the fourth consecutive
season.
They're also fighting for their fourth consecutive regular
season crown as they're tied for first overall with
Plymouth.
In 2003-04, London hit 110 points. In 2004-05, London hit 120
points. Last season, the Knights hit 102 points.
The London franchise has been shrewd and bold over the last
four seasons, making big moves and bringing in top talent to
keep the tremendous pace going.
If all their eligible players return next season, another
100-point season could be in the making. I've learned not
to count them out.
Speaking of London, I was talking to some top level scouts, who
have NHL connections, this past weekend and they all stated if
they had the first pick overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft,
they would select Kane hands down.
Kane has been a force all season, his first in the league. He
leads the OHL in scoring with 57 goals and 134 points in 56
games.
Finally, it looks like Sudbury's Cory McGillis has put his
act together in Barrie.
The feisty winger was acquired from Windsor at the deadline and
struggled in his first eight games with zero points. In his
last 10 games, McGillis has eight goals and 10 points,
including four game-winning goals.
