Sean Monahan: Staying True to His Roots: February 25, 2017 by HockeyNow

TOP 31 NHL PROSPECTS NOLAN PATRICK BRANDON (WHL)

TIMOTHY LILJEGREN ROGLE (SWEJE)

NICO HISCHIER HALIFAX (QMJHL)

OWEN TIPPETT MISSISSAUGA (OHL)

GABE VILARDI WINDSOR (OHL)

+ Full List Inside

SEAN MONAHAN:

STAYING TRUE TO HIS ROOTS THE CALGARY FLAMES ASSISTANT CAPTAIN TAKES US BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

BACK IN THE GAME OTTAWA GEE-GEES CAP OFF RETURN TO MEN’S HOCKEY WITH TRIP TO POSTSEASON

ROYALS STAKE OUT THE THRONE

VICTORIA RELYING ON SUPERSTAR GOALIE AS THEY BRACE FOR BATTLE OF THEIR LIVES February 25, 2017

–SERIES– 19th ANNUAL

HockeyNow.ca

HockeyNow February 25, 2017

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

JUST GETTING STARTED

NCE AGAIN, WE WENT FROM COUNTING down the days to the puck dropping in the fall,

to wondering where the time went as the regular season winds down. For parents, this time means a final push through the dark days of the season’s end, maybe giving some consolation and hopefully chauffeuring a drive to provincials. For players and team staff, this time means finding that extra burst of motivation and taking that last chance to stand out. For us at HockeyNow, this time means ramping up our coverage as we head into league, provincial and national championships. As always, we’ll be bringing you all the details on all the league cups – President’s, Ed Chynoweth, Clarkson, Isobel, Fred Page, Dudley Hewitt, Robertson, Bogart, NCAA, University, Buckland, Gas Drive… you name it. Plus, of course, the Western Canada Cup, Eastern Canada Cup, OHL Cup, Memorial Cup and hockey’s hardest trophy to win, the RBC Cup. If you follow us online, you know that we’ve introduced a new weekly series on the Road to the RBC Cup. We’re watching closely as 132 teams in 10 leagues get whittled down to four contenders. Make sure to catch it on our website and in our weekly newsletter. And even though it’s still months away, we also can’t help but start speculating on what the Memorial Cup will look like this year. We saw tons of great Canadian talent take the world stage last month and I’m sure we’ll get the chance to see a few them do it again in Windsor this spring. It’s always so great to see players become household names when they take part in these events and once again, we got to see that happen with two of our former Player of the Year winners, Dante Fabbro (2013) and Mathew Barzal (2012), who were standouts for Team Canada at the WJC. We’re still working hard to narrow down who will take the POY honours this year. Make sure to check out our latest preliminary lists in this issue, and keep an eye out for special features coming up on some of these shortlisted players. We’ve had the privilege of watching last year’s winners, Josh Williams (B.C.), Bowen Byram (Alberta) and Owen Lalonde (Ontario) making their CHL debut and tearing up the AMHL and CSSHL and we can’t wait to recognize three more great minor hockey players in July. Finally, we’re doing something a bit different this month by sitting down with Calgary Flames assistant captain Sean Monahan, an all-around nice guy with some pretty stellar minor and major junior hockey highlights to look back on. Sean told us all about his personal journey to pro and the choices he made that helped him get there. And somehow he’s managed to do it all while still being the same approachable and humble player he was in his minor hockey days. We hope you enjoy it. As always, thanks for reading. If you like what we do, make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and check us out online. Plus, we’ve just introduced a new contest around our newsletter with tons of great prizes, plus a grand prize draw, so sign up if you’re looking for some fresh weekly content and a chance to score some gear.

FOLLOW US [@HockeyNow] We absolutely love hearing from you. So, tweet us about what’s going on with your team or your world—tweet us anything that you want to talk about. NATIONAL EDITION Vol. 19, No. 2, Issue 673 - February 25, 2017

PUBLISHER Larry Feist larry@hockeynow.ca

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ART + PRODUCTION Stacey Coleman stacey@hockeynow.ca

EDITORIAL INTERN Kirk Budden

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Astra Groskaufmanis Kirk Budden Mike Beasley Iain Colpitts Neil Hilts Sam Laskaris Randy Lucenti Marshall Mackinder Mike Toth Ryan McCracken Kristi Patton

COVER PHOTO Sean Monahan Courtesy of Calgary Flames

HockeyNow 3012 6 Ave S Lethbridge, AB, T1J 1E8 Telephone: 1-877-990-0520 Contents copyright 2017 by HockeyNow. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or duplicated in print or online without the written permission of HockeyNow. The opinions conveyed by contributors to HockeyNow may not be indicative of the views of HockeyNow. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, HockeyNow does not assume any responsibility or liability for errors or omissions.

February 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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HockeyNow February 25, 2017

CONTENTS 18 | ON THE COVER

FEBRUARY 25, 2017

SEAN MONAHAN REFLECTS ON HIS MINOR HOCKEY PATH TO THE NHL

features... 9 PROSPECT

PROFILES –SERIES– 19th ANNUAL

SCOUTING REPORT: ROBERT THOMAS, ARTYOM MINULIN & SIMON BENOÎT

15 ISS

HOCKEY SCHOOLS HANDOOK

ISS RELEASES FEBRUARY’S TOP 31 RANKED PROSPECTS FOR THE NHL DRAFT

23 POY

PRELIMINARY LISTS FOR B.C., ALBERTA & ONTARIO

24 MOM’S CORNER

KEEP YOUR HOCKEY MOM MOJO AS THE SEASON WINDS DOWN

in this issue... 6 WHL

VICTORIA ROYALS READY FOR PUSH ALL THE WAY THROUGH POSTSEASON

12 MINOR

HOCKEY ALBERTA & HOCKEY CALGARY BRINGING PLAYERS BACK TO THE NET

7 OHL

17 FEMALE

8 QMJHL

33 U SPORTS

10 CJHL

34 NCAA

PETES AIMING TO SHOW SMALL MARKET TEAMS CAN PULL OFF LEAGUE TITLE RUN

ROUYN-NORANDA HUSKIES VYING TO REPEAT GREATNESS IN 2017

BROOKS BANDITS TAKING CJHL TOP 20 BILLING WITH A GRAIN OF SALT

CALGARY INFERNO BREAK RECORDS ON THEIR WAY TO CWHL TOP SPOT

GEE-GEES EXCEED EXPECTATIONS IN THEIR FIRST SEASON BACK IN ACTION

HARVARD CRIMSON CLAIM FIRST BEANPOT TROPHY IN 24 YEARS

34 February 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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MAJOR JUNIOR

WHL

A FIGHTING CHANCE

They might be sitting in the middle of the pack, but don’t discount the Victoria Royals’ postseason potential just yet

and he leaned on Coleman last season, but we’ve had good goalies come out of here. [Lowry] knows what he doing.” Up front, the Royals have been helped tremendously by the scoring touch of Matthew Phillips. The 18-year-old Calgary native recently surpassed last season’s goal tally of 37 by cracking the 40-goal plateau — keeping him very much in the race for the title of leading goal-scorer this season — while tallying 30 assists in the process. Phillips isn’t the only Royal drumming up some offensive noise this season though, as the team boasts eight players with 10 or more goals, four with 50 or more points and three averaging a point-per-game or better — Phillips, Tyler Soy and Jack Walker. But Victoria’s strength shines through on defence. The Royals allowed just 173 goals through their first 60 contests this season — good enough for fifth in the WHL, despite being the league’s fourth-largest producer of penalty minutes. Additions like Morrison have helped to complete the defensive picture in Victoria, and Outhouse says he couldn’t be much happier with the unit of blueliners set out in front of him, adding they play very well as a group of six. “They do a good job of talking to me and I think I’m pretty loud in their ears too,” said Outhouse. “They’re letting me see pucks, they’re blocking shots for me and just talking to me when I’m playing the puck so they’re definitely making my job easy.”

STORY Ryan McCracken

Griffen Outhouse has been an absolute powerhouse for the Victoria Royals this year and will be heavily relied upon in the postseason.

realize what we’re capable of doing. That’s going to come. We’re a good team.” While the team has seen some ups and downs since the calendar turned to 2017, they boast some serious playoff potential with one of the league’s finest young goaltenders, Griffen Outhouse. The draft eligible netminder is top five in goals against average, save percentage, wins and shutouts despite being one of the most heavily relied upon young men in the league. Outhouse suited up for 54 of his team’s first 58 matchups, stringing together a 30-20-3-1 record with a staggering .921 save percentage. “It definitely just comes down to preparation. That means before games, after games. I have cool downs after games and even practices,” said Outhouse, adding the meticulous planning even consumes his time at home. “When I’m eating, I’m watching how much fluids I’m getting into me. It’s all stuff I have to pay attention to and keep working on.” Outhouse added he’s had some strong leaders in front of him, with former starting goaltender Coleman Vollrath making a big impact on his standout performance this season and head coach Dave Lowry always pushing him to be at his best. “Dave’s a really good coach and he expects a lot out of his goalies,” said Outhouse. “He’s leaning on me this season, JONATHON HOWE PHOTO

HEN LOCH MORRISON WAS SHIPPED FROM HIS hometown Prince Albert Raiders to the Victoria Raiders at the WHL trade deadline, he knew it meant one thing for sure — a lot of ferries. The Royals boast one of the most unique travel schedules in the league with every road game requiring a trip to the mainland on a ferry, but what seemed like another daunting step in the WHL’s already gruelling transportation demands ended up being the perfect way to join the team’s ranks. “It’s pretty different that way. I thought it was going to be worse than it actually is,” said Morrison. “With the guys on the ferry, they keep you company and you get to bond and stuff, it’s pretty good that way.” The Royals picked up Morrison and a fourth round draft pick from the Raiders in exchange for Brayden Pachal and a sixth rounder on the eve of the trade deadline. While it took Morrison away from his hometown and onto the third team of his career, it was a golden opportunity to climb out of the basement and onto a playoff contending roster. “It’s a great organization. You get treated really well here, the coaches are great and the guys are really something,” said Morrison, who put up three assists in his first 18 games with the Royals, adding he believes the team has what it takes for a deep playoff run. “We’ve got to

100TH MASTERCARD MEMORIAL CUP HEADED TO REGINA The Canada Hockey League announced on Hockey Day in Canada that the Regina Pats have been selected to host the 2018 MasterCard Memorial Cup. The Memorial Cup will return to Regina for the first time since 2001, prior to which Regina hosted the prestigious championship in partnership with the Brandon Wheat Kings in 1980. The 100th Memorial Cup which will be celebrated in conjunction with Regina’s centennial event, as 2017-18 will also mark the Pats’ 100th season. The Regina Pats own the record for the most Memorial Cup championship appearances, with 12, including the inaugural final in 1919. The Pats’ bid for the tournament won out over the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Oshawa Generals. From May 17-27, 2018, Regina’s Brandt Centre will be home to the biggest stage in CHL hockey for this historical hockey event. The Windsor Spitfires will host the 99th MasterCard Memorial Cup from May 18-28, 2017.

HockeyNow February 25, 2017

OHL

MAJOR JUNIOR

TERRY WILSON/OHL IMAGES

Dylan Wells and the Peterborough Petes are aiming to be the top dogs in the OHL Eastern Conference.

FIGHT FOR THE WESTERN THRONE

CRUNCH TIME Peterborough Petes hope financial relief in final regular season days provides spark in their title pursuit STORY Iain Colpitts

HE PETERBOROUGH PETES WILL GO INTO THE OHL playoffs with a sense of relief, and not just because they’ll be in good standing in the Eastern Conference. This season, their financial viability has looked gloomy as it’s been said the OHL’s oldest continuously operating franchise would be in danger of filing for bankruptcy if it didn’t receive significant help from the City of Peterborough. Some of the pressure has been alleviated now that the Petes and city council agreed to an amended lease agreement that will allow the Petes to save an estimated $343,500 annually to go along with extra subsidies from the city. Aspects of the renegotiated agreement include shared costs of new screens on the existing videoboard, decreased operating expenses for the Petes as well as five per cent of gross revenues from food and beverage sales at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. It may not get the Petes completely out of the woods as far as their financial hardships go, but it will provide immediate relief in the short term. The Petes are showing promise of going far in the playoffs for the first time in a long time, maybe even their last OHL championship season in 2006. They’re jostling with the Oshawa Generals for first place in the East and conventional wisdom dictates that

they should eventually take that lead for good thanks to the improvements they made at the trade deadline. Nikita Korostelev and Christopher Paquette were brought in to make an immediate impact with the Petes, while the Generals were more concerned with bolstering their 2018 Memorial Cup bid. As a result, they traded stars Anthony Cirelli and Mitchell Vande Sompel for a king’s ransom of draft picks they could eventually flip for star power next year. Korotselev and Jonathan Ang have been counted on as offensive catalysts while the Petes have gotten a lot of points from the back end too thanks in large part to Matt Timms and Kyle Jenkins. Dylan Wells has been excellent in goal, but there is some concern about how much they rely on him. He’s faced 1,569 shots, which averages out to nearly 36 per game, second only to Niagara’s Stephen Dhillon. While winning the East is definitely in the realm of possibility, it’s been well documented this year how much deeper the Western Conference is in comparison. But who knows? Maybe they could pull off an upset against the Western champs or take advantage of the fact that in theory, their opponent in the final could be slowed down by the bumps and bruises caused by facing a tougher road to the final. In either case, the Petes are determined to show that smaller market teams in the OHL can pull off a title run.

Even with a 15-game winning streak through December and January, a stretch that makes up for almost a quarter of the OHL regular season, the best the Owen Sound Attack have been able to do is climb up to fourth in the Western Conference. It’s really goes to show just how strong the West is this year. As teams embark on the last lap of the regular season, the Erie Otters are in first place in the conference with a slim six-point lead over the London Knights. Sandwiched between them are the West Division-leading Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds while the Attack and Memorial Cup hosting Windsor Spitfires are still in the mix of teams who could occupy one of the top two spots by season’s end. They’ve all clinched playoff spots with a month left to go in the season. The Otters and Knights are the most likely candidates to meet in a rematch of last year’s conference final, and their moves at the trade deadline suggest they’re clearly all in on a title chase. As Memorial Cup hosts, the same can be said for the Spitfires, who also loaded up with talent knowing their spot in the Memorial Cup has been secured. Meanwhile, Owen Sound and Sault Ste. Marie are still in the mix despite only making some minor upgrades before the deadline. The Attack have gotten a lot out of their biggest acquisition, former Barrie Colts captain Cordell James, who’s averaging more than a point per game now in his new jersey. As for their Greyhounds, their defensive depth has been bolstered by Carolina Hurricanes prospect Noah Carrol, who had a plus-2 rating on a Guelph Storm team that has given up 60 more goals than they’ve scored this season. With a 12-point advantage between fifth and sixth place in the West, it’s likely that no one else will sneak into the top five in time for the playoffs. That will set up a very challenging firstround playoff series between the fourth and fifth place teams, spots that are currently occupied by the Attack and Spitfires, teams that DYLAN WELLS have arguably the best Goaltender two goalies in the league in Michael Catches: Height: Weight: McNiven and Michael 183 Left 6'2 DiPietro. By no means is that meant to suggest that BIRTHDATE: they will end up playJan. 3, 1998 ing each other, but it HOMETOWN: would be one of the St. Catharines, ON most marquee firstround matchups in recent memory. It could pose a real ACQUIRED: Drafted 2014, round threat to Windsor’s 2 #21 overall by playoff hopes as no Peterborough Petes in the team hosting the MeOHL Priority Selection morial Cup wants to fall DRAFT STATUS: short in their league fi2016 round 5 #123 nal, let alone the openoverall by Edmonton ing round. Oilers February 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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QMJHL

JEAN LAPOINTE PHOTOS

MAJOR JUNIOR

ONE MORE TIME The path may not be as clear as last year, but the Huskies are aiming for two in a row STORY Mike Beasley

EING CROWNED THE QMJHL PLAYOFF CHAMPION is never an easy task, defending the title the following season is something that most franchises can only dream about. The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies can check off winning the QMJHL championship from their need to do list their list when they captured the 2016 President’s Cup last May. Now the Huskies are faced with an even more difficult chore of doing it all over again this year. “Last year we had a tremendous season winning the President’s Cup and came as close as you can get to taking home the Memorial Cup,” said Huskies GM and head coach, Gilles Bouchard. In junior hockey, rosters change from year to year, due to players aging out while others graduate to professional hockey. It’s pretty much the same case in Rouyn-Noranda but the Huskies do have the luxury of 13 returning players and just seven rookies in their line-up. Last year, Bouchard was named the QMJHL’s top GM and head coach after guiding his team to an impressive (54-9-3-2) record and 113 points. In addition, the CHL recognized all his hard work and team results with the 2016 Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award. But Bouchard doesn’t like to rest on his laurels and was eager to talk about his most recent edition of the Huskies and their potential for success. “We have a solid base of veterans from last year’s squad that provide a ton of experience to our group of first year players which is the primary reason why we’ve had a lot of success so far this season,” Bouchard said. Winning the big QMJHL prize in back-to-back seasons is not an easy accomplishment but it has occurred more

HockeyNow February 25, 2017

Rouyn-Noranda has one of the best back ends in the Q, led by Jérémy Lauzon (left) and Philippe Myers (right), who are both coming off a trip to the World Junior Championships.

Rouyn’s back end is very strong, led by the duo of often than you think. Five seasons ago, the Saint John Jérémy Lauzon and Philippe Myers. Both blueliners repSea Dogs were finishing up their run at two playoff chamresented Canada at the World Junior Championships pionships. Before that, the Hull Olympiques captured and the experience of playing and defending against the league honours in 2002-03. The following year, the newly world’s best will be a big bonus for the tandem as the named Gatineau Olympiques brought the President’s Cup Huskies move forward towards the post season. back to the National Capital Region. Up front, the Huskies are loaded with talent in their In the 1990’s no QMJHL team was able to string totop six forwards. RW Jean-Christophe Beaudin leads his gether a series of wins. squad with (24-45-69 pts.) followed by Antoine Waked The Laval Titan picked up a pair of victories between and his team-high 33 goals. 1998 and 1999. Their supporting cast of 2015-16 holdovers is made Prior to that, the now defunct Cornwall Royals won up of Martins Dzierkals, Gabriel Fontaine, Alexandre back to back titles in 1979-80 and 1980-81. The Royals Fortin and Peter Abbandonato. were the only Ontario-based team playing in the QMJHL “All the experts said we weren’t supposed to win last after the franchise became one of the inaugural teams of year because we had a lot of 17-year-olds, but the team the league in 1969. For the 1981-82 campaign, the team developed, played well in every series and we won,” Bouchtransferred into the OHL and stuck around Cornwall ard admitted. until 1992 when the franchise moved to Newmarket and Getting to the Memorial Cup is a learning experience then to Sarnia in 1994 to become the Sarnia Sting. for both coach and player. It’s such a short tournament, Despite some difficult odds, there’s some optimism to every shift, every game is so important. believe that Rouyn-Noranda can go back-to-back. The For Bouchard, the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup Huskies have been flirting with first place in the QMJHL was a real eye opener. for most of the season and are a regular in the CHL’s “First of all I was extremely proud that are organization Weekly Top 10 ranked teams. After 56 games, was there. As a coach, I had to handle the pressure of Rouyn-Noranda was sitting in fifth place in the Q’s overall getting my team ready to play against the top teams in standings with 75 points, leaving them seven back of Canada. league-leading Saint John Sea Dogs (82). “In addition, I had a lot of requests by the media and Saint John and the Shawinigan Cataractes have already tournament organizers which I had to attend and represent clinched a playoff spot with the Boisbriand-Blainville Arthe team in a professional manner. I believe that I am a mada, Charlottetown Islanders and the Huskies knocking better coach because of that on the door to the postseason. experience.” Rouyn-Noranda has a Bouchard and his Huskies strong and talented core of did a heck of a job last May 19-year-old players which aprepresenting the QMJHL pear to be hungry to keep the and provided an excellent President’s Cup in the Abitibi final against the London region of Quebec. Knights. Goaltending has been solid And maybe he and his team for the Huskies this season will be doing it all over again with Samuel Harvey who was at the 2017 MasterCard Meholding a respectable 2.55 Gilles Bouchard, morial Cup in Windsor, goals-against average along Ontario. with 24 wins in his pocket. Head coach, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

“ALL THE EXPERTS SAID WE WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO WIN LAST YEAR.”

BY Marshall Mackinder

Ultimate Spring

COURTESY SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS

Hockey League

ARTYOM MINULIN D – SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS

Hockey for the fun of it!

HEIGHT: 6’2" WEIGHT: 202 lbs. SHOOTS: Right BORN: October 1, 1998 - Tyumen, Russia

DRAFTED: 2015 CHL Import Draft – Round #1 (29th overall) by Swift Current Broncos

Artyom Minulin is a solid puck moving defenceman with offensive upside. There are many defencemen with more skill in the draft, but Minulin understands the game very well and has top-notch awareness and vision from the blue line. He has a strong upper body and is good at moving opposing skaters off the puck. Calm in his own end and always has his head on a swivel looking to make the right play. Minulin has above average skating ability but only picks up the tempo when he feels he needs to, which can get him into trouble. He often looks lost in a fastpaced game and struggles to keep up. He takes longer to make a decision with the puck when he is pressured deep in his own zone. Has a real heavy shot that he is using more this season compared to his rookie season in 2015-16.

5 on 5 Hockey League Starts April 1 – June 11 2017 Langley Sportsplex

TERRY WILSON / OHL IMAGES

Atom – Midget

Non-Contact

www�Ultimate�hockey�com ROBERT THOMAS

C – LONDON KNIGHTS

HEIGHT: 6’0" WEIGHT: 184 lbs. SHOOTS: Right BORN: July 2, 1999 – Aurora, Ontario, Canada

DRAFTED: 2015 OHL Draft – Round #2 (26th overall) by London Knights

SIMON BENOÎT

D – SHAWINIGAN CATARACTES

JEAN LEVASSEUR

Robert Thomas is another name to remember coming out of the Knights program. He is a smooth playmaking Centre who has good speed and a real soft touch with the puck. Always thinking pass first and has tripled his point production from last season. Plays a key role on the power play and penalty kill, earning that extra time by never giving up on plays. He has real slick hands and can stickhandle through defenders keeping his head up while still making a pass going at top speed. Has a real deceptive shot that he should start using more. Has worked on his two-way game and has been effective in the face off circle. A future captain who plays with passion and leaves it all on the ice

voted one of the best tournaments in canada 2015/2016

HEIGHT: 6’3" WEIGHT: 180 lbs. SHOOTS: Left BORN: September 19, 1998 – Laval, Quebec, Canada

DRAFTED: 2015 QMJHL Draft – Round #8 (129th overall) by the Shawinigan Cataractes

Simon Benoît isn’t the most gifted player but he gets the job done and is a solid defensive defenceman. Still raw and one of the older players eligible in this year’s draft class, he takes care of the defensive zone with a physical edge and plays an intimidating role on the back end. He is aware of what is happening around him and adjusts his intentions with the puck on the fly. Loves to lay a big open ice hit. He is a real tall kid who doesn’t weigh a ton but does a good job at using his long reach to limit mistakes in his own end and he’s transitioning to a defenceman who tends to keep the play alive in the offensive zone. A tough customer and will mix it up when given the opportunity.

VANCOUVER , B C, CANADA -APRIL 7TH-9TH 2017

Divisions for Novice 2009 - Midget 1999

Featuring Pee Wee Minor & Major Canada VS USA Showcase

mainlandhockey.com February 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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CJHL

EMILY DUNCAN / EM ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY

JUNIOR

AROUND THE BCHL GUCH LEADING CHIEFS AGAIN Guch will once again finish among the BCHL’s top pointgetters.

The Brooks Bandits have celebrated their share of victories this season en route to their Number 1 ranking in the CJHL's weekly Top 20 rankings.

VIEW FROM THE TOP Brooks Bandits keeping feet on the ground as CJHL Top 20 regulars STORY Sam Laskaris

ONS OF PRAISE IS BEING HEAPED UPON THE Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Brooks Bandits. But it seems that Bandits head coach/general manager Ryan Papaioannou has mixed reactions over the adulation. The Bandits took over the top spot in the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s weekly Top 20 rankings in late January. And the Brooks squad maintained top billing in ensuing weeks. “As much as we respect the CJHL and their rankings, we don’t place stock into them,” Papaioannou said. “We live by what we are accomplishing day to day in the tangible world of team development.” No doubt members of the Bandits, including Papaioannou, keep tabs on the rankings. “We try not to talk about rankings, especially when we are at the top as it only adds unnecessary pressure on our players,” he said. Papaioannou, who has been the Bandit’s head coach/

HockeyNow February 25, 2017

GM since October of 2009, believes the CJHL rankings do serve a purpose. “It’s always nice to be noticed for your hard work and players deserve credit for outstanding accomplishments,” he said. “I think the rankings are a great tool for fans and media to drive conversation and interest in the leagues.” The CJHL is comprised of 10 Junior A leagues, featuring 132 teams, across the country. CJHL officials take into account a number of factors when determining their weekly rankings. Besides the obvious win-loss records, they also consider things such as goals-for versus goals-against ratios as well as the overall calibre of leagues squads are competing in. “I can’t imagine there is an exact science to it,” Papaioannou said. “[It’s] very hard to determine who is Number 1 when there aren’t inter-league games during the regular season.” The CJHL, however, is not the only national body to have similar rankings. The Canadian Hockey League, featuring Major Junior franchises, and the American-based NCAA also both have national rankings. And their squads don’t square off against each other until the postseason. “All in all, it creates those debates between fans of different teams and leagues which is good for the game,” Papaioannou added. A look at the final CJHL rankings for the 2015-16 campaign prove they are not necessarily an accurate reflection of what will occur in the playoffs. The top three listed clubs in the final rankings were the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Portage Terriers, Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League and the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. But none of those teams ended up advancing to the national RBC Cup tournament, which was hosted by the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats. The Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Trenton Golden Hawks were the highest-ranked team from last year’s final rankings that did advance to the Canadian championship. The eventual RBC Cup champs ended up being the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors. The Warriors were not among the Top 20 in the final CJHL rankings but they did receive an honourable mention. The year before, however, those who compile the rankings were bang on. The Terriers, who hosted and won the 2015 RBC Cup, were atop the final CJHL rankings that season.

Chilliwack Chiefs’ captain Jordan Kawaguchi, who is nicknamed Guch, placed fifth in the league scoring race a year ago. He collected 83 points, including 45 goals, in 56 regular season matches. Kawaguchi also had a team-high 24 points in 20 playoff contests. As for this season, Kawaguchi was occupying first place in the BCHL scoring race in mid-February. He had earned 81 points, including 36 goals, in his first 52 matches. Kawaguchi, a four-year BCHL vet, is in his second season as the Chilliwack captain. He was also an assistant captain for the Canada West squad that participated in the World Junior A Challenge this past December in Bonnyville, Alta. Kawaguchi had a team-high nine points (3G, 6A) in four tournament games. He will be taking his talents to the University of North Dakota next season.

HANSON STARRING FOR VIPERS After starting the season south of the border, the Vernon Vipers organization is certainly glad it acquired goaltender Darion Hanson. The 19-year-old puckstopper, who hails from the Minnesota city of East Bethel, began the year with the Ohio-based Youngstown Phantoms in the United States Hockey League. Hanson, who managed just one victory and had a 3.91 goals-against average in six appearances with the Phantoms, was acquired by the Vipers via a mid-November trade. Hanson, who had already agreed to join the New York-based Union Dutchmen starting next season, was looking to get plenty of action before beginning his NCAA Division 1 career next season. The Youngstown club, however, was expecting to give the majority of its starts between the pipes this year to Belarussian goalie Ivan Kulbakov. But since joining the Vipers last fall, Hanson has proven to be of the BCHL’s top netminders. He compiled an impressive 14-4-0-2 record in his first 21 appearances. And in mid-February he had a league-leading 1.84 GAA. Hanson had starred in another U.S. junior circuit last season. He was a member of the Pennsylvania-based Aston Rebels, who compete in the North American Hockey League.

SANTERNO LEADING SMOKE EATERS A change of scenery has certainly paid off for Luke Santerno. The now 20-year-old had spent his first two BCHL seasons with the Cowichan Valley Capitals. He earned a total of 50 points in those two years with the Capitals. As for this season, Santerno, now a member of the Trail Smoke Eaters, has already surpassed that total. He racked up 63 points, including 32 goals, in his first 55 matches with Trail. Santerno has committed to join the Massachusetts-based Bentley Falcons, an NCAA Division 1 team, starting next season.

CJHL

AROUND THE AJHL

AROUND THE OJHL

AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

FANS PICK THEIR FAVOURITE

The AJHL has announced the finalists who are up for some prestigious league-wide awards.

For the sixth consecutive year, members of the public will be allowed to have their say in who wins an OJHL award.

The league’s coaches and general managers voted on the finalists for six major awards. Winners will be announced during the final week of the regular season.

Followers of the league are able to go online and select the one individual they would like to see capture this year’s OJHL Fan Favourite Award.

Regular season action concludes on Mar. 5.

Fans are allowed to submit one name on the league’s website, www.ojhl.ca. The player that receives the most votes will be declared the winner.

Highly-touted defencemen Cale Makar (Brooks Bandits) and Ian Mitchell (Spruce Grove Saints) are finalists for a pair of awards. Besides the MVP award, the pair are also in the running for the most outstanding defenceman trophy. Both Makar and Mitchell are expected to be selected in this June’s National Hockey League Entry Draft. In fact, Makar’s stock has been rising throughout the year and it is expected he will be an early first-round pick. Calgary Canucks goaltender Logan Drackett and Whitecourt Wolverines forward Justin Young are the two other finalists for the MVP award. Finalists were also announced for Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Top Goaltender and Most Dedicated Player. Like MVP candidates Makar and Mitchell, Drackett is also a finalist in a second category. He’s one of five finalists for the Top Goaltender Award. Various other league awards will also be presented at the conclusion of the regular season. But no voting is required as some of these trophies, including those to the scoring champ and goaltenders with the best goals-against average, are stats-based.

JUNIOR VETERAN LIPON CONTRIBUTING TO WOLVERINES A well-traveled junior player has played a huge role in the Whitecourt Wolverines’ successes this season. Forward Mitch Lipon, who is in his final season of junior eligibility, has been one of Whitecourt’s main offensive threats. He had chalked up 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists) in his first 52 outings. During his junior career, the Regina native has appeared in 76 Western Hockey League contests, suiting up for the Kamloops Blazers, Saskatoon Blades and Spokane Chiefs. Lipon, 20, also spent a portion of a season in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League with the Melville Millionaires. And last year he toiled with the British Columbia Hockey League’s Merritt Centennials.

Voting began on Feb. 1 and will continue until Mar. 31. The winner will be honoured during one of the matches in the OJHL championship series this spring. If previous years are any indication, tens of thousands of votes will be cast for the award. A year ago more, than 170 players were nominated for the accolade. And more than 50,000 votes were cast in total. The 2016 recipient of the award was Blayne Oliver, a defenceman with the eventual league champion Trenton Golden Hawks. As in past years, a local fan will present this year’s winner with his award during an on-ice ceremony. Meanwhile, the OJHL Awards Committee, comprised of various general managers and media members, will once again vote on numerous other league accolades as well as all-star and all-prospects teams.

AROUND THE CCHL VELLA SPENDS FINAL JUNIOR YEAR LEADING LASERS Paul Vella has bounced around to various teams and leagues during his junior career. But the Kanata Lasers are glad the 20-year-old forward, a native of Staten Island, N.Y., has spent the entire 2016-17 campaign on their roster. Vella, the Lasers’ captain, is leading the club in scoring. He had earned 56 points, including 21 goals, through Kanata’s first 57 matches. For Vella, this marks his third season in the CCHL. And with the Lasers, he’s suiting up for his third team in the league. Vella came to the CCHL midway through the 2014-15 season when he joined the Hawkesbury Hawks. He spent last season with the Gloucester Rangers before being dealt to the Lasers in the off-season. Prior to coming to Canada, Vella suited up for five different American junior clubs in five different leagues.

BURKE LEADING LEAGUE IN THREE STAR SELECTIONS Being a league veteran in his final year of junior eligibility, the Ottawa Jr. Senators were counting on forward Jaren Burke for some leadership this season. And the 20-year-old has not disappointed.

CAVALIERE STARRING CLOSER TO HOMETOWN Goaltender Mario Cavaliere is once again getting the job done. But this season he’s doing so much closer to home. A year ago Cavaliere, who is from Mississauga, spent his first season in the junior ranks with the Powassan Voodoos, members of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. He registered a 15-3-0 record and a 2.85 goals-against average in 22 appearances. As for this season, the 19-year-old is starring with the OJHL’s Burlington Cougars. He’s the Cougars’ Number 1 goalie and had a 26-9-3 mark and a 2.52 GAA in his first 38 appearances. Cavaliere also had registered three shutouts.

MUCCI LEADING DUKES

Besides leading the Jr. Senators in scoring, with just a couple of weeks remaining in the regular season schedule, Burke was also leading all CCHL players in another category. Through the Jr. Senators’ first 54 matches, Burke had been selected as one of the three stars of their games 20 times. He had been chosen first star on five occasions. Burke had also been named second star three times. And he was picked as third star a dozen times. League-wide stats on 3 Star leaders are also kept. Individuals receive five points if they are chosen as the first star of a game. Three points are awarded for those who are second start. And a single point is given to those who are the third star. Though he was leading the league in the number of times he was a star, Burke’s star point total of 46 points wasn’t the highest for 3 Star leaders.

Nic Mucci has stepped up his game in his final season of junior hockey.

Charles Levesque of the Hawkesbury Hawks had the most points (71). He had been named first star nine times, second star on seven occasions and third star twice.

Bonnyville Pontiacs forward Alden Dupuis is a player opposing teams should focus on based on his point-pergame average this season.

The 20-year-old Mississauga native joined the Wellington Dukes via a midseason trade a year ago with the Central Canada Hockey League’s Carleton Place Canadians.

ROW HEADING TO QUEEN’S

The 20-year-old forward has even proven to be a threat while his squad is a man short. Dupuis was leading all AJHL players with five shorthanded goals through his first 53 matches.

Mucci went on to average more than a point per outing in his 25 regular season games with Wellington, earning 28 points, including 10 goals.

One of the CCHL’s most familiar faces in recent years will be heading to Kingston next season to commence his university career.

Dupuis, who is in his third season with the Pontiacs, had not scored an AJHL shorthanded goal prior to this year.

As for this season, Mucci had accumulated 76 points (29G, 47A) in his first 48 contests and was expected to finish among the OJHL’s Top 5 pointgetters.

Forward Alex Row, who has spent the past five seasons with the Kemptville 73’s, has agreed to join the Queen’s Gaels.

At press time, he had earned a total of 53 points, including 23 goals, through 53 matches.

Mucci will be taking his talents to the Niagara Purple Eagles, an NCAA Division 1 squad next season.

Row has served as Kemptville’s captain the last two years. Prior to that, he was an assistant captain for one season.

DUPUIS A THREAT SHORTHANDED

JUNIOR

February 25, 2017 HockeyNow

19 11

MINOR

FEATURE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LISA ROSENGARTEN, HOCKEY CALGARY

Hockey Calgary hosted two Try Goalie days recently in an effort to increase the number of players at the position. With the gear from Comrie’s Sports Equipment Bank and Professional Skate, along with volunteer instructors from the Calgary Canucks and Mount Royal University Cougars men’s hockey team, 50 kids attended each day.

BACK IN THE NET Hockey Alberta and Hockey Calgary create initiatives to improve goaltending, increase numbers STORY Neil Hilts

HE NATURAL RESOURCE INDUSTRY AND OVERALL economy isn’t the only thing struggling in Alberta, as the lack of interest in being the last line of defence is also an issue. Goaltending in hockey is on the decline in Alberta, including Calgary, so the sport’s governing bodies are countering the downtrend by increasing support to the position. Hockey Alberta unveiled a provincial Goaltender Development Plan on Feb. 1 with the goal to educate coaches about the position while providing resources and knowledge to increasing the goalie quality. “Goaltending is a unique position, and as a result it is always a challenge in both rural and urban areas to get goalies at all age groups,” Brad Lyon, the senior manager of communications for Hockey Alberta, said via email. “The Goaltender Development Plan has come about as the result of Hockey Alberta identifying that more supports were needed for the position of goaltending as a whole.” The Provincial Goaltender Development Plan has two focuses: coaches and players. With coaches, there will be a Hockey Alberta Regional Goalie Lead – a volunteer position – in six regions across the province. “The Regional Goaltending Leads will play a large role in supporting Minor Hockey Associations, educating coaches and parents, as well as providing development opportunities for the goalies themselves,” Lyon said. Goaltenders will be provided “with specialized training opportunities, where they can work with other goalies as well as some of the most experienced goaltender coaches in the province,” according to the Hockey Alberta press release. The 2017-18 year will have a several training weekends for goalies, coaches and others. Plus, this spring there are goaltender camps in Cochrane, Edmonton and Sylvan Lake. “Hockey Alberta has had a goaltender plan in place for approximately two years…,” Lyon said. “Planning for

HockeyNow February 25, 2017

the newly announced Goaltender Development Plan has been ongoing for the past number of months.” The process has started and it will all be ready to go by the start of 2017 season.

result, the sport is losing out on great athletes with the potential to be great goalies,” said Lyons. “Hockey Alberta believes the Goaltender Development Plan will help reduce many of these challenges for goalies in our province.” In addition, the idea the position is isolated from the rest of the team can also be a deterrent. However, with Hockey Alberta focusing on development and coaching knowledge, there will be no neglect to the position. The new resources should help fight this notion.

HOCKEY CALGARY HOSTS CAMPS

ALBERTA GOALIES IN THE PROS

At a smaller level, Hockey Calgary hosted two Try Goalie clinics, inviting players, both male and female, to try their hand in the crease on the last Friday of January and the first Friday of February. “Both days sold out very quickly and we [had] a waiting list,” Kevin Kobelka, executive director of Hockey Calgary, said. “There were 50 kids registered on both days, so we will have 100 in total go through the program.” Kobelka said goalie numbers are on the decline in Calgary minor hockey since the Calgary Flames last star goaltender left town. “When (Miikka) Kiprusoff was in his prime with the Flames, we saw a jump in goaltending in Calgary, but that bubble has moved through and is at the midget age category now, so we need to refocus and get more players trying this position,” Kobelka said via email. Kobelka said some minor hockey associations in the city have tried to offer lower prices for goalies or skill development camps, and said Hockey Calgary will likely offer the goalie clinics again if deemed successful this time around. At the Calgary camps, the focus was the experience of being a goalie. Thanks to Comrie’s Sports Equipment Bank and Professional Skate, the “Learn to Play Like Chad Johnson” Goalie Clinic included gear for potential goalies to try out. Aimed at the Novice and Atom aged kids (seven to 10 years old) where kids first start playing goalie and strapping on the pads, it was a fun day with little competition. There were guest coaches from the Calgary Canucks and Mustangs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), as well as the Mount Royal University Cougars men’s hockey team. The general consensus seems to be that cost is likely the biggest hurdle holding kids back from getting between the pipes. Gear is much more expensive for goalies, much more so than for a skater. “Coaches and parents often lack knowledge and understanding about the challenges of the position and how to support athletes to stay in the position or try it; as a

Chad Johnson, a journeyman in the NHL for a few years before settling with the Calgary Flames this year – even stealing the starting job – is the lone goalie in the big leagues born in Cowtown. The only other Alberta-born goalie is Airdrie’s Aaron Dell, currently the backup for the San Jose Sharks. However, Minnesota’s Devan Dubnyk, the favourite for the Vezina this year, played his minor hockey in Calgary after moving from Saskatchewan. Washington’s Braden Holtby, last year’s Vezina winner, grew up in Lloydminster and although he played in both Alberta and Saskatchewan, his early minor days were in the western province. Overall, there have been 10 goalies from Calgary and 46 from Alberta, according to quanthockey.com (counting by birth city). The most notable from Calgary is Mike Vernon, the lone goalie whose number was retired by the Flames. He had 385 wins, five All-Star appearances and two Stanley Cups. Grant Fuhr (Spruce Grove), Kelly Hrudey (Edmonton) and Chris Osgood (Peace River) were household names when they played in the NHL and are all Albertans.

GOALIE PROSPECTS The future is bright for Alberta’s goalies, with plenty of talented netminders in all levels who could potentially be NHL-calibre players. Last year, the first goalie drafted into the NHL was Sherwood Park’s Connor Hart to the Flyers. Taylor Gauthier was the first goalie picked in the 2016 WHL Draft at No. 10 by Prince George, and Stuart Skinner (Lethbridge Hurricanes) from Edmonton and Ian Scott (Prince Albert Raiders) from Calgary were both first round picks in the WHL draft in 2014 and could potentially hear their names called in the NHL draft this spring. With the new development in place province-wide, plus at a municipal level, Alberta could become the new goalie hotbed in the nation. And with a focus on tenders in Calgary and around Alberta, registration numbers should climb back.

ACROSS CANADA

MINOR

STORY Kirk Budden

BRITISH COLUMBIA MINOR HOCKEY NEWS

ALBERTA MINOR HOCKEY NEWS

ONTARIO MINOR HOCKEY NEWS

B.C. SCHOOLS SHINE AT CSSHL EASTERN SHOWCASE

DATE SET FOR ALBERTA POND HOCKEY

OHF RECOGNIZES FRAN RIDER

Three B.C. teams from the CSSHL stood out in the Eastern showcase from Feb. 10 to 12 at the CIH Arena in Rockland, Ont. Midget prep teams from the Okanagan Hockey Academy (Penticton), Delta Hockey Academy (Delta) and Yale Hockey Academy (Abbotsford) all had big showings, with each of them getting their largest win on the final day.

The Alberta Pond Hockey championship is back, now with bantam and midget A divisions. The championship is held in the ‘Peace region’ that extends from Peace River to the county of Northern Lights.

Okanagan beat Ontario Hockey Academy U17 8-3; Cassidy Bowes potted a hat trick and teammates Josh Arnold and Liam Lytton both had three-point nights, with two assists and a goal each.

The tournament will take place from Mar. 10 to 12 on Lac Cardinal, with delineated game surfaces a bit smaller than what most teams will be used to, at 150 feet by 75 feet for 75 percent of a regulation ice surface. Up to 40 teams of the rec, competitive, women’s and junior divisions will be competing for the championship.

Delta Hockey Academy reached nearly the same feat, trumping the Canadian International Hockey Academy 8-2. Delta was led by Pearce Messer, who put up three goals and an assist while linemate Jalen Price notched three points with two goals and an assist.

The inaugural event was founded in 2007 as a throwback “to the days when hockey was played the way nature intended it.” The tournament has been drawing players and families as well as hockey greats like Gary Cheevers, Bryan Trottier and Clark Gillies to Lac Cardinal ever since.

Finally, Yale Hockey Academy put on quite the show, posting a 14-5 win over Cumberland. Yale totalled 64 shots over three periods and had 12 goals in the first two. Yale had multiple individual standout performances in the contest such as Josh Williams who complemented his one goal with six assists for a seven-point night. Dylan Cozens notched a hat trick and an assist, while Matthew Konrad one-upped Cozens by potting four goals and an assist.

The tournament features several events over the weekend and will wrap up with a special family gala featuring live acts on Mar. 11.

The other final game of the tournament featured Alberta’s Edge School and Ontario’s Hill Academy U16s, with Edge shutting out Hill 9-0.

WORLD U17 HOCKEY CHALLENGE BACK IN B.C. The 2017 World U17 Hockey Challenge is heading back to Dawson Creek and Fort St. John. The tournament will see the best young players from all over the world, for a majority of them playing on an international stage for the first time. Team Canada will supply three teams for the tournament made up of top talent born in 2001 or later. This is the second time that Dawson Creek and Fort St. John will be co-hosting the event. The two also hosted just two years ago, in 2015, and the event was such a resounding success the region and the province of B.C. were keen to host again. The 2015 event garnered $120,000 in proceeds with $50,000 from 50/50 sales being donated to minor hockey associations. A study also showed that the entire province of B.C. and the region generated close to $6M in economic activity. The tournament will be hosted out of the Encana Events Centre in Dawson Creek and the North Peace Arena in Fort St. John from Nov. 5 to 11, 2017.

ST. ALBERT DOMINATING IN AFHL MIDGET AAA The Alberta Female Hockey League’s Midget AAA level saw one team that stood alone at the top with just a handful of regular season games left. Through 24 regular season games, the St. Albert Slash went 21-2-1, placing them 21 points above the second place Rocky Mountain Raiders. The powerhouse Slash have been bolstered by some effective forwards during their run with the top three pointgetters in the league. As of mid-February, Madison Willan had accumulated 35 points, Cassidy Maplethorpe, 33, and Tyra Meropoulis, 31. The three dominated the leaderboards as they collectively occupied the top two spots in points, goals and assists. The three also exploded for a combined 16 points against the Calgary Fire on Jan. 7 in a 7-2 win. Meropoulis led the way with five goals and an assist, Willan also had six points, one goal and five assists, while Maplethorpe added four assists. Not surprisingly, St. Albert also carries the top goalie in the league in Brianna Sank, who was tied for best save percentage at .940 and held the best goals against average with a 1.34. Though the Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs were able to be a stub in the Slash’s toe by winning 1-0 and forcing a 0-0 tie in January, they sit 2 spots and 30 points back of the leader heading into the final games of the season. The AFHL Midget AAA playoffs start on Mar. 6 and the Slash will be looking to advance to the provincials later in March.

The 2017 class of the Order of Hockey in Canada are recognizing Fran Rider and two others for their outstanding contributions or services to the growth and development of the sport in Canada. The Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) selected the historic NHL coach Scotty Bowman, IIHF vice president Murray Costello and the President and CEO of the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association, Fran Rider. Rider was the first executive director of the OWHA in 1975 and has currently had that position since 1982. Fran started out in the banking industry and got into hockey by volunteering. She has been essential to the growth of Canadian women’s hockey, building a path for women in hockey by being a player, a coach, a volunteer and an executive for the game since 1967. This adds to the list of her accomplishments, as she was also recently inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame for her contributions to growing women’s hockey. Her name is now mentioned in the same breath along with other hockey greats like Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky and Cassie Campbell-Pascall who have all been honoured, and part of 21 others who make up the Order of Hockey in Canada honourees since its inception in 2012. Rider and the other honourees will be celebrated at the annual Hockey Canada Foundation Gala & Golf event on June 19 to 20, 2017.

OHL CUP PARTNERSHIPS ANNOUNCED As Ontario minor hockey leagues start ramping up toward the OHL Cup, the GTHL has announced a new sponsor. The OHL Cup will now be ‘powered by’ Under Armour. The GTHL has agreed on a three-year partnership with Under Armour as the official apparel provider and title sponsor. The title sponsorship Under Armour agreed to means they will provide apparel packages at the tournament. The players on each team will get packages, and the MVP awards and championship gifting will all be covered by the Under Armour as well. 2017 marks the 15th presentation of the OHL Cup, and, with that, the GTHL announced that they have agreed on a five-year partnership extension that extends through 2021. Leading up to the OHL Cup, the London Jr. Knights have been dominating the Top-10 rankings, closely followed by the Mississauga Rebels. Twenty teams, 16 guaranteed through league competition and four wild card entries, will be making their way to Toronto and the Scotiabank Pond from Mar. 14 to 20 to compete for the 2017 edition of the OHL Cup, with the final game to take place at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. February 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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RANKED PROSPECTS

HE 2017 NHL ENTRY DRAFT HAS NO SHORTAGE OF SIZE BUT NICK SUZUKI IS the outlier. Measuring at just shy of 5-foot-11, the shifty centreman is the smallest centre on the ISS Hockey’s Top 31. The London, Ont. native is getting noticed for his immense hockey IQ and ability to use his size and speed to create offence. Suzuki is making his Top 31 debut at number 27, jumping up from 38 last month. PLAYER

POS

BIRTH

HT./WT.

TEAM

NOLAN PATRICK

9/19/1998

6.02.5/198

Brandon, WHL

TIMOTHY LILJEGREN

4/30/1999

6.00/191

Rogle, SweJE

NICO HISCHIER

1/4/1999

6.00.75/176

Halifax, QMJHL

OWEN TIPPETT

2/16/1999

6.01.5/202

Mississauga, OHL

GABE VILARDI

8/16/1999

6.03/201

Windsor, OHL

CASEY MITTELSTADT

11/22/1998

6.00.75/201

Green Bay, USHL

MICHAEL RASMUSSEN

4/17/1999

6.05.75/215

Tri-City, AHL

CALLAN FOOTE

12/13/1998

6.03.5/213

Kelowna, WHL

KLIM KOSTIN

5/5/1999

6.03.5/183

Dynamo, KHL

EELI TOLVANEN

4/22/1999

5.11.25/170

Sioux City, USHL

JUUSO VALIMAKI

10/6/1998

6.01.5/204

Tri-City, WHL

NICOLAS HAGUE

12/5/1998

6.05.5/206

Mississauga, OHL

CALE MAKAR

10/30/1998

5.11.25/179

Brooks, ASHL

CODY GLASS

4/1/1999

6.01.75/180

Portland, WHL

RYAN POEHLING

1/3/1999

6.01.75/183

St. Cloud State, NCHC

NIKITA A. POPUGAEV

11/20/1998

6.05.5/204

Moose Jaw, WHL

MAXIME COMTOIS

1/8/1999

6.02.25/199

Victoriaville, QMJHL

MARTIN NECAS

1/15/1999

6.00.5/167

Brno Kometa HC, CzeE

STELIO MATTHEOS

6/14/1999

6.00.75/190

Brandon, WHL

MATTHEW STROME

1/6/1999

6.03.5/206

Hamilton, OHL

ELIAS PETTERSSON

11/12/1998

6.01.25/156

Timra, SweAl

LUKE MARTIN

9/20/1998

6.02.5/207

Michigan, BigTen

URHO VAAKANAINEN

1/1/1999

6.01/187

JYP Jyvaskyla, FinE

SHANE BOWERS

7/30/1999

6.01.25/178

Waterloo, USHL

LIAS ANDERSSON

10/13/1998

5.11.5/198

HV71, SweJE

HENRI JOKIHARJU

6/17/1999

5.11.75/176

Portland, WHL

Owen Sound, OHL

BORN August 10, 1999 in London, ON, CAN POSITION Centre

SHOT R

Summer 4 on 4 –Youth Hockey–

TERRY WILSON / OHL IMAGES

27 NICK SUZUKI

REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR TEAMS AND INDIVIDUALS

HEIGHT WEIGHT 5.10.75 187

KOLE LIND

10/16/1998

6.01/176

Kelowna, WHL

KRISTIAN VESALAINEN

6/1/1999

6.04/202

HPK Hameenlinna, FinE

ALEX FORMENTON

9/13/1999

6.01/162

London, OHL

JARET ANDERSON-DOLAN

9/12/1999

5.11/188

Spokane, WHL

GOALIE

POS

BIRTH

HT.

TEAM

UKKO-PEKKA LUUKKONEN

3/9/1999

6.04.5/196

HPK Hameenlinna, FinE

JAKE OETTINGER

12/18/1998

6.04/203

Boston University, H.E.

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

FORMER BWC BRUINS FINDING HOCKEY NICHE IN IVY LEAGUE NEWELL, DOMBROVSKIY AND SZETO TOILING FOR HARVARD CRIMSON IN NCAA EASTERN COLLEGE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE Now a senior, Viktor Newell has been studying Economics at Harvard since 2013 and has been a member of the hockey team since his freshman year. The Burnaby, B.C. native played his entire minor hockey career with the BWC Bruins before moving on to play Jr. A in the BCHL with the Nanaimo Clippers. The St. Thomas Moore Collegiate graduate also skated in the USHL with the Omaha Lancers and Waterloo Blackhawks before starting his college career. Another Viktor, Victor Dombrovskiy is in his second year at Harvard patrolling the Crimson blue line. The Coquitlam, B.C. native graduated from Pinetree Secondary School. In his final season of junior hockey, Dombrovskiy spent time with the Trail Smoke Eaters and Prince George Spruce Kings of the BCHL. Prior to that, he skated for the Langley Rivermen (BCHL) for two seasons and played for Team Canada West in the World Junior A Challenge on two occasions. “Viktor came to us from Coquitlam and joined the BWC, he was always a nice, polite young man that was driven to achieve high marks and play hockey at the highest level possible,” Fabbro remembers. Szeto is the third and youngest member of the BWC connection at Harvard. The freshman from Vancouver, B.C. was already committed to attending Harvard before stepping foot on the ice with the Langley Rivermen at the start of the 2015-16 BCHL season. His play with the Vancouver Northwest Giants in the BCMML the season before impressed the Harvard recruiters so much they committed to him for 2016. Szeto grew up playing in the Vancouver Minor Hockey Association, but made the switch to the Burnaby Winter Club in Pee-Wee. “It was lot of fun to watch Justin and Matt Barzal wheeling around the ice when they played together at the Winter Club. They were part of our 1997 birth year programs,” Fabbro recalls. “It very nice to see that they have gone to tremendous success in hockey and in Justin’s case, school at Harvard.” Barzal currently plays for the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL. He was selected by the New York Islanders in the first round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and has represented Canada at the last two World Junior Championships. GIL TALBOT

When somebody is described as a product of or currently attending an “Ivy League” school, thoughts of academic excellence, selectivity and social elitism immediately come to mind. That description is 100 percent correct because Ivy League schools like Harvard, Yale, Brown and Princeton are recognized as some of the most prestigious, and ranked among the best universities worldwide. These elite institutions accept only the brightest students with SAT scores that are off the charts. To give you an idea how difficult it is to get into Harvard, the school received almost 40,000 applications at the January 1 deadline for admission this coming September. If an individual has the grades and potential to get accepted the next step is graduation armed with a diploma from Harvard plus an impressive network of alumni contacts. Getting into Harvard is an accomplishment in itself but imagine combining that with NCAA Division 1 Hockey and a spot with the Crimson. This is reality for Victor Newell, Viktor Dombrovskiy and Justin Szeto, three former Burnaby Winter Club Bruins who study at Harvard and play for the men’s hockey team which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “I remember all three kids when they were at the (Burnaby) Winter Club,” said Steve Fabbro. “They have always been very bright kids that were always focused on going to school and play U.S. college hockey. Fabbro has spent close to 12 years on the Winter Club’s Board of Directors including a stint as President, so he’s seen a ton of kids come through the program. He currently sits on the Executive Committee which takes care of Strategic Planning/Governance. He is also the Chair of the Membership Committee. The Harvard Crimson made college hockey headlines in mid-February when they won their first Beanpot tournament since 1993 when they defeated the Boston University Terriers at Boston’s TD Garden to claim the 65th annual Beanpot Trophy. The Beanpot is an annual February tournament that features Harvard, Boston University, Boston College and Northeastern. It was the Crimson’s 11th title in their program’s history.

VICTOR NEWELL

JUSTIN SZETO

VIKTOR DOMBROVSKIY

FEMALE

COURTESY OF THE CWHL

CWHL

Blayre Turnbull (#26) and Sophie Brault (#23), look for the puck in Calgary Inferno and Les Canadiennes de Montreal's final regular season game, which Montreal won 5-3.

Brianne Jenner (#19) and Marie-Philip Poulin (#29) face off at Winsport's Markin McPhail Centre in Calgary, Alberta on Feb. 19. All signs point to Montreal and Calgary playing for the league title on March 5.

A SEASON FOR THE BOOKS Calgary Inferno set new team record while 2016-17 class earns league top honours STORY Kristi Patton

F THE CANADIAN WOMEN’S HOCKEY LEAGUE REGULAR season could be summed up in two words, it would be “record breaking.” The defending Clarkson Cup champion Calgary Inferno set a new record for the franchise of 20-4-0-0 to clinch the first position overall in the regular season, for the first time. It came right down to the final weekend where they hosted second place Les Canadiennes de Montreal to find out who would be the regular season champion. Skating to a win on Saturday clinched the crown for the Inferno. “We’re always battling for first place, the ultimate goal is the Clarkson’s Cup so we just keep pushing towards that,” said Brittney Fouracres of Les Canadiennes, who finished 17-5-2-0. Les Canadiennes bounced back the following night, beating the Inferno 5-3. “Sometimes these games are tough to play in when they don’t really mean anything in the standings but yet

you are preparing for the playoffs and there’s a lot on the line. So if you still want to get to your ultimate goal, you have to keep getting better. Montreal is a very good team and they don’t quit.” said Inferno coach Scott Reid. Les Canadiennes forward Ann-Sophie Bettez won her third CWHL goal-scoring title, joining Jayna Hefford as the only players to do so three times. Bettez seemed to be everywhere in the second half of the season, including singing the national anthem before their game against the Toronto Furies. She rocketed up the statistics chart, scoring 15 points in January. Linemate Marie-Philip Poulin is the co-winner of the Angela James Bowl for most points earned, finishing with 37 points. Goaltender Charline Labonté took the shutout title with five this season and the most wins. With no shortage of firepower on Les Canadiennes, forward Caroline Ouellette broke a few records of her own this season. First she recorded her 300th CWHL point in December then the three-time Clarkson Cup champion and four-time Olympic gold medallist scored her 130th goal, tying her with Hefford for first all-time in CWHL goals. The Canadiennes were also part of the most watched CWHL game ever, when an average 136,400 fans watched them play the Toronto Furies on Sportsnet. The Brampton Thunder also proved they are not to be taken lightly. Jess Jones will share the title of Angela James

Bowl winner this season with Poulin. She is the team’s highest scorer since Gillian Apps collected 29 points in 2011-12. The odd ones out for the playoffs were the Boston Blades, who finished last in the standings with just two wins and six points. Rookie goaltender Lauren Dahm logged over 1,100 minutes while turning aside 732 pucks. The Inferno face the Furies in a three-game series while Les Canadiennes face the Thunder. The winners of each series will face off for the Clarkson Cup. In all six regular season games against the Furies, the Inferno won. Two of those games went into overtime with Hayley Irwin and Brianne Jenner netting the game winners. The Furies were outscored 22-6 in the regular season matches. Les Canadiennes won four of their six matchups against the Thunder, outscoring them 21-15, with Labonté between the pipes for all six games. With the co-winners of the Angela James Bowl facing off against each other, it should make for an interesting series. While no one can be taken lightly with the potential of playing for the Clarkson Cup at stake, if the two most dominate teams during the regular season have it their way, it will be Inferno and Canadiennes playing for the league title. The Clarkson Cup final will take place in Ottawa on March 5 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa. The awards gala is on March 3.

February 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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PHOTO COURTESY OF CALGARY FALMES

SEAN MONAHAN:

THE RETICENT SUPERSTA WHEN IT COMES TO ATHLETES, THE TERM “HUMBLE” CAN BE THROWN AROUND AT AN ALL-TOO-FREQUENT RATE. BUT IN SEAN MONAHAN’S CASE, HUMBLE DOESN’T EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THE QUIET LEADERSHIP, GRACE AND GRATITUDE THAT THE 2013 NHL DRAFT FIRST ROUND PICK HAS BEEN DISPLAYING SINCE HIS MINOR HOCKEY DAYS. IN THIS SPECIAL FEATURE, WE LOOK BACK AND AHEAD AT THE RISING STOCK OF THE CALGARY FLAMES ASSISTANT CAPTAIN, WHO IS, AT HEART, STILL JUST THE KID FROM BRAMPTON. BY MIKE TOTH

HockeyNow February 25, 2017

t the tender age of 22, Sean Monahan has already put together an impressive hockey résumé. A first round pick of the Ottawa 67's in 2010, the Brampton, Ontario native son was eventually bestowed with the honour of captaining the legendary OHL franchise. In 2013, Monahan was also selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft, as the highly skilled centreman was grabbed sixth overall by the Calgary Flames. Four years and over 190 NHL points later, Monahan is a rising star with a young Flames hockey club that appears to have a very bright future. But while Monahan continues to evolve on the ice, his polite, soft-spoken off-ice demeanour hasn't changed since his early years in the Brampton Battalion minor hockey system. "He's definitely the same old Sean," assured Lee Bloor, who coached Monahan for a number of years in the Ontario minor hockey and middle school ranks. Bloor's son, Brett, who now plays U.S. college hockey for the University of Texas at El Paso, grew up playing alongside Monahan and Sean has stayed tight with a lot of his buddies from his days back in Brampton. Lee Bloor took in a recent Flames contest in Toronto and, despite the Flames losing 4-0 to the hometown Maple Leafs,

HE WAS ALWAYS ONE STEP AHEAD OF EVERYBODY ELSE, A REAL 'THINKING MAN'S' HOCKEY PLAYER, AND IF YOU WATCH HIM IN THE NHL TODAY, HE'S EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. Lee Bloor, ONTARIO MINOR HOCKEY COACH February 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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SPECIAL FEATURE:

TERRY WILSON / OHL IMAGES

SEAN MONAHAN

Monahan made sure to spend some quality time with his former coach following the game. "It was great to see him," said Bloor. "Sean is a very thoughtful young man and even a few hours later when he was on the team plane heading for another game in Montreal, he sent me a text message thanking me for coming to the Toronto game. It just goes to show you what a quality kid he is and he's one of those guys who was definitely brought up the right way." In fact, as Monahan himself is quick to point out, it was his dad, John, who gave him the best piece of hockey advice he has ever received. "You obviously get a lot of tips from a lot of different coaches growing up when it comes to the technical side of the game and how to improve your skills," said Monahan. "But my dad gave me the best piece of practical advice that I try to follow. He told

NATURAL BORN [PLAYOFF] LEADER In 2009-10, Sean Monahan captained the Mississauga Rebels minor midget AAA team and was a man among boys where he tallied 46 goals and 90 points in 47 games. That dominance continued when he led the Rebels to a championship win at the OHL Cup. He did everything but drive the Zamboni between games, posting 13 points in seven games to lead the tournament in points and earn OHL Cup MVP honours. All of that culminated in getting drafted 16th overall to the Ottawa 67’s later that season. During his rookie season with the 67’s, Monahan was invited to play in the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where he put up five points in five games, topping it off with a gold medal. In his first year at the OHL level, he hit the ground running, making it to the playoffs in his first two seasons, and earning 19 points in 22 playoff games. The following year he was named captain of the 67’s squad.

OTTAWA 67's 

“I thought that playing in the OHL would be the quickest and the best way to get to the NHL…when I got drafted by the 67's, I felt it was the perfect route to becoming a professional hockey player.”

MISSISSAUGA REBELS

"As a young minor hockey player, I didn't like being the centre of attention and I'd usually skate to the bench as fast as I could after scoring so that I could hide behind the boards and I wasn't the focus."

HockeyNow February 25, 2017

AARON BELL/OHL IMAGES

He carried his playoff knack all the way to the NHL, where he made it to the postseason in his second season in Calgary and helped them advance to the second round, scoring six points in 11 games. Now he wears an A as the assistant captain for the Flames.

me that no matter what happens or how successful you become in life, the key is to be a good person and not to change. “When you're in the NHL, it's obviously a big business and winning and losing becomes very important. But we're still just a bunch of guys who loved playing hockey as kids and we're still just a hockey team trying to work through a season together to realize our goals.” Monahan is involved in a number of charity endeavours in Calgary, including paying regular visits to the Alberta Children's Hospital. “We're so lucky to play in the NHL and there's really nothing much to complain about. It gives us a tremendous platform to help people and if we can take time to do things like visit a children's hospital and put a smile on the face of some people who really need it, the least we can do is reach out and try to contribute to make our community a better place to live in,” Monahan said. As you might expect, a few of the kids tend to get a little tongue-tied when their favourite NHL player arrives on the scene. But here's a news flash: Monahan also suffered from a severe case of shyness when he was a small lad. "Sean never wanted the spotlight," remembered Bloor. "Because he was so talented, there were games that he could easily

SPECIAL FEATURE:

SEAN MONAHAN

that I wanted to, I was going to have to perform in front of a lot of people and deal with media attention. "Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic were two players who always delivered in the crunch when the spotlight was on them. I wanted to be that kind of player and I eventually realized if that was going to be the case, I'd have to accept the pressure of being under the microscope. Truth be told, Monahan has been on the radar since his earliest days in the game. Bloor coached him as a seven-year-old in Minor Novice AAA and then again in the grade 7 and 8 school ranks and, along every step of his hockey journey, Monahan definitely stood out. "He always had incredible hockey sense," said Bloor. "I remember one game where he had the presence of mind to bank the puck off the boards between two checkers. The puck bounced out in front of the net and before the other team

CHL IMAGES

score four or five goals. But he didn't like hogging all the glory and what really made him happy was going out and setting up some of his teammates who hadn't scored yet. Sean would tell them to go to the front of the net, keep their sticks on the ice and he'd feed them a pass. He got a big kick out of seeing the smile on a kid's face who just scored a goal on a goalie he probably had no business beating." "My shyness was the biggest road block I had to overcome," agreed Monahan. "As a young minor hockey player, I didn't like being the centre of attention and I'd usually skate to the bench as fast as I could after scoring so that I could hide behind the boards and I wasn't the focus." So, how did Monahan eventually overcome his terminal shyness? "Time was the big thing," explained Monahan. "Eventually I realized that if I was going to play the game at the high level

WE'RE STILL JUST A BUNCH OF GUYS WHO LOVED PLAYING HOCKEY AS KIDS AND WE'RE STILL JUST A HOCKEY TEAM TRYING TO WORK THROUGH A SEASON TOGETHER TO REALIZE OUR GOALS. Sean Monahan, CALGARY FLAMES

 2013 NHL ENTRY DRAFT "Getting drafted in the first round by the Flames was definitely an exciting time. It's the crowning achievement of everything you've worked for as a young hockey player.”

ROUND #

DRAFTED BY

PLAYER

PTS

PIM

Calgary Flames

SEAN MONAHAN

293

194

Colorado Avalanche

NATHAN MACKINNON

268

118

189

Flordia Panthers

ALEKSANDER BARKOV

228

147

Carolina Hurricanes

ELIAS LINDHOLM

263

124

Nashville Predators

SETH JONES

286

111

14 Columbus Blue Jackets

ALEXANDER WENNBERG

189

104

Vancouver Canucks

BO HORVAT

203

Buffalo Sabers

RASMUS RISTOLAINEN

247

23 Washington Capitals

ANDRE BURAKOVSKY

183

JONATHAN DROUIN

137

12 Phoenix Coyotes

MAX DOMI

109

10 Dallas Stars

VALERI NICHUSHKIN

166

Tampa Bay Lightning

(AS OF FEBRUARY 21, 2017)

MONAHAN vs. 2013 DRAFT CLASS February 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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SPECIAL FEATURE:

SEAN MONAHAN

Being drafted sixth overall in the NHL is feat in itself, but when you consider the draft class that Sean Monahan was part of, the achievement is all the more impressive. Nathan MacKinnon (Calder Trophy winner, NHL all-star), Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Drouin, Seth Jones (NHL all-star), Elias Lindholm, Rasmus Ristolainen, Bo Horvat (NHL all-star) – all these players were in the top 10 with Monahan in the draft, all made it to the big club in their draft year and three of them are already playing in the all-star game. Even still, Sean Monahan leads the entire 2013 draft class with 197 points and 297 games played. That’s even more points than first overall pick Nathan MacKinnon and almost 50 more than 2013 second overall pick Aleksander Barkov. When Sean Monahan was drafted by Calgary, he was more like an 18-year-old free agent. He wasted no time making the Flames roster out of camp and posted six goals and nine points in his first 10 games while averaging over 15:00 minutes of playing time a night. Monahan became the first Calgary Flames player to make the jump from junior to full-time NHL in his draft year since the 1980-81 season, when 19-year-old second rounder Kevin LaVallée was signed.

CALGARY FLAMES 

“It's not where you get picked, or even if you get picked, it's what you do with whatever opportunity that comes your way that really defines you as an NHLer.”

HockeyNow February 25, 2017

HE ALWAYS HAD INCREDIBLE HOCKEY SENSE

PHOTO COURTESY OF CALGARY FALMES

TOP OF THE DRAFT CLASS

could react, Sean drove to the crease and put the puck in. who have turned out to be stars in the league didn't even get He was always one step ahead of everybody else, a real 'thinking drafted at all. So, it's not where you get picked, or even if you man's' hockey player, and if you watch him in the NHL today, get picked, it's what you do with whatever opportunity that he's exactly the same way." comes your way that really defines you as an NHLer." Reaching the NHL is obviously the pinnacle for every young But despite the fact that he's now a bonafide NHLer himself, hockey player and Monahan admits that, growing up, it was Monahan continues to be a huge fan of the game. the number one thing on his mind. "Even though I had seen myself playing in the NHL, it was "I loved the game so much and didn't consider any other still surreal to actually find yourself in the league as a young options. I'd watch 'Hockey Night in Canada' with my dad player. My first NHL game happened to be against the Washand always pictured myself following in the footsteps of Yzington Capitals. Alex Ovechkin was another NHL star that I erman and Sakic, two players I really admired. To be perfectly had admired for a long time and I'll never forget the feeling honest, I thought that playing in the OHL would be the of skating on the ice and realizing I was about to go head-toquickest and the best way to get to the NHL. That was always head with Ovie. It was a really special feeling and something my goal and when I got drafted by the 67's, I felt it was the I'll never forget." perfect route to becoming a professional hockey player." Meanwhile, as Monahan continues to live the NHL dream, At heart, however, Monahan is still that shy kid from long people from his minor hockey past are thrilled that he's still ago who has been on the receiving end of a number of 'pinch the same old Sean. me' moments during his young NHL career. "You see a lot of celebrities who change once they achieve "Getting drafted in the first round by the Flames was definitely their professional goals," pointed out Bloor. "They start to maybe an exciting time. It's the crowning achievement of everything drive the fancy cars, flash around their money and forget all you've worked for as a young hockey playabout their roots. But Sean isn't like that er. It's also a huge accomplishment for your at all. He's still just the kid from Brampton family and friends, because they were the who loves the game and hasn't forgotten ones who made some major sacrifices to about the people who are important to help you realize your dream and I feel very him. When you think about it, that's pretty fortunate that I was able to share draft day special and it's the big reason why the peowith a lot of people who are extremely ple from his past still play such an importclose to me. ant part in his life." “With that said, I've always been a big The inspirational hockey life of Sean believer that the draft isn't the be all and Monahan, with more special moments sure Lee Bloor, end all for a hockey player. Lots of guys to come. ONTARIO MINOR HOCKEY COACH

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

MINOR

IN THE HOME STRETCH O

NLY A FEW MONTHS REMAIN UNTIL THE WINNERS are announced. For the 18th year, HockeyNow will soon be awarding some of the best minor hockey talent in B.C., Alberta, and Ontario with the annual Player of the Year Award. The award has crowned some of the best young players in the country, including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Morgan Rielly, Griffin Reinhart, Curtis Lazar, Karl Alzner, and Colin Fraser. The regular season is wrapping up and our selection panel will be watching closely as the shortlisted nominees face playoff pressure. The preliminary lists for each region are put together on a monthly basis by our POY selection committee, headed by B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee

and Vancouver Canucks alumnus Dave Babych and International Scouting Services founder and head scout Dennis MacInnis. February’s preliminary lists feature a slew of players who have been the major difference makers in their teams’ final regular season and playoff push. But the Minor Hockey Player of the Year Award is about a lot more than performance. The selection committee also takes into careful consideration each player’s commitment to setting a strong example in their community, their schools and on their team. We’re in the home stretch now. Soon we’ll be announcing the last round of finalists before the award presentation in July.

PRELIMINARY LIST BC 2002S, FEBRUARY 2017

PRELIMINARY LIST AB 2002S, FEBRUARY 2017

PRELIMINARY LIST ON 2001S, FEBRUARY 2017

BORYSIUK, JORDAN [C] Attacks with speed, likes to beat defenders 1 on 1 , has good size, makes smart decisions with and with out the puck.Very good on the cycle and uses size to protect the puck.

BENNING, MICHAEL [D] Shifty, offensively dangerous defender wasn't afraid to take the puck up the ice on his own. He consistently made crisp tape to tape passes and he got his wrist shot off very quickly.

AGUANNO, ANTHONY [D] Good, strong skater with speed and showed the ability to rush the puck. Walks line with the puck well and has a heavy point shot.

BOWEN, ETHAN [C] Strong skater with good speed. Was strong on the for check and supported well on the back check, Good offensive upside due to his vision and his skating.

CRNKOVIC, KYLE [C] Highly skilled smaller dynamic player, scored 2 goals in final game and was top forward in the tournament. Fast and quick with excellent hockey sense

BURRIDGE, JEFF [RW] Has a tremendous shot, hard and accurate. Knows where he needs to be in the O-zone, is strong in the corners off the cycle.

DE LA GORGENDIERE, AIDEN [D] De La Gorgendiere had 15 points (1G, 14A) in 6 games. Was named the top defenceman in the tournament and was one of the best players in the tournament period. All situations defender that does it all for his team. Good size and skates efficiently around the ice. Potential to make an impact in the WHL in the future.

DUBINSKY, COLE [C] Crafty little offensive player with slick passing skills and offensive instincts. A natural play-maker with excellent vision. Very high hockey IQ

CLARKE, GRAEME [RW] He is a shooter; takes a high volume of shots. Protects the puck well in the offensive zone and is dangerous working off the cycle.

GREIG, RIDLY [C] Greig had 8 points (1G, 7A) in 6 games. Really good performance for a kid that may be flying under the radar. Played top line, PP, PK. Skilled, offense first player with the ability to push the pace offensively. Breaks into the offensive zone with speed forces defenders to back off. Creates space for teammates.

COE, BRANDON [RW] A powerful offensive winger who is hard for any defender to handle. Drives the net hard to create chances, and chips it in well to use his strong board play to retrieve. Can handle the puck at top gear, which coupled with his size makes him a dangerous offensive weapon.

GENDRON, JACOB [D] Loves to take the puck end to end and control the game. Has a very good shot off the rush and from the point, can beat defenders to outside and through mid ice, uses his strong skating ability to get away from trouble. HELLIWELL, RYAN [D] Very good dman, uses size to advantage, strong on puck and strong on the boards. Passes hard and makes good decisions with and with out the puck, hard to play against and defends well. Impact player on the ice and very noticeable. HOOGENDOORN, KURT [D] Very smart defenseman who rarely gets caught out of position, and makes good plays with the puck. Nice skater and has deceptive speed. No shortage of upside, and should become a solid WHL defenseman with some work. KING, BEN [C] King had 10 points (2G, 8A) in 6 games. Solid two way forward who doesn't have many holes in his game - versatile player who compliments his linemates Good vision and smarts and really good passer with good vision. Good all around player who is the kind of player you win with. MOUNT, PAYTON [C] Very skilled player and a strong two-way forward. Very good skater and has excellent vision. Should be a high pick in the WHL Draft and has the potential to be a strong player at that level. SHEPARD, COLE [LW] Quick, smart , fast and creates chances with speed, protects puck down low and takes puck to the net hard. Undersized but uses speed and quickness to elude defenders. SOURDIF, JUSTIN [C] Top prospect, Can do it all, skate, shoot, check, was dominating all weekend. Scored big goals in tournament and was a force. Total package and compete level is high.

GUHLE, KAIDEN [D] Smooth skating and his ability to control the pace of the game. Guhle has the potential to be a 2-way defender in the WHL in the future. MCCLENNON, CONNOR [C] Top 3 prospect in BC.controls game, sets pace and tone, has excellent hockey sense and awareness on the ice, works hard and isn't afraid to mix it up. NEIGHBOURS, JAKE [LW] Lot of offensive upside. Strong kid that is very tough to take off the puck once he has possession, Uses his body well to protect the puck and win battles. Excellent vision and makes outstanding offensive decisions.

HUGHES, JACK [C] Great skater; very good edge work and top end speed. Hard snap shot that he can get away on the rush at full speed. Projects as a top line forward at the OHL/ NCAA level. PENMAN, DUNCAN [D] Smooth skating intelligent defenseman. Doesn't play a flashy game. Very effective at transitioning the puck up ice. Has potential as a top four defenseman at the CHL level. REES, JAMIESON [C] Center with average size. Very good skater with good speed and quickness. Quick hands. Can make plays with the puck at top speed.

PLASCHEWSKY, BRADEN [C] Was a threat every time he is on the ice. Great at reading the play. His hands allow him to make creative passes to his teammates and generate scoring chances. Can make high end plays at full speed.

SUZUKI, RYAN [C] Has elite vision and passing/playmaking abilities. Excellent puck control, always comes out of a scrum with the puck, seems to have it on a string. High hockey IQ, seems to be thinking 2 steps ahead of everyone else on the ice.

PROKOP, LUKE [D] Very solid, plays against top lines , shut down d man. Plays a big role on a good team and kills PK and plays PP. Solid prospect that contributes to the team success.

TOMASINO, PHILIP [C] Very gifted player that has a lot upside to his game. Loves to have the puck on his stick and he does a great job of push the pace up ice. Has great speed and loves to drive the puck wide.

SEXSMITH, JOEL [D] Sexsmith had 3 points (0G-3A) in 5 games.Smart and reliable defender that makes simple plays to get the puck out of DZ and to his forwards. Not flashy but able to contribute at both ends of the ice. Can carry the puck up ice but is more likely to make an outlet pass.

VUKOJEVIC, MICHAEL [D] Excellent ability to quickly turn a defensive stop into offence. He played physical, and he uses his elite size well and his long reach to his advantage in order to knock pucks loose or breakup a play.

February 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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HOCKEY MOMS CORNER

MY SINKING CARPOOL MOJO I

T MAY STILL BE FEBRUARY ON THE CALENDAR AND THE NHL HOCKEY SEASON IS at its peak, but our minor hockey schedule is winding down. We are now entering our last two weeks of the regular season before playoffs begin. I know for a fact I’m not the only hockey mom who is silently whispering to herself, “Oh, thank God!” I can just hear the hockey scarf-clad, noisemaker-toting, photo button-wearing, hand-clapping, foot-stomping hockey mom riot police knocking at my door calling me a blasphemous traitor, but it’s true. My hockey mom mojo is sinking faster than the Colorado Avalanche’s playoff hopes. Ok, settle down. The riot police can take their signs and go home. Like all hockey moms, I know that no matter what I have to keep my optimism and enthusiasm at a sudden-death overtime level – not for me but for my young hockey players. I happen to have a few key strategies to keep me smiling through the dark days of the end of season despair. Here’s what I do … I buy a really fancy coffee. That’s right. Instead of my usual homebrew coffee in a hockey mom travel mug, I buy a full fat something-I-can’t-pronounce coffee brewed at a mysterious and vague temperature for no apparent reason topped with fancy sprinkles. I pay triple what I usually pay for coffee because I’m worth it and my hockey player needs me to be turbo caffeinated and ready to go! Woo-hoo! I watch that commercial on YouTube. You know the one: it comes out during every Olympics and sometimes even during the World Juniors. It’s that one where it takes someone strong to raise someone strong. It’s by that company that is the Official Proud Sponsor of Moms. It gets me every time. Sniff. Anyone have a tissue? But it does the trick and makes me hug my hockey player and tell them to go out there and kill someone – I mean – play their best. Yeah! I take a good long look at my seam ripper. Oh yes - that weapon of name bar destruction. Eight months ago I painstakingly and patiently sewed those name bars on multiple game jerseys. It won’t be long now before I can take that sucker and riiiiiip them off. It’s very cathartic. I’m looking forward to it. I plan a dinner out. I plan a little post-hockey game dinner at a fun family favourite restaurant with another hockey family. Not a big tournament-worthy, top-shelf, ‘seventeen players and their families and siblings’ event; just a simple get together, where the hockey moms don’t cook and the hockey dads don’t clean up. It doesn’t always have to be about the kids – the grown-ups can have fun too. I put on my bathing suit. You know the minute hockey season is over, summer is just around the corner. And that means so is bathing suit season. Oh my Lord. Suddenly I’m okay with my black turtleneck, jeans, boots, triple-layer socks and long winter coat. In fact, I’m pretty cozy after all, thank you. There. I feel better already. I think I now have enough hockey mom mojo to get me at least to the playoffs. And as we all know, the playoffs are a whole different pile of pucks. Anything can happen! Three cheers for the hockey moms at the end of the season – may your mojo spilleth over!

ASTRA GROSKAUFMANIS

Ottawa mom of three poking fun at motherhood, middle age and minor hockey! Author of Offside by a Mile – Confessions of a Hockey Mom WEBSITE: astragroskaufmanis.com TWITTER: @mydustbunnies

HockeyNow February 25, 2017

HANDBOOK – 2017 –

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Barrie Colts Hockey School is one of the largest hockey programs north of Toronto. Our summer camp takes place at one of the worlds longest fresh water beaches, Wasaga Beach during the weeks of July 10th, 17th & 24th for ages 9 to 19. The three-week camp offers an in-residence overnight program along with day camps, which includes 2 hours of ice and 2 hours of dry land training each day. The camps will be dedicated to youth between the ages of 7 to 12 years old. Each day will consist of 2-½ hours of on-ice training with Barrie Colts Assistant Coach Todd Miller and other special professional guests including Barrie Colts Head Coach and NHL Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk, Barrie Colts players and more. The on-ice training will be accompanied with 1-½ hours of Strength and Conditioning Training with Head Athletic Therapist for the Barrie Colts, Andrew Sachkiw.

barriecolts.com *tmiller@barriecolts.com Barrie, ON Wasaga Beach, ON

Jr.Hitmen Hockey Development offers a variety of fun and professionally run Summer Camps for all levels of hockey. Full Day Camps for all ages, Powerskating with experienced Instructors, Putts & Pucks – a Full Day Hockey & Golf Camp, Snipe & Dangle Skills Camp to work on your hands or position specific sessions like the Dynamic Defenders Camp or Checking the Right Way! Join our 3 on 3 Pond Hockey League for a fast & fun weekly session! Jr.Hitmen has a camp for everyone! Affordable Payment Plans available!

jrhitmenhockey.com *info@jrhitmenhockey.com London, ON

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HockeyNow February 25, 2017

WELCOME ALL ATHLETES The CAC Hockey Development Camp celebrates 35years of instruction. Our Hockey Development Camp strives to provide kids from all over the country with the skills to play our greatest sport hockey. Complete Training in Skating, Hockey & Ringette for: Tots to Adults Beginner to Advanced Parent & Child Learn to Skate & Learn to Play Hockey Warrior Learn to Skate for Tots & Youth Warrior Learn to Play Hockey for Tots & Youth Power Skating for Hockey, Ringette, Rep Prep & Beginner

Our goal continues to be to provide a fun, learning environment for young hockey players at an affordable price. The Instructors and their assistants come from varied backgrounds. Some have attended the CAC Hockey Development Camp, some have played in the CAC Program, others have played Junior A, WHL, University and college hockey and have coached at many levels from Minor and up. As we head into the next 35 years we would like to thank the hockey community for the support they have shown to our program and extend our heartfelt thanks to all the people that have participated and volunteered their time to make this one of the best hockey development camps in the country!

Adult Skating & Skills Development

beaudieshockey.ca Langley, BC Mission, BC

The Notre Dame Hounds offer four hockey schools, each offering something for a young player at any level. The Male Elite, Male Development, Female Development and High Intensity Goaltender camps will push you to become a better player. Each camp offers a variety of features, whether you are a recreational player or play competitively. Our camps include 12-15 hours of on ice instruction, off ice conditioning, mental prep sessions, power skating, meals, dorm room and much more. To register, visit www.notredame.ca. For more information call (306) 732-1246.

notredame.ca Wilcox, SK

cac-hockey.com *info@cac-hockey.com Edmonton, AB

Established in 1963, Okanagan Hockey Camps offers over 50 years of professional hockey instruction. We have programs designed for all levels of players, from ages 5-17 years old. With summer camps out of Penticton and Kelowna, BC and Calgary and Edmonton, AB, we have developed three specific streams of hockey training: Development, Advanced Development and Specialty Programs. We offer instructional camps for both players and goaltenders; including specialized programs for forechecking, power skating, shooters and defensemen. All Camps are full day, fully supervised and consist of a targeted balance of On-ice training, Off-ice training, Skills sessions, and Off-ice activities.

okanaganhockey.com *info@okanaganhockey.com Penticton, BC

Canadian Hockey Enterprises is excited to be offering our world-class hockey camps for the 30th year. With programs running all over North America between July 12th and August 25th, boys and girls of all ages and skills can pick the program and location that fits them best. Each summer we have more than 1600 camp participants from around the world, coming together to learn from professional players, coaches and scouts about how to improve their individual skills.

chehockey.com *goals@chehockey.com Kelowna, BC Peterborough, ON Whistler, BC Canmore, AB Calgary, AB Lake Placid, NY Las Vegas, NV Traverse City, MI

Puckstoppers has been professionally training goaltenders for nearly 3 decades. Now one of the longest running goalie development programs on the planet, having schools on 3 continents, students from 18 countries and instructors from 6 countries. The philosophy and methods are different from other goalie schools, says President Chris Dyson. The focus is on mastering the Core Essential Goaltending Skills, while expanding the students level of ‘compete, at the same time ensuring our students are having fun. Over 85% of the students advance to higher levels, due to their improved technical skills, enhanced mental approach to the game and newfound understanding of just how much more they are capable of achieving.

puckstoppers.com *info@puckstoppers.com London, ON

Edge Hockey Schools has been expertly running Hockey Schools for 24 years. Our curriculum was developed by the world-renowned, University of Calgary Kinesiology Department and we are recognized for using a progression based learning model. Our coaching team is chosen for their hockey skills, enthusiasm and experience working with children. Daily, our player participants are individually recognized for their accomplishments and effort. Encouragement, respect and inclusion provide the foundation for everything that we do each day. Our goal is to help your child learn and improve their hockey skills while emphasizing the fun and joy that hockey brings all Canadians.

edgehockey.net *info@edgehockey.net Cranbrook, BC Edmonton, AB Airdrie, AB Calgary, AB

This elite program is geared for players that are striving for excellence on ice.Too many times skills are taught by demonstrating the end result. When students fall short of achieving them they do not know why. There are basic building blocks to learning all skills. With better understanding and a clear knowledgeable instruction they are able to accelerate their learning and elevate their skills to new levels. The Steve Serdachny Skating & Hockey System will demonstrate excellent technique, but will not stop there. It teaches students to break down their skating, stick handling, passing and shooting into crucial components. The students are shown how to strengthen weak areas, so they can continue to grow and develop their skills and move onto more advanced abilities. Program include Accelerate and Elevate Powerskating, Defensemen Camps, Stickhandling & Moves skills series, Shooting & Scoring camps and much more. Spring and Summer Development Programs run April - September in: Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Medicine Hat, Winnipeg, Stockholm (Sweden) and Helsinki (Finland). Programs are designed for players from Novice - Pro who are wanting to Accelerate and Elevate all aspects of their skating and hockey skill development.

elitepowerskating.com Calgary, AB Edmonton, AB Medicine Hat, AB Regina, SK Saskatoon, SK Stockholm, SWE Helsinki, FIN

International Hockey Camps has been teaching players (around the world) for the past 31 years. The goal of the camp is to make players better hockey players and better people. This is achieved through expert coaching (experienced coaches only teach at IHC), a low student – coach ratio of 7 to 1, specialized camps focused on specifics, an on-ice teaching/ learning system that has been perfected and upgraded yearly. Innovative seminars focus on hockey and mental training skills. Coach Enio Sacilotto, Assistant Coach of the Victoria Royals (WHL) has 35 years of experience coaching at all levels (including 20 years in Europe). He is an excellent teacher/ communicator and with his enthusiasm and passion personally leads all the Camps. You will be a better player guaranteed! • • • • •

Defensemen Camp Forwards Camp Battle & Compete Camp Bantam & Midget Prep Camp Dynamic Skating and Puck skills Camp

• Junior/Pro Conditioning Camp Locations at Victoria, Nanaimo, Burnaby, Coquitlam and North Delta.

coachenio.com *iihsi@shaw.com Victoria, BC Nanaimo, BC North Delta, BC

Sheer Hockey Training focuses on the empowerment and development of players and specifically goalies both on and off the ice. Sheer Hockey Training is proud to feature many female only programs in addition to private sessions for all goaltenders of any level or age. Sheer Hockey’s Goalie training takes many forms including private 1-on-1 or 2-on 1 instruction at your team’s practice ice time as well as summer camps, monthly clinics, off-ice training and seminars on various topics related to hockey. Check out Sheer Hockey’s website and social media! Instagram: @sheerhockeytraining Facebook: Sheer Hockey Training Twitter: Sheer_Hockey

sheerhockey.com *info@sheerhockey.com Burnaby, BC

February 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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SKILLZ HOCKEY is a full-service hockey school geared towards young players from diverse backgrounds who aspire to take their game to the next level. The school is dedicated to serving the development of players from all cultural and financial backgrounds, and promotes some of the highest levels of professional instruction rivaling any of the top training institutes in the country. Talent, spirit and a willingness to learn are all you need and with a number of current NHL player alumni, we express opportunity and potential to all players. Access is our game!

skillzhockeyinc.com *Kirkb@skillzhockeyinc.com Toronto, ON

World Pro Goaltending, Western Canada’s Premier Goaltending School continues to help develop some of the best young goaltenders around. This year’s summer camps will help goalies to continue to build their foundation and excel in preparation for the coming 2016-17 season. Sign up now, and start building your goaltending future today! Call us at our office at 403-259-4625, email at info@worldprogoal.com or check out our website www.worldprogoal.com

worldprogoal.com *info@worldprogoal.com Calgary, AB Prince George, BC Medicine Hat, BC

Having more than 45 years of experience in conducting hockey schools Réal Turcotte has designed a systematic approach in the art of stickhandling, passing and shooting that guarantees each individual an improvement in their skills. Give your son or daughter a chance to develop to their fullest potential and let them experience the fun of learning different stickhandling moves. For more information visit our website at www.turcottehockey.com or call our office at 800.732.2894.

During the summer of 2017 World Class Hockey will be operating over 35 camps in Canada and the US. Our full day camps will consist of up to 25 Hours of on-ice instruction per week. 25 Hours allows the opportunity for our experienced staff to breakdown each skill or theory so our students get a thorough understanding of the game of hockey. We offer summer programs for house league to AAA players. Our camps and are always grouped by age and caliber so you won’t have to worry about too wide a range of skill level in any camp.

turcottehockey.com *info@turcottehockey.com CANADA USA isit site for multiple locations V

worldclasshockey.com *worldclasshockey@sympatico.ca Mississauga, ON

SHOULD

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2017

SUMMER HOCKEY & MULTI SPORT CAMPS CONTACT A CANLAN FACILITY NEAREST YOU: Burnaby 8 Rinks 604-291-0626 | Langley 604-532-8946 | North Shore 604-924-0828 | 100 Mile House 250-395-1353

February 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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DOUG ABBOTT PHOTOS

PACIFIC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

KODIAKS AND ICE HAWKS AMONG TEAMS TO WATCH IN PLAYOFFS The PJHL playoffs are here and the matchups are sure to be tight. While the Aldergrove Kodiaks ran away with the Brittain Conference title with a league-best 72 points, the race to the top was much closer in the Shaw Conference.

Out in the Brittain Conference, Aldergrove is up against the defending champion Mission City Outlaws and the Abbotsford Pilots and Ridge Meadows Flames are playing for the other spot in the conference final.

The Delta Ice Hawks and Grandview Steelers each finished with 63 points, but Delta won the tiebreaker with three more wins on their record.

Like last year, the Port Moody Panthers and Surrey Knights are on the outside looking in. The Panthers finished only four points behind North Vancouver for the final playoff spot in the Shaw Conference while Surreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playoff hopes diminished long ago in the midst of a winless season in which they went 0-41-0-3.

Delta earned a first-round series against the fourth-place North Vancouver Wolf Pack and Grandview is going head-to-head against the Richmond Sockeyes.

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a look at how all the playoff matchups shape up.

PACIFIC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

BRITTAIN CONFERENCE

SHAW CONFERENCE

1. Aldergrove (36-7-0-0) vs. 4. Mission (18-22-0-4)

1. Delta (31-12-0-1) vs. 4. North Vancouver (17-24-1-2)

The Kodiaks won the regular season series four games to two, and with the exception of two four-goal decisions, they were close games decided by two goals or less. One of them went into overtime before the Kodiaks triumphed.

The Ice Hawks came out on top in the regular season matchups, winning five games against North Vancouver while losing just one. They can thank Jordan Naylor for a lot of their success as he ranks among the league’s top five goalies in both goals-against average and save percentage. Jordan Bogress and Jonathan Stein were the league’s top two leading rookie scorers and sandwiched between them on the team leaderboard is Bradley Crompton, a mid-season trade pickup from Ridge Meadows.

Aldergrove will be led by league leading scorers Eric Callegari and Cameron Davitt, while Matt Oliver and Quincy Leroux finished among the league’s top 10. Mission lost a lot of key pieces from last year’s title run and earlier this season, they lost then-leading scorer Baylee Wright, who was called up to the Jr. A Langley Rivermen in January. Still, Ryan Sharma has been Mission’s go-to guy while Michal Holub and Jackson Waniek have been strong contributors too.

2. Abbotsford (25-15-0-4) vs. 3. Ridge Meadows (22-18-2-2) There’s not much separating these teams since they finished only six points apart in the standings. In terms of their season series, it was even at three wins apiece, although Abbotsford has the advantage with a plus-5 goal differential. Kolby Steen was a key piece in Mission’s championship victory last year, scoring 18 goals in 16 games, and he’s hoping to bring that same magic to the Pilots in their title pursuit. Ridge Meadows jumped out to a 9-2 start to the season and slipped down to third in the conference by season’s end, but Andrew Strelezki has been their most important player offensively while the duo of Jack Stradiotti and Paul Tucek have been reliable in goal.

North Vancouver counters with leading scorer Ian Creamore as well as Tanner Versluis and Caleb Holonko. Goalie Alex Forster has kept the Wolf Pack in a lot of games as well.

2. Grandview (28-9-2-5) vs. 3. Richmond (22-13-3-5) This could be the closest series of them all if the regular season matchups are any indication. Grandview went 3-2-1 against the Sockeyes and the goal differential between these teams was plus-one in Grandview’s favour. Look out for what’s sure to be a marquee goalie matchup between Richmond’s Merek Pipes and Grandview’s Matteo Paler-Chow. Among the established number one goalies in the league, Pipes finished first in both goals-against average and save percentage while Paler-Chow was near the top in both categories also. Arjun Badh and Connor Alderson look to be the go-to guys for Richmond and Keito Lee and Jacob Siebenga could fill that role for Grandview.

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HockeyNow February 25, 2017

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U SPORTS

COLLEGE

Ottawa Gee-Gees’ return to men's hockey a resounding success STORY Randy Lucenti

ROM NOTHING TO SOMETHING IS THE ONLY WAY TO describe the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees men's hockey program. Shut down by the school following an off-ice incident in Thunder Bay, Ont. during a road trip in February of 2014 which resulted in sexual assault charges against a pair of players and the subsequent suspension and eventual firing its head coach, the Gee-Gees returned to the OUA fold for the 2016-17 season after a 15-month hiatus. With no staff and just a single returning player, the job was a major undertaking. That task was handed to Gatineau, Que. native Patrick Grandmaitre who was given the head coaching reigns after working as an assistant coach with the Gee-Gees women's program and founding a hockey program at Gatineau’s Collège Nouvelles-Frontières. After captaining both the Victoriaville Tigers and the Quebec Remparts during a five-year stint in the QMJHL, Grandmaitre went on to become a student-athlete as well as team captain at St. Francis Xavier University, leading the team to a then-CIS title in 2004 as well as a pair of runner-ups in 2001 and again in 2003. He also played four years of pro hockey in Germany. After an exhaustive recruiting effort, Grandmaitre and his staff iced a roster of 23 freshmen and three players with university experience to compete in what is the 125th season of University of Ottawa hockey. With no great hopes other than a promise from the coach of a hardworking and dedicated group of student athletes, the Gee-Gees have exceeded all expectations. They finished the regular season with a record of 158-5, placed sixth in the 10-team OUA East (despite being tied with both the UQTR Patriotes and Carleton Ravens with 35 points apiece) and qualified for the U SPORTS playoffs in their first year back. They were also the hottest team down the stretch with a record of 8-2 and were named U SPORTS team of the month for their effort. The only player on the roster with a Gee-Gees background is defenceman Gabriel Vermette from Mirabel, Que. He played for Ottawa in 2013-14 after a four-year stint in the QMJHL. He tallied two goals and added 10 assists this season. The other two players on the squad with university playing experience are defenceman Johney Parise-Cormier (Havre-Saint-Pierre, Que.) and forward Justin Charbonneau (Bromont, Que.), who both played NCAA hockey with New England College and Norwich, respectively.

GREG MASON/GEE-GEES ATHLETICS

BACK IN ACTION Laval, Que. native Kevin Domingue led the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in scoring this season with 16 goals and 15 assists.

Grandmaitre's first recruit to the team was defenceman Matt Dunlop, who played four years in the OJHL with the Stouffville Spirit and Markham Royals before signing on with the Gee-Gees. The solid rearguard had a goal and 10 helpers this past campaign. The leading scorer for Ottawa in their return was Kevin Domingue, who finished the regular season with 31 points (16G, 15A) in 28 starts. The Laval, Que. native played three years of major junior hockey with Sherbrooke Phoenix in the QMJHL and one year with the Whitecourt Wolverines of the AJHL before heading to Ottawa. Cody Drover (Toronto, Ont.) and Jacob Harris (Georgetown, Ont.) were next in line with 23 and 22 points respectively. Both players tallied six times, with Drover registering a team-high 17 assists. Drover played junior hockey in the Maritime Hockey League for the Dieppe Commandos and recorded 63 points (25G, 38A) over two seasons. Before Ottawa, Harris played 251 games over five seasons in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves and Guelph Storm. He had 50

goals and 63 assists during that tenure. Goaltending duties were shared during the regular season by Graham Hunt, the lone American-born player on the squad from Concord, Mass., and Anthony Brodeur, who hails from Morin Heights, Que. During the regular season, Hunt appeared in 19 games and started 18. He had a record of 9-8, a 2.68 goals against average and a .917 save percentage. Brodeur appeared in 12 games, started 10 and finished with a record of 6-5 with a GAA of 2.73 and .913 save percentage. The Gee-Gees' inspired season continued into the first round of the OUA East playoffs, but a Hollywood-type finish was not to be. Despite taking the Queen's Gaels to double overtime in the opening two games and splitting those matches by identical 3-2 counts, Ottawa came up just short in the third and deciding game of the series, losing 2-0 in Kingston. Despite the first round postseason ouster, the Gee-Gees are definitely back and already looking forward to the 2017-18 campaign.

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NCAA

GIL TALBOT/HARVARD ATHLETICS

RICH GAGNON/NORTHEASTERN ATHLETICS

COLLEGE

Dylan Sikura scored the game winner as Northeastern Huskies downed Boston College Eagles 4-2 in the Beanpot consolation final.

END OF THE DROUGHT Canadian Alex Kerfoot scores game winner on Crimson’s first Beanpot Trophy since 1993 STORY Randy Lucenti

ARVARD UNIVERSITY CRIMSON MEN'S HOCKEY ended a 24-year drought recently by claiming the coveted Beanpot trophy and now set their sights on ending a 23-year dry spell in the upcoming NCAA national tournament. The Beanpot is a tournament among the four major college schools in the Boston, Mass. area which has been held annually since 1952. In the 65th edition of the competition, held before sold out crowds at the TD Bank Gardens in Boston, the Crimson doubled up on the Boston University Terriers by a count of 6-3 to claim their 11th Beanpot, but just the first since 1993. The final featured two of the top four ranked teams in the nation with Harvard at No. 3 and BU at No. 4, trailing just the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs at No. 1 and No. 2 Denver Pioneers. Harvard has competed in the past two national

championship tournaments, but has failed to make it to the Frozen Four since 1994 and won their lone NCAA title way back in 1989. They are hoping to end those droughts with a spot in this year's final four in Chicago. All four of the top teams feature some top Canadian student-athletes with the Crimson leading the way with nine, including Hobey Baker Award nominee as the nation's top player Alexander Kerfoot from West Vancouver, B.C. The senior forward, who is averaging better than a point a game this season, also scored what proved to be the winning goal in the Beanpot final. Another Canadian, Dylan Sikura, who hails from Aurora, Ont., also notched the winning tally as the Northeastern Huskies downed Boston College Eagles 4-2 in the Beanpot consolation final. The other Canadians playing for Harvard are: freshman forward and Alexander's brother Colton Kerfoot (West Vancouver, B.C.), senior defenceman Victor Newell (Burnaby, B.C.), junior forward Seb Lloyd (Prince George, B.C.), freshman forward Justin Szeto (Vancouver, B.C.), sophomore defenceman Viktor Dombrovskiy (Coquitlam, B.C.), freshman forward Frédéric Grégoire (St. Lambert, Que.), senior forward Phil Zielonka (Montreal, Que.) and sophomore forward Lewis Zerter-Gossage (Montreal, Que.) The Bulldogs and Pioneers each have an additional

puck s t o p p e r s. c om 34

HockeyNow February 25, 2017

Captain Alexander Kerfoot scored the winning goal to lead Harvard Crimson to a 6-3 victory in the final of the Beanpot tournament at the TD Bank Garden.

seven performers from north of the border while the Beanpot runner-up Terriers dress four, including two former Team Canada junior stars. Freshman defenceman Dante Fabbro (New Westminster, B.C.), who played a dominant role for Team Canada in their silver medal effort at the recent World Junior Championships, and junior rearguard Brandon Hickey (Leduc, Alta.), who toiled for Canada at the 2016 event, are the backbone of the Terriers blueline corps. They are joined by freshman forward Gabriel Chabot (Quebec City) and junior goaltender Connor LaCouvee (Qualicum Beach, B.C.), who went 3-1 (2.70 goals-against and .921 save percentage) for Boston while starting netminder Jake Oettinger was away helping Team U.S.A. win gold at the WJC. The top-ranked Bulldogs also boast a pair of go-to Canadian defencemen. Seniors Carson Soucy (Irma, Alta.) and Brenden Kotyk (Regina, Sask.) are also assistant captains at Minnesota-Duluth. Other Canucks on the squad include sophomore forward Parker Mackay (Irma, Alta.), junior forward Sammy Spurrell (Sherwood, Alta.), junior forward Blake Young (Battleford, Sask.), sophomore forward Billy Exell (Thunder Bay, Ont.) and freshman defenceman Jarod Hilderman (Kamsack, Sask.). The second-ranked Pioneers are backstopped by junior goaltender Tanner Jaillet from Red Deer, Alta., who is among the NCAA leaders in most of the goaltending statistics heading into the playoffs. Two of Denver's leading scorers are also Canadians. Sophomore forward Jarid Lukosevicius (Squamish, B.C.) and senior forward Matt Marcinew (Calgary, Alta.) have been in the top five or six pointgetters since joining the Pioneers after their junior years in the BCHL and AJHL respectively. The other Canadians on the roster include junior defenceman Tariq Hammond (Calgary, Alta.), sophomore forward Logan O'Connor (Calgary, Alta.), freshman forward Liam Finlay (Kelowna, B.C.) and junior defenceman Adam Plant (Penticton, B.C.). There's still plenty of exciting playoff hockey to be played before the best college teams arrive at the United Center in Chicago for the Frozen Four beginning April 6, but all eyes and dreams of many are already focused on the Windy City.

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HockeyNow February 25, 2017