ERIE RW ALEX DEBRINCAT (2016) registered a goal and an assist in each of his three games as the Otters swept their weekend contests to an OHL-best 9-0-0. DeBrincat, who was last season’s OHL Rookie of the Year, improved his league-leading goal total to 13 in Saturday’s 4-2 win over visiting Guelph. The 5’7, 160-pound forward now owns a CHL-best 2.39 points-per-game average (13g, 6a in 8 gp).
ERIE RW TAYLOR RADDYSH (2016) extended his point streak from the start of the season to nine games with two goals and two assists in three games over the weekend. The 6’2 scoring forward played on Erie’s top line alongside C Dylan Strome (ARI) and LW Alex DeBrincat – a trio which is the league’s best at this early stage of the season. The Otters picked up Raddysh with the 19th overall pick in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection after leading the Toronto Marlboros (GTHL) to the 2014 OHL Cup. He also played for Team Canada “White” in the 2014 World U17 Hockey Challenge.
FLINT C WILL BITTEN (2016) dished out an OHL career best four assists in Friday’s 7-4 win over visiting Ottawa. A native of Glocester, ON, the speedy Bitten is tied for fourth in OHL scoring with six goals and eight assists, and produced a whopping eight points (3g, 5a) in just his last three games. He finished last year tied for 14th in scoring among OHL rookies with 15 goals and 16 assists in 63 games for the Plymouth Whalers.
KITCHENER LW ADAM MASCHERIN (2016) extended his point streak from the beginning of the season to nine games with an assist in the Rangers’ 2-0 win over host Guelph. Mascherin came into yesterday’s action with multi-point efforts in each of his previous three games before he assisted on LW Brandon Robinson’s eventual game winner midway through the second period. The 5’9, 200-pound winger is now tied with three others for the OHL’s longest current scoring streak, and is tied for third in goals (seven) and ninth in league scoring (13 points). Kitchener made him the second overall pick in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection.
LONDON: LHD VICTOR METE (2016) picked in an assist in each of his three games last week, giving him points in eight of his first nine games of the season. It’s been a very sold season to date for the two-way blueliner, who came into his second OHL season fresh off a gold medal for Team Canada at the 2015 Hlinka. His seven assists tie him for second among OHL blueliners.
LONDON: LW MATT TKACHUK (2016) had 2-4-6 in four games played, pushing him to second in OHL scoring (4-13-17). On Saturday, the 6’1, 200-pound power forward had three assists in a 7-2 rout of SSM, giving him five multi-assist performances through his first nine games of the season. Tkachuk set up a game-opening goal to RW J.J. Piccinich with a pretty centering feed while fading away from the back of the net.
LONDON: LHD OLLI JUOLEVI (2016) continued his productive rookie season with a goal and two assists in three games over the weekend. The 6’2, 180-pound Finnish import drew a power-play assist on a goal by C Christian Dvorak (ARI) in the Knights’ 8-6 win last Monday against Hamilton. He also scored a PPG in 7-2 win vs Sault Ste Marie with a blast past Brandon Halverson. On Saturday, he added another assist with the man-advantage, giving him eight points (2g, 6a) in nine games – tops among all OHL rookie defensemen. Selected by London in the first round of the 2015 CHL Import Draft, Juolevi is tied for third in OHL defenseman scoring.
MISSISSAUGA: RW ALEX NYLANDER (2016) increased his goal-scoring streak to three games after he scored a dandy of a breakaway goal in the Steelheads’ 5-4 overtime win at Saginaw on Saturday. The young Swede darted up the ice to collect the puck and slowed down in the crease after a head fake to slide the puck into an open cage. It was the sixth goal of the season for Nylander, who was given an “A” rating by NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau in their preliminary ratings for 2016 draft eligibles. His streak was later snapped in a 2-0 loss to Kitchener on Sunday. Nylander leads all OHL rookies in scoring with 6-7-13 in 10 games.
MISSISSAUGA: C/RW NATHAN BASTIAN (2016) scored in each of his two games this weekend, tying the 6’4 power forward with RW Alex Nylander (2016) for the team lead with six. Bastian has been playing on the Steelheads’ top line alongside C Mike McLeod (2016) while being used in front of the net on their first power play unit. He’s not a very good skater, but does possess the intangibles and on-ice awareness to position himself properly.
MISSISSAUGA: LHD SEAN DAY (2016) snuck in from the point in overtime and slammed home his first goal of the season to lift the Steelheads to a 5-4 win at Saginaw. The 6’5, 230-pound Belgian native who was raised in Rochester, MI had previously committed an egregious cross-ice turnover which allowed the Spirit to take a 4-2 lead into the third period in what was an otherwise solid all-around performance. Day was given exceptional player status by the OHL.
OTTAWA: LW TRAVIS BARRON (2016) notched his first career OHL hat trick as he led the host 67’s to a 6-4 comeback win over Saginaw. Barron went the previous five games without scoring before breaking his brief schneid with a one-time blast off a loose puck in the slot. He later tied the game in the third with another one-timer and iced the victory with an empty netter. The third overall pick in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection, Barron now has five goals and seven points in 10 games.
SAGINAW: LHD MARKUS NIEMELAINEN (2016) has points in four of his last six games after he registered three assists over the weekend. The 6’6 Finnish import (15th overall in 2015 draft) struggled mightily, however, in a 5-4 OT loss to Mississauga in which he was on the ice for three of the five goals against. He misplayed a 2-on-1 by playing the shooter too close to the goal, allowing the trailer to tap in a loose puck. Niemelainen also struggled with his pinches, one of which led to Saginaw’s second goal. Lastly, he failed to position himself in front of his man in the slot on a critical tap-in goal in the last frame.
SARNIA: LHD JAKOB CHYCHRUN (2016) picked up an assist in while logging top-pair minutes as the Sting swept their three-game homestand. The top defense prospect among 2016 eligibles, Chychrun helped Sarnia kill off 31 of its last 34 (91%) times shorthanded. The Boca Raton, FL native has a goal and five assists in 10 games which ties him for sixth in scoring among OHL defensemen. His plus-6 rating is second on the Sting.
SUDBURY: G MATT MENNA (2016) earned his first OHL victory thanks to a 35-save performance in Sunday’s 5-2 triumph at Hamilton. The former Barrie Jr. Colt is a late-1998 birthday who tuned 17 years old last month. He’s a bit smaller than the current breed of goaltending prospects (6’0/165), but he has an attacker’s mentality and has lateral quickness with impressive rebound control. He showed flashes of potential during mop-up duty until being forced into the starter’s role following an injury to fellow 2016-eligible G Troy Timpano, who is sidelined for a month with an ankle injury. The Wolves have allowed three goals or less in two of their last three games after failing to do so in any of the previous 10.
SUDBURY: C/RW ALAN LYSZCZARCZYK (2016) produced four points over the weekend, including a goal and two assists in the Wolves’ 5-2 win at Hamilton. A 6’0 center from Poland who last season led the U18 Czech league in scoring with 27-39-66 while playing for Chomutov, Lyszczarzyk opened the scoring in Friday’s 3-1 win over North Bay with his first career OHL goal. He was recently placed on Sudbury’s top line, ahead of C/RW Dmitry Sokolov. Likely classify him as a playmaking center with smarts more than a scoring winger.
