OHL Draft Pick Sleepers: East Division

by Brandon Sudeyko (@intheoradio)

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Day 2 of OHL Draft review where ITO takes a look at the winners and the ‘super’ winners. Yesterday ITO took a look at the Central Division and today we look at the Eastern Conference Cousin, the East Division.
ITO Will take a look at the draft picks by each team from the 5th round to the 15th round and weigh in on how good of a pick it was for the team, especially at that draft position.
Today we take a look at the Central division consisting of the Belleville Bulls, Kingston Frontenacs, Oshawa Generals, Ottawa 67s and Peterborough Petes.

Belleville Bulls
Maurizio Colella (York Simcoe Express, F) 5thth round – Colella got better as the year progressed and had several big moments this year. Maurizio arguably saved the best for last as he scored a couple clutch goals in the OHL cup where he really stood out. Maurizio is full of compete and if he doesn’t make the Bulls as a 16 year old, you will bet he has a successful season wherever he plays before ‘breaking into’ the lineup where he will make an impact.
Connor Hicks (Ottawa Senators, G) 7th Round – A big goalie who plays a big game. Connor finished the year with 9-2-4 record in the regular season but what stood out was his 1.64GAA. From his play down low to how he covers the top of the net, his strong post play and his compete level, You can expect to see Connor in the future as a year in the CCHL will be his most likely destination.
Christian DeDonato (York Simcoe Express, D) 12th round – Heart and soul leader who protects the back end with pride. Don’t let his size fool you, Christian is tough defensively with a good pair of skate beneath him and does anything he can to gain position and protect the goaltender.

Kingston Frontenacs
Aaron St. Pierre (Hamilton Jr Bulldogs, D) 9th round – Aaron is a solid defenceman who is difficult to move. A strong lower base and powerful strides helps him remove the opposition from the net and the puck almost at will. Has some offensive talent and a good shot from the point. The way Kingston is built, look for Aaron in the 2014/15 season after a year in the GOJHL.
Brendan McGlynn (Oakville Rangers, G) 11th round – Brendan was predominantly the starter with Oakville until the end of the season. He has a strong core and really good down low. He can sweep with ease, push off the posts and is able to stand his ground when the opposition crashes the net. Good stick, good glove and very stable in the pipes whether he is up or down. McGlynn has a strong connection to NCAA despite not having a commitment. His brother Conor is committed to Boston College and is also a draft pick of the Frontenacs.

Oshawa Generals
Stephen Templeton (Hamilton Jr Bulldogs, D) 6th round – Templeton is another Bulldogs defenceman who is tough on his skates. A strong lower body and his strong hockey IQ gives him an advantage against most opposition forwards. He is a physical defender who protects his territory and has no problem letting forwards know you have to go through him. He doesn’t have a great shot but he is able to move the puck quickly and spreading out the ice.
Matt McConnach (Don Mills Flyers, D) 15th round – Matt is a defenceman who stands at 5’11” and 160 pounds. But he plays like he is 6’3” 200+ pounds. A good skater, strong positionally, good behind the net and is able to protect the puck. Not a lot of offence to his game, but able to relieve pressure by being a solid defender and allowing his goaltender every chance to start the puck.

Ottawa 67’s
Matt Mercer (Halton Hurricanes, D) 6th round – Mercer is a big defenceman who loves to skate with the puck. He always seems to get better as the game progresses. He may cough the puck up early in the game while he is carrying it but by the third period you can’t get the puck off him. A great low shot that can give goalies trouble and his big frame makes him tough to play against in front of the net.
Ben Blacker (Brampton 45s, G) 7th round – Blacker is arguably the 3rd best goaltender in the age group. The reason that he fell this low is because he has a commit to Western Michigan. He loves to play above the crease and can really stymie the top offences in the age group. Quick feet and a strong glove earned him quite a bit of praise throughout the season. If for whatever reason he decides to not pursue the NCAA route, this is a good pick for Ottawa.
Brandon Zullo (Ottawa Senators, F) 7th round – Brandon can skate, shoot, pass and hit. Very versatile and effective forward who knows how to play on the top line and on the grind line. He isn’t the most offensive forward but he will get his fare share of goals and can generate offence from his physical game and his compete along the boards. Not one to shy away from any situation, the 6’2” 180+ pound winger will only get better with a year of CCHL under his belt

Peterborough Petes
Jack Webb (Toronto Marlboros, F) 5th round – The reason this pick is so good, is because Peterborough was able to snag his brother Mitchell in the 2nd round. The brothers are most effective together but different enough that it isn’t just replacing one with the other. They are mean and physical and have that edge the opposition doesn’t want to play against. An offensive touch near the net with an average shot, but it is his crash the net style that is where he is the most effective. Playing down low, and gaining possession of the puck is what make him valuable. The brothers may not start together next season in Peterborough, but if they don’t choose the NCAA route, you can see them paired in 2014 and have a ‘Ruperts v2.0’ type of feel.
David Lobsinger (Kitchener Jr. Rangers, G) 5th round – Lobsinger made his presence known through his tournament performances this year. His team wasn’t the best in the Alliance but with him playing large in the net, he was able to get his team noticed. His playoff performance was outstanding as he and the Jr Rangers were able to bounce favourites , the London Jr Knights-Gold in the second round. Strong post play and quick movements make him a strong candidate to be between the posts for the 2014/15 season.
Sam Hunter (Mississauga Senators, D) 10th round – Sam is an underrated defenceman who is a ‘throwback’ to defenceman of the past era. He has some good skates underneath him but he is better known for his hitting and his slap shot. Just a classic D in every sense. Strong on the boards and in open ice. If you want to go around Hunter you will have to do it the hard way as there is no easy pass on his side of the ice. Another future pick for the 2014/15 season, but should make a good impression at rookie camp.

Eastern Conference Playoff Preview

by Brandon Sudeyko (@intheoradio)

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The ITO Crew put their collective heads together and came together with the Eastern Conference playoff preview.

Belleville Bulls v Mississauga Steelheads

The Belleville Bulls enter the OHL post-season on a tear, winning fifteen of their last nineteen games, and are firing on all cylinders as they prepare for the eighth-seeded Mississauga Steelheads. While many see the Bulls as being led by star netminder Malcolm Subban, this team has far more than superior goaltending in this matchup. The Bulls simply have far too many dangerous offensive threats for the Steelheads to deal with, and are a better club at every position. The Bulls have a solid group of defenders, led by Malcolm’s draft-eligible brother, Jordan Subban, along with veterans such as Jake Cardwell and Stephen Silas, who will make scoring difficult for a Mississauga group who have had trouble scoring all season long. Belleville filled any potential offensive holes at this year’s deadline, acquiring Alan Quine and Tyler Graovac from division rivals, bringing their 61 combined goals this season to a club that already had weapons such as Brendan Gaunce and Daniil Zharkov. Those four players accounted for 119 goals this season, while Mississauga scored just 179 total goals this year.

If the Steelheads are to find a way to pull off the upset, their top players need to step forward and lead the team, and they will need their goaltending to outduel one of the best in the league for a seven-game series. Spencer Martin appears as though he’ll be the go-to guy for Mississauga, with veteran Tyson Teichmann ready to step in between the pipes if called upon. For Martin to step up to Subban’s level, he will need to count on his defensive veterans, especially Maple Leafs 1st round pick Stuart Percy and Dylan DeMelo. The Steelheads are not without offensive threats in their own right, as Dylan Smoskowitz fired 33 goals this season, while Riley Brace tied the team’s franchise record for points in the final game of the season. Beyond those two, Kristoff Kontos was the only other Steelhead forward to register more than twelve goals, and the team needs to find secondary scoring to challenge the Bulls.

With 18 wins and 36 points separating these two clubs during the regular season, I’m not sure if there’s a scenario that can play out where Mississauga will come out on top in this series. For the past two months, these two clubs have been traveling in completely opposite directions, as the Belleville Bulls went on an impressive 15-2-2-0 run over the final nineteen games of the season, securing not only the East Division title, but the top seed in the Conference, while the Mississauga Steelheads flat-lined, falling down the standings, and snapping a ten-game losing streak in the final game of the season to cling to the final playoff spot. While some see the potential for the Steelheads to put up a fight, as they won two of their four meetings against Belleville this season, the Bulls won the two meetings in 2013 without allowing a single Steelheads goal. I see this as the Conference’s worst offense against the Conference’s best defence and goaltending.

Prediction is Belleville in four.

Barrie Colts v Kingston Frontenacs

The Barrie Colts have been at or near the top of the OHL's Eastern Conference throughout the season. They finished with a record of 44-20-2-2, good for 92 points, just 4 shy of first place, Belleville. At home, they had the best record in the OHL at 27-5-1-1, two points better than the London Knights. They were 17-15-1-1 on the road. The Colts finished the season with the very best powerplay in the OHL, scoring on 25.3% of their chances. Their penalty killing was ranked 13th in the OHL, killing off 77.4% of penalties against. They averaged 13.1 penalty minutes a game, which was 15th in the OHL.

Kingston went through a horrible 12 game losing streak in January and February, which the coaches believe will only help them going forward. Kingston's record was 27-35-3-3. At K-Rock Centre in Kingston, they were a respectable 17-13-1-3, actually gaining more points than the Colts. On the road, the Fronts limped to a 10-22-2-0 record (worst in the Eastern Conference). Kingston's specialty teams have been awful this season. They rank last on the powerplay (15.8%), and last killing penalties (72.7%). They averaged 13.7 penalty minutes a game, which was 13th in the OHL.

The Colts won 3 and lost 1 against Kingston this season, but the Fronts have been in every game except for one. Way back on September 21st Kingston beat the Colts 3-1 at K-Rock Centre. They were full value for the win, as they outshot the Colts 37-28. Mike Morrison beat Mathias Niederberger. Defenseman, Mike Moffat had a goal and 2 assists for the Fronts, and Mark Scheifele spoiled Morrison's shut out bid with less than 6 mins left in the game. Kingston had 2 powerplay goals in this game. On December 8th, in Barrie, backup goalie, Colin Furlong gave up 3 first period goals, and the Colts big guns broke out in a 6-2 win. Andreas Athanasiou, Schiefele, and Ryan O'Connor all had 3 points, and Barrie scored 2 powerplay goals. On February 1st, a late goal by Anthony Camara sent the game to overtime, which solved nothing in a 2-2 game. Camara scored the only goal in the shootout, and Alex Fotinos was outstanding in a 3-2 win in Kingston. Colin Furlong played well for Kingston, as well. Last Thursday, an empty net goal by Mark Scheifele broke up a one goal game, to give the Colts a hard fought 4-2 win in Barrie. Each team scored on the PP in this one. 

On paper, this appears as though it will be a quick series. Barrie has the advantage in every major category. In goal, overager, Mathias Niederberger has an impressive 35-12-2-1 record, a 0.933 save percentage, and a 2.34 goals against average. Mike Morrison is also an overager. He has a 24-25-2-1 record, a 0.896 save percentage, and a 3.62 goals against average. Clearly the Colts have an advantage in this key category.

On defense, the Colts have way more OHL experience. Overager, Ryan O'Connor has played in 340 games. Overager, Ryan Hanes, is the most experienced Front, with 306 games played. He is the only Fronts' defenseman to have played in the playoffs, apart from Mike Moffat's 2 games with the Knights. That's where the similarities end. Kingston relies on 3 rookies to play major minutes on defense. Miko Vainonen is Kingston's only NHL drafted player (Nsh 2012), and has been arguably their best defenseman on the season. It's no coincidence that Kingston's long losing streak coincided with his 10 game suspension. Roland McKeown plays way beyond his 16 years, and fellow 16 year old, Dylan DiPerna plays a regular shift. Aaron Ekblad is the only 16 year old to play regularly on the Colts' defense, and since he has an extra OHL year (rookie of the year, no less) under his belt, he is not a rookie. The advantage has to go to the Colts on defense, as well.

The Colts have a clear advantage at forward, as well. The Colts are bigger and stronger, and use their size to their advantage. They have 5 forwards with 24 or more goals, lead by Schiefele with 39 in 45 games, and Camara with 36 in 50 games. Andreas Athanasiou has had a break out year with Barrie, scoring 29 goals after being acquired from the Knights, after being drafted by the Red Wings in the 4th round. Mitchell Theoret was a nice pick up from the Ice Dogs mid season, as he has 25 goals, and has 36 playoff games to his credit with the Dogs. Kingston's offensive production has been spread out, as well. They had five 20 goal scorers. Import, Henri Ikonen led the team with 51 points. Last year's leading scorer, Darcy Greenaway finished second with 48 points, and had a team high 24 goals. Spencer Watson, and Sam Bennett had impressive rookie years, finishing 4th and 6th in team scoring. Highly regarded NHL draft eligible, Ryan Kujawinski led the Fronts with 31 assists.

Perhaps the most lopsided advantage that the Colts have, on paper, is in playoff experience. Kingston has a total of 0 players who have ever played an OHL playoff game in a Frontenac uniform. No one is left from the team that lost to the Oshawa Generals in 5 games in the 2011 1st Round. Hanes has the most playoff experience, having played in 27 games over 2 years with the 67s, and 2 years with the Wolves. Captain Cody Alcock played in 17 games with the Bulls in the 09 playoffs. Sam Schutt played in 12 playoff games over two seasons in Sudbury. Luke Hietkamp played in 2 games with the Petes in 2010, and as mentioned Moffat played in 2 games with the Knights. Sam Povorozniouk played one game for the Spirit last year, in the playoffs.

From the Frontenacs point of view, it's a very good thing that the games aren't played on paper, as the Colts have a clear advantage in every area, except perhaps, for youthful exuberance. You can bet that the Kingston coaching staff is focusing on how well the Fronts have battled the Colts this year, and the fact that they will be considered huge underdogs in this series, and that they have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Prediction is Barrie in 6.

Oshawa Generals v Niagara IceDogs

The Oshawa Generals and Niagara Icedogs meet up in the OHL playoffs for the third straight season, continuing a rivalry that has really grown over the past few seasons, and fueled of course, when Lucas Lessio declined the opportunity to play in Niagara, moving on to a successful OHL career in Oshawa. In 2011 and 2012, it was the Icedogs who moved on, eliminating the Generals in back-to-back years, something Oshawa players haven’t forgotten. As such, this is expected to be a physically demanding series between the two teams, though it may finish with a different outcome.

For the Oshawa Generals, the game plan should be a simple one, as they appear, at least on paper, to have the advantage in all three positions this season. In goal, the Icedogs have struggled this season to replace star goaltender Mark Visentin, and veteran backup Chris Festerini was given the net in his fifth OHL season. Oshawa, meanwhile, has relied heavily on second-year tendy Daniel Altshuller, who played more games and minutes than any other goalie in the league this season, helping the Gens set a franchise record for lowest total goals against. Niagara’s ability to compete with Oshawa defensively may have expired with the departure of Dougie Hamilton to the NHL’s Boston Bruins. The Icedogs haven’t found anyone to adequately fill the large hole left on their blue line, while the Generals have a veteran crew of rearguards who have helped Altshuller look brilliant at times this season. Oshawa brings in two overage-defensemen, Geoffrey Schemitsch and Matt Petgrave, who both have OHL Championship experience with the Owen Sound Attack in 2011, as well as Flyers prospect Colin Suellentrop patrolling their own zone, which will make things tough on Niagara’s forwards.

While Oshawa boasts a plethora of offensive weapons, the Icedogs stand up well to the Generals on offense, as Niagara brings in proven NHL prospects such as Islanders first-round pick Ryan Strome and Stars prospect Brett Ritchie, who teamed up well together on Team Canada over the holidays. Beyond those two, however, the Icedogs will need more from secondary scorers such as Steven Shipley and Carter Verhaegae to hold up against the Generals. Oshawa comes into the playoffs led by captain Boone Jenner and his 45 goals, who easily would have scored fifty had he not missed twelve games. Overager Scott Sabourin became a force, scoring 30 goals, while NHL first-round picks Scott Laughton and Tyler Biggs both netted over twenty. Phoenix Coyotes prospect Lucas Lessio would have been up around 30 goals with a full-season himself, scoring 19 in 35 games after missing two months due to injury. If the Generals can stay healthy, they should have more than enough weapons to push past the Icedogs.

Prediction is Oshawa in six.

Brampton Battalion v Sudbury Wolves

Of all the playoff matchups in the Eastern Conference, this of course, the 4-5 match, should be the most intriguing of the bunch. In fact, just a look up and down the rosters show how close these teams actually are, and could be decided on a coin-flip over the next two weeks. These teams battled each other a few times down the stretch, as they fought for position and home advantage, a race won by Brampton, as they won the last three meetings between the two teams. In goal, this series presents an interesting matchup, as Sudbury acquired Franky Palazzese from Kitchener at the deadline for a potential playoff run, while the Battalion can counter with Matej Machovsky, who brings valuable experience back from last season. Brampton also brings more experience from the defense, with a number of key guys from last year’s run who have grown a year stronger. Dylan Blujus and Zach Bell take the majority of the minutes, but, as is the norm when talking about Stan Butler-coached teams, the entire team commits to protecting the net. For the Wolves, they rely heavily on Charlie Dodero after dealing Frank Corrado at the deadline, but have some good young d-men who can play big minutes, including Evan de Haan and Jeff Corbett.

Sudbury sent some key offensive players away in trades this year, but hold onto a formidable top line of Matthew Campagna, Nate Pancel, and Nick Baptiste, each of whom scored at least twenty goals this season. Michael Kantor also scored twenty for the Wolves, but they will still need more to counter Brampton’s defense-first strategy. The Battalion aren’t without scorers themselves, and Barclay Goodrow led the way with 38 tallies. Francis Menard, Blake Clarke, and Matt MacLeod all nearly struck the twenty goal mark, each of them scoring 19 goals, and Brandon Robinson also chips in offensively, scoring seventeen.

Predicting the outcome of this series is about as tricky as hitting a housefly with a tranquilizer, but here goes. This series could come down to how Palazzese performs for Sudbury. If there is an offensive edge, it may go Brampton’s way with more weapons to choose from, but if Palazzese can shut the door, he will give his Wolves an opportunity to break-through in the series.

Prediction is Brampton in six.

OHL Draft Eligible 3 Stars: Week 15

by Dominic Tiano (@DominicTiano)

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What a truly amazing week of hockey on the Ontario Hockey League last week. With the NHL back from its lockout, people are now saying hockey is back. Well hockey never left, they were just looking in the wrong place. There were at least half a dozen awe inspiring individual performances last week but only three can be named as our three stars. So here they are:

1^st Star – Ryan Kujawinski – Kingston Frontenacs: Kujawinski broke through with his best offensive performance of the season last week. In 4 games he scored 5 goals, added 3 assists and was a plus 5. It began with a 3 goal and 1 assist effort and first star honors in a 7-5 victory over the Ottawa 67’s. That was followed up by a 1 goal 1 assist effort in the rematch – a 4-3 win by the 67’s – and first star honors once again. He scored a goal and added yet another assist in a 6-3 win over the Oshawa Generals, a game in which he received his third consecutive first star honor. He was held off the scoreboard in a 4-3 shootout win over the Soo Greyhounds but his all around play was still good enough to earn second star honors for the game.

2^nd Star – Bo Horvat – London Knights: The red hot Horvat continued his consecutive games point streak and is now at 15 games – tied for the current longest active streak and longest of the OHL season. Horvat scored 3 goals and added 4 assists and was a plus 3 over 4 games. It started with a 2 goal performance and the games first star in a 3-2 win over Sarnia which helped the Knights to their 24^th consecutive win. However, a goal in the rematch wasn’t enough as the Sting ended the winning streak with a 6-5 overtime win. Horvat assisted twice in an 8-2 thumping of the Saginaw Spirit before closing out the week with another 2 assists in a 3-2 win over the Kitchener Rangers in which he was named the games 2^nd star.

3^rd Star – Jacob Harris – Sudbury Wolves: Harris post 4 goals and 1 assist and finished the week off with a plus 4 in 3 games for the Wolves. It started on New Years Eve where he scored 2 goals in a 4-1 win over the Barrie Colts. He was named the games 2^nd star. Then came another 2 goals and an assist in a 4-3 win over the Brampton Battalion. He was once again named the games second star. He was held off the scoresheet in Mississauga but his Wolves were still able to beat the Steelheads 6-5.

OHL Becoming Elementary for Watsons

by Andrew Evans(@EvansXFM)

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With the Ontario Hockey League at its half-way point in the season, Andrew Evans catches up with two Londoners making their way this season.  

For Spencer and Matthew Watson of the Kingston Frontenacs, the 2012-13 Ontario Hockey League season has been a whirl-wind of sorts for the 16 year old rookies from London, Ontario. After one of the most successful minor midget seasons in 2011-2012, the twin brothers were selected by the Frontenacs in the 2012 OHL Priority selection. Spencer was selected in the 2^nd round as the team’s 24^th overall pick, followed by Matthew being picked up in the 5^th round. The draft has been rated as a great success for the rebuilding Frontenacs, who were able to load up on some strong young talent that is already beginning to pay early dividends.

Despite being on the losing end of a 6-5 overtime decision to the London Knights on Sunday afternoon, Spencer was excited to play his first OHL game in his hometown. ““I knew what it was going to be like, having been here most of my life but it’s certainly different when you are playing. The first couple shifts, you kind of feel it but once you get into a rhythm, you just play your game and it gets easier.”

While the jump to the OHL has been much quicker and more successful for the left winger Spencer, Matthew has continued to develop and improve his game as a defenseman at the Jr. B level on loan to the nearby Strathroy Rockets of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Spencer started the season in Kingston and while he, like many of his young team-mates, was expected to make an impact in his first season, his rookie campaign has been impressive to say the least. To date, Watson is second in OHL rookie scoring with 14 goals, 15 assists and 29 points. The only rookie ahead of him in scoring is super rookie Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters who has been on a torrid pace with 40 points headed into the league’s Christmas break.

“It was a challenge at the start, you need to get your feet going and get used to the speed of the game but once you get those first few games under your belt, it’s certainly easier and you adapt quicker and you just play your game” said Spencer Watson in regards to the jump to the Ontario Hockey League this season.

Making Sunday’s game all the more special was the fact that brother, Matthew Watson, was called up to the Frontenacs for the weekend to step into a depleted Kingston roster due to injuries and World Junior camp departures. ““It’s been a great experience, when I knew I was playing these three games in a row, I was pumped to get up here with my brother. The team treated me great and I was just ecstatic out there. I may have made a couple more mistakes but it’s all a learning process and you just have to put all those things behind you and I thought I did pretty good for the first three games and it was a really good experience” explained Matthew after an exciting debut weekend.

While neither player made an impact on the score sheet on Sunday, both players made an impact on the mind of first year London Knights Assistant General Manager Rob Simpson, who coached the Watson twins to a minor midget alliance championship last season with the London Jr. Knights. The former teacher could not have been more proud of his young budding stars, especially Spencer, who he has seen and heard more of to this point in the season.

“His skating has improved; he looked as comfortable as he did back playing minor midget. I think he has grown accustomed to the league pretty quickly and I think he is going to be a really really good player in our league and put up lots of numbers in the years to come. ”

But even Simpson himself admitted to being a bit surprised at the rate of Spencer’s rookie season success, ““You never know, I thought he would come in and do well, Did I think he would do this well? Well, probably not, but am I totally surprised? No. Last year he was a game breaker for me, whenever we needed a goal or needed something to happen, he was our guy, Kind of like Griffith on our (Knights) team now, but last year. I’m not totally surprised that he’s doing this well, he’s one of the most determined guys I have ever coached so it’s nice to see and I’m happy for him.”

Although Matthew only made his OHL debut over the weekend, Simpson shared his brief thoughts on what he saw out of the young d-man in Sunday’s game, ““He plays his position well, He doesn’t try and do too much, and I think he’ll be able to make the jump into our league very soon.”

For the Watson brothers, the Frontenacs could not have presented the identical twins with a better opportunity. After battling for years in the OHL’s Eastern Conference, Frontenacs General Manager, and former Toronto Maple Leaf captain, Doug Gilmour has begun to rebuild the Kingston team with the assistance of former Maple Leaf team-mate and now Frontenac’s Head Coach Todd Gill.

After finishing on the bottom of the conference standings last season, the Frontenacs selected forward Sam Bennett and defensemen Roland McKeown and Dylan DiPerna, along with the Watsons in the 2012 Priority Draft. Gilmour and Gill wasted no time throwing their young core right into the OHL fire this season, and to their credit, it has paid off to this point in the year. All four players (minus Matt Watson) have been rewarded for their efforts as the foursome have been selected to represent Team Ontario at the upcoming Under 17 World Hockey Challenge in Quebec over the Christmas Holidays.

When asked about the upcoming international tournament opportunity, Spencer Watson was already looking forward to it, “It’s certainly an honour to represent Ontario and certainly having three of your team-mates along with you certainly makes it a lot more better and easier to adapt because you have to get to know a lot more new faces, and just play your game and it should be great.”

As for the opportunity to establish himself as a key component in the Frontenacs rebuild, Spencer could not be more grateful or humble,

“The trust our coaches put in all of us young guys is incredible, it helps to gain confidence as you go along and it’s just one step at a time and in a few years we’ll be a force to be reckoned with…These first couple of years its key to get everyone playing and just bond with each other and again in a few years we’ll be a force to be reckoned with and maybe a memorial cup down the road”.

Although still relatively new to the squad, Matthew echoed his brother’s statement on the direction the team and franchise is heading in, “It’s an honour basically. After the draft, they stacked up pretty good and we’re going to be a good team to reckoned with. We’ve got a lot of good young players who will probably be top players in the league probably after next year and we’re just going to come out hard and we have talent and our work ethic has been great so it’s good.”

It would be easy for the young duo to be excited about their junior hockey futures but perhaps the view of Kingston’s future that carries a bit more weight than the players themselves is once again in the form of their former coach, Rob Simpson.

“They’re going to be a really good team. They’re good now and they have a lot of good young talent. In the next year and in the next couple years, you’re really going to notice them and I think they are going to be a team near the top of the standings with some of that good talent they’ve had. They did a really great job of drafting last year and it kind of shows you that if you work hard about who you’re drafting and take that side of it seriously, it can make a big impact on your organization quick.”

While it may still take some time for the Frontenacs and the Watsons to fully develop, one thing is clear at the half way mark of the OHL season; Both the franchise (currently sitting in a 7^th place playoff spot in the Eastern conference) and its rising young stars are ready to take the junior hockey world by storm in the not so decent future.

Hot Stove: Most Underrated Defenceman

by Todd Cordell (@toddcordell)

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The hot-stove made its return last week after a couple weeks off and the panel examined who the most underrated forwards in the Ontario Hockey League are. Today the panel will continue with this three-part series and look at who the most underrated defenseman in the OHL are.

Joining me in today’s hot-stove is Chris Messina, John Duncan, Anthony Nicholson and Dominic Tiano.

Todd Cordell

My pick for most underrated defenseman in the OHL is Dylan DeMelo of the Mississauga Steelheads. When talking about the top defenseman in the OHL, DeMelo is never mentioned but when you look at the statistics he puts up and how valuable to his team he is, he’s right up there with the top defenseman in the OHL. He’s not a big name like Dougie Hamilton, Slater Koekkoek, Matt Finn, Ryan Murphy, or Cody Ceci, but he produces at similar rates as those guys. He wasn’t a 1^st round pick and he plays on a team that doesn’t get a lot of respect from fans, but he’s a damn good defenseman and he doesn’t get near the credit he deserves. Thus, why he’s the most underrated defenseman in the OHL.

Chris Messina

My pick for the most underrated defenseman in the OHL is Warren Steele of the Kingston Frontenacs. I might be slightly biased because I had a chance to watch him when he was 16 playing junior hockey in Smiths Falls and have followed him closely since but I believe he has quietly become on of the better all-round defenseman in the league.

He has a smooth skating stride with good hockey sense that allows him to get involved in the play and move the puck up ice while still being responsible in his own end. I definitely wouldn't categorize him as on offensive player and his numbers haven't jumped from the pace they were at in his rookie season, but I think he's game has taken another step forward this year after being undrafted by NHL teams last June. He is one of the Frontenacs we have watched grow with this team the last two seasons. I'd expect him to continue to improve as the team around him develops and gets better.

John Duncan

I'm going to be a bit of a homer in this response when I choose Frontenacs' defenseman, Michael Moffat as the OHL's most underrated defenseman. He certainly should be considered one of the most improved players in the league. Last season Moffat was a woeful minus-44 in 65 games.  Moffat was a player that I really felt would not make the team this season, especially when they used 2 of their first 4 picks in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection on defensemen, Roland McKeown, and Dylan DiPerna.

Instead, Moffat worked really hard in the off season on his strength, foot speed and shot. He logs the most number of minutes on the back end for the Frontenacs, plays against the other team's best lines, and has really picked up his physical play. He has a plus-6 rating in 24 games, this season. For a while, early in the season, he led the team in total points scored, and sits fifth in assists amongst defensemen in the league. Dougie Hamilton leads the OHL by a wide margin, but Moffat's 18 assists places him 3 back of Codi Ceci, of the 67s, and Matt Petgrave of the Generals, and two back of Olli Maatta of the Knights. Pretty impressive company for Moffat to be in.

Moffat has been paired with Warren Steele all season and the two continue to play against the opposing team's best lines. The two compliment each other well, as Steele is a more offensive style of defenseman, who takes some chances, although Michael has more points. Moffat has been there to back up his teammate, and has really learned to use his 6'01" 210 lb frame to his advantage, this season. The Frontenacs have two 16 year olds, and one rookie Import player on the back end. 19 year old, Moffat has really taken on a leadership role on the team, this year, as well, and is the only D who wears an A.

Anthony Nicholson

I know that he's injured until the holidays, but my answer would undoubtedly by Matt Petgrave of the Oshawa Generals, who seems to improve every season. This year, he remains third in scoring among defencemen, behind only Dougie Hamilton and Cody Ceci, despite being injured over a week ago. Matt is in his overage season, and the injury is unfortunate, as this season may be his last opportunity to earn an NHL deal. How he has gone as long as he has without an NHL scout getting his name on a contract is a mystery, but he will get a good look when he returns in the New Year. If he can pick up his play where it was before he got hurt, he's unlikely to be overlooked again.

Dominic Tiano

Going to stick with the area that I cover most and that's draft eligible players. With that said, there are two defensemen I would have taken a gamble on in the 2012 NHL Draft: Evan McEneny of the Kitchener Rangers and Warren Steele of the Kingston Frontenacs. The two situations differ drastically, but I felt both should have been drafted last year.

For McEneny it was an injury that sidelined him after his second game and wiped out his season that made him go undrafted. But in my opinion there was to much potential there to overlook. This would have been a pick that would have defined low risk, high reward. The Vancouver Canucks realized this and signed him as an undrafted free agent and could go down as the best free agent signing of 2012.

McEneny is a big solid defenseman already known for his defensive game. The only question was "what can he bring offensively?" Well, in just the two games he played last season it was starting to show. And after missing an entire season, and a bit of a slow start this year, he's coming out. One has to remember that in Kitchener he's playing behind Ryan Murphy when it comes to offense. Murphy will get all the top offensive minutes and McEneny will pick up the scraps. His 2 goals and 8 assists in 22 games this season are a great considering most have come in the month of November. 

Steele finished in the top 5 among draft eligible defensemen in scoring last season and probably didn't get the looks he should have on a poor Kingston squad. He finished last year with 7 goals and 22 assists and this year sits one point ahead of McEneny to date. He's playing on a very young Kingston squad that NHL scouts are paying attention to and he will get some extra looks this season, but he may end up going the same route as McEneny and signing as a free agent somewhere in the NHL. 

Steele doesn't come with the offensive abilities of McEneny, but I don't believe he's a slouch either.