Quick Recap: 2014 OHL Priority Selection

The 2014 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection took place yesterday. 300 young men were drafted among 20 member teams. The Otters made 16 selections, some of whom we may potentially see in Erie next season.

These are the sixteen players the Otters drafted yesterday.

Taylor Raddysh, RW, Toronto Marlboros, first round, 19th overall.

Taylor is the brother of current Otters D Darren Raddysh. Taylor stood out on the famous Marlboros squad this season, netting 25 goals and adding 27 assists for a total of 52 points over 31 games this past season. He led the OHL Cup tournament in scoring with 14 points (five goals, nine assists) en rout to the Marlboros championship.

Taylor Raddysh, seen here with Don Cherry, helped lead the Marlboros to the OHL Cup championship.

 

The Marlboros have produced a ton of talent over the past few years, including current Otters Connor McDavid, Connor Brown, Adam Pelech, Dylan Strome,  Darren Raddysh, and Michael Curtis. The team has also produced current NHL talent including John Tavares, Sam Gagner, and Ryan Strome,

Taylor has all the tools to continue the success of Marlboros alumni in the OHL.

Jake Lawr, G, Halton Hurricanes, second round, 28th overall.

The Otters are preparing for the day Oscar Dansk leaves for the professional ranks. With Devin Williams and Daniel Dekoning already in the fold, Lawr could be the third man for awhile. At 6’2″, he has the size to cover the net. If he has another growth spurt, that could be huge in boosting his potential. He has been one of the top goaltenders in his age group this season.

Of course, just who ends up between the pipes is unpredictable at this level of hockey. Many goaltenders drafted to the OHL never play a game whether it be a lack of talent or choosing a different path to the pros. It will be interesting to see how Lawr develops as he grows.

Shaun Bily, C, New Jersey, third round, 45th overall.

Bily is a Pennsylvania native who has speed, which is becoming more important in the OHL. Bily was the only American taken by the Otters in the draft.

Kyle Maksimovich, LW, Toronto Marlboros, third round, 59th overall.

The brother of current Otters F Quentin Maksimovich, Kyle is a winger with a ton of skill. He had 24 goals and 34 assists over 33 games for the Marlboros this season. In the OHL Cup, he had two goals and eight points. Kyle is projected to be a top-line player but his size is what sent him down in the draft. He stands only 5’6″. However, if he hits a growth spurt, he has the potential to become one of the top players in the OHL in the future.

Mitchell Byrne, D, Toronto Jr. Canadiens, fifth round, 85th overall.

Byrne had five goals and 23 assists in 33 games with the Jr. Habs this past season.

Taylor Egan, D, Ottawa Valley, sixth round, 119th overall.

Egan had five goals and 21 assists with the Titans last season. He can quarterback the power play and shows a great offensive mind.

Riley MacRae, RW, Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs, seventh round, 130th overall.

MacRae had seven goals and fifteen assists with the Jr. Bulldogs this past season. Has the potential to be a power forward in the OHL, much like Joel Wigle.

Zack Hoffmann, D, Clarington Toros, seventh round, 139th overall.

Hoffmann had eight goals and 17 assists with the Toros last season. Offensive minded defensman but can play well in both ends.

Jack Gill, RW, Upper Canada Cyclones, eighth round, 159th overall.

Gill had eight goals and 18 assists with the Cyclones this past season.

Cole Evans, D, Vaughan Kings, ninth round, 179th overall.

Evans had no goals and seven assists with the Kings last season. Has great size and plays smart defense.

Jordan Sambrook, D, South Central Coyotes, tenth round, 199th overall.

Sambrook had five goals and thirteen assists with the Coyotes this past season. Is a d-man who likes to join the rush. Comparable to Adam Pelech.

Christian Girhiny, LW, Southern Tier Admirals, eleventh round, 219th overall.

Girhiny had nine goals and 10 assists with the Admirals this past season.

Holdyn Lansink, LW, Huron Perth Lakers, twelfth round, 239th overall.

Lansink had 16 goals and 13 assists in 31 games with the Lakers this past season. Hard worker.

Bailey Newton, D, Halton Hurricanes, thirteenth round, 259th overall.

Newton had one goal and six assists with the Hurricanes this past season. Defensive-defenseman.

Colton Point, G, North Bay Trappers, fourteenth round, 279th overall.

Noah Tooke, D, London, fifteenth round, 299th overall.

Images from the GTHL were used in this article.

 

OHL Playoffs Round One: Erie vs Saginaw

After a few days of waiting, the Erie Otters (52-14-2-0) found out their opponent for the first round of the postseason will be the Saginaw Spirit (33-30-4-1).

Erie holds the third seed in the Western Conference. Saginaw holds the sixth. The Otters were 3-1-0-0 against the Spirit in the regular season with one of those victories coming in a shootout. Erie’s only loss was in the third game of the season when Saginaw beat them 2-1 at the Dow Event Center on September 25. The Otters have outscored the Spirit 11-9 in those four contests this season.

Erie is coming off a record setting season in all aspects of play. As a team, Erie set the franchise record for most points in a season (106), wins in a season (52), goals scored in a season (312), and  fewest goals allowed in a season (170).

Individuals shined brightly during the regular season. The Otters boasted three of the leagues top four scorers. Connor Brown set the team record for assists (83) and points (128). The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect earned the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the leagues top scorer as well as the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy as the top scoring right winger.

Brown led the league with 128 points during the regular season.

Dane Fox set the franchise record for goals in a season with 64. He added 43 assists to bring his point total to 107. Before this season, no Otter ever accumulated more than 99 points in a campaign.

Connor McDavid came just one point shy of the century mark. However, the 17-year-old played in just 56 games this season, mainly due to being away while playing internationally. His slick hands have earned him international attention. Look for him to turn it up to eleven for the playoffs.

Andre Burakovsky had a stellar season as well. The first-round draft pick of the Washington Capitals showed off his wicked shot, netting 41 goals in 57 games. The additions of Michael Curtis, Brendan Gaunce, and Dylan Strome have also boosted the offense.

The Otters defense has done a complete 180 from previous years. The additions of Travis Dermott, Kurtis MacDermid, and Cory Genovese have kept the opponents shot totals low. Mainstay’s Adam Pelech and Spencer Abraham contributed thoroughly on offense this season. Look for that to continue in the postseason.

The year was also kind to goaltenders Oscar Dansk and Devin Williams. As mentioned previously, the netminding duo let in a mere 170 goals combined this year. That earned them the Dave Pinkley Trophy for fewest goals against. Both showed they are more than capable of being between the pipes whenever called upon.

Dansk went 29-9-1-0 on the season. He was the league’s top goaltender with a 2.39 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 42 games. Dansk gave up a total of 96 goals this season. He backstopped Team Sweden to a silver medal at the IIHF World Junior Championships in January.

Williams had a breakout season. After spending two seasons playing second fiddle to Ramis Sadikov and Dansk, Williams showed that he is more than capable as a potential number one goaltender. Williams allowed a league low 72 goals in 31 games this season while going 23-5-1-0. He was the 14th ranked North American goaltender in the latest rankings from NHL Central Scouting in January.

Expect Dansk to get the nod for all but one game of this series. Williams is a Saginaw native and head coach Kris Knoblauch will most likely give him a playoff start in his hometown.

In contrast to the Otters massive offensive production, Saginaw scored 254 goals this season. They had no players in the top 20 in scoring. However, team chemistry has boosted this squad to where they are.

The Spirit are led by Kristoff Kontos. The overage forward had 25 goals and 50 assists during the regular season. Another player to watch will be Eric Locke. The Buffalo Sabres prospect was limited to 48 games this season but was  very productive when he did play. Locke had 26 goals and 34 assists with a plus-14 rating.

On the blueline, Justin Sefton and Jesse Graham have been huge producers on both ends of the ice. Sefton had 16 goals on the season, including a team leading 11 on the power play. Graham was acquired from Niagara about mid-way through the campaign. He totaled 54 points on the season, including 37 while with the Spirit, which tied him with Sefton for the team lead. A team with offense on the back end can be lethal. The Otters need to contain these two talents to be successful.

Sefton had 11 goals on the power play this season.

The goaltending duties have been split by Jake Paterson and Nikita Serebryakov. Paterson handled the majority of the load this season, going 24-18-2-0 in 45 games. Paterson had a 3.41 GAA and a .906 save percentage. Serebryakov was shaky at best this year, going 9-12-2-1 with a 3.53 GAA and a .897 save percentage. Paterson should be the go-to-guy for Saginaw in this series.

The Spirit come into this series playing with a heavy heart. Forward Terry Trafford apparently took his own life just last week. The entire league paid tribute to Trafford over the weekend, holding a moment of silence in every rink. Needless to say, the Spirit should be coming out and playing with a ton of heart. They’re going to try to keep this season going as long as the can.

PREDICTION:

The Otters high powered offense will be too much for the Spirit. Erie will win the series in five games. The line of Brown-McDavid-Fox will pepper Paterson and/or Serebryakov the entire series. Even though the Spirit have played well against the Otters this season, the defense and goaltending tandem of Dansk and Williams will over power Saginaw quickly. Erie will be moving on to the second round.

Make your prediction. Vote in the poll below:

Otters Press Box will be at the first two games of the series at Erie Insurance Arena on Friday and Saturday. For Friday’s game, Jeff Snyder will be handling the in-game blog and live tweeting. You can follow him at @RealJeffSnyder. For Saturday, Spencer Zoth will be handling the in-game blog and live tweeting. You can follow him at @theZothman. Check Otters Press Box regularly for content and updates before the puck drops Friday night.

Images from the Ontario Hockey League website were used in this article.

In-game: Erie Otters at Plymouth Whalers 3/14/2014

Hi everybody and welcome to our first road edition of the Otters Press Box In-Game Blog. Trying a top-down format to minimize scrolling each refresh.

Developing stories: Plymouth going with a young line-up tonight with scratches including Ryan Hartman and Carter Sandlak. The Whalers are locked into the eighth seed and can’t advance any higher. Zack Bowman starts in net for them.

In-Game:

Erie 10 Plymouth 1

Shots: Erie 54 Plymouth 25

PP: Erie 3-5 Plymouth 0-5

3 Stars:

3. Curtis

2. McDavid

1. Gaunce

THIRD PERIOD:

That’s it. Another double digit goal total vs. Plymouth. Erie wins 10-1.

Penalty killed. Less than one to play

Devin Williams was credited with an assist on Fox’s goal.

Evans ended up in the box after chirping some Whalers. Erie on the PK.

Another goal as Evans buries a rebound in-front of the net. 10-1

Curtis finishes some tic-tac-toe passing with a wrister from the slot. Otters up 9-1

Dane Fox blows a slapper from the left circle by Bowman. 63rd of the year. 8-1 Otters.

Betz and Addesi get coincidental minors. 4-on-4 hockey.

Erie keeping the puck in the Plymouth end most of the frame. They’ve been peppering Bowman the whole period. Still haven’t got one by him.

Still 7-1 with 13:22 remaining.

Plymouth back at full-strength.

We’re back for the third. Erie has a 1:04 PP to start the frame.

SECOND PERIOD:

Period ends. Otters up 7-1. Offensive onslaught.

Otters to the PP as Betz is released. 15.8 to play in the second.

PK ends as Francesco Vilardi is sent off for hooking Brendan Gaunce. 4-on-4 hockey.

Otters back to the PK as Betz is sent off for interference.

Otters goal reads Gaunce (28) from Wood.

Gaunce nets his second of the night on a two on one with Travis Wood. 7-1.

Otters 6th goal reads Abraham (8) from Burakovsky and Curtis.

Otters 5th goal read McDavid (27) from Brown and Pelech

Otters 4th goal reads McDavid (26) from Gaunce

6-1 as Spencer Abraham nets his eighth of the year on the PP.

McDavid nets his 2nd of the period. 5-1 Otters.

Another penalty to Plymouth as Alex Peters gets the gate for hooking.

Cullen Mercer got 2 for checking to the head. Erie on a PP.

Now Troy Donnay is released from the box and immediately gets into a scrap with Nick Malysa. Both get 5 for fighting.

McDavid with a slick shorthanded goal. 4-1 Erie.

Otters getting a ton of offense on each PK. Many shots and a ton of time of possession.

Troy Donnay sent off for a check to the head. A minor. Erie back to the PK.

Penalty killed.

Otters to the PK as Betz is sent off for charging.

Otters goal reads Gaunce (20) from Wood at 2:50.

Gaunce jams away and stuffs one past Bowman. Otters lead 3-1

Puck drops. We’re back underway at Compuware. Erie immediately kills penalty.

FIRST PERIOD:

That’s the end of the first. Otters lead 2-1. Plymouth with a 0:02 PP to start the 2nd.

Otters back to the PK as Jake Evans is sent off  for tripping.

Otters goal reads Curtis (26) from Donnay and Strome at 16:17.

Michael Curtis tips-in a Troy Donnay shot. 2-1 Otters

“Whaaaaaaallleerrrrrrrrrrrrrssssssss goooooooooooaaaaaaallllllllllll” reads Lorentz (27) from Yetman and Dunda.

Whalers answer right back as Zach Lorentz snaps one by Williams. Tied at 1.

Otters PP goal reads Burakovsky (39) from Fox.

Andre Burakovsky continues his goal scoring streak netting a PP goal. 1-0 Otters.

Alex Peters is the Whaler who received the penalty.

Otters back to the PP as Yannick Rathgeb slashes Dylan Strome. Still scoreless at the media timeout.

Both teams full strength.

Otters kill the first penalty as Fox returns.

MacDermid gets the gate for boarding. Erie now down 2 men.

Dane Fox is sent off for slashing. First look at the PK tonight.

Good PK by Plymouth. Both teams full strength.

McDavid tripped up by Connor Sills. Otters to the PP.

Puck drops. We’re underway here at Compuware Arena

Lines:

Erie:

Forwards:

Fox-McDavid-Brown

*Burakovsky-Gaunce-Wigle

Curtis-Strome-Evans

Wood-Murphy-Betz

Defense:

*Pelech-Genovese

Dermott-Donnay

MacDermid-Abraham

Goaltender: Williams

Scratches: Felker, Pettit (upper-body), Raddysh, Maksimovich, Dekoning

Plymouth:

Forwards:

*Mistele-Vilardi-Hiddink

Mercer-Crus Rydberg-Sills

Addesi-Lorentz-Yetman

Dunda-Vanderwiel-Scognamiglio

Defense:

Peters-Wesley

Henderson-Malysa

*DiCarlo-Rathgeb

Goaltender: Bowman

Scratches: Jones, Chatham, Hartman, Sandlak, Cucuruto.

Otters Interview Room: Post-game vs. Windsor 3/7/2014

In this edition of the Otters Press Box interview room, we speak to head coach Kris Knoblauch, C Dylan Strome, and C Connor McDavid following Erie’s 6-1 victory over the Windsor Spitfires.

Kris Knoblauch:

Dylan Strome:

Connor McDavid:

Otters Shoot Down Spits

The Erie Otters continued their steady flow of offense tonight, defeating the Windsor Spitfires 6-1 at Erie Insurance Arena.

Connor McDavid had two goals and two assists while Dylan Strome netted his first career multi-goal game.

The Otters were able to expose the absence of Windsor D Slater Koekkoek, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury. The Otters also got Jake Evans back after missing multiple games with a knee injury. Oscar Dansk stopped 16 shots in the victory.

F Jake Evans returned after missing several games due to injury.

The Otters found themselves down early as Windsor F Ben Johnson was able to blow a flaming wrister by Dansk on the Spits first shot of the game at 8:22. But the Otters were already outplaying the Spits in almost every way, as they already mounted ten shots on goaltender Dalen Kuchmey.

The Otters finally got on the board with four minutes remaining as Connor McDavid continued his magic, netting a rebound off a Troy Donnay shot at 15:57. The Otters took the lead after Dane Fox used a defender as a screen to put a shot over the glove of Kuchmey at 18:11.

Dylan Strome then beat the buzzer, scoring with less than a second left in the first to put the Otters up 3-1 and cementing the momentum in Erie’s favor.

“It’s exciting for the team that scores that goal but it’s also can be heartbreaking for the team that let’s it in,” said Otters head coach Kris Knoblauch. “They felt that they stuck with it and felt it could have been 2-1 going into the second. To let that goal in late, it can be a downer.”

It was then all Otters from there on out. Everything clicked for all four lines and the special teams. The Otters even found themselves creating offense while shorthanded, creating a couple of good scoring chances for Connor Brown and Brendan Gaunce.

The only goal of the second frame was scored by Andre Burakovsky of a feed from behind the cage by McDavid, who’s intellect with the puck was once again on display.

The third period was smooth cruising for home team. McDavid netted a power play goal and Strome added his second of the night for his first two goal game of his career.

The Otters peppered Kuchmey with 41 shots in the victory, spending most of the game in the offensive end.

Erie looks to continue the offensive flurry as they take on the Kitchener Rangers tomorrow at 7:05.

Erie Hosts Windsor in Potential First-Round Preview

Setting the stage.

After trouncing the Plymouth Whalers 11-2 on Wednesday, the Otters (47-14-2-0, 96 pts.) are back at it again at Erie Insurance Arena, this time to take on the Windsor Spitfires (36-24-3-0, 75 pts.) in what is a potential preview of a first-round playoff match-up.

The Otters gained confidence after blowing out their opponent two nights ago. However, they are running into a talented Spitfire team that tends to give Erie problems when they square off.

The Otters and Spitfires last met on January 12 with Erie cruising to a 9-0 victory. Dane Fox netted a hat-trick and Connor Brown added two goals and four assists. Connor McDavid added a goal and four assists as well in the offensive flurry. Oscar Dansk stopped 26 in the shutout victory. The only other meeting resulted in an 8-4 Windsor win in September, well before the Otters made the acquisitions to put the team they have now on the ice.

The Spitfires are 3-6-1-0 in their last ten games. They are coming off an 8-3 loss last night at home to Saginaw. They also lost 5-0 last week to Plymouth. Windsor is having such a tough time that even their team bus is riding the struggle bus as they had to borrow a ride from the Windsor Lancers to get to Erie.

Windsor is a talented team, however. They are currently fifth in the Western Conference standings. Erie is currently third, but only one point ahead of London. If London jumps Erie, there is a good chance this is the team Erie will draw in the first round. This shouldn’t be a cake walk for the Otters but with the way Windsor is playing right now, in addition to the short travel turnaround and the confidence Erie has after the big win Wednesday, expect the Otters to take advantage.

What to watch for.

There is still a massive buzz on the web over Connor McDavid’s ridiculous goal Wednesday night vs. Plymouth. If you haven’t seen it, here’s the video.

It’s also McDavid poster night. Expect the crowd to be even more on edge whenever McDavid touches the puck this evening.

Also, look for heavy doses of scoring yet again for the Otters. The Spits have given up 13 goals in their last two contests. If they can’t tighten up defensively, then Erie will have no problem repeating the result of Wednesday night’s game.

The goaltending question? Expect Oscar Dansk to start for the Otters tonight. On the other side, it should be Alex Fotinos getting the call. Dalen Kuchemy was the goaltender in the Spits loss last night.

Players to watch.

For Erie, watch out for the birthday boy, Dylan Strome. He turns 17 today and is meshing well on the revamped second line with Andre Burakovsky and Michael Curtis. Strome had a slick assist on a Burakovsky goal as well as two other helpers Wednesday night. The Erie fans are starting to see shades of his brother Ryan, who now plays for the New York Islanders after tearing up the OHL with Niagara. Strome has eight goals and 26 assists this season.

On defense, it will be all about Adam Pelech. The Islanders prospect has anchored the back end in Erie for three seasons. His solid defenseive play and his ability to jump up into the offensive action make him a dynamic player. Look for Pelech to get on the score sheet in some fashion tonight.

For Windsor, watch out for the highly touted Josh Ho-Sang. Ho-Sang played on the same bantam team as McDavid and much like the wunderkind, can dangle his way out of any situation. He has a wicked shot and blazing speed. He has 30 goals and 53 assists to lead the Spits in scoring this season.  Ho-Sang is expected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. Here is a taste of what Ho-Sang can do:

On the back end, look at Slater Koekkoek. Taken 10th overall by Tampa Bay in 2012, Koekkoek has 15 goals and 53 points this season, third among OHL defensemen. Koekkoek is a smart hockey player who will be in the NHL very soon. He should be fun to watch.

Quote corner.

Kris Knoblauch: “Windsor is hot and cold throughout the year. We saw them at the beginning of the year when they really gave it to us 8-4 and then we returned the favor. I don’t know what to expect because they can be very good. They’ve beat some good teams this year. I certainly expect that they will be on the top of their game.”

Connor Brown: “They had a tough travel day the last time we played them, so we’re gonna expect a different team this time. This is a potential first round match-up so I think they’re gonna go into it trying to knock us off and I think it’s gonna be a tough game.”

Random notes.

Game time is a 7:05. If you can’t be there, you can follow all the action with the live in-game blog right here on Otters Press Box. You can also follow live Twitter updates from Jeff Snyder at @RealJeffSnyder. Be sure to check Otters Press Box leading up to the game for updates.