By Aaron Bell
It's been three months since Windsor Spitfires' captain Harry Young accepted the Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Quebec and after a 12 week break from the rinks, training camps are opening around the Ontario Hockey League this week.
The 2009-10 regular season doesn't start until September 17 but in the meantime, here are 10 stories to watch this season:
1. Can the Windsor Spitfires repeat?
The Windsor Spitfires are coming off their best season in team history, including winning the OHL's regular season title, the Robertson Cup as OHL champions and then a come-from-behind win at the MasterCard Memorial Cup last May. Can they do it all over again? Maybe. It looks like they will have many of the pieces back from last year - assuming Ryan Ellis doesn't stick in Nashville. Josh Unice could become the first goaltender in CHL history to reach the Memorial Cup in three straight seasons. The Spits will obviously benefit from the additions of Richard Panik and Cam Fowler.
2. A new face behind the bench in Ottawa
Talk about stepping out from the shadow. After three decades behind the Ottawa 67's bench, Hall of Famer Brian Kilrea called last season his last season behind the bench and handed the reigns over to assistant Chris Byrne. Killer is still in the mix as the GM and will continue to mentor Byrne, who successfully built a championship Tier II program before joining the 67's staff three years ago.
3. One Hall of a player
They way things are going for Taylor Hall, he is going to need to build a new trophy case. After setting the junior hockey world on fire as a rookie two years ago, the Windsor Spitfires' forward staked claim to the OHL playoff and Memorial Cup MVP awards last spring. Hall is the OHL's top returning scorer this season and the scouting community will be following the Spitfires in droves as Hall looks to become the fourth straight OHL player to be selected first overall in the NHL draft next June.
4. Erie Otters
Otters' fans haven't had a lot to cheer about the past few seasons but with a new arena lease and a surging young team, fans have a lot to get excited about this year. Former first overall pick Ryan O'Reilly is already a bona-fide star and long-time GM Sherry Bassin is assembling the pieces of a contending squad. Goaltender Jaroslav Janus showed what he is capable of at the World Juniors and was invited to Slovakia's Olympic Summer camp.
5. Nazem Kadri
London Knights' GM Mark Hunter has put together another impressive lineup but his biggest question mark is if Nazem Kadri will get a look with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. Kadri was an elite scorer in the OHL last season and the Leafs tabbed him with the seventh overall pick in the draft last June. The Leafs struck gold last year with first rounder Luke Schenn and may be anxious to see if they can get a similar early return from Kadri. If he returns, Kadri will be one of the league's top players and a likely fit for Canada's junior squad.
6. Golden Juniors
Team Canada equaled its own record with a fifth straight gold medal at the World Juniors last January in Ottawa. The tournament will be held on Canadian soil again this year - in Regina and Saskatoon - and the Canadian squad is poised to make it six straight. Canada could have as many as nine players returning from last year's group, including OHL stars like Alex Pietrangelo, Ryan Ellis and Stefan Della Rovere. Hall just missed the cut last year but after the playoff performance he put in last spring, expect him to be a shoo-in.
7. Kingston Revival
Doug Gilmour was brought in to help turn things around in Kingston early last season and made some progress along the way. The Frontenacs have made some moves in the off-season, including bringing in goaltender Tyler Beskerowany from Owen Sound and they seem to be anxious to take another step forward. The OHL All-Star Game will be in the Limestone City in February at the two year old K-Rock Centre.
8. Crease Crasher
When the OHL playoffs opened last March, Mississauga St. Michael's Majors coach Dave Cameron had a tough choice to make. Incumbent goaltender Chris Carrozzi was the obvious choice to mind the nets because of his experience, but rookie JP Anderson had put up similar numbers in the regular season and already had the poise of a veteran. Carrozzi got the nod initially but after a shaky start in the opening game of their series against the Barrie Colts, Anderson stepped in and helped the Majors advance to the second round against Brampton. Anderson already has a lot of attention from the scouts for the 2010 NHL draft and hopes to back a solid young Majors' group to Eastern Conference championship contention.
9. One fast 'Hound
Daniel Catenacci already fits in with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds' image. The speedy centre was the top pick in the OHL Priority Selection last May and the Greyhounds hope that he can key a rebuilding effort that will end with a post-season berth this year. Like most first year players, Catenacci will likely need some time to catch up to the OHL pace but watch for him to quickly become one of the league's elite snipers.
10. John McFarland
McFarland had a relatively slow start to his rookie season last year but the first overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection caught on to the OHL game quickly and established himself with the Wolves. He captained Canada's gold medal winning Under-18 team earlier this month and shows all the signs of becoming a star player this season. McFarland was a scoring star with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens in his OHL draft year and will likely be a top five pick in the NHL draft this June.
The 2009-10 OHL Preseason Schedule begins this Saturday August 29, 2009.
Please click here for a complete exhibition game schedule with results.
