OHL Season Preview: West Division

September 19, 2008

By Aaron Bell
The 2008-09 Ontario Hockey League regular season officially kicked off on Wednesday when the Saginaw Spirit hosted the London Knights. A full slate of games is scheduled for this weekend.
Here is a look around the West Division.
Plymouth Whalers
Key Returnee: Veteran forward Chris Terry has doubled his offensive production in each of the past two seasons and will be the key to Plymouth's offence again this season. The Whalers' captain was a bright spot in the Whalers' opening round playoff loss last spring, scoring four goals and seven points in four games.
Forwards: Big things are also expected of third year guy Vern Cooper and Kaine Geldart picked up his offence as a sophomore last season. Big left winger AJ Jenks made some giant leaps forward last season and will be one to watch this season and first round pick Tyler Seguin was an offensive dynamo swith the Young Nats and will get an opportunity to shine in Plymouth. Ryan Hayes left Boston College part way through last season to join the Whalers and had people buzzing about his pre-season play.
Defence: The Whalers will make room on the back end for standout rookie Beau Schmitz, who jumped out of the U.S. U-17 program to join the Whalers this season. Czech defender Jan Latal has also looked good in pre-season but the Whalers will count on the progression of guys like Leo Jenner, Christian Steingraber, Jordan O'Neill and Michal Jordan to carry a lot of the load this season.
Goaltending: Jeremy Smith (pictured) has been one of the league's top stoppers the past two seasons and provides the Whalers with a rock-solid foundation to build on. He is approaching 50 OHL wins and will help keep the Whalers in every game. Matt Hackett is a capable back-up and they are planning to work rookie Scott Wedgewood into the mix.
Behind the Bench: Former Generals' goalie Greg Stefan took over the Whalers' bench last December. He was an assistant when they won the OHL championship in 1995 and has them on an accelerated program to get back to contender status after winning the Robertson Cup two years ago.
Saginaw Spirit
Key Returnee: Jack Combs seemed to come out of nowhere to enjoy a 42-goal, 100-point season last year and the Spirit are hoping for more this season with Combs in the mix as an overager. But Combs has been impressive as an invitee to Colorado's NHL camp and may get an AHL deal out of it.
Forwards: Tyler Murovich and Chris Chappell will be counted on to up their production this season to help fill the void of graduates like Ryan McDonough and Tomas Zaborsky. Jordan Szwarz was also good as a rookie last season and veteran Joe Pleckaitis looks comfortable and may put up surprising numbers.
Defence: Big Chris Breen had by far the best plus-minus on the Spirit blueline last season and will be counted on as a veteran presence among a relatively young group. T.J. Brodie, Adam Comrie, Joe Underwood and Nick Crawford are all capable of making big contributions as well.
Goaltending: Ed Pasquale was the centrepiece in a deal with Belleville last season and looks ready to come into his own this season. He has great reflexes and improved his positional play over the summer. Rookie Joe Lepera will be his understudy.
Behind the Bench: Todd Watson enjoyed a bunch of success with the Plymouth Whalers and is working to bring that attitude into Saginaw's room. His group is probably a year away from being a force but he is making the right steps forward.
Sarnia Sting
Key Returnee: Fourth-year defender Mark Katic has been one of the most consistent blueliners in the league throughout his career. He is a lock for a 50-point season and will play in every situration on a young Sting blueline.
Forwards: With NHL camps kicking off a week early this year, some teams are stuck in the ‘will he or won't he' predicament. Include Sarnia in that mix as they wait to see if Justin DiBenedetto returns for an overage season. He enjoyed a career year last season with 39 goals and 93 points. Devin DiDiomete also made a big jump forward last season while veterans Jamie Arniel, Daniel Lombardi and Matt Martin are all ready to fill full-time scoring roles. First round pick Gregg Sutch has already shown a penchant for scoring and is expected to develop into a top-end power forward.
Defence: In addition to Katic, the Sting will rely on overage Steve Ferry and veteran Jordan Hill to eat up minutes and lead the way. The coaches were raving about the poise of rookie Nathan Chiarlitti in camp.
Goaltending: All-star Andrew Perugini returns for an overage season and will carry most of the load while tutoring rookie Shayne Campbell. Perugini is among the best in the league and will help keep the Sting in every game despite a relatively young group on the blueline.
Behind the Bench: Dave MacQueen needs a 24 win season to reach 400 in his career that started in Peterborough in 1993. He won a championship with the Petes in 1996 and another one with the Otters in 2002.
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Key Returnee: The Greyhounds graduated a lot of goals this season but Matt Caria is capable of helping fill that void. He was brought in last season from St. Mike's for his mix of grit and scoring ability and is a standout on the powerplay.
Forwards: Matt Lyall was named captain and will be one of the Greyhounds go-to-guys again this season. Expect a bump in his already solid production. Jordan Nolan came over from Windsor in the off-season and is looking for a big season while sophomore Jake Carrick has taken his physical game up a notch in the pre-season and his coaches are pleased.
Defence: The emergence of Jacob Muzzin and Michael Quesnele last season bodes well for this year as both are expected to play a significant role on the Greyhounds' blueline. First round pick Brock Beukeboom is signed and has great bloodlines but expect the team to give him some time to develop. Big blueliner Andrew Campbell is in camp with the L.A. Kings but if he returns as an overager, he would be a bonus.
Goaltending: The Greyhounds are going with the tandem of Cody St. Jacques, who was brought in from Guelph, and Bryce O'Hagan after the workhorse efforts of all-star Kyle Gajewski, who racked up 99 wins over the past three seasons.
Behind the Bench: Former Greyhounds' player Denny Lambert steps up from his assistant role after Craig Hartsburg took the NHL job in Ottawa. He demands a hard-working approach and will get the opportunity to prove himself as a head coach.
Windsor Spitfires
Key Returnee: It may not be an enviable position, but Josh Bailey is a perfect choice to succeed Mickey Renaud as the Spitfires' captain. Bailey oozes leadership and will be one of the league's most dangerous forwards when he gets back from an impressive stint at the Islanders' camp.
Forwards: Coming off a rookie-of-the-year season, Taylor Hall won't take anyone by surprise but the big Kingston native has outstanding skills and will be one of the top players in the West this season. Bailey and Greg Nemisz were both first round NHL picks this season while veteran Eric Wellwood was solid in the Maple Leafs' rookie camp. Adam Henrique had nearly identical scoring totals in his first two seasons and is primed to take a big step forward.
Defence: Like Hall, Ryan Ellis took the OHL by storm last season and will be a bigger target for the opposition this season but he has the skill to be one of the league's top producing blueliners despite his young age. Rob Kwiet, Mark Cundari and Harry Young round out their top four while Jesse Blacker will also contribute.
Goaltending: Overage Andrew Engelage is determined to silence the whispers that he might be the weak link on a good looking Spitfires' squad. He is reliable and his coaches have the confidence that he is the guy to carry the load.
Behind the Bench: It didn't take Bob Boughner long to get into his coaching role. Two years after retiring from his playing days, he was named OHL coach of the year for his efforts with the Spitfires last season.