By Aaron Bell
The 2009-10 Ontario Hockey League regular season officially kicks off on Thursday when the Windsor Spitfires welcome the Plymouth Whalers for their home opener when they will unveil their OHL regular season and playoff and Memorial Cup championship banners.
The Peterborough Petes also host the Brampton Battalion on opening night while the Barrie Colts host the Owen Sound Attack and the Niagara IceDogs host the Kingston Frontenacs. A full slate of games is scheduled for this weekend.
Plymouth Whalers
Key Returnee: The Whalers expect that sensational sophomore Tyler Seguin will help fill the gap with the graduation of the recent Mr. Whaler Chris Terry. It took two months for Seguin to get his first OHL goal last season but by the end of the year, he was finding the net with the consistency of a seasoned veteran. He scored the first goal of this OHL season on Thursday night and a 50-goal, 100-point season is not out of reach.
Forwards: AJ Jenks and Ryan Hayes both had quality offensive production last season and are likely candidates to help fill the void from graduation. Big Joe Gaynor also stepped up his scoring pace and the overager should step up with another increase. The Whalers also added local product Austin Mattson from the USHL and he showed in the pre-season that he will be able to contribute to the Whalers' attack. The club is also hoping for good things from Texas native Stefan Noesen, who played in the Plymouth area last season.
Defence: The Whalers have a deep blueline that is anchored by the no-nonsense play of Leo Jenner. Veterans Michal Jordan and Josh Bemis are also reliable and the talented Michigan native Beau Schmitz is looking to build on a productive rookie season with the Whalers.
Goaltending: Matt Hackett returns as one of the best stoppers in the Western Conference. He racked up 34 wins last season to go along with a pair of shutouts and gives the Whalers a dependable workhorse in the crease. Scott Wedgewood only saw action in six games last season in Plymouth but should get a bit more action this year.
Behind the Bench: Mike Vellucci returned to the Whalers bench part way through last season and spurred a dramatic turnaround for the Whalers. He is a championship-calibre coach that gets the most out of his group.
Saginaw Spirit
Key Returnee: When the Saginaw Spirit brought in goaltender Ed Pasquale from the Belleville Bulls in 2007, they hoped that he would solidify their crease for the immediate future. Since then, Pasquale has racked up 40 wins - including 32 during an all-star performance last season - and returns as one of the best goaltenders in the OHL this season.
Forwards: Overagers Chris Chappell and Jack Combs were a huge part of Saginaw's first round OHL playoff win last season but they have a solid core returning up front that includes Jordan Szwarz, Jordan Skellett and Joe Pleckaitis, who all scored in double digits last year and should have more to give this year. The Spirit started last season without a true 16-year-old rookie in the lineup but they have three this season, including promising forwards Anthony Camara and Vincent Trocheck, their first two picks in the OHL Priority Selection in May. The Spirit coaches say that Russian forward Ivan Telegin plays a North American style of game.
Defence: Nick Crawford, Joe Underwood and T.J. Brodie are the blueline veterans among a relatively young group on the back end for the Spirit this season. Cody Sol uses his large frame to play a dominant physical game while Nick Trecapelli and Brad Walch return.
Goaltending: Pasquale is the clear-cut starter and will see lots of action in the Saginaw net while the team added Tadeas Galansky in the Import Draft. Veteran Anthony Peters is also in the mix and will probably be looking for more work than he got last season.
Behind the Bench: Todd Watson took over the Spirit two seasons ago and last year helped the team advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in team history. While happy with that success, Watson is looking for more out of his group this year.
Sarnia Sting
Key Returnee: Overage centre Steve Reese is the top scoring returning player in the Sting lineup despite scoring just nine goals and 32 points last season. The Dorchester native took command at times in the pre-season and the Sting will look to him to lead the way in a rebuilding year.
Forwards: The Sting were shut out twice in the pre-season and will face some growing pains while waiting for some of their young talent to catch up to the OHL pace. The Sting used their first three picks in the OHL Priority Selection in May to pick up forwards and all three - first round pick Brett Ritchie and third rounders Craig Hottot and Brandon Francisco - are in the lineup to start the season along with fifth rounder JC Campagna. Ben O'Quinn was solid in his first full OHL season last year and can contribute offensively.
Defence: It's been a long time since the Sting haven't been able to rely on Marc Katic to log lots of minutes on the blueline but the New York Islanders' prospect has graduated to the pro level so they will look to veterans like Jordan Hill and Brent Sullivan to keep things tidy in their own end. Big defender Ron Soucie came over from Windsor in the off-season and joins returnees Daniel Broussard, Joe Rogalski and talented sophomore Nathan Chiarlitti.
Goaltending: Shayne Campbell played in a handful of games as a rookie last season and may get the chance to run with the starter's job this season. Jesse Raymond was brought in as an insurance policy and to press for playing time.
Behind the Bench: Veteran skipper Dave MacQueen won't have the same kind of talent that he's used to this season in Sarnia, but he will demand a yeoman effort every night and will bring his young team along slowly.
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Key Returnee: The Greyhounds breathed a collective sigh of relief when they saw overage defenceman Jake Muzzin return to the team this week. Muzzin was at the Nashville Predators' rookie camp and was making a bid to move on to professional hockey this season but will be back in the Sault where the Greyhounds will rely on him to log a lot of minutes and help their young lineup mature during the season.
Forwards: Veteran winger James Livingston scored back-to-back 20 goal seasons and will be one of the Greyhounds' top snipers this season while helping a young group of promising forwards develop into solid OHLers. The Greyhounds added a pair of dynamic forwards in the OHL Priority Selection in May. They nabbed Daniel Catenacci with the first overall pick and Nick Cousins with the first pick in the second round. Catenacci has all-world skills and loads of speed while Cousins has good offensive talents and loves to play the game with an edge.
Defence: Michael Quesnele will also eat up a lot of quality minutes for the Greyhounds while sophomore Brock Beukeboom was very good in helping the team to a perfect 5-0 record in the pre-season. Dylan King also returns along with sophomores Marshall Fox, Brandon Archibald and David Mead, the nucleus of a good blueline in the making.
Goaltending: Bryce O'Hagan is back in the nets after becoming a starter last season while the Greyhounds also added Swedish netminder Robin Lehner in the Import Draft.
Behind the Bench: Long-time assistant coach Denny Lambert struggled as the head coach with a rebuilding squad last year that finished last in the OHL but the pieces are in place to start an upward trend and Lambert will get the chance to prove that he can take them to better places.
Windsor Spitfires
Key Returnee: As a sophomore last year, Taylor Hall did things that most veterans dream of. He was one of the top scorers in the regular season, won the OHL playoff MVP award in helping the Spitfires win the OHL championship and then won the MVP award at the MasterCard Memorial Cup after keying the Spits' unlikely come-back from a pair of early tournament losses. All eyes in the scouting fraternity will be on Hall again this season as he looks to become the fourth straight OHL player to be selected first overall in the NHL Entry Draft.
Forwards: The Spitfires return a deep cast up front that includes Adam Henrique, who stepped up his game in the Memorial Cup, as well as Calgary Flames' prospect Greg Nemisz and veteran Eric Wellwood, who had a penchant for scoring big goals in the playoffs. Youngsters Justin Shugg and Austin Watson will get more opportunities to contribute this season while Czech centre Richard Panik is advertised as an outstanding offensive talent.
Defence: As good as the Spitfires are up front, they may be even better on the blueline. Captain Harry Young returns as a rock solid presence while Nashville Predators' draft pick Ryan Ellis is becoming the prototype for a powerplay quarterback. The Spitfires also added Cam Fowler, who is also projected to be an early pick in the NHL draft in June. Serviceable veterans Mark Cundari and Jesse Blacker also return.
Goaltending: Josh Unice has played in the last two Memorial Cups. Two years ago he helped the Kitchener Rangers advance to the championship game while last year he was relegated to a spectator role behind starter Andrew Engelage. He is eager to prove that he is the guy to get the Spitfires back to the national championship tournament.
Behind the Bench: Bob Boughner's career behind the bench has been nothing short of remarkable. He is a two-time OHL coach of the year and was named the CHL's top bench boss last season. He motivated his group to an extraordinary finish last May, winning four straight must-win games on their way to winning their first Memorial Cup in team history.
West Division Predictions
Top Team: Windsor Spitfires
Top Scorer: Taylor Hall, Windsor
Top Defenceman: Ryan Ellis, Windsor
Top Goaltender: Edward Pasquale, Saginaw
Top Rookie: Daniel Catenacci, Sault Ste. Marie
Top Prospect: Tyler Seguin, Plymouth
Top Overager: Jake Muzzin, Sault Ste. Marie
Breakout Player: Eric Wellwood, Windsor
