NEWS

 

Joel Chauvin (left) of the Burlington Cougars battles with Lachlan Wells of the Oakville Blades during Pink in the Rink night in Oakville Friday. Burlington won 4-3 during their current five-game winning streak. (Spencer Smye / OJHL Images).

BY RON VALENTINE

HOT TEAMS

Two more wins this week, the second one in overtime, gave the MILTON MENACE a 12-0-0-1 record in the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s North/West Conference to stay in first place by a point. On Saturday night the overtime hero against Aurora was blueliner THOMAS GORDON. Nine wins in a row for the league leaders in winning percentage (.962). 

Veteran forward AIDAN HUGHES, who leads the club with 27 points, notes it's a simple game: "We have to keep playing the way we are. We have a lot of new faces but they have all quickly become part of the team. WILL GOUMAS was our third- string goalie last season and he has really come through for us in a tandem with CHRISTIAN TRIANNI." The pair have posted a GAA of 2.54.

The TORONTO JUNIOR CANADIENS extended their win streak to 14 games in a three-for-three week. They went into overtime for the first time this season on Sunday against the COBOURG COUGARS who came into the contest on a five-game winning run of their own. TYLER FUKAKUSA had an assist to keep his record of getting at least a point per game intact and now he leads the OJHL with 39 points.

Three victories for the BURLINGTON COUGARS giving them five in a row and a good grip on third place in their conference. In the win Sunday over Markham, they set a season record high of 12 goals with all of the 17 skaters contributing at least one point. Head Coach Mark Jooris: "As long as we buy into being good defensively we will be tough to play against. We have pretty solid depth throughout the lineup."

Three wins in three games for the GEORGETOWN RAIDERS propelled the club above the .500 mark. Seventeen goals this week in their offensive explosion. The club seems to be on the move following  a rocky start.

Also going 3-for-3, the TRENTON GOLDEN HAWKS. In doing so they moved into third place in the S/E Conference. Game winners from JADEN RAAD, JAKE LAVILLE and LUCAS ROBINSON. Reaching the 20-point mark with two goals and two assists was MATHEW CATO.

The COLLINGWOOD BLUES won both of their games this week and are 12 of 13 on the season, including a perfect nine-for-nine record on home ice. They are now idle until Oct. 27 when they start a series of 10 games in a row on the road, not returning home until they play Georgetown on Nov. 25. IKKI KOGAWA had two powerplay goals to lead the way Friday against Markham in front of almost 1,000 fans. It makes Ikki happy: "I think I'm off to a good start as an individual, contributing offensively as well as defensively. We are doing well so far. I think our first loss last week (in Burlington) made us stronger and united as a team."

A win and a tie for the HALIBURTON COUNTY HUSKIES. The team has now gone seven games without a loss. PATRICK SAINI's three points took him to 30 on the campaign, good for second spot in OJHL individual points. The  Toronto Patriots are the only team to keep him off the scoresheet this season.

HOT PLAYERS

RHYS CHIDDENTON of the Raiders registered a massive 10-point week. He had three goals and seven assists, including goals 29 seconds apart on Saturday night. Linemate KALEB NELSON had eight assists in the club's trio of victories. Rhys, who leads the team with 24 points including seven goals: "This week our offense has hit the ground running for sure. It was a really good three games  for us, something we needed." 

Burlington Cougars' ISAAC FACCIO joined the four goal club in his team's home win Tuesday against Stouffville. Two of his markers came on shorthanded. "It seemed like everything I shot went in," said the veteran forward from Hamilton, "I missed four games with an ankle injury at the start of the season including the 'Showcase' so that was pretty disappointing. But I'm feeling good now and the team as a unit is really starting to get it together. (Zach) Dietz is giving us a lot of confidence with his play in goal and our 'new' players have really fitted in well." 

Wednesday night at home, Georgetown forward NATHAN NAVES scored his first OJHL hat trick with a goal in each period. Suiting up in a Burlington Cougars' uniform last season Nathan played briefly for Markham before being traded to the Raiders. He added two more goals Saturday night against Stouffville, his second was the game winner.

ETHAN FRASER stopped all 28 Lindsay shots Friday as Trenton won 3-0. It was shutout No. 7 this season in the league. Ethan made 37 appearances last season for Lindsay where he also recorded a shutout.

ALEXANDER DIMITRIADIS' second goal of the game in double overtime gave the North York Rangers a 6-5 win in St. Michael’s Friday night. Alexander collected five points in the game, while teammate JOHN MITCHELL had two goals and two assists. The assistant captain noted: "We haven't been getting the outcomes we wanted in the past few games but we've been working hard to get back in that win column. We have a younger team this year so it's important that we focus on one game at a time. The win against St. Mike's is the bounceback we needed moving forward. It's a step in the right direction for us."

RANDOM JOTTINGS

Caledon defenceman BLAKE POWER's first OJHL goal was an important one as it gave the Admirals a point against Stouffville in their 2-2 tie on Thanksgiving Monday. Blake played for the Niagara Falls Canucks and the Pelham Panthers of the GOJHL. 

The Admirals signed twin brothers OWEN and WYATT KERR. The pair started the season in the NCDC after playing for the Jr. B. Bombers in 2021-22. Owen scored his first goal in Haliburton on Saturday. 

Former Cobourg Cougars goalkeeper MASON VACCARI logged a win in his debut for the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs.

The fourth tie game of the season was in Wellington as the Dukes tied the Huskies 4-4. Captain JACOB VREUGDENHIL's goal, his seventh of the campaign, forced the extra time with just 39 seconds left in the third period.  They followed that up with another draw Sunday afternoon with the St.MICHAEL'S BUZZERS.

The OAKVILLE BLADES held their 'Pink in the Rink' night on Friday for Wellspring Cancer Support. They rallied from a three-goal deficit but ended up losing 4-3 to Burlington who had two goals from THOMAS LENART to move him into a tie with JACK RICHARD with a club-leading eight goals. 

REECE PROULX made his debut  in goal for Pickering on Friday evening. The North Bay native played for his hometown Battalion in the Ontario Hockey League as well as the Pembroke Lumber Kings of the CCHL.

The NORTH YORK RANGERS are playing their home games at the Paramount Ice Complex until their arena's renovations are complete. Their first scheduled game back at the Herb Carnegie is Nov. 30.

The BRANTFORD 99ers scored three times in the third period to record their second win of the season, this one at the Westwood arena against the Patriots. Scoring his first OJHL goal was JAMES JAGODIC.

The MISSISSAUGA CHARGERS ended a tough 10-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the 99ers on Sunday. ANTHONY DI TRIANI recorded his first three OJHL assists in the win. TORIN HESSION's power play goal was the winner.

WHAT'S UP THIS WEEK

A resumption of local rivalries with the Golden Hawks in Wellington to play the Dukes Friday. Saturday the Blades are in Georgetown to faceoff with the Raiders. The No. 1 Menace are in Markham Friday before they host the Dukes on Sunday. The Jr. Canadiens have one game, Sunday in Minden with the Huskies.

Follow Ron Valentine on Twitter @ronandlynda