The Trenton Golden Hawks have a 14-point lead atop the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s East Conference standings. But positions No. 2 through 9 are separated by nine points. (Photo by Amy Deroche / OJHL Images)
By Ron Valentine
The Ontario Junior Hockey League regular season ends March 7.
The top eight teams in each division qualify for the first round of the playoffs: Check out the standings here: https://www.ojhl.ca/stats/standings
Here’s a look inside the tightly-packed OJHL’s East Conference and what team officials are saying as they head down the stretch:
The TRENTON GOLDEN HAWKS have been pacesetters in the division this season and they are not looking to relinquish that role any time soon. They are led by captain Adam O’Marra, who will be suiting up next season for the NCAA Division 1 Robert Morris Colonials in Pittsburgh. He is taking dead aim at a 100-point campaign. The club boasts a top goaltender in Ben Bonisteel who will attend Canisius College next season and scoring power in abundance as well as a strong, offensive minded, defence.
The conundrum is in what position the remaining seven playoff-bound teams will finish. The logjam from second place down to ninth spot continues apace, with positions literally changing daily and will likely do so until near the finish line. In this conference it’s looking like a team with a better than .500 record will be on the outside looking in. Such is the closeness of the intense competition.
The WELLINGTON DUKES have made large strides since a major retooling at the beginning of the season, led by OJHL rookie Cory Jewitt. Under new head coach Kent Lewis, they have a tenuous hold on second spot with no less than seven teams breathing down their necks.
The MARKHAM ROYALS who are trying to put a tough, injury-riddled 2022-23 season behind them got off to a flying start and behind the scoring exploits of Ryan Forberg, committed to the NCAA Division 1 Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri this Fall, Gavin Rocha, an OJHL rookie who has already surpassed the 50-assist mark, and Ben Lalkin, on pace for a 50-goal season. They are right in the mix.
Despite losing some high-scoring players to overage, the TORONTO JUNIOR CANADIENS continue to make their usual strong showing especially after some fortuitous moves at the trading deadline while the HALIBURTON COUNTY HUSKIES, following an indifferent start that saw them languishing near the bottom of the table, have come on strong of late led by their captain and third year forward Patrick Saini. The experience of a full complement of last-year players is giving the club the experience necessary to be in the race.
The COBOURG COUGARS seem to always find themselves in the thick of things. There’s no exception this season with rookie coach Connor Armour, a former Cougar himself, behind the bench. The dynamic duo of Canisius College-bound Trevor Hoskin and team captain Andy Reist, who will be attending Niagara College in the fall, lead the way on the ice. Both players missed several games while playing for Canada East at the World Junior A Challenge in December but are still in the top five in the scoring race.
The ST. MICHAEL’S BUZZERS, despite some early season inconsistency are very much a part of the congestion. They have a balanced attack led by 30-goal plus scorer David Elmy, who recently announced his commitment to Canisius College for 2025. GM/Head Coach Rich Ricci has been behind the buzzer bench for 20+ years and has been responsible for developing many players for the college ranks.
For the LINDSAY MUSKIES it’s been some time between playoff appearances – their last postseason play coming in the 2012-13 campaign. But the club of ‘no-names’ has made a major step forward this season that sees them in contention for postseason play. Showing that success can come without players in the top 20 scorers, the Fish’s leading point-getter has less than 30 points to date.
The STOUFFVILLE SPIRIT, with a young team boasting steady goalkeeping, a stingy defence featuring top rookies Andoni Fimis and Nolan Jackson along with opportunistic forwards led by Peter Kioussis who has his eye on a 40-goal season are battling hard to earn some postseason action. Playoff hockey all season long is the style of this team and they remain very much in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Here’s what some coaches and management folks are saying:
Derek Smith (Trenton Golden Hawks): “We’re three quarters of the way through the season but a lot of hockey has to be played in a short time before the playoffs start. We are happy with how far we have come as a team but we need to keep getting better every day. At this time of year every play, detail and habit matters so we need to make sure we continue to be dialed in no matter what the situation and let our instincts take over. It should be an exciting end to the regular season and playoffs. With such great parity every game will be tight.”
David DeMarinis (Toronto Junior Canadiens): “I’ve been in the OJHL for a while and I don’t think that I’ve seen the standings this close and tight for a long time. Every game is going to be massive down the stretch and I would like my team to continue to play the right style of hockey that makes a club successful in March and April. You just can’t turn on a switch. You need to be consistent and you need your entire roster.”
Mike Galati (Markham Royals): “We have had an up and down season so far. The downs mainly due to injuries and a depleted lineup. Luckily, we had such a tremendous start that we are still in the mix. We are healthy now and looking to be more consistent in our play. Playing the right way for the full sixty minutes is our goal now that we are in the home stretch. If we can do that on most nights we can have success.”
Adam Holzmann (GM Cobourg Cougars): “We are in a process and it’s never going to end. We look to continue with positive consistency. Winning in the OJHL is not easy and the little intangibles make a big difference between winning and losing. From now until the end of the season we look to focus on keeping our group positive and having fun with this stretch of the year, staying healthy and continuing to build preparation for all possible playoff matchups.”
Cobourg Head Coach Connor Armour added: ” We’re looking for consistency in all areas of our game. Tuning up our special teams, making sure we have good attention to detail, it’s all important”
St. Michael’s Buzzers Head Coach Rich Ricci has a different look at things: “We are looking forward to getting our injured players back into the lineup and to having an upward trend to finish off the regular season.”
Thayne Hallyburton (Stouffville Spirit Assistant GM) : “We had a rough streak post-Christmas but we had a 14-day break and managed to get much healthier. Since then we have been rolling but this playoff race is incredibly close. The fact that a .500 team will miss the playoffs proves how tough this conference is. We respect all the teams we are battling. They are all very good teams and it seems every club has fantastic goaltending so it will all come down to buy in and effort for us. The little things matter down the stretch and I have confidence in our guys and we believe they will get it done.”
Spirit Head Coach TJ Hill: “Our team remains focused on getting better every day. We know if we stick together, play fast and physical and compete in every zone with and without the puck we will give ourselves an opportunity to win every night.”
Brendan O’Grady, GM and Head Coach of the Lindsay Muskies.: “We feel that we still control our own destiny. We are in the final playoff spot right now with the Spirit right on our heels. They are playing very good hockey of late but we can’t be too concerned with what they are doing. We need to prepare as if they are continuing to win and just do our jobs. We have also had some bad luck of late with injuries as well as suspensions to our leadership guys. We have the mentality that it’s next man up in our locker room. Our young guys have bought in and pushed our older guys to get better. We are going to need to play desperate playoff-type hockey down the stretch and our guys are battle tested and ready to take on the challenge ahead.”
Follow Ron Valentine on X at @ronandlynda
