By Ron Valentine
Young talent in the Ontario Junior Hockey League shone on the third and final day of the league’s Governors’ Showcase in Buffalo Thursday
Goalies making their OJHL debuts and rookie snipers alike had a big days in front of the 175-plus NHL and college scouts.
Those in attendance included Hockey Hall of Famer Scottie Bowman, whose grandson, Camden Bowman, is a Buffalo Jr. Sabres defenceman, and NHL Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams, the former president and head coach of the OJHL Sabres.
Game 1- Starting the puck rolling were the PICKERING PANTHERS and the NIAGARA FALLS CANUCKS. The Panthers were coming off a big 7-2 win in their opening Showcase game while the Canucks fell 7-4 in their first ever appearance and were looking to move above the .500 mark with a win.
Led by Alex Hebblethwaite’s two goals the Canucks took the contest 5-4. Parker Forlin, who played for the St. Catharines Falcons last season, had the game winner. Alex tallied 55 points last season with the Canucks in the GOJHL.
Making his debut in the Canucks’ goal was Simcoe, ON native 16-year old Logan Snyder. He made 37 saves. Logan was a draft pick this year of the Brantford Bulldogs.
Game 2 – The NORTH YORK RANGERS, looking for their first win of the season, faced the AURORA TIGERS who were eager to get back to the .500 mark in OJHL play.
The Rangers got the two points in the 4-1 final. A late first period goal by Owen Ibbotson was the game winner. Matteo Porporino took the ‘W’ saving 52 Tigers’ shots.
Co-captain Bensen Moore on the victory: “It’s always a good feeling as a defenceman knowing that you have a goalie back there that you can constantly count on and at the end of the day it makes us feel more confident. “Porps’ skate blade came out and while he was off they buried one but when he came back he took the game into his own hands and made a massive contribution to the win. Another big factor was our play with the puck and the fact that we finally all stuck to the game plan, it was a great way for us to finish at the Showcase.”
Game 3 – Gracious hosts, the BUFFALO JUNIOR SABRES took on the TORONTO PATRIOTS and sixty minutes would not be enough to decide this one with the game deadlocked at threes. The Patriots’ Brandon Gill scored with just under six minutes left in period three following a shorthanded marker by Brody Seitz that had put the Sabres up by one.
It was left to Matthew Manza to score the overtime winner to make it a 4-3 scoreline on the powerplay to give Toronto the two points. Matthew, 16, recently committed to play D1 hockey at Ohio State starting in the Fall of 2025. GM Blake Ricci on Manza: “We are just looking for him to keep putting the work in and getting better every day.”
Game 4 – The TORONTO JUNIOR CANADIENS, sitting atop the East, were up against the HALIBURTON COUNTY HUSKIES, coming in with a 4-2-1 record. The Jr C’s got the better of this close contest, eking out a 3-2 win. It was captain’s day in the goalscoring department with Patrick Saini getting both Husky goals plus Connor Van Weelie and former Aurora ‘C’ Lucas Stanojevic (with the game winner) finding the net for the Canadiens. The exception was 15-year-old blueliner and Harvard commit Luka Graziano who had their second goal.
Junior Canadiens’ head coach David DiMarinis after the game: “Graziano is one heck of a talent. We got big performances from Van Weelie, Stanojevic, Jordan Karafile and Ethan McFarland this afternoon.”
Game 5 – An inter-conference tilt between the COBOURG COUGARS and the MISSISSAUGA CHARGERS featured two teams struggling somewhat to get into the win column. The Cougars pulled away in the final frame for 5-2 victory, their third of the campaign. Veterans Andy Reist, with two, and Trevor Hoskin, plus sophomore Carson Durnin and rookie Kaiden Harmon, with his third of the Showcase, did the scoring for Cobourg. Ryan Schaap and James Hendry, with his first in the OJHL, replied for Mississauga.
Captain Andy, with a four-point game today and 15 for the season: “We just need to continue to come together as a group and keep team building every day and the results will take care of themselves.”
Called up from the Quinte Red Devils, Reece Herman made his OJHL debut in the Cougars’ net and turned back 23 Chargers’ shots.
Game 6 – The LINDSAY MUSKIES and BRANTFORD 99ers made up an inter-conference duel. Connor D’Angelo’s first OJHL marker put the Muskies ahead two and a half minutes in and that would hold up against the 99ers who last night were on the right end of a 1-0 score. Recording the clean sheet was Ethan Fraser who started his OJHL career with Lindsay and last season played for the Trenton Golden Hawks. He made 18 saves: “This is a very different Brantford team than in previous years”, the veteran backstop noted, “and it was a very tight game but we got the much needed two points to get us back on track.” At the other end Zach Burleigh stopped 27. Win number three for the Muskies while Brantford fell back to .500.
Muskies’ blueliner and co-captain Devin Shoreman, a rare two sport junior athlete (hockey and lacrosse) on the Showcase: “We put a great team effort together tonight and it’s good to come out of the Showcase with three of a possible four points. We are getting there, the boys are ready for our game tomorrow back home against Aurora.”
Game 7 – In the penultimate contest of the Showcase the STOUFFVILLE SPIRIT and the CALEDON ADMIRALS met up and keyed by a pair of goals and assists from Peter Kioussis the Spirit took the spoils in the 5-2 final scoreline. Riley Clark scored his first in the league, with the goalie absent.
Hamilton native Stephen Toltl, who backstopped the GOJHL’s St. Catharines Falcons last season, posted his second OJHL victory. A good Showcase for Stouffville with two wins and five games for in each one. They are tied for third place in the East on winning percentage at .750.
Blueliner Nathan Twohey is pleased with the club’s start: “Two very good games for us and it’s looking like we are going in the right direction but remember it’s still very early and we will have to stay focused and keep working to stay on the path we are on.”
Game 8 – Concluding the event, a battle between West conference rivals the GEORGETOWN RAIDERS and the OAKVILLE BLADES. The clubs had almost identical records season to date.
Silas Crawford, who spent two seasons with the Elliot Lake Wings, now Vikings, scored his first goal in the OJHL to get the Blades off and running and defenceman Luca Modry, son of former NHLer Jaroslav, followed that up with his first of the season and second as a Blade. It was 3-2 Oakville after 40 minutes setting up another close finish similar to so many at this Showcase with seven games decided by a single goal in regulation and five more going into overtime.
Gleb Akimov, a 35-point producer for the Blades last season, scored what would prove to be the winner in period two. Mikkel Christensen made his debut for the Blades and made 33 saves for the win. Bueliner Justin Huynh scored his first OJHL goal for the Raiders. Final- Oakville 4 Georgetown 2.
