By Jim Mason/OJHL Communications
Upon conclusion of the 2024 Ontario Junior Hockey League Governors’ Showcase presented by MilkUP, Colton Smith of the Leamington Flyers is the league’s leading scorer.
The son of Los Angeles Kings’ assistant coach D.J. Smith, Colton leads the OJ with eight goals. He’s tied with Gabriel Ciarallo of the Milton Menace atop the points parade at 15.
Elite Prospects projects Colton will finish the season with 105 points.
Colton, 20, played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, with his hometown Windsor Spitfires and the London Knights, before joining the Flyers this season.
Dad D.J. joined the LA Kings organization in February after serving as the head coach of the Ottawa Senators for parts of the last five seasons (2019-24). Smith also served as an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs for four seasons (2015-19).
The three-day, 24-game Showcase at the Gale Centre in Niagara Falls, ON concluded today. All 24 teams in the league played two games, which counted in the standings, at the event.
More than 165 scouts from NHL, NCAA, Ontario Hockey League and U SPORTS teams were in attendance.
Smith had five points in a pair of Leamington wins at the Showcase, including a two-goal, two-assist outing against St. Michael’s.
In today’s games:
- The last of the unbeaten teams in the OJHL, the Toronto Patriots (5-1-0-0) went down to defeat at the hands of another T.O. team, the St. Michael’s Buzzers (4-2-0-1), 3-1. Jesse Venturo, Anthony Francella and Willem Kerr scored. William Camputaro stopped 37 shots to earn the win.
- Mathieu MacMillan scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season and Noah Garthe his third and fourth as Burlington (5-2-0-0) topped Cobourg (2-4-0-2) 6-2 in the battle of the OJHL Cougars.
- Liam Longo’s goal in double overtime gave the Aurora Tigers their first win of the season, a 5-4 decision over the Georgetown Raiders.
- Daniel Markevych scored a pair and Marcus Lougheed had three assists to pace the Collingwood Blues (6-3-0-0) to a 5-3 win over the Toronto Jr. Canadiens (5-3-0-0).
- Noah Kraus didn’t allow a goal until the third period as his Lindsay Muskies (4-4-0-0) defeated the Buffalo Jr. Sabres (3-3-0-0) 4-1.
- Ben Vreugdenhil and Sacha Trudel scored two goals apiece in the Wellington Dukes’ (3-4-0-0) 7-1 win over the Caledon Admirals (1-7-0-0)
- Alex Amellin pitched the 32-save shutout and Mason Morden scored twice in the Oakville Blades’ (2-3-1-0) 3-0 win over the Markham Royals (1-5-0-0).
- Aidan Russell’s second-period goal and a last-minute empty-netter gave the King Rebellion (3-3-0-1) a 2-0 win over the North York Rangers (1-9-0-0). Erik Powers earned the shutout.
With files from Ron Valentine
