Ontario Junior Hockey League resident writer Ron Valentine is profiling the 2024-25 team captains across The OJ.
BY RON VALENTINE
Blueliner RYAN O’DELL is captain of the Niagara Falls Canucks in the team’s second year in the OJHL. Ryan was a draft pick of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals and played 23 games for them after making his junior hockey debut in the 2021-22 season with the NOJHL’s Powassan VooDoos.
In the 2022-23 campaign he played for his home town team, the Stouffville Spirit. Ryan played one game last season for the Guelph Storm of the OHL before joining Niagara Falls.
Serving as assistant captains will be three players who are all returnees from last season: 20-year-old Kenmore NY-born, Charlie Robinson, 19-year old Braeden O’Keefe, a former Hamilton Bulldog, acquired from the Georgetown Raiders and Parker Forlin, 18, a native of the Falls who recorded 54 points for the team last season.
It’s the first time with the “C” for the 6-foot-5 defenceman who wears No. 4: “It’s an honour to be chosen. Our on-ice leadership group is ready to go and it’s great to play for Mr. (head coach Frank) Pietrangelo who won the Stanley Cup as a goalie for the Pittsburgh Penguins (in 1991). We could not want for a better coaching staff. It was a tough season for us, our first one in the OJHL and we did have some ups and downs. It was disappointing not to be one of the eight teams making the playoffs from our division but overall there were lots of positives and we have several players returning who will be better for the experience.”
Ryan, now 20, scored his only OJHL goal to date in the 2022-23 campaign with the Spirit: “I remember it well, it was at home against Pickering late in the season and we were on the powerplay early in the game, I took a pass on the sidewall and managed to put it home short side. I remember I tripped and fell after I scored the goal! I hope to score a few more this season but my game is really looking after the defence and making the good first pass out of our zone. With my size I don’t mind the physical play. I can stick up for my teammates, and we are all a close-knit group.”
“I’m looking for big seasons from a couple of players: Mattthew Camapanella, who came to us from the NOJHL’s Blind River Beavers and Taye Ladislao who came to us last year from Brantford. Both have put in a lot of work as well as two rookies, the Gauthier twins, Brandon and Jesse, who will be very exciting players in this league.”
“Next season I hope to be playing for a U SPORTS team and then play professional hockey following that, but now our focus is on the OJHL playoffs and seeing where we go after that.”
The 2-2-0 Canucks visit Leamington Thursday and hosts Caledon on Friday.
The Canucks will host the annual OJHL Governors’ Showcase at the Gale Centre next week, Sept. 23-25. Click the link for more information on the Showcase: https://www.ojhl.ca/2024-ojhl-governors-showcase-announces-milkup-as-this-years-presenting-sponsor/
Follow Ron Valentine on X @ronandlynda
