Latest news with #PrioritySelection
Ottawa Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
North Bay Battalion continue to move veteran players as Jacob Therrien has been dealt
Article content The North Bay Battalion has traded right winger Jacob Therrien to the Owen Sound Attack for as many as four Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection picks, the club announced Wednesday. Article content North Bay received Owen Sound's second-round choice in 2029, the Kitchener Rangers' third-rounder in 2026 and the Kingston Frontenacs' fifth-rounder in 2028. The Battalion also got a conditional selection, Owen Sound's fourth-rounder in 2029. Article content Article content Therrien, a Courtice, Ont., resident who turned 19 on Feb. 8, scored 17 goals and added 21 assists for 38 points in 55 games last season, his third OHL campaign after the Battalion selected him in the third round, 44th overall, from the Clarington Toros U16s in 2022. Article content Article content In 170 regular-season games, Therrien, who stands five-foot-eight and weighs 170 pounds, has scored 44 goals and earned 45 assists for 89 points while accumulating 204 penalty minutes (PiM). Article content In 21 playoff games in 2024 and this year, he had seven goals and five assists for 12 points with 32 PiM. In the Scenic City, Therrien will be reunited with head coach Scott Wray, a Battalion assistant during the player's first two seasons with North Bay. ' Jacob has given his heart and soul to our program over the last four years and, as tough as it will be to see him leave, we know he is in good hands with coach Wray and the group in Owen Sound,' said Adam Dennis, Battalion director of hockey operations. Article content Article content 'We thank Jacob and his family for all of their contributions to our team and community and wish him the best in his next chapter.' Article content After the trading of Therrien and left winger Reyth Smith in the last six days, the Battalion still has 12 forwards who saw action with the team last season. In addition, players taken in recent Priority Selections, including the 2025 process, will compete for spots, and the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft is to be conducted July 2. For the first time, CHL teams next season will be permitted to dress three Europeans, increased from two. Article content
Ottawa Citizen
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
North Bay Battalion ship winger Reyth Smith to Niagara IceDogs
The North Bay Battalion has traded left winger Reyth Smith to the Niagara IceDogs, the Ontario Hockey League club announced Friday. North Bay received two OHL Priority Selection picks, a third-rounder in 2026 that originally belonged to the Guelph Storm and Niagara's eighth-rounder in 2028. Article content Article content The Battalion selected Smith, a Leamington, Ont., native who turns 18 on July 27, in the fifth round, 100th overall, in 2023 from the Windsor Jr. Spitfires U16s. Article content Article content Article content He played 49 games with the Troops last season, scoring five goals and adding four assists for nine points with 43 penalty minutes. He had one goal in three OHL games in 2023-24, when he amassed 27 goals and 26 assists for 53 points in 55 games with the junior A Powassan Voodoos of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. Article content Article content Smith's first Battalion game, on Dec. 13, 2023, saw him open the scoring to launch the Teddy Bears in an eventual 6-2 loss to the visiting Soo Greyhounds. Article content Article content 'John has been working extremely hard on several fronts, but getting our numbers down to provide a proper runway for our young prospects was a priority heading into this offseason,' Adam Dennis, director of hockey operations, noted of the efforts of general manager John Winstanley. 'Reyth was a great player and person during his time here, and we felt it was important to give him an opportunity for more minutes to take the next step in his career. We wish him the best of luck in Niagara.' Article content
Ottawa Citizen
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
North Bay Battalion sign defenceman from Ottawa Valley
The North Bay Battalion has signed defenceman Carter Kunopaski to an education and development agreement, the Ontario Hockey League club announced Monday. North Bay chose Kunopaski from the Ottawa Valley Titans U16s in the second round, 29th overall, of the OHL Priority Selection in April. Kunopaski, a left shot, is a six-foot-one, 204-pound resident of Pakenham, Ont., who turned 16 on Feb. 14. In 32 regular-season games with Ottawa Valley, he scored four goals and added 21 assists for 25 points. 'We're delighted to add a young physical defenceman like Carter to our lineup,' said general manager John Winstanley. 'He plays a 200-foot game, brings size and intensity and competes hard every night. On top of that, he show natural leadership qualities that we believe will be a big asset in our dressing room as he continues to develop.' Immediately after the Priority Selection, Winstanley noted that Kunopaski is regularly 'punishing guys below the dots.' 'He's hard to play against on the walls, and he's (got a) great first pass.' The first of 15 selections in 2025 to sign, Kunopaski joins a large group of prospective blueliners who saw action with the Battalion last season, numbering overager Bronson Ride, Brayden Turley, Aaron Enright, Zach Wilson, Adrian Manzo, Jonathan Kapageridis, Declan Gallivan, Kent Greer and Sam Rivet. In addition, North Bay announced Friday the signing of Brandt Harper, who finished 2024-25 with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Knights Take Care Of Business At Memorial Cup
Two words followed the London Knights throughout the 2024-25 season: unfinished business. At first, those two words were whispered behind closed doors in conversations about how the Knights had come up short when they were the favourites to win the 2024 Memorial Cup. Advertisement "We went through the whole process last year and came up short with 20 seconds to go in a hockey game," said Flyers prospect Denver Barkey after the game. "We remembered that all summer and talked about it all year - that's been our motivator," Slowly, the drumbeat grew. First, it was announced that most of the team would return to London for the 2024-25 season. Next, the Knights dominated the OHL, losing only 13 games during the regular season to finish at the top of the OHL. London stomped their way through the playoffs not losing a single game until the OHL Playoff Finals. After dropping game one of the finals, London won four straight games to take down Oshawa and book their tickets to Rimouski for the 2025 Memorial Cup. Steelheads Sign 2025 First-Round Pick Steelheads Sign 2025 First-Round Pick Yesterday, the Brampton Steelheads announced the signing of 2025 OHL Priority Selection first-round pick Keaton Ardagh to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. Advertisement At that point, the question was asked point blank. Is there unfinished business for this group? A resounding yes was the response. This season would not be complete without a Memorial Cup victory. On Sunday night, the London Knights took care of business, defeating the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-1 to secure the Memorial Cup for the third time in franchise history. Make no mistake, this was a special group of players, the majority of whom came together two seasons ago. They won back-to-back OHL titles and set OHL and franchise records. To cap that off with a Memorial Cup victory must be perfection for a team that seems so close. "This is my family, these guys are my brothers," said San Jose Sharks prospect Sam Dickinson. "It feels like it's the perfect ending for this core ... it's how it should have gone out." Advertisement This time around, the Knights had to walk the hard road to the Memorial Cup Final after they lost their first encounter with the Tigers 3-1. Medicine Hat went down early in that game before scoring three unanswered goals to seal their place in the final. Knights Heading To Memorial Cup Semi-Finals Following Loss To Medicine Hat Knights Heading To Memorial Cup Semi-Finals Following Loss To Medicine Hat The London Knights missed out on the opportunity to go straight to the Memorial Cup Finals due to a 3-1 loss at the hands of the Medicine Hat Tigers on Tuesday night. London made it through the semi-final in dominant fashion beating Moncton 5-2 while outshooting their opponent 37-23. Advertisement In the rematch against Medicine Hat, it was once again the Knights who struck first. Winnipeg Jets prospect Jacob Julien scored halfway through the first to give London the early lead. The score would remain 1-0 heading into the second. As they did so often in the OHL Playoffs, the Knights took over in the second period, opening up a four-goal lead within the opening 12 minutes of the period thanks to a goal from Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan and a pair scored by Barkey. Former Colt To Take Up Head Coaching Reins In Barrie Former Colt To Take Up Head Coaching Reins In Barrie Earlier today, the Barrie Colts announced that Assistant Coach Dylan Smoskowitz will take over as Head Coach effective immediately. He replaces Marty Williamson, who will stay on with the club as Vice President and GM of Hockey Operations moving forward. Advertisement The Tigers pushed back in the third with star forward Gavin McKenna scoring a goal early in the period to give the team hope. With minutes to go McKenna put another puck into the net before the goal was called back upon review. The Knights fought the Tigers off for the rest of the period leading to the final score of 4-1. The win gave Head Coach Dale Hunter his third Memorial Cup trophy, tying him for the most ever won by single coach. Early in the tournament he took the title of most wins in Memorial Cup history. This London team will go down in the history books as one of the best rosters ever iced by an OHL team. Their accomplishments are impressive, and many of these players will make their way into the NHL in the very near future. While this team will never play together again, their names will sit next to each other on the Memorial Cup.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Matteo Drobac Commits To Miami (Ohio)
Former Western Mustangs goaltender Matteo Drobac has committed to Miami (Ohio), it was confirmed earlier this week. Drobac, who hails from Oakville, Ont., just fished his first season playing U Sports, collecting a record of 13-9-1 along with a 2.72 GAA and a .904 SP in 24 regular season appearances. In a further three playoff games with the Mustangs, Drobac went 1-2 while posting a 2.35 GAA and a .922 SP. Drafted by the Hamilton Bulldogs in the sixth round of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Drobac would go on to spend parts of four seasons with the Bulldogs (three in Hamilton and one in Brantford), putting up a stat line of 66-37-11, a 3.30 GAA and a .890 SP. Prior to making the jump to the OHL, Drobac played his minor hockey with the Oakville Rangers and the Halton Hurricanes. With Drobac still only 21, he still has a long runway ahead of him at the collegiate level. Joining a RedHawks team that is bringing in some solid talent, Drobac stands to see time during his first season in the NCAA and could surprise some people.
