NEWS

 

Alex Papaspyropoulos and the Pickering Panthers meet the Toronto Jr. Canadiens in Game 1 of the 2022 Ontario Junior Hockey League Nutrafarms Championship Series tonight in Toronto. (Photo by Ray MacAloney / OJHL Images)

Ron Valentine profiles the players participating in the 2022 Ontario Junior Hockey League Nutrafarms Championship Series.

The North-West Conference champion Pickering Panthers:

7.  KEVIN LUCEY (D) Playoff points 0-0-0. Kevin is a 17-year-old Richmond Hill native who played 28 regular season games for the Panthers and had a goal and four assists. 

9.  BRENDAN TOMILSON (D) 0-9-9. Brendan had the most points by a defenceman in the OJHL with 55. He is the team captain and will suit up next season for the York University Lions. His previous junior clubs were the OJHL’s Lindsay Muskies and the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads. Brendan was named the OJHL 'Defenceman of the Year'. Brendan is from Cameron in the Kawartha Lakes.

10. DUSTIN HUTTON (F) 4-4-8. Dustin is in his final junior season. He has suited up for the Georgetown Raiders and Toronto Junior Canadiens as well as the OHL's Peterborough Petes and Kingston Frontenacs. In the regular season, he put up 45 points in just 42 games. Two of his four goals in the playoffs have been game winners.

14. CAEL CAVALLIN (D) 0-1-1. Cael, 19, born in Midhurst, played his first two seasons as an Aurora Tiger and started the 2021-22 campaign with the Stouffville Spirit. He played 24 games with each club

15. BEN PICKELL (F) 0-1-1. The 16-year-old from Courtice was a third-round pick, 55th overall, by the Barrie Colts in the 2021 OJHL U16 draft. He played 18 games with the Colts this season. For the Panthers, he had 23 points in 43 contests. Ben is the only 2005-born player on the playoff roster.

16. JOSH SIMPSON (D) 1-1-2. Josh, a native of next-door Ajax, was drafted in 2019 by the Sudbury Wolves. It's the 19-year old's first season in the OJHL. 

20. MYLES PERRY (F) 3-3-6. In the 2019-20 season, Myles had 32 points in his rookie junior season with the North York Rangers. He had 35 this season for the Panthers. In 2018, he was drafted by the Mississauga Steelheads.

21. LUCAS ROWE (F) 2-2-4. Lucas is in his final year of junior eligibility. He scored 24 goals this season. He has OHL experience with the London Knights, Flint Firebirds and Kingston Frontenacs. He is an assistant captain. 

22. LUCAS LITTLEJOHN (D) 1-0-1. Seventeen-year old Lucas played 17 games this season for the Niagara IceDogs who drafted him in 2020. In Pickering, he had 13 points in 43 games. He started out in the OJHL with the Whitby Fury and also suited up for the NOJHL's Espanola Express.

24. IAN MARTIN (F) 5-5-10. Lucas is the Panthers' biggest point producer in the playoffs to date. He is a former Niagara IceDog and Kingston Frontenac. He scored 27 goals, tops for the club, in the regular season, including four game winners. This is his last junior campaign.

27. ARON JESSLI (F) 0-0-0. The 17-year-old Norwegian has had a tough rookie season thanks to injuries. He played in his home country last season for Lukko U18's. He recorded 27 points this season. 

28. ETHAN LINDSAY (F) 3-1-4. Ethan was drafted in 2019 by the Owen Sound Attack and is an assistant captain. The Barrie native is in his second term with the Panthers. He had a breakthrough season with 11 goals and 27 points.

29. ANDREW BALLANTYNE (G) GAA 0.00 in only 22 minutes. Andrew, 17, had a fine 2.19 GAA in his first season with the club. The keeper graduated from the Whitby Wildcats minor hockey system along with many other players on this club. Andrew was drafted by the Erie Otters in 2020.

34. PEYTON ADAMS-MATTHEWS (D) 0-2-2. The 20-year-old started his junior career with the PJHL's Port Dover Sailors and the GOJHL's Hamilton Kilty B's. Peyton was drafted by the Kitchener Rangers in the ninth round in 2018. 

35. ZACHARY ROY (G) GAA 2.07 with one shutout. The Callander native will be attending Nipissing University this fall. He had 22 wins and four shutouts in the regular season. Starting out with the CCHL's Rockland Nationals, he then spent two full campaigns with the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs.

55. RYAN JOHNSTONE (C) 2-2-4, both goals were game winners. Ryan played just a single game in the regular season but is making an impact in the postseason. He was born in Pickering.

63. ELIJAH PILOSOF (RW) 1-2-3. Nineteen-year old Eli will be going to Brown University to play for the NCAA DI Bears next season. He is an assistant captain. He started with the Panthers in 2017-18 and played briefly for the BCHL's Cowichan Valley Capitals before rejoining the club this season – where he had 48 points including 20 goals.

68. LUCAS LAPALM (RW) 1-3-4. The 19-year old Lucas is from Stirling, near Belleville. In 2020, he was drafted by the Peterborough Petes in the second round, 35th. overall. Of his eight regular season goals, three were game winners.

72. BRETT HENDERSON (F) 0-0-0. Brett, 18, is a product of the Oakville Rangers minor hockey system and played 41 games this season.

76. MATTHEW ALTOMARE (D) 2-5-7. Pickering-born Matthew is in his final year of junior. He was drafted in 2017 by the Mississauga Steelheads. He had a high of 27 points in the regular season. 

77. ALEX PAPASPYROPOULOS (F) 1-0-1. The 18-year-old from Toronto had 10 points in the regular season after graduating from the North York Rangers AAA minor midgets, where he had 8 goals and 15 points in 2019-20.

86. JAKE PARTRIDGE (F) 1-2-3. Jake started the season as captain of the Brantford 99ers where he put up 12 goals and 22 points. After joining the Panthers, he had 34 points in 32 games. The Barrie native first played for the NOJHL's Rayside-Balfour Canadians and has had experience with the Peterborough Petes and his hometown Colts. Jake turned 21 last week.

92. OWEN BRADY (D) 0-0-0. Owen had 36 appearances on the blueline for the Panthers this season. He is a product of the Whitby Wildcats minor hockey system, where he was captain in 2018-19. He was drafted in 2019 by the Oshawa Generals. Owen's career was set back when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma.

94. CHRISTOS RODIS (F) 2-5-7. In his last junior season, Christos had 22 points in only 23 games this season. In 2019-20, he recorded 60 points between the Brampton Admirals and Panthers. He started his career with his hometown Markham Royals. He played in the 2020 CJHL Prospects game in Hamilton for Team East.