NEWS

Aidan Spooner and Tyler Hodges of the Haliburton County Huskies lead the OJHL in two goaltending departments. The Huskies won twice this week. (File photo by Amy Deroche / OJHL Images)

BY RON VALENTINE

Just seven Ontario Junior Hockey League clubs were active between Christmas and New Year’s.

The HALIBURTON COUNTY HUSKIES won both of their contests. They now have 26 wins, third highest in the OJHL. The TORONTO PATRIOTS garnered a win and a tie. The NORTH YORK RANGERS recorded a win, a tie and a one-goal defeat. The CALEDON ADMIRALS were victorious in their only game.

HOT PLAYERS

The week started off on Tuesday with the season's 10th tie, a 5-5 standoff between the Rangers and the visiting Toronto Patriots. The game featured six goals split equally in the second period with ZACH OPHOVEN and JACOB GUEST each bagging a brace for the Patriots. It was their third game of five in a row on the road. 

The next night in Mississauga, in the Patriots 5-3 win, Bluleiner BODE DUNFORD, with two goals going into the contest, netted two more and assisted on Guest's game winner. 

Bode, ex of the NOJHL's Timmins Rock, on being a Patriot: “The game had some ups and downs for us but overall we rallied together as a team and buried our chances to close it out with the win. Some nights are not going to be perfect but if we stick with our identity and continue to be a hard team to play against then good things will happen for us. Our biggest focus since the start of the season has been consistency and being a hard-nosed team that others don't like to play against. Going forward, we are going to try to be consistently good, night after night."

DANIEL NAU had two goals as the  Admirals won at home for just the fourth time this season, topping the St. Michael's Buzzers 4-2. Nau, a native of Wake Forest NC came to Caledon from the USPHL's Carolina Jr. Hurricanes.

ALEXANDER DIMITRIADIS had two goals and three points for the Rangers as they edged the Buzzers 4-3 on Friday.

AIDAN SPOONER increased his lead atop the charts for goaltender shutouts, recording his fifth in 18 games played as the Huskies' beat Aurora 2-0 on Dec 31. Teammate TYLER HODGES leads the OJHL in goals against average with 1.25 after 12 games played.

RANDOM JOTTINGS 

The Toronto Junior Canadiens obtained GABRIEL MAMEDOV from Mississauga for YIANNI KAIDONIS. Mamedov recorded six goals and 14 points for the Chargers. Kaidonis started his junior career with the Oakville Blades. 

The aforementioned Chargers put an end to an 18-game losing streak with a 2-1 edging of the Rangers on New Year's Eve afternoon, Carlisle's RYAN SCHAAP had the game winner, shorthanded, in the second period. The free-wheeling contest saw 86 shots on goal recorded. 

Two OJHL alumni were on the HC Ambri-Piotta Swiss club at the Spengler Cup, forwards Alex Formenton, formerly of the Aurora Tigers, and Josh Jooris of the Burlington Cougars. Formenton played in the NHL for the Ottawa Senators and Jooris suited up for the Calgary Flames, North York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ten different players scored for the Huskies in their 10-1 victory against Mississauga. Defenceman DAVID DU BOIS had his first OJHL goal for the Chargers. Goals number 26 for both TY COLLINS and BOYD STAHLBAUM. On Saturday Collins would add another and is tied with the J.C's MATTHEW WILDE for second spot in OJHL goalsoring. JACK RICHARD of the Burlington Cougars leads all players with 30.

WHAT'S UP NEXT WEEK

The league-leading Toronto Junior Canadiens get back into action with road games in North York Wednesday and on Friday in Lindsay before returning home Sunday to play Brantford. The N/W conference's top team, the Collingwood Blues, have two games at home, to Stouffville on Friday and Aurora on Saturday. 

On Wednesday, the Cobourg Cougars play their second in a five-game homestand with the Tigers as the visitors. A local derby on Saturday night as the Oakville Blades host the Georgetown Raiders. 

On Sunday two GTA teams battle it out with the St. Michael's Buzzers in North York. The Pickering Panthers host two top teams as on Friday they face the Burlington Cougars and on Sunday the Trenton Golden Hawks.

All the best to everyone for a safe, happy and successful 2023.

Follow Ron Valentine on Twitter @ronandlynda