Chatham-Kent OHLers Kick Off Season

With the NHL season looking lost for the foreseeable future, hockey fans across Ontario will be tuning into the Ontario Hockey League this season. Several local OHL players will be returning to the league this season, and are expected to make a huge splash.

Wallaceburg’s Seth Griffith tops the list of star OHL players after finishing last season 9th in OHL scoring with 85 points in 68 games. Griffith was also third in goals with 45, en route to being named an OHL Second Team All-Star. This June, Griffith was drafted in the 5th round of the NHL Priority Draft by the Boston Bruins.

Griffith’s Knights will be looking to defend their OHL championship, which included Griffith scoring the OHL clinching goal, when they host the Erie Otters, Friday, September 21.

Erie will be led by Griffith’s former teammate, and Thamesville product Dane Fox. Fox, who led the Erie Otters in scoring last season with 54 points in 62 games, will look to prove his critics wrong after being highly ranked for the NHL draft and going unselected. Erie finished at the bottom the OHL last season, but will look to build around a core of young prospects. Fox attended the New York Rangers prospect camp this offseason.

After being traded from the Oshawa Generals early last season, Blenheim’s Kyle Hope had a strong season with the Owen Sound Attack. Hope, a blueliner last season, scored 4 goals and added 31 assists in 56 games, and also added 107 penalty minutes. Hope also attended the New York Rangers prospect camp this summer, and will likely start the season in Owen Sound as a forward, a role he played in Oshawa.

Other players with local connections returning to the OHL this season include former Chatham Maroons Sam Studnicka (Windsor), Brennan Feasey (Brampton), and Patrick Watling (Guelph).

This could also prove to be another exciting draft year for Chatham-Kent products as the local minor midget age group has several prospects to watch. Trent Fox, Dane’s younger brother, has moved to London this season to play for the London Junior Knights AAA team, and is considered a top prospect for this year’s OHL draft. Still in Chatham-Kent Cyclones uniforms, goalie Brendan Johnston, defenseman Dede Cato, and forward Drew Marlatt will also gain interest from OHL scouts as the season progresses. The Minor Midget Cyclones had a strong start to their season which means other players will also find their way onto the OHL draft radar soon.