Chatham-Kent Locals At OHL Camps

Local hockey prospects will be suiting up with their OHL teams beginning this week with Chatham-Kent hockey prospects placed across the Province and USA.

In Windsor, Chatham-Kent Cyclones alumni Brendan Johnston and Drew Marlatt who were selected by the Spitfires in this year’s OHL Priority Draft begin their first main camp with the team.

“I’m hoping to show the Windsor Spitfires that even coming into the OHL as a 16-year-old, anything is possible,” says Johnston, the team’s 5th round selection, who signed with the Spitfires already this offseason. “I want to make it really hard on the coaching staff to send me back to Chatham,” continued the netminder, who backstopped the Chatham Junior B Maroons to a 4-3 shootout win in preseason action against the LaSalle Vipers this past weekend.

Also in camp with the Windsor Spitfires, is Chatham Maroons alumni Alex Morgan, who was traded by the Maroons to the St. Thomas Stars this offseason after stints with two OHL teams in the past two seasons. Johnston and Marlatt will both skate for Team Blue (Team Renaud) at the camp, while Morgan will skate with Team White (Team Julien) for the camp which runs Tuesday through Friday.

James McEwan, who scored for the Maroons in their preseason win, and was a member of the Chatham-Kent Cyclones last season, will enter his first camp with the Guelph Storm, after being drafted by the club last year.

Veteran Kyle Hope and the Owen Sound Attack run their camp Monday through Friday before opening their OHL preseason Sunday, September 1 against the Barrie Colts. Hope skated at the Vancouver Canucks NHL development camp earlier this summer. Maroons second year forward Steven Beenackers will also get another shot at camp with the Owen Sound Attack after he was drafted by the team last season.

Brothers Dane Fox and Trent Fox of Thamesville will enter training camp together with the OHL’s Erie Otters Monday. Trent Fox is slated to play in the teams Prospects Game as a part of the Otters main camp. The Otters open their exhibition season Saturday against Niagara. Dane Fox will play early next month for the St. Louis Blues as a part of the NHL Rookie Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan.

Clachan’s Travis Konecny will get his first opportunity to wow OHL officials after being drafted 1st overall by the Ottawa 67s. The former Chatham-Kent Cyclones star will be counted on heavily to boost the 67s offense this season.

A free agent invite, Dresden product John Montgomery, who played for the Dresden Kings last season, will get his shot to make the Sarnia Sting when their camp opens this week.

Finally in London, the Knights will have to take a wait and see mentality when it comes to OHL superstar Seth Griffith. Griffith, a Wallaceburg product, is slated to start their year in the Boston Bruins system, but may eventually be returned to London for their Memorial Cup run. Chatham Maroons forward Jay Ritchie will also be in camp with the Knights.