Sunday, November 16, 2008

OHL News and Notes

I wanted to get to this earlier in the week but things changed. Better late then never.

OHL Press Release

The winningest coach in the history of the Plymouth Whalers is behind the bench again. Plymouth Whalers President and General Manager Mike Vellucci announced that Greg Stefan has resigned as head coach of the Whalers and will take a job as Special Assignment Coach for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, reporting to Hurricanes’ General Manager Jim Rutherford. Vellucci will move back behind the Whalers bench as head coach for a second term.

Vellucci, who continues as the President and General Manager of the Whalers, practiced with his team today. Plymouth Associate Coach Joe Stefan and Assistant Coach Brian Sommariva remain with the team in their current positions.

Stefan became Plymouth’s head coach last Dec. 11 when Vellucci was promoted within Compuware’s hockey organization to concentrate on the growth of Compuware Arena. Before that, Stefan served as an assistant coach for the Whalers from 1993 until 1998, and rejoined the organization in 2003 as assistant coach and director of player development where he worked until joining the Carolina Hurricanes in 2005. Stefan, 47, served two-plus seasons on the Hurricanes’ coaching staff as goaltending coach/pro scout prior to taking over as Plymouth’s head coach in December 2007.

Vellucci, 42, was originally hired as Plymouth’s head coach in 2001 and led the Whalers to their second championship over the team’s 19-year history in 2007. Plymouth has won four West Division titles and never finished lower than second place during Vellucci’s tenure behind the bench

Vellucci became the winningest coach in Plymouth history last season while compiling a record of 246-132-37-22, good for a .630 winning percentage, second in franchise history behind Paul Maurice (.681), who has coached in the National Hockey League with the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs. Vellucci became the first American to win the Ontario Hockey League’s Matt Leyden Award as Coach of the Year in 2007.

Plymouth is currently 6-11-2-0, in fifth place in the OHL West and tenth in the Western Conference.
This looks like what Patrick Roy did a few years ago. The Quebec Remparts had a tough begining to the season and he fired the Head Coach. He took over and the Remparts won the Memorial Cup.

This is a little different but at the same time why in the middle of the season? Special Assignment Coach? It sounds like firing but a promotion at the same time.

OHL Press Release

The Ontario Hockey League today announced their weekly minor midget rankings for the 2009 Ontario Hockey League Showcase for the OHL Cup, hosted by the GTHL. The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament.

Minor Midget Rankings for the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament – Week 3

RANK TEAM LEAGUE LAST WEEK WEEKS IN RANKINGS
1 York-Simcoe Express OMHA 1 3
2 Toronto Marlies GTHL 2 3
3 Compuware U16 MWEHL- USA 3 3
4 Mississauga Senators GTHL 4 3
5 St. Catharines Falcons OMHA 5 3
6 Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs MHAO 6 3
7 Toronto Jr Canadiens GTHL 9 3
8 Brantford 99'ers MHAO 10 2
9 Sun County Panthers MHAO 8 3
10 Mississauga Reps GTHL 7 3

Honourable Mention
Toronto Young Nats GTHL
Peterborough Petes OMHA

The 2009 OHL Showcase for the OHL Cup will be played at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, from March 18, 2009 through March 22, 2009. The tournament will include 20 participating teams from across Ontario and the United States. The champions and finalists from minor hockey associations in Ontario, including the GTHL, OMHA, ODMHA, ALLIANCE, and an NOHA representative will participate in the tournament with additional teams identified by the Tournament Selection Committee.

Last March, the Toronto Jr. Canadiens defeated the Toronto Marlies 3-2 in the championship game. First overall pick in the 2008 OHL Priority Selection John McFarland (Sudbury Wolves) was named Tournament MVP playing for the Jr. Canadiens. Tyler Toffoli (Ottawa 67’s) of the Jr. Canadiens was named MVP of the championship final. JP Anderson (Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors) played goal for the Marlies squad. Other first round draft picks in the 2008 OHL Priority Selection that competed in the OHL Showcase included Steven Shipley (Owen Sound Attack) who competed with the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs, and Stephen Silas (Belleville Bulls) who played for the Halton Hurricanes.

Several current OHL players are graduates of the OHL Cup, including John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals, Taylor Hall of the Windsor Spitfires, Matt Duchene of the Brampton Battalion, Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires, and Jared Staal of the Sudbury Wolves.

That's My Take

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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