OHL Coaches Poll

Press Release

The Ontario Hockey League today announced the results of the 2008-09 Coaches Poll.

The OHL Coaches Poll provides team coaches with the opportunity to recognize players in several skill categories within their own conference. The top three players in each category from the Eastern and Western Conferences are recognized. Coaches vote for each category within their conference and are not permitted to vote for players on their own team. Players receive five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote and one point for a third place vote.

Brampton Battalion captain Cody Hodgson leads the way as winner of four Eastern Conference categories including smartest player, for the second straight year, hardest worker, best on face-offs, and best penalty killer. P.K Subban of the Belleville Bulls and Brett Parnham of the Oshawa Generals each won two categories, with Subban claiming the hardest shot and best offensive defenceman, while Parnham takes the best shot and ties the Battalion’s Evgeny Grachev as the most dangerous in the goal area. Cory Tanaka of the Bulls is a two-time winner in the best defensive forward category.

In the Western Conference, Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires tops the list in three categories including smartest player, hardest shot, and best offensive defenceman. John Carlson of the London Knights tied Ellis for hardest shot and also takes home the best shot category. Matt Kennedy of the Guelph Storm is also the winner of two categories including most underrated and hardest worker. John Tavares of the Knights was unanimously recognized as the most dangerous in the goal area, a category he also won last season.

All 16 categories are listed below by conference with the point totals in brackets.

Eastern Conference:

Most Underrated Player

John Kurtz, Sudbury (21)
Mike Pelech, Mississauga (18)
Luke Pither, Belleville (12)

Most Improved Player
Corey Cowick, Ottawa (33)
Scott Tanski, Brampton (21)
Brandon Mashinter (12)

Smartest Player
Cody Hodgson, Brampton (43)
Eric Tangradi, Belleville (11)
Calvin de Haan, Oshawa tied Logan Couture, Ottawa (10)

Hardest Worker
Cody Hodgson, Brampton (41)
Eric Tangradi, Belleville (17)
Kory Nagy, Oshawa tied Logan Couture, Ottawa (7)

Best Playmaker
Matt Duchene, Brampton (28)
P.K Subban, Belleville (24)
Calvin de Haan, Oshawa (12)

Most Dangerous in the Goal Area
Evgeny Grachev, Brampton tied Brett Parnham, Oshawa (30)
Tony Romano, Peterborough (11)
Eric Tangradi, Belleville (7)

Best Skater
Shawn Lalonde, Belleville (27)
Evgeny Grachev, Brampton (18)
Alex Hutchings, Barrie (12)

Best Shot
Brett Parnham, Oshawa (31)
Evgeny Grachev, Brampton (26)
Nic Palmieri, Belleville (18)

Hardest Shot
P.K Subban, Belleville (33)
Cody Hodgson, Brampton (20)
Brett Parnham, Oshawa (12)

Best Stickhandler
Matt Duchene, Brampton (33)
Tony Romano, Peterborough (23)
William Wallen, Mississauga (9)

Best on Face-offs
Cody Hodgson, Brampton (33)
Thomas Kiriakou, Ottawa (27)
Mike Pelech, Mississauga (18)

Best Body Checker
Stefan Della Rovere, Barrie (41)
Zack Kassian, Peterborough (23)
Brandon Mashinter, Belleville tied Julien Demers, Ottawa (6)

Best Defensive Forward
Cory Tanaka, Belleville (36)
John Kurtz, Sudbury (19)
Logan Couture, Ottawa (11)

Best Penalty Killer
Cody Hodgson, Brampton (30)
Cory Tanaka, Belleville (26)
Thomas Kiriakou, Ottawa (16)

Best Offensive Defenceman
P.K Subban, Belleville (39)
Cameron Gaunce, Mississauga (22)
Calvin de Haan, Oshawa (17)

Best Defensive Defenceman
Cameron Gaunce, Mississauga (31)
P.K Subban, Belleville (19)
Julien Demers, Ottawa (17)

Western Conference:

Most Underrated Player
Matt Kennedy, Guelph (31)
Justin Taylor, London (27)
Chris Chappell, Saginaw (10)

Most Improved Player
Matt Hackett, Plymouth (39)
Chris Chappell, Saginaw (23)
Matt Clarke, London (12)

Smartest Player
Ryan Ellis, Windsor (30)
John Tavares, London (28)
Justin DiBenedetto, Sarnia (10)

Hardest Worker
Matt Kennedy, Guelph (27)
Tyler Murovich, Saginaw tied Matt Martin, Sarnia (17)
Lane MacDermid, Windsor (12)

Best Playmaker
Joey Hishon, Owen Sound (31)
Andrei Loktionov, Windsor (22)
Ryan O’Reilly, Erie tied John Tavares, London (13)

Most Dangerous in Goal Area
John Tavares, London (45)
Justin DiBenedetto, Sarnia (15)
Chris Terry, Plymouth (14)

Best Skater
Taylor Hall, Windsor (39)
Mark Katic, Sarnia (29)
David Kolomatis, Owen Sound tied T.J Brodie, Saginaw (5)

Best Shot
John Carlson, London (27)
Ryan Ellis, Windsor (24)
Justin DiBenedetto, Sarnia (16)

Hardest Shot
John Carlson, London tied Ryan Ellis, Windsor (24)
Jamie Arniel, Sarnia (15)
Adam Comrie, Saginaw (12)

Best Stickhandler
Joey Hishon, Owen Sound (29)
Nazem Kadri, London (26)
Andrei Loktionov, Windsor (17)

Best on Face-Offs
Adam Henrique, Windsor (19)
Ryan O’Reilly, Erie (18)
Marcus Carroll, Owen Sound (14)

Best Body Checker
Zac Rinaldo, London tied Matt Martin, Sarnia (26)
Luke Gazdic, Erie (12)
Kaine Geldart, Plymouth (11)

Best Defensive Forward
Scott Timmins, Windsor (39)
Matt Kennedy, Guelph (15)
Tyler Murovich, Saginaw (13)

Best Penalty Killer
Ryan O’Reilly, Erie (18)
Matthew Lyall, Sault Ste. Marie (17)
Dan Kelly, Kitchener (13)

Best Offensive Defenceman
Ryan Ellis, Windsor (43)
Mark Katic, Sarnia (24)
David Kolomatis, Owen Sound tied T.J Brodie, Saginaw (10)

Best Defensive Defenceman
Brett Bellemore, Plymouth (20)
Dan Kelly, Kitchener (17)
Steve Ferry, Sarnia (15)

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