OHL Roster

OHL Press Release

The Guelph Storm and Niagara IceDogs hockey clubs in collaboration with the Ontario Hockey League and the Canadian Hockey League held simultaneous news conferences today announcing the coaching staffs and rosters for their respective games of the 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge.

Hockey Canada’s Chief Scout Al Murray along with Sarnia Sting General Manager Alan Miller and Peterborough Petes General Manager Jeff Twohey selected two rosters that will compete for Team OHL in the 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge. The 6th annual ADT Canada Russia Challenge will play a key role in the selection process of Canada’s World Junior Hockey Championship team that will look to capture a fifth straight gold medal on home ice this January in Ottawa.

Top prospects for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft including John Tavares (Oshawa Generals), Matt Duchene (Brampton Battalion), and Nazem Kadri (London Knights) have all been named to the squad. P.K. Subban (Belleville Bulls) joins Tavares as the only members of the 2008 Team Canada squad that won gold at the World Junior Hockey Championships in the Czech Republic. 30 players in total have been named to the rosters and of this number 21 are NHL drafted including five first round picks. Eight players on the rosters are eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Taylor Hall (Windsor Spitfires) is the only player named to the roster that is ineligible for the draft until 2010.

Dave Cameron, Head Coach/General Manager of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors will handle the head coaching duties for both games. Cameron will be an assistant coach this year at the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championships hosted in Ottawa. Joining Cameron behind the bench as an assistant coach on Thursday November 20 in Guelph will be Jason Brooks, Head Coach of the Guelph Storm. Last January Brooks won a gold medal as Head Coach of Team Ontario at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge hosted in London. Head Coach of the IceDogs Mario Cicchillo will serve as an assistant coach to Cameron for the game hosted in Niagara on Monday November 24. Cicchillo was earlier named the head coach of Team Ontario for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge this winter.

The 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge schedule of games is as follows: Game 1 – Monday November 17 in Sydney, NS
Game 2 – Wednesday November 19 in Saint John, NB
Game 3 – Thursday November 20 in Guelph, ON
Game 4 – Monday November 24 in St. Catharines, ON
Game 5 – Wednesday November 26 in Swift Current, SK
Game 6 – Thursday November 27 in Prince Albert , SK

All six ADT Canada Russia Challenge games will be televised nationwide on Rogers Sportsnet. The games being played in the QMJHL markets will air on RDS.

Here are the OHL rosters for the 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge:

Game 1 – Guelph, ON – November 20
Forwards (OHL Club):
Matt Duchene (Brampton Battalion)
Casey Cizikas (Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors)
Peter Holland (Guelph Storm)
Anthony Nigro (Guelph Storm)
Cody Hodgson (Brampton Battalion)
Chris Terry (Plymouth Whalers)
Nazem Kadri (London Knights)
Taylor Hall (Windsor Spitfires)
Greg Nemisz (Windsor Spitfires)
Dale Mitchell (Windsor Spitfires)
Logan Couture (Ottawa 67’s)
John Tavares (Oshawa Generals)

Defence (OHL Club):
Michael Del Zotto (Oshawa Generals)
Ryan Ellis (Windsor Spitfires)
Cameron Gaunce (Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors)
Mark Cundari (Windsor Spitfires)
Tyler Cuma (Ottawa 67’s)
T.J. Brodie (Saginaw Spirit)

Goaltenders (OHL Club):
Chris Carrozzi (Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors)
Tyler Beskorowany (Owen Sound Attack)


Game 2 – St. Catharines, ON – November 24
Forwards:
Matt Duchene (Brampton Battalion)
Jamie Arniel (Sarnia Sting)
Zack Kassian (Peterborough Petes)
Andrew Agozzino (Niagara IceDogs)
Cody Hodgson (Brampton Battalion)
Nazem Kadri (London Knights)
Bryan Cameron (Belleville Bulls)
Taylor Hall (Windsor Spitfires)
Greg Nemisz (Windsor Spitfires)
Logan Couture (Ottawa 67’s)
John Tavares (Oshawa Generals)
Eric O’Dell (Sudbury Wolves)

Defence (OHL Club):
Michael Del Zotto (Oshawa Generals)
P.K. Subban (Belleville Bulls)
Ryan Ellis (Windsor Spitfires)
Shawn Lalonde (Belleville Bulls)
Cameron Gaunce (Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors)
Mark Katic (Sarnia Sting)

Goaltenders (OHL Club):
Mike Murphy (Belleville Bulls)
Trevor Cann (Peterborough Petes)

All I can say is the OHL is stacked. Just looking at the names it seems like the perfect roster (s). For people who follow the OHL very closely, did anyone get snubbed? I like to know from someone who follows the league closely.

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)