Latest news with #OHL
Ottawa Citizen
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Rowan Henderson eyes big sophomore season with Sudbury Wolves
Article content Just as it took OHL clubs a little while to truly appreciate Rowan Henderson's game, Sudbury Wolves fans may have needed to watch a few shifts last season before realizing what they had in the rookie forward from Wellesley, Ont. Article content Soon, however, they were bound to note not only Henderson's consistently high work rate, but the effective use of angles, stick placement and speed that made him one of head coach Scott Barney's most trusted penalty killers and a deserving winner of the team's Best Defensive Player. Article content Article content After potting his first goal into an empty net back on Nov. 10, the 5-foot-10, 178-pound Waterloo Wolves minor hockey product also showcased his offensive skill down the stretch, finishing with 11 goals and 13 assists in 66 games. Article content Article content 'I had a lot of fun,' said the 17-year-old son of Andrew and Alecia Henderson, reached in his hometown earlier this month. 'It was really different, meeting all the new guys, but it was such a good group. I had fun coming to the rink every day. Article content 'Being on the ice every day was something new, but I enjoyed it, just showing up, being with the guys and the grind of the season is fun, road trips and all that type of thing. I thought it was successful and it's something to build off of, for sure.' Article content Sudbury's first-round pick, 12th overall, in the OHL Under-18 Priority Selection last year, Henderson followed the likes of Nick DeGrazia, Emmett Serensits, Nate Krawchuk and Mitchell Weeks in making the most of a second chance to turn the heads of Wolves brass. But not even those impressive predecessors made such an impact at such a young age as Henderson, who won't celebrate his 18th birthday until Dec. 10 and isn't eligible for the NHL Entry Draft until next summer. Article content Article content Signed out of training camp last fall, the newcomer embraced his role as a pesky, persistent forechecker and a diligent defender, while adhering strictly to the system put in place by Barney and his staff. Article content 'I think it was just listening to the coaches, listening to what they had to say,' Henderson suggested. 'They know better than me, so I just had to listen and whatever they said, I did. I adjusted my game to what I needed to do and the communication was always great, so I always knew what I had to do and when I had to do it.' Article content He pointed to his vision and ability to read plays, which served him so well on offence while leading Waterloo to the Alliance U18 AAA championship, as attributes that also lent themselves well to his success on the other side of the puck. Article content 'I was always leaned on a little bit more for offence on previous teams,' Henderson said. 'I always killed penalties, but it kind of became an identity for me, being a pesky guy, putting my sticks in the right lanes, being hard to play against and being solid defensively.'
CTV News
3 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
World Junior Summer Showcase roster includes hockey players from Kitchener and Brantford
Kitchener Rangers defenceman Cameron Reid and Brantford Bulldogs players Owen Protz, Jake O'Brien and Marek Vanacker are seen in this undated collage (Courtesy: OHL). The long-awaited World Junior Summer Showcase is underway in Minneapolis, Minn., and several Ontario Hockey League (OHL) players from Kitchener and Brantford are among those taking part. The annual event serves as an evaluation camp for players aiming to earn a spot on their national team for the 2026 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Hockey Championship, set to begin in December. Players from Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland have been invited to represent their respective countries. This year, Hockey Canada selected 44 players from across the country to participate. Among them are Kitchener Rangers defenceman Cameron Reid and Brantford Bulldogs players Owen Protz, Jake O'Brien and Marek Vanacker. Throughout the week, athletes will take part in practices, scrimmages and three exhibition games against international opponents. Participants are split into two teams—Red and White—for internal matchups, including an intrasquad game scheduled for July 29. Canada is then set to face Finland on July 30, Sweden on Aug. 1 and the United States on Aug. 2. The IIHF uses a three-point system during competition: three points are awarded to the team that wins in regulation, one point each if the game is tied after regulation and an additional point to the winner of a five-minute overtime or shootout. Guelph Storm forward Jett Luchanko was also invited by Hockey Canada but was unable to attend the showcase. The World Junior Summer Showcase wraps up on Aug. 2. The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship will run from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
North Bay Battalion Sign Russian Import First-Round Pick
The import signings in the OHL continue, with another first-round pick from the 2025 CHL Import Draft committing. After the Niagara IceDogs were able to sign all three of their draft picks, the North Bay Battalion have joined in on the action.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
5 OHL First-Round Draft Picks Remain Unsigned, Including The First Overall Pick
Training camps for the OHL are set to begin in about a month. Teams have been actively signing import players over the past two to three weeks. However, several teams have not yet signed their 2025 first-round draft picks, including two players from the top five.
Ottawa Citizen
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Sudbury Wolves' new player personnel director eyes OHL championship
Article content Dave Gray is a new addition, but certainly not a new face for the Sudbury Wolves and their staff. Article content A retired firefighter from Oshawa with 27 years of experience in the OHL as a scout and director of player personnel, Gray has become well-acquainted with Sudbury general manager Rob Papineau and newly named head scout Jason Spencer in rinks across the province these last several years. Article content Article content And the Wolves, in turn, are more than familiar of Gray's hockey handiwork, which helped to send the Brampton Battalion, then the North Bay Battalion to two appearances in the J. Ross Robertson Cup final, then the Hamilton Bulldogs to a pair of championships. Article content Article content Papineau and company were more than eager, then, to add Gray to their organization after he parted ways with the Bulldogs, now based in Brantford, after the 2024-25 season. Article content The Wolves announced Gray's hiring as director of player personnel last week in a hockey operations shuffle that included the promotions of Spencer to head scout and Jeff Forsyth to assistant general manager. Assistant coach Brent Gauvreau has since added the title of director of player development, while Trevor Gallant, another former Brantford staffer, was added as scout for southwestern Ontario. Article content Article content 'I'm honoured to be asked by Rob to join the Sudbury Wolves,' Gray told The Sudbury Star this past Tuesday. They've got a great history, a lot of great juniors who have come through the Sudbury Wolves. Article content 'My goal is to help Rob and the Wolves win a championship. The harder I work and the better we do together, hopefully we'll achieve that goal.' Article content A mainstay for the Battalion beginning with their entry into the league in 1998, Gray's connection to junior hockey goes back much further. His grandfather was Matt Leyden, the highly decorated junior hockey executive and administrator whose name now graces the OHL's Coach of the Year award. Article content Gray's keen eye for talent helped longtime Battalion bench boss Stan Butler and his crew to reach the post-season in all but two of their seasons in Brampton, with a final appearance in 2009.
