Friday Night Hockey
Go figure, another overtime/shootout game between the London Knights and Sarnia Sting. Of the six meetings between the clubs this season, five of them were decided by one goal, four of them were decided in either overtime or the shootout and the other one was a two-goal decision.
Including ties, Alex Galchenyuk was still in the top 20 in OHL scoring as of Saturday morning.
Nikolay Goldobin will be someone to keep an eye on for the 2014 NHL Draft. He’s amassed amazing rookie point totals and has done it with little help from Reid Boucher and Charles Sarault. Goldobin has spent most of his time on a line with Daniel Nikandrov and Nickolas Latta.
Still can’t help but imagine what Sarnia would be like with Yakupov, Galchenyuk and Connor Murphy in its lineup.
Don’t think the Knights are going through a downward cycle anytime soon. They have eight players expected to go in the draft according to NHL Central Scouting rankings, including potential first-round picks Bo Horvat, Max Domi, and Nikita Zadorov.
And in terms of on-ice product, London looks the best of any three of the potential 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup hosts.
It’s amazing how after all these years Dale Hunter still has such a passion for the game of hockey. It seems as if in addition to coaching his team, he has time to keep close tabs on everything going on in the NHL.
Keep an eye on Remi Elie, Kyle Platzer and Miles Liberati. All three have been given increased ice time as a result of injuries to Seth Griffith, a suspension to Matt Rupert and another injury to Scott Harrington.
WHL
Sad to see Cory Flett leaving the league. He did an unbelievable job as the WHL’s communications director for the past six seasons. It was a true pleasure working with him throughout — no doubt he’ll be a huge success in the next chapter of his life. A familiar face in Jeff Hubert will oversee that post as of the end of March. Jeff is no stranger to the league, as he’s been with the WHL since 2006. Welcome, Jeff.
The Tri-City Americans continue to be a model of consistency. The Ams have now won 40 or more games for the seventh straight season.
Cemented in the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, the Red Deer Rebels will have the services of Jordan DePape for the playoffs. The shrewd move by Brent Sutter back in mid-January should give the Rebels a boost. DePape had 13 points in 11 playoff games with the Blazers last year.
QMJHL
In case you haven’t already heard, the QMJHL will revert back to its old schedule for the 2013-14 season. Traditionally, the QMJHL schedule starts a week earlier than the OHL and the WHL. It had been that way to accommodate CEGEP schooling demands. Coaches found training camp to be too long and the season schedule too condensed.
CEGEP schooling demands are also the reason the QMJHL has specific trading periods.
The Mooseheads have played 13 games where both Drouin and MacKinnon were out of the lineup. Halifax’s record during those games is 10-1-2-0.
By the way, where is Stephen MacAulay?
NHL implications
Once again, Sportsnet will have a star-studded cast on hand for the NHL Trade Deadline. I always find it interesting to see what picks or players from the CHL are on the move.
Stat Trick
Which teams have won the most when trailing after two periods?
Team Record
Victoria 10-27-0-1
Sault Ste. Marie 9-19-0-3
Rimouski 8-13-0-2
Kamloops 6-13-1-1
Moncton 6-15-1-0
Barrie 6-16-1-1
Red Deer 6-17-2-1
Val-d’or 6-18-0-3
Tri-City 6-19-0-0
Completely off topic
Esquire Magazine’s piece on the Navy Seal who shot Bin Laden is fascinating.
U-18
With most of the playoff spots in the CHL having been decided, it’s time to start thinking about Canada’s roster for the 2013 World Under-18 Championships.
Bracketology
Be sure to check this out. It’s a bracket pool for the CHL playoffs.
CIS PotashCorp University Cup
The most underrated hockey event of the calendar begins Thursday in Saskatoon. The University Cup features the top six CIS programs in a modified round robin to determine the national champion. There will be a new champion this season as the McGill Redmen bowed out in the OUA East playoffs.
For more on the CHL, be sure to check out the latest from Patrick King.