Sean Day has been a beleaguered big man since he was granted exceptional status to enter the OHL early three years ago, which has fomented some empathy for the mobile defenceman.
That creates a bit of feel-good story out of Day settling in well with the MasterCard Memorial Cup-host Windsor Spitfires, who are 6-1-1-0 since the New York Rangers prospect was acquired from the Mississauga Steelheads on Oct. 19. Beyond having seven points in eight games, the 18-year-old has been composed on the back end and consistent from game to game, the latter quality having been somewhat intermittent during his seasons with the Steelheads. Having a change of scenery that involves being closer to his home base in Michigan seems to be a blessing.
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Players with Day’s dimensions (6-foot-3, 212 lb.) and skating are hard to find, and the Rangers could have something after selecting him No. 81 overall in June. Being tapped for having unlimited potential can be something of a curse and it’s always felt like (a) Hockey Canada might have erred in granting Day exceptional status and (b) being a manchild physically, might have led to people to assume emotional maturity, when the birth certificate could have told you he was still a young teenager.
The exceptional status was designed for players who clearly surpassed their one-year-older peers; John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid all became No. 1-overall choices in the NHL and turned pro as 18-year-olds. In the winter of 2012-13, Travis Konecny was everybody’s first-overall pick in the OHL priority selection and has validated that by making the Philadelphia Flyers as a 19-year-old.
With NHL first-rounders Mikhail Sergachev (Montreal) and Logan Stanley (Winnipeg) also leading the Spitfires defence corps, Day doesn’t isn’t expected to be a franchise player. Windsor also signaled through the last Friday’s trade with the Niagara IceDogs for two-way left wing Graham Knott that it wants to play a heavy, uncompromising 200-foot game come tournament time in late May.
On Sunday, Day was plus-4 during a 4-3 Spitfires win over Peterborough. He didn’t have that stat line too often with the Steelheads.
Hurricanes’ Anholt fined
Two minutes for candour: Lethbridge Hurricanes GM Peter Anholt was fined $1,000 by the WHL last week for being unsparing in his elaboration on why he traded leading scorer Brayden Burke to the Moose Jaw Warriors.
“He was distracted a lot from Day 1,” Anholt told Global News last week. “He wasn’t great at (training camp). I just really sensed that he was a distraction to our team in a lot of ways.
“We want players to understand, we will give you every opportunity you can have to be a player here, within reason. In his case he took it for granted, and abused it. So it’s time to move on.”
'He was a distraction': Lethbridge Hurricanes GM explains why he traded star forward Brayden Burke.https://t.co/3hLrqjiIHV #yql pic.twitter.com/2Skv6n5OuU
— Matt Battochio (@mattbattochio) November 10, 2016
1/3: Spoke with @MJWARRIORS GM Alan Miller, he's not impressed with comments made by @WHLHurricanes GM Peter Anholt on Brayden Burke. #yql
— Liam Nixon (@GlobalLiamNixon) November 10, 2016
2/3: Miller: "I consider (Anholt) a friend, I have tremendous respect for him, so I was very surprised he took that kind of tact." #yql
— Liam Nixon (@GlobalLiamNixon) November 10, 2016
3/3: Miller: "I don't agree with (the comments) being said… I believe as adults, we need to take the high road…" #yql
— Liam Nixon (@GlobalLiamNixon) November 10, 2016
Apparently, being open about trading a third-year player in a league that invites feedback on its product by selling tickets to the public was offside. It’s always easy to say someone should have filtered his words differently or fallen back on circumspect clichés. Common sense might also suggest giving Anholt a pass, considering Lethbridge was a laughingstock before he joined their front office in 2014.
Burke, who has 23 points in 15 games, is expected to join Moose Jaw this week.
Generals’ Burt blindsided
It was heart-in-mouth time on Sunday night when the Oshawa Generals’ Robbie Burt went head-first into the boards after a blindside check from Sudbury Wolves rookie Drake Pilon.
Burt, a 17-year-old who was the Generals’ main return in the Michael Dal Colle trade last season with Kingston, was motionless on the ice for nearly 15 minutes. Burt regained alertness and feeling in his extremities after being taken to a hospital. Concern for the young right wing overshadowed that Eastern Conference-leading Oshawa won the game and is now on a 10-game point streak.
Burt being stretchered off of the ice in a scary scene here in Oshawa. Teams now trying to regroup and prepare to get back to hockey. #OHL
— Anthony Nicholson (@TimesNicholson) November 14, 2016
The hit by Drake Pilon on Robbie Burt that stopped play for 15+ minutes. Burt stretchered off.. Status unknown. Pilon, Game Misc-Blindside pic.twitter.com/O1CtDcMTI1
— Claude Sharma (@ClaudeSharma) November 14, 2016
Getting word that injured @Oshawa_Generals Forward Robbie Burt is alert & speaking at the hospital. They won this one for him!!! @OHLHockey
— Mike Luck (@LuckyMikeLuck) November 14, 2016
Pilon, who played his way onto the Wolves this season as a free agent (along with his twin, Darian Pilon), received a major and game misconduct for blindsiding. The OHL reviews all such penalties for supplemental discipline. The play should re-ignite debate over what falls under the umbrella term “hockey play.” There did not appear to be charging by Pilon or contact to the head, but Burt might have been an unsuspecting player. The fact there was an injury on the play could also weigh into the length of any suspension.
Canadian NHL team prospect of the week
Dillon Dubé, C, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
The Calgary Flames third-rounder had three assists in his belated season debut to help Kelowna defeat the Prince Albert Raiders 7-1 on Saturday. A lower-body injury led to Dubé missing the Rockets’ first 19 games, but he slid right into the role as the centre between team scoring leader Kole Lind and super-rookie Nolan Foote.
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Prior to regaining Dubé’s services, the Rockets were already beginning to find their typical form. Kelowna is 8-2-0-0 across their last 10 games.
New name to know
Oliver Castleman, LW, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
Castleman is making the most of the ample opportunities for 17-year-olds on the rebuilding IceDogs, standing seventh in OHL rookie scoring with 12 points (5G-7A) in 19 games. The f2016 ourth-round choice has good anticipation and could become a core player by the time Niagara gets close to the peak of its new rebuilding cycle.
Niagara IceDogs rookie forward Oliver Castleman played his minot hockey with the Ottawa Jr. 67’s. (Terry Wilson/OHL Images)
The Gloucester, Ont., native is one of the first grads of a Hockey Eastern Ontario initiative where the Jr. B loop was restructured as a under-18 development league. Facing more age-appropriate competition last season, Castleman had 56 points in 37 games for the Casselman Vikings. Castleman on Casselman? That must have been confusing.
