On a high scoring night with nine games on the slate, here are the Three Stars for December 15th.
Three Stars of the Night for December 15th, 2023, with eighteen OHL teams in action.
1st Star: Jax Dubois, Peterborough Petes (3G, 1A)
7 (GUE) - 5 (PBO)
Though the Petes lost this high scoring game, this was their third game without first line centre Owen Beck. This performance was a huge step towards "filling" Owen Beck's role while he is representing Canada at the World Juniors.
Jax Dubois — the OHL's lead faceoff man — has been filling Beck's spot, as well as his own. In this game, he was really able to take charge on both ends of the ice, and on the scoresheet. Dubois put up a hattrick and one assist, contributing to four of the Petes five goals.
The Petes are running three centres down the lineup, and Dubois is the one with the highest responsibility. He has been second to Beck all season long, but now Dubois is getting his chance to shine as "the guy" in Peterborough. Dubois took 32 draws last night, an astounding number for any centreman. He has won 91 more faceoffs than any other centre in the OHL, and is starting to prove he can be the number one guy in the lineup.
2nd Star: David Goyette, Sudbury Wolves (2G, 2A)
6 (SBY) - 4 (FLNT)
The Seattle Kraken prospect had another multi-point effort against Flint, his 12th of the season. David Goyette put up four points in a 6-4 victory, and he was a +3.
The Wolves' captain just continues to prove his dominance in this league, despite being omitted from Canada's World Junior Preliminary Roster. Him and first rounder Quentin Musty were back at it again, each contributing heavily to the win.
Goyette possesses a wide variety of offensive tools and an off-the-charts playmaking ability. He has high offensive vision and is a heavy play driver. Goyette will more-than-likely have the opportunity to play in the AHL next season with Coachella, and will be considered for OHL MVP this season.
Goyette has lead his team to another win, which makes their third in a row.
3rd Star: Jacob Julien, London Knights (3G, 1A)
8 (LDN) - 2 (OS)
Jacob Julien's four-point night helped lead the Knights to a dominant 8-2 win over the Owen Sound Attack. With several Knights playing at the World Juniors, Julien had an elevated role playing alongside Denver Barkey and Ruslan Gazizov on the first line. Theses three were able to find tremendous chemistry against Owen Sound, and Barkey & Gazizov also finished with multi-point nights.
In this game, Julien was able to find himself open on the backdoor for all three goals with fantastic passes from Gazizov & Barkey. The Winnipeg Jets' fourth round pick has skyrocketed his trajectory this season. Last year, Julien's tools and 6-foot-4 size were very likeable for NHL scouts, and this year he is exceeding his expectations offensively. He is playing a much more elevated role this season, and in games like this where he can play on the first line, he is finding a way to create.