Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/17f782a7-1fac-4c06-9f6a-69d7840e0e32.png] Day one of the OHL Cup is over. Three wildcard games decided the last three teams to make up the 20 teams that will participate in round-robin play. A recap of the Niagara North Stars, Toronto Marlboros, and Toronto Jr. Canadiens wins can be found here [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/niagara-marlboros-jr-canadiens-advance-through-ohl-cup-wilcard-round]. Round-robin play began with a match between the Vaughan Kings and York Simcoe Express. The Kings notched the first official win of the tournament 6-4. The article below summarizes all 12 round-robin games played on Monday, along with top performers from each game. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bookmark The Hockey News OHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/] site to never miss news, interviews, and any updates around the league. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YORK SIMCOE EXPRESS 4 VS. VAUGHAN KINGS 6 -Vaughan came out of the gates leading 4-1 after the opening period, but the Express rallied back with two of their own in the second to make it 4-3, before Vaughan added two more insurance markers in the third. -Kings forward Eloan Le Gallic had two goals and an assist. Express centerman Ben Veitch had a goal and two assists. Each received Player of the Game honors. -Ryerson Edgar on York Simcoe looked like the most OHL-ready player with his dynamic skating, puck protection skills, and soft hands. Finished with a goal and an assist. -Carter Lewandowski on Vaughan played a smart, two-way game as the pivot for his line. He recorded a goal and two assists and went 17/25 on faceoffs. BARRIE COLTS 0 VS. DON MILLS FLYERS 4 -Barrie held in it through two periods despite being heavily outplayed, but the U16 GTHL Champions broke free in the third period scoring four times. -Barrie netminder Jayden Claveau was the game's best player (Player of the Game for the Colts) making 36 saves on 40 shots (Barrie was outshot 40-9). -The upcoming OHL draft lacks talent in the defense department, but Flyers' blueliner Caden Bell was incredible in this game, earning Player of the Game for his squad with two goals and an assist. AJAX/PICKERING RAIDERS 0 VS. TORONTO TITANS 3 -Ajax/Pickering Raiders held strong and kept it close against one of the tournament favorites, Toronto Titans, but struggled to get much going offensively, and were shutout 3-0. -Raiders netminder Ethan Maniaci stopped 22 of 25. Titans forward Timothy Walker scored the first two goals in the game. Both players earned Player of the Game honors. -Titans netminder Malcolm Rose stopped all 18 shots he faced. -Titans forward Jeremy Freeman did not hit the back of the net with his game-high six shots, but was dangerous, and recorded an assist. HALTON HURRICANES 3 VS. TORONTO RED WINGS 1 -The U16 OMHA Champions, Halton Hurricanes, started their OHL Cup tournament on a high note, defeating the GTHL's Toronto Red Wings 3-1, the team who were runner-ups at the Silverstick tournament in November. -Two of the top-ranked goaltenders dueled it out in this one. Halton's Cole Vreugdenhill was sensational making 39 saves on 40 shots, while Red Wings' Cruz Reznik stopped 26 of 29. -Two blueliners received Player of the Game honors: Hurricanes' Colton D'Amico (who recorded a goal and an assist) and Red Wings' Cade Campbell. -Halton's top forward Aleksandr Sementsov was a close runner-up for Halton's Player of the Game, recording a game-high 10 shots, and posting a goal and an assist. UPPER CANADA CYCLONES 1 VS. SUN COUNTY PANTHERS 1 -Our first tie of the tournament belongs to the Upper Canada Cyclones and the U16 Alliance Champions, the Sun County Panthers. Cyclones' Colby Nystedt opened the scoring in the first. Then late in the third on the powerplay, Panthers blueliner Eric Wood tied the game up. -Both goaltenders deservingly received Player of the Game honors. Upper Canada's Connor Haffner looked extremely poised and had excellent rebound control, making 27 saves on 28 shots. Sun County's Anderson Camilleri stopped 21 of 22 but made several big saves in the third to keep his team in the game. -Projected top-five pick Jaakko Wycisk on the Panthers set up the game-tying goal, recorded six shots, went 16/24 on faceoffs, and looked like one of the most intelligent skaters on the ice. WATERLOO WOLVES 0 VS. TPH HOCKEY 3 -American representatives, TPH Hockey, started the game with multiple undisciplined penalties but settled into their game and took down the Waterloo Wolves by a score of 3-0. -TPH netminder Mason Courville recorded a 33-save shutout and battled through a cramping injury he had in the third period. -Goalscorers for TPH were: Liam Young, Benjamin Collins, and Norman Greene. -Waterloo's Player of the Game was forward Miachel Pope. OTTAWA VALLEY TITANS 2 VS. ELGIN-MIDDLESEX CANUCKS 1 -The U16 HEO Champions, Ottawa Valley Titans, narrowly edge past the Elgin-Middlesex Canucks 2-1 in what was a heated affair with lots of penalties. -Projected top-ten pick Kaden McGregor set up both of Ottawa's goals with beautiful assists displaying his playmaking skill. He was his team's Player of the Game. -Ottawa forward James Roy scored the opening goal shorthanded in the first period and registered a game-high seven shots. He was a threat in transition all game long. -Canucks netminder Haydyn Taylor was his team's best player and gave them a fighting chance. He received Player of the Game honors for his team stopping 25 of 27. TEAM NOHA 0 VS. HURON-PERTH LAKERS 3 -Team NOHA had a difficult game handling the pace of the Silverstick tournament champions, the Huron-Perth Lakers. A goal in each period sealed a 3-0 victory for the Lakers. -Team NOHA goaltender Tanner Carrier was the busier netminder of the two in the final two periods. He made 24 saves on 27 shots and was his team's Player of the Game. -Lakers' defenseman Cullen Kerslake made the game look easy for him with his calm demeanor. He had an assist on his team's third goal and was a +3, earning Player of the Game for Huron-Perth. -Goalscorers for Huron-Perth were: Wes Robertson, Myles Phillips, and Kane Barch. VAUGHAN KINGS 2 VS. TORONTO JR. CANADIENS 3 -One of the games of the day belonged to the Vaughan Kings and Toronto Jr. Canadiens. After getting through their wildcard contest, JRC carried on their momentum with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Kings thanks to forward Sam Roberts. -It's unfair to choose between JRC's Camryn Warren and Kings' netminder David Healy for the sole top performer of the game. Both players were outstanding and difference-makers for their teams. -Healy was Vaughan's Player of the Game and received a massive cheer from the crowd when announced. He made 27 saves on 30 shots, but potentially five to seven of those saves were unworldly saves. -Warren projects as a top-three pick in the upcoming OHL draft and he is showing why. His speed allows him to be all over the ice and his two goals were off his elite-level release. DON MILLS FLYERS 6 VS. NIAGARA NORTH STARS 1 -The projected favorites to win the event Flyers had a slow start against the triple overtime wildcard winners Niagara. Alas, just like they did earlier in the day against Barrie, they broke the game open rapidly, and cruised to a 6-1 win. -Flyers forward Lyndon Cabral had primary assists on two goals in the second and scored twice in the third, bringing home a four-point performance, and earning Player of the Game for Don Mills. -Flyers defenseman Caden Bell once again looked great and easily was the best defenseman of the day. He added another goal and an assist against Niagara, bringing his tournament point total to five in two games. -Projected top-three pick Charlie Murata hasn't exploded off the scoresheet through two games, but he's noticeable every shift with his high-end skating and superb vision. -Niagara forward Sandro Guttaiano scored the lone goal for his team and was their Player of the Game. TORONTO TITANS 4 VS. TORONTO MARLBOROS 3 -The game of the day of course belonged to the triple-overtime wildcard game between Niagara and Oakville. But the second most entertaining game was the second-last one of the day, where the Titans overcame a 3-1 deficit in the third period to avoid an upset against their GTHL counterparts. -A three-goal second period led by the Marlies captain Cannon Thibodeau (one goal, one assist, and Player of the Game honors for his team) had everyone shocked. -Titans star forward Jeremy Freeman took matters into his own hands and scored two goals in the first five minutes of the third to quickly tie things up. He also had two assists in the game, setting up the game-winner, and earning Player of the Game honors for the TItans. -Titans center Max Delisle recorded a goal and an assist, had six shots, and went 18/32 on faceoffs. -Marlies forward Kingston Harris once again was one of his team's best forwards with a goal and an assist. TORONTO RED WINGS 1 VS. DETROIT LITTLE CAESARS 2 -The other American representatives, Detroit Little Caesars, had the last game for day one against the Toronto Red Wings, and they narrowly edged past them 2-1. This was a rematch of their semifinal matchup at the Silverstick tournament, where the Red Wings got the better of the American team winning 4-3. -One of Detroit's top producers from the Silverstick tournament, Massimo Santa Maria, scored the game-winning goal in the second period and was his team's Player of the Game. -Detroit blueliner Jack Peterson registered primary assists on both his team's goals. -Red Wings' forward Caiden Clair was his team's Player of the Game and had their lone goal. -Red Wings went with their other goaltender for this game, Josh Taylor, who was equally as good as Cruz Reznik. He made 28 saves on 30 shots. Day two begins bright and early again at 8am with TPH Hockey taking on the Barrie Colts and then Sun County Panthers dueling against the York Simcoe Express at 8:15am.
