The Oshawa Generals have put together a team of young, skilled players to compete for their sixth Memorial Cup title.

Memorial Cup Contender Series

Our series is focused on Memorial Cup contenders from the OHL, WHL and QMJHL. It is an early preview of the potential entries to the Memorial Cup tournament in May. If you have missed any of the articles in the series, you can find the links below.

This week, we continue with another contender in the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League.

Oshawa Generals (28-19-7-2): 5th in Eastern Conference / 3rd in Division

The Oshawa Generals are no strangers to being in the Memorial Cup contender's conversation. They lead all active franchises with five titles, with the latest victory being at the 2015 tournament which was hosted by the current champion Quebec Remparts. 

The Generals have done a commendable job perfecting the junior hockey rebuild cycle, which typically allows for two years of contention followed by two years of rebuilding. Proof of this comes in spades, as the Gens have won the most J. Ross Robertson Cups (OHL Playoff champions) at 13 and look to build on that number in the coming years. 

The club is currently in the mid-stages of a rebuild and are considered to be a year away from true contention. However, a surprise start to the season, followed by remarkable consistency to stay in games, has seen the upstart club all but secure a playoff berth and top of conference ranking.

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Strengths

A young, highly skilled, diverse and developing core is the Generals biggest asset. The club sent a CHL leading three prospects to the annual top prospects showcase for NHL teams. 

This year's event was held in Moncton, New Brunswick on January 24th, 2024 and featured the three leagues (OHL, WHL, QMJHL) top 40 draft eligible prospects as determined by NHL Central Scouting. Quite an impressive feat when your club has three members while 28 other CHL franchises do not have a single representative.

That draft eligible core consists of defenseman Ben Danford, Luca Marrelli, and the sharp-shooting Beckett Sennecke. All three were taken by the Gens in the OHL Draft and have contributed to a core that plays a very responsible two-way game that currently ranks in the top three in the OHL in goals against per game.

Strong and consistent goaltending by third-year junior but first-time starter Jacob Oster has also contributed to a strong defensive result to date. The Ottawa, Ontario native has posted a 2.91 goals-against-average (GAA) and .904 save percentage (SV%) this season. 

Oster ranks in the top five league-wide in both those categories, just trailing London's Michael Simpson in GAA. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound right catching tendy was ranked as high as 18th amongst his draft eligible goalie peers in 2022 and even though he ended up going undrafted, don't be surprised if Oster gets a pro tryout with the strong numbers he has put up in his first true season as a starter.

A balanced attack is led by Colorado Avalanche 2023 First Round selection (27th overall) center Calum Ritchie, who currently leads the club with 60 points (19 goals,  41 assists) in only 38 games played. It is complimented by fellow point-per-game veteran winger Connor Lockhardt, who was acquired in a trade from the 2022-2023 OHL Champion Peterborough Petes early on in the 2023-2024 season.

The former top three OHL draft selection (2019 third overall) has been an excellent veteran addition to a young Gennys squad that has six additional players that are within striking distance of point-per-game results so far this season. A strength that can be deadly in a playoff run.

Weaknesses

A middle of the pack powerplay, currently ranked 10th league wide, paired with 212 goals scored so far this season places the Gens offense just below the top tier teams in the OHL. In the East specifically, the Wolves, Battalion and Bulldogs all have posted stronger offensive numbers and even though the conference leading defensive efforts offset some of those potential scoring issues it cannot be understated how important elite scoring threats are in the playoffs.

Outlook

A young squad that still has plenty of growth left, the Generals are just beginning their window of contention in a top-heavy Eastern Conference that features many veteran teams up top and early rebuilders near the bottom. A perfect storm for this club to contend for the next several seasons. 

The impressive young core of Sennecke, Marrelli and Danford paired with veterans Ritchie, Lockhardt, and Carp, Ontario native Stuart Rolofs will gain valuable playoff experience this season and likely push one of the top dogs in the East to a long series in the second or even third round.

The fact the Gens have been in 24 one-goal games to date this season should prove that they will be a very tough out come playoff time. The future is very bright for a model franchise that knows how to win championships and has a long history of success in both the OHL and Memorial Cup Tournament.

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Additional Content from the Contender Series