News Around The OHL

The OHL Playoffs resume Friday Night as the defending champion London Knights host the Barrie Colts in Game One of the OHL Finals. With the puck drop just hours away, there were plenty of news around the OHL, so here we go.

Kitchener Rangers: The Rangers signed free agent Jimmy Soper to a league contract. This past season, Soper skated for the Waterloo Siskins of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) as he scored a team-leading 29 goals with 24 assists in 48 games. Soper, A Waterloo, Ontario native, was recently named the team’s Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player.

Defenseman Frank Hora also signed on with the Rangers by inking an OHL contract. Hora, who was selected in the eighth round of the 2012 OHL Priority Selection, spent this past season with the Buffalo Jr Sabres Under-18 squad in the Midwest Elite Hockey League (MWEHL) as he racked up seven goals and 18 assists in 61 games. The 16-year old blueliner was promoted to the Jr. Sabres’ club in the Ontario Junior Hockey League as he scored a goal and added four assists in four games  and also notched a pair off assists in one playoff game.

The Rangers weren’t done with their signing spree as defenseman Doug Blaisdell also inked an OHL contract. Blaisdell, who is from Dearborn, Michigan, scored a goal and added nine assists with 18 penalty minutes in 20 games with the Detroit Honeybaked Under-16 squad this past season. Blaisdell was selected by the Rangers in the third round, 58th overall, in last month’s OHL Priority Selection.

Plymouth Whalers: Head Coach Mike Vellucci was named the 2012-13 recipient of the Matt Leyden Trophy, which is given out annually to the OHL’s Coach of the Year. The Whalers finished the season with a 42-17-5-4 and won up their 12th division title in franchise history. It was the 22nd consecutive year that the Whalers made the playoffs. Vellucci, who has a coaching record of 440-278-40, edged out George Burnett of the Belleville Bulls and first year head coach DJ Smith of the Oshawa Generals for the honors.

Sarnia Sting
: Nikita Korostelev has signed on with the Sting by inking an OHL contract and education package. Korostelev, who was the ninth overall pick in last month’s OHL Priority Selection, scored 12 goals and added 14 assists in 13 games last season with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL).

Head Coach and General Manager Jacques Beaulieu and his son, Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Nathan Beaulieu, were charged with two counts of assault from an altercation this past Saturday at a house party. A court date is set for June 11. Both the Sting and Canadiens’ organization have declined comment. 

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