Patrick Watling with the Guelph Storm – Photo OHL Images/Terry Wilson

“Patrick, coming from the Guelph Storm system of Mike Kelly and Scott Walker, understands very clearly the right way to play the game. He plays with speed and tenacity in pursuit of the puck at all times. Patrick is a positive possession player, when he’s on the ice his team either has the puck or is working with speed to get it back,” said Soo Greyhounds General Manager Kyle Dubas in a team release.

Watling, a Sault Ste. Marie resident, led the Chatham Maroons in scoring in 2010-2011 with 75 points in 49 games, and was named a First Team GOJHL All-Star that same season. In total, Watling played 102 playoff and regular season games in a Chatham Maroons sweater.

“Patrick is a very versatile player and can play left wing or centre anywhere in the lineup and have success. Though he is an overage player, he is a late birthdate (born after September 15) who is just entering his 3rd season in the Ontario Hockey League. We feel that Patrick’s ability to produce at even strength is a good indicator that he has some more offensive potential. Patrick is also a tremendous student who will fit in well with our academic program,” continued Dubas.

In 122 regular season OHL games, all as a member of the Guelph Storm, Patrick Watling has 18 goals and 30 assists.

A change, announced in the Wallaceburg Courier Press, will showcase the Lakers to Walpole fans, potentially as often as one game per month.

The Wallaceburg Lakers, who currently call Wallaceburg Memorial Arena home, will challenge opponents on the much larger ice surface at Walpole Island.

The Lakers, traditionally, have held portions of their training camp at Walpole, and this year, will audition new players on the Olympic size ice surface as they open their Summer Camp on Saturday, July 27, 2013 at the Thames Campus arena in Chatham.

Walpole Island Sports Complex was the home arena for at Great Lakes Junior C team from 1988 until 1999 when the Walpole

There was a Walpole Island team in the Great Lakes Junior C hockey league for a number years from 1988 to 1999.

Saginaw Spirit goalie Nikita Serebryakov of Russia – Photo OHL Images/Terry Wilson

In order to achieve their goal, the OHL will ban the selection of goalies in the CHL Import Draft, beginning next year. The change, which was decided at a recent CHL goaltending symposium, aims to create more opportunities for Canadian born goaltenders. The plan, will effectively eliminate all European goaltenders from the OHL in the next four years.

Although only four OHL teams featured European goaltenders last season, three of the four teams participating in this year’s Memorial Cup started European goalies, and all three NHL candidates for the Vezina Trophy are European.

With the move taking effect soon, the door may be open for more local goaltenders who otherwise would find themselves buried at the Junior A, B, or C levels to advance.

Chatham-Kent Cyclones goalie Brendan Johnston is one local goalie who could benefit from the move, as Johnston was selected by the Windsor Spitfires, and signed by the team this spring. Similarly, had this rule been in place previously, Chatham Maroons goaltender Darien Ekblad may have seen full time OHL duty last season, as the All-Star Junior B netminder, was behind Russian goalie Nikita Serebryakov on the Saginaw Spirit depth chart. Ekblad appeared in his first career OHL game this season, recording a win.

Have your say! Do you think it’s right for the OHL to ban European goaltenders?

Adam Ripley receiving his OHA award from Trevor Tinney – Photo ArcPro HD Inc.

Ripley, the trainer of the Essex 73s, was named the OHA’s Trainer of the Year.

“Adam Ripley is a truly dedicated member of the hockey club (Essex 73s). Adam is one of the finest representatives of the quality of people the OHA strives to obtain each season, not only in his training skills with the Essex 73s, but his life skills, his personal committment to volunteering and becoming involved in his community,” said Trevor Tinney, a Director of the OHA.

“When is comes to performing his duties as the 73s trainer, Adam ensures the players are as safe as they can be,” continued Tinney.

Awarded the Ivan Locke Award, as the OHA’s Most Improved official, was Pain Court’s Patrick Myers, who just completed his 6th year in the OHA. Myers officiated the Golden Horseshoe Junior B final, Junior C provincial semi-finals, and the World Under 17 Hockey Championships. As well, as his presenter stated, Myers’ skills as a referee have led him to be selected to officiate in the OHL

“Pat’s hard work and dedication has afforded him the opportunity to be selected as a referee in the OHL.”

Brady Campbell, of Blenheim, who played Junior B for the Elmira Sugar Kings was named one of the OHA’s Top Prospects, a designation given each season to players the OHA believes have the ability to move on to the professional level. Campbell, who scored 40 goals with Elmira last season, and who will be attending the University of Maine next year to play NCAA hockey for the Blackbears, was touted at the banquet for his offensive abilities,

“Gifted goal scorers are tough to come by for any hockey team, this season the Elmira Sugar Kings of the GOJHL were lucky enough to have one of these players on their roster.”

The OHA is a provincial governing body of Ontario’s Junior hockey leagues at the Junior A, Junior B, and Junior C level, as well as Ontario’s Senior Hockey division.

Adam Ripley (right) with NHLer Ryan Ellis while with the Windsor Spitfires – Photo from Google+

Ripley was named the Ontario Hockey Association’s Trainer of the Year. The former Chatham Maroons and Windsor Spitfires trainer, has been working as the Head Trainer for the Great Lakes Junior C champion Essex 73s.

Ripley also umpires baseball in Chatham.

Patrick Myers, a Pain Court product, was named the Ivan Locke Award winner. This award is given to the OHA’s Most Improved Official.

Myers, who refs in the OHL, also called games at the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge in Windsor this year.

WMHA Action – Photo by Dave Pickford/WMHA.net

Parents will be required to take an hour long online course by August, and if they don’t, their children won’t be on the ice next fall.

Already a requirement for coaches in Canada, the Respect in Sport course, a proactive measure to curb inappropriate parent behaviour, looks to improve the environment surrounding sports “by reinforcing a parent’s role in their child’s activities, encouraging positive sport behaviors, and providing insight into the various roles other individuals play, such as coaches and officials. he Respect in Sport Parent program empowers parents to ensure their child’s safety, encourages positive and effective communication, and creates a standard of respectful behavior for all parents of active kids.”

A first for Ontario, it is likely that more hockey organizations, including locally in Chatham-Kent, will soon adopt this course as a mandatory requirement for registration.

At the 2013 Hockey Canada Annual General Meeting, held this past weekend in PEI, the Board of Directors voted to eliminate body checking at the peewee level, postponing full contact until players move to bantam hockey. This means players won’t be participating in body checking until they are 13-years-old.

Peewee hockey will now adopt the atom rules, where players are awarded a penalty for body checking.

According to Hockey Canada’s report following their AGM, “A modification to playing rule 6.2b was approved, removing body-checking from Peewee levels and below within leagues governed by Hockey Canada, starting in 2013-14.”

Hockey Canada also decided to increase efforts to teach skills and develop proper progressions and instruction for youth and coaches in terms of body checking.

“In addition to this rule change, a work group has been directed to build a mandatory national checking and instructional resource program to support the progressive implementation of checking skills at the Novice to Peewee levels to better prepare players for body-checking at the Bantam and Midget level,” the Hockey Canada release stated.

The decision was made to help reduce concussions and other injuries to young hockey players who are still physically developing.

Amherstburg Admirals unveil their name and logo – Photo from Facebook/Amherstburg Admirals

Calling themselves the Admirals, and donning the blue colours of the Pittsburgh Penguins alternate uniforms, Amherstburg will begin play in the 2013-2014 season at the United Communities Credit Union Complex.

Along with a new name and town, the Admirals will also be guided head coach and general manager Greg

Amherstburg Admirals Jersey

Amherstburg’s Kyle Morand was named the franchise’s first ever team captain. The defenseman was an assistant last season with Kingsville, when he scored 4 goals and added 12 assists in 37 games. Morand is entering his fourth season with the franchise.

In early May, the club hosted their first mini-camp, welcoming more than 80 skaters. With 16 players eligible to return from last season’s Kingsville Comets, and an extremely strong Amherstburg Minor Hockey system, which has won multiple OMHA titles in recent years, to draw from, the Admirals are looking to make improvements in their first season in Amhertsburg.

Although the organization will have perennial power houses, Belle River and Essex to battle with for players, Amherstburg’s location is surrounded by large hockey high schools, and is more accessible for Windsor athletes.

Seth Griffith of the London Knights – Photo Terry Wilson/OHL Images

Midway through the second period, on the powerplay, Griffith split the Saskatoon defence, putting a beautiful move on one defender, before roofing a shot over the shoulder of Blades goalie Andrey Makarov. Assists on the goal went to Alex Broadhurt and Olli Maatta.

The goal was so nice, that TSN selected it as their Sportscentre “Highlight of the Night,” beating out goals and saves from three NHL playoff games.

Griffith is now tied for the team lead in points at the Memorial Cup with Rodney’s Bo Horvat. Both players have 5 points.

The London Knights now face the Portland Winterhawks Friday May 24 in the Memorial Cup Semi-Final.

The winner of the game will play the Halifax Mooseheads who received a bye to the Final on Sunday.

Brendan Johnston signs with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires – Photo Aaron Bell/OHL Images

A fifth round draft pick of the Spitfires in this spring’s OHL Priority Selection Draft, Johnston was the backbone of the Chatham-Kent Cyclones Minor Midget “AAA” team this year, and caught the eye of scouts from across the league with a spectacular performance at the recent OHL Gold Cup.

The Spitfires also signed defenseman Andrew Burns, who spent last season in Oakville. According to Windsor Spitfires General Manager Warren Rychel, the team is ecstatic about the two players, including Johnston, joining the team,

“We’re really happy to get these two boys locked up,” said Rychel in a Windsor Spitfires news release. “Both are a big part of the club’s future. Burns is a real smart two-way defenceman and Johnston is a heck of a prospect in goal. We’re looking forward to seeing both of them at our upcoming mini-camp.”

The Windsor Spitfires will host their 2013 Mini-Camp on Friday May 31 and Saturday June 1. Johnston will be in attendance and participating in the camp.