Weekend Wrap-up: 5 top moments from across the CHL
Welcome to another edition of Weekend Wrap-up where each week we break down some of the top moments from across the CHL:
Bulldogs claim victory on national TV
On Friday, the CHL on TSN headed to Hamilton for an OHL East Division showdown between the Ottawa 67’s and the nationally ranked Bulldogs.
Following puck drop, it was a dream start for the visiting 67’s as the squad opened the scoring on a short-handed tally by 20-year-old centre Alex Johnston. In the second period, the Bulldogs got on the board as 19-year-old American-born forward Avery Hayes and the reigning OHL Player of the Week in Logan Morrison executed a perfect give-and-go as the latter tallied his 25th goal.
The final period saw a battle between the pipes as 2003-born netminder Max Donoso of the 67’s and 19-year-old Marco Costantini of the Bulldogs each made key stops throughout the period to force extra time. The game went all the way to a shootout where Hamilton native and Montreal Canadiens prospect Arber Xhekaj sealed the win for the Bulldogs to extend the club’s win streak.
Arber Xhekaj seals it in the shootout! 🚨@TSN_Sports | @BulldogsOHL | @OHLHockey pic.twitter.com/c3Tr4Mb2Vc
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) March 5, 2022
Community awareness
It was a busy weekend for the Erie Otters as the club hosted Pride Night on Friday and Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Saturday.
For Pride Night, the club sold unique Pride T-shirts that featured the Otters logo in Pride-themed colours, while on Saturday the squad sported special purple and white uniforms to mark the occasion. After the final buzzer, the jerseys were put up for auction online with proceeds directed to the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
In the WHL, the Saskatoon Blades wore limited-edition jerseys in honour of Police Appreciation Night on Saturday. The jerseys featured a custom-made logo with the Saskatoon Police code of arms and the Blades’ Pacman logo. Following the game, the uniforms were put up for auction, with all funds raised in support of Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Services. The highlight of the night for fans in attendance was witnessing a member of the Saskatoon Police tactical unit land paratroop on to the ice carrying a dog ahead of puck drop.
Elsewhere, the Calgary Hitmen hosted the second annual Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart game Saturday. The Hitmen sported a special pink jersey in honour of the Calgary native and founding owner Bret Hart, whose own nickname is reflected in the team’s moniker. The special uniforms were later auctioned off in support of the Prostate Cancer Centre.
More than a game. Prostate cancer has touch the lives so of many. Join the Hitmen, @BretHart, @prostatealberta and @Romero_Rum in spreading awareness on Saturday, March 5th for the Bret "Hitman" Hart game.
🎟️ https://t.co/OeBc5M0bhv pic.twitter.com/R1r0FM093d
— Calgary Hitmen (@WHLHitmen) March 2, 2022
Guindon, Avon shine in weekend action
A pair of OHL players came up with four-goal performances this weekend.
Starting in Guelph, Friday saw Owen Sound Attack rookie centre Cedrick Guindon net four goals in a 4-3 overtime win over the Storm. The 17-year-old product of Rockland, Ont., tallied one goal in the second period and added two more in the final frame, including the game-tying goal with 30 seconds left in the game to complete the hat-trick. Guindon then scored 18 seconds into overtime to record his fourth goal of the game. With the feat, Guindon became the youngest Attack player to record a four-goal game and the first whose four goals were the only markers for the team. In all, it was the 12th time that an Attack player had scored four goals in a game and the third time that it had happened against Guelph. Guindon’s four-goal accomplishment came in his 50th career game. With his four-goal performance on Friday night, Guindon moves to fourth in scoring among OHL rookies with 21 goals and 21 assists for 42 points in 51 appearances.
Meanwhile, in Peterborough on Saturday, Philadelphia Flyers prospect J.R. Avon was dominant for the Petes, responsible for four goals in a 6-2 victory over Oshawa. The 2003-born forward scored once in the second frame and three times in the last period, including one on the power play and the last one coming with just two seconds remaining. Avon’s four-goal performance was the first by a Petes skater since Steven Lorentz accomplished the feat in 2017. It was also the ninth time in franchise history. Finally, his three goals in the last frame were the first in-period hat-trick since former teammate Mason McTavish pulled off the same feat in 2019. A native of Selwyn, Ont., Avon is having an outstanding season as he sits third in Petes scoring with 53 points counting 23 goals and 30 assists coming in 47 appearances.
He's done it again! 🐻
You're not seeing things! Cedrick Guindon (@GuindonCedrick) has scored for the fifth time in the last four periods against the Storm as the @AttackOHL open the scoring on Monday night 🎥 pic.twitter.com/sAackprQr3
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) March 8, 2022
Oil Kings keep up win streak
The hottest team in the CHL, the No. 1 nationally ranked Edmonton Oil Kings lead the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 41-11-2-1 record and 85 points backed by 11-straight victories. This past weekend, the team kept up its winning ways in pulling off a two-game sweep versus rival Calgary.
Led up front by the one-two punch of Arizona Coyotes 2021 first rounder Dylan Guenther and overage forward Josh Williams, the Oil Kings bring a dynamic offensive game.
Guenther had a strong weekend where he collected five points in two games with a goal on Friday followed by a four-point performance Saturday. The 18-year-old budding forward has notched a team-leading 36 goals alongside 34 assists for 70 points in 46 games. Meanwhile, the undrafted Williams collected four points over the weekend, tallying a goal in Friday’s matchup and adding two more goals and an assist Saturday. On the season, Williams headlines Edmonton with 71 points.
Between the pipes, Edmonton is also home to one of the top goaltenders in the WHL in Detroit Red Wings 2021 first-round pick Sebastian Cossa. The 19-year-old native of Fort McMurray, Alta., tops all netminders with 28 wins while also ranking amongst the league’s best with a 2.29 goals-against average and .913 save percentage.
With their victory Friday, the Oil Kings clinched a playoff berth, becoming the first team from the WHL’s Eastern Conference to do so.
Dylan Guenther centers it and Josh Williams crushes it!@EdmOilKings | @ArizonaCoyotes | #SpicyDyl🌶 pic.twitter.com/UXHecK4OhT
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 5, 2022
Another weekend of hatties
It was another busy weekend for hat-tricks across the CHL.
Starting in Mississauga on Friday, powering the Steelheads to an 8-4 victory over Oshawa was a three-goal performance by 2022 NHL Draft prospect Luca Del Bel Belluz. The 2003-born centre dazzled in the first period, tallying two power-play goals, before later adding another marker on the man advantage. With the feat, Del Bel Belluz becomes just the second player in franchise history to net an all power-play hat-trick. Ranked 11th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s midterms, the Woodbridge, Ont., native will participate in the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game later this month.
Heading to Niagara, Petes alternate captain and Toronto native Tucker Robertson recorded his second hat-trick of the season and added an assist in a 6-3 win over the IceDogs on Friday. Robertson tallied goals in all three periods to complete the three-goal performance. The 18-year-old is eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft, ranking 109th at the midterm.
In the WHL, Brandon Wheat Kings centre Nolan Ritchie continued his impressive season, netting his first career hat-trick in a 6-3 victory over Lethbridge, doing so in his 100th career game.
In the QMJHL, Acadie-Bathurst Titan overage forward Felix Lafrance tallied three goals in a 13-minute span of the final frame in an 11-2 victory over Rouyn-Noranda on Saturday. It was his second hat-trick of the season. The Saint-Eustache, Que., native joined the Titan in December and has since notched nine goals and nine assists for 18 points through 12 appearances highlighted by a five-point performance against Victoriaville. Lafrance ranks third in the QMJHL in both the goals (32) and points (68) categories.
Elsewhere, New York Islanders 2020 fifth-round selection and QMJHL goal leader William Dufour of the Saint John Sea Dogs continued his dominance. The 2002-born forward found the back of the net three times and added an assist in a 10-2 win over Halifax on Sunday. The dynamic forward recorded his second hat-trick in a week after scoring four goals against Moncton last Sunday. Overall, the veteran forward has tallied 40 goals and 36 assists for 76 points in 42 contests.
It was the William Dufour Show today in Moncton.
The #Isles prospect scored 🚨🚨🚨🚨 for the @CHLMemorialCup hosts. He leads the @QMJHL with 35 goals and sits second with 67pts.@SJSeaDogs | @NYIslanders | @TSN_Sports pic.twitter.com/oUIkNNLlus
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) February 27, 2022
