OHL Alumni Notebook: Mar. 22, 2021

The Ontario Hockey League typically runs the ‘OHL Weekend Notebook’ each Monday. With the delay to our 2020-21 season, we’ll spend time covering the League’s top alumni from across the National Hockey League with the ‘OHL Alumni Notebook.’

DRYSDALE ENJOYS MEMORABLE NHL DEBUT
Erie Otters star Jamie Drysdale earned his wings on Thursday in Anaheim, scoring a goal and picking up an assist in his NHL debut as the Ducks defeated the Arizona Coyotes 3-2 in overtime. Drysdale joined elite company in Ray Bourque and Petr Svoboda as just the third defenceman in NHL history to record a multi-point effort while making his debut before the age of 19. An OHL first team all-star in 2019-20, Drysdale was selected sixth overall by the Ducks in the 2020 NHL Draft last summer.
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ICYMI: It was a night to remember for @ErieOtters product Jamie Drysdale, who became just the third defender in #NHL history to record multiple points while making his debut before the age of 19. #FlyTogether

READ ????: https://t.co/6ZujOMOJeA pic.twitter.com/3RbEZKd3uC

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) March 19, 2021

GRUBAUER ON A ROLL WITH AVALANCHE
Colorado Avalanche netminder and former Memorial Cup champion Philipp Grubauer is riding a six game winning streak, having recorded shutouts in two of those outings. The reigning NHL first star of the week stopped all 31 shots he faced on Saturday as the Avs blanked the Minnesota Wild 6-0. Grubauer is now 18-7 on the season with a league-leading 1.74 goals-against average along with a .929 save percentage. The 29-year-old from Rosenheim, Germany hoisted the Memorial Cup with the Windsor Spitfires in 2010 and also enjoyed OHL stints with the Belleville Bulls and the Kingston Frontenacs prior to his NHL career that has been split between Colorado and Washington.

The people have spoken.
With a shutout and 3 wins in 3 games, Grubi is our player of the week!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/VrGPoiKJxF

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 22, 2021

CAMPBELL LOGS SECOND STRAIGHT SHUTOUT
Though it was nearly a month between starts, Jack Campbell stayed sharp and earned his second straight shutout on Saturday as the Toronto Maple Leafs blanked the Calgary Flames 2-0. Campbell stopped all 31 shots he faced to improve to a perfect 4-0 as Toronto held onto top spot in the North Division with a record of 20-10-2. A former first round pick of the Dallas Stars back in 2010, Campbell joined the Leafs midway through the 2019-20 season. The 29-year-old from Port Huron, Mich., spent two seasons in the OHL between the Windsor Spitfires and Soo Greyhounds from 2010-12.

Jack Campbell of the @MapleLeafs blanked Calgary to earn his second straight shutout and improve to 4-0-0 through four appearances this season. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/G7I8pINVxF

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 21, 2021

ELLIS, GIRARDI JOIN SABRES BENCH
A pair of OHL grads from Welland, Ont. are the NHL’s newest assistant coaches. Former Toronto St. Michael’s Majors forward Matt Ellis and London Knights Memorial Cup champion Dan Girardi were promoted to assistant coaching positions with the Buffalo Sabres following the firing of Ralph Krueger last week. Sliding on a 12-game losing streak, the Sabres named Don Granato interim coach last week as Ellis, a former Sabre, and Girardi, who played 13 NHL seasons, join him behind the bench.

GM Kevyn Adams has announced the following changes to our coaching staff. pic.twitter.com/ncQSYyA6pg

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 17, 2021

STEWART JOINS BLUES AS GOALIE DEVELOPMENT COACH
Former Soo Greyhounds goaltending coach and one-time London Knights goaltender Dan Stewart has joined the St. Louis Blues as a goaltending development coach. The 45-year-old Port Hope, Ont. native spent four seasons with the Greyhounds before joining the Blues, who assigned him to the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets about a month ago. For more on Stewart’s rise to prominence, visit saultstar.com.

Dan Stewart has joined the Blues as Goalie Development Coach. Stewart has over 25 years of experience coaching goaltenders at all levels and will work with the Blues’ goalie prospects with the AHL’s Utica Comets and Springfield Thunderbirds. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/NI7Krmmeig

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 21, 2021

THOMAS’ BIG NIGHT POWERS REIGN TO VICTORY
With the Ontario Reign down 4-1 with less than four minutes to go, former Peterborough Petes and Niagara IceDogs forward Akil Thomas scored a natural hat-trick in less than three minutes on Sunday. Thomas then scored in a shootout as the Reign defeated the Bakersfield Condors 5-4. Thomas now has 11 points (6-5–11) through 19 games this season following an 84-point campaign (24-60–84) between the Petes and IceDogs last season. The former second round pick of the Kings in 2018 won gold with Canada’s National Junior Team in 2020.

A hat trick in the final 3:07 of regulation.

One more in the shootout.

It’s @AkilThomas2‘s world. We’re just living in it. pic.twitter.com/gNHZHT9Ook

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) March 22, 2021

FOUDY SCORES FIRST PROFESSIONAL GOAL
Windsor Spitfires forward Jean-Luc Foudy scored his first career AHL goal last Tuesday, lighting the lamp twice as the Colorado Eagles defeated the Texas Stars 5-4. The newly turned 19-year-old from Scarborough, Ont. has eight points (2-6–8) through 14 games this season after being Colorado’s third round (75th overall) pick last summer. Foudy had 43 points (15-28–43) in 59 games with the Spitfires last season.

First @TheAHL goal, and second AHL goal to tie the game with 11 seconds left sending us into an OT that we won?!?

We have no words, Foudy! You’re killing it!#EaglesCountry pic.twitter.com/Cd7jDXz1rl

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 17, 2021