Here’s a look at some of the top storylines from a busy weekend across the league:
Rangers on a Heater
The Kitchener Rangers went 2-0-1 this past week, extending their point streak to ten games. They briefly climbed to the top of the Western Conference after a Friday-night win over Windsor, but now sit one point back with a game in hand. Forward Christian Humphreys pushed his league-leading point streak to 14 games (5-18–23), while Jack Pridham was named OHL Player of the Month after posting 20 points (8-12–20) in 11 January contests.
Barrie Stays Perfect in Flint
The Colts erased a deficit to defeat the Firebirds 6-5 in overtime, continuing Barrie’s perfect run in Flint dating back to the 2015-16 season. The win helped the Colts improve to 32-11-2-4, keeping them atop the Central Division. Rookie goaltender Arvin Jaswal has been stellar in January, going 5-0-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average, a .932 save percentage, and one shutout. Captain and veteran blueliner Kashawn Aitcheson was also recognized as OHL Defenceman of the Month after recording 14 points (3-11–14) in 11 games.
McCue Hits the Michigan
Sam McCue put on a show Friday night, recording three points (2-1–3), highlighted by a Michigan-style goal, as Ottawa defeated Peterborough 4-1. While the 67’s saw their seven-game win streak snapped the following night in Barrie, the club still owns a league-high 35 victories.
Bowen Named Goaltender of the Week
Brampton goaltender Zach Bowen went 2-0 over the weekend, carrying shutout bids into the final minutes of both starts. He stopped 52 of 54 shots, helping the Steelheads move within two points of Sudbury for eighth in the Eastern Conference and earned Mary Brown’s Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week honours.
Roobroeck’s Buzzer Beater
Niagara forward Ryan Roobroeck scored the game-winning goal with just 1.8 seconds remaining in regulation on Sunday, lifting the IceDogs to a 2-1 win over North Bay. The club has won three of their last four games.
Bulldogs Stay Atop
The Brantford Bulldogs went 2-0 on the weekend, extending their point streak to 11 games and maintaining first place in the overall league standings. Marek Vanacker added to his OHL-leading goal total with his 35th of the season, while captain Jake O’Brien has recorded 15 points (7-8–15) over his last eight games.
Harper Sets Rookie Record
With an assist on Friday, Levi Harper surpassed Zayne Parekh to set a new franchise record for points by a rookie defenceman in Saginaw Spirit history. Harper now sits at 39 points (8-31–39) through 48 games.
Greentree Scores Late
Captain Liam Greentree struck twice in the final two minutes of the second period Thursday night, moving into sole possession of third place on the Windsor Spitfires’ all-time scoring list with 299 points (133-166–299).
He Records Five Points
Kevin He continues to settle in with Flint. In a 6-3 win over Sarnia, he recorded a season-high five points (2-3–5), including a shorthanded goal, earning Player of the Week honours.
Costanzo Nears 100 Career Wins
Windsor Spitfires goaltender Joey Costanzo sits just one victory shy of joining the OHL’s 100-win club. The overage netminder is 24-7-3-0 this season and would become the seventh goaltender since 1980 to reach the milestone.
