The city of London, Ontario, and the OHL’s London Knights will host the 2014 Mastercard Memorial Cup, the league announced Tuesday.
The Knights earned the right to hold the CHL’s annual tournament, which includes champions of the OHL, WHL and QMJHL and the host club, over the Barrie Colts and Windsor Spitfires. Officials from all three clubs made formal bid presentations to the site selection committee this past April 17.
The Knights’ potential roster, which has more than 22 players eligible to return from a team that won a second straight league championship Monday, proved to be in the Knights’ favor. “The site selection committee determined that while all three clubs possess sufficient elements for a suitable host city,” OHL legal counsel Gord Kirke, a committee members, said in a statement, “it is the projected quality of the London Knights Hockey Club next season that is the decisive factor.” The 96th annual tournament will be held at Budweiser Gardens in London May 16-25, 2014. The Knights begin play in the 2013 Memorial Cup Friday in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, against the host Saskatoon Blades.

My apologies, this didn’t post for some reason yesterday …

Sean Day was happy and relieved to hear the news Thursday. The Ontario Hockey Federation announced that Hockey Canada granted exceptional player status to the 15-year-old defenseman , which allows him to enter the OHL Priority Selection a year early.
He joins former current New York Islanders center John Tavares (Oshawa, 2005), Barrie Colts defenseman Aaron Ekblad (2011) and Erie Otters center Connor McDavid (2012) as the only players to receive early entry into the league.
Unlike his predecessors, Day reportedly isn’t guaranteed to be the No. 1 pick in the April 6 draft. Speculation has arisen about the Ottawa 67′s and their choice. Under league rules, the 67′s aren’t required to choose Day with that top pick. Day isn’t required to report to the club that picks him.
However, Day said during Thursday’s conference call that “I’m prepared to go anywhere,” he said. “Part of getting this (status) is to play in the OHL.”
Meanwhile, the Otters hold the No. 2 pick because they finished with the league’s second-worst record (19-40-4-5). Sherry Bassin, managing partner and general manager, was tight-lipped earlier this week regarding the pick. “We’ve got a pretty good idea,” Bassin said. “We’ll go with the best player.”
The Otters need help on a defense that allowed 312 goals this season, the second-worst total in the league. Day, a 6 foot 2 inch, 197-pound offensive defenseman, had 11 goals and 35 points in 63 games with Detroit-area Compuware’s minor midget club. “If you need me to play good defense, I can play that,” Day, a Belgian-born Canadian citizen who lives in Rochester, Mich., said during a conference call. “If you need a fourth forward, I can jump into the play.” Yet forwards such as Travis Konecny (Elgin Middlesex Chiefs) and Dylan Strome (Toronto Marlboros) are highly regarded. Earlier this week, Bassin said he needed the right complementary players to play alongside skilled performers like McDavid.
Keith Day, Sean’s father, said there has been no contact yet with officials from the 67′s or Otters.

- Victor Fernandes

Erie Otters winger Stephen Harper stands eighth among OHL skaters on NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings for next summer’s NHL Entry Draft, which was released Tuesday. Ottawa center Sean Monahan tops the list, followed by Sault Ste. Marie defenseman Darnell Nurse, Windsor winger Kerby Rychel and London’s frontlin duo of Max Domi and Bo Horvat. Mississauga’s Spencer Martin headlines the list of the OHL’s top goaltenders, followed by Peterborough’s Michael Guigovaz and Barrie’s Alex Fotinos.

Erie Otters rookie Connor McDavid has been chosen to play for Team OHL against Team Russia in the first of two games in the Subway Super Series. McDavid, 15, who will play Nov. 8 at Sleeman Centre in Guelph, Ontario, is the youngest player to ever play in this 10-year-old event, which helps determine Canada’s roster for the IIHF World Junior Championship this coming winter.
McDavid and Barrie center Zach Hall are replacing Oshawa winger Lucas Lessio and Belleville center Brendan Gaunce, who can’t play because of injuries. McDavid joins teammate Adam Pelech in the event. The veteran defenseman will play in the OHL’s second game Nov. 12 at RBC Centre in Sarnia, Ontario. Team OHL has an 18-0 overall record.

Victor Fernandes unveils his predictions for the 2012-13 OHL season:

REGULAR SEASON

Eastern Conference
East Division
1. Belleville
2. Oshawa
3. Ottawa
4. Peterborough
5. Kingston

Central Division
1. Barrie
2. Niagara
3. Brampton
4. Mississauga
5. Sudbury

Western Conference
Midwest Division
1. Kitchener
2. Guelph
3. Owen Sound
4. London
5. Erie

West Division
1. Plymouth
2. Windsor
3. Sarnia
4. Saginaw
5. Sault Ste. Marie

PLAYOFFS

Eastern Conference
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Barrie def. No. 8 Peterborough, 4-0
No. 2 Belleville def. No. 7 Mississauga, 4-1
No. 3 Niagara def. No. 6 Ottawa, 4-1
No. 4 Oshawa def. No. 5 Brampton, 4-3
Semifinals
No. 1 Barrie def. No. 4 Oshawa, 4-2
No. 2 Belleville def. No. 3 Niagara, 4-2
Finals
No. 2 Belleville def. No. 1 Barrie, 4-3

Western Conference
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Kitchener def. No. 8 Erie, 4-1
No. 2 Plymouth def. No. 7 Sarnia, 4-1
No. 3 Guelph def. No. 6 Windsor, 4-2
No. 4 Owen Sound def. No. 5 London, 4-2
Semifinals
No. 1 Kitchener def. No. 4 Owen Sound, 4-1
No. 2 Plymouth def. No. 3 Guelph, 4-2
Finals
No. 1 Kitchener def. No. 2 Plymouth, 4-3

League finals
No. 1 Kitchener def. No. 2 Belleville, 4-2

- Victor Fernandes

This week, I’ll break down all 20 OHL clubs division by division and unveil my predictions for the 2012-13 season. Today, let’s look at the Eastern Conference’s Central Division (listed in alphabetical order):

Barrie Colts
Coach/GM: Dale Hawerchuk/Jason Ford
2011-12 finish: 40-23-3-2, 2nd division, 3rd conference
Playoff finish: Lost to Ottawa in conference semifinals
Key players: LW Tanner Pearson (37 goals, 54 assists, 91 points; signed with Los Angeles), C Mark Scheifele (23-40-63 in 47 games; signed with Winnipeg), G Mathias Niederberger (29-14-1-2 record, 2.68 goals-against average, .918 save percentage, 3 shutouts), C Zach Hall (19-40-59), D Ryan O’Connor (8-28-36)
Key losses: C Colin Behenna (26-48-74), C Ivan Telegin (35-29-64; signed with Winnipeg)
Outlook: The continued emergence of standouts like Pearson and Scheifele, and the play of Niederberger in his first season, sparked the Colts to a 25-game improvement in the win column. Now these Colts could be tough to contend with this year.

Brampton Battalion
Coach/GM: Stan Butler
2011-12 finish: 36-22-3-7, 3rd division, 4th conference
Playoff finish: Lost to Niagara 4-0 in conference semifinals
Key players: RW Barclay Goodrow (26-26-52; Carolina prospect), G Matej Machovsky (24-13-0-4, 2.36, .902, 5 SO; Ottawa prospect), D Dylan Blujus (7-27-34), D Cameron Wind (2-19-21, +16), LW Brandon Robinson (15-9-24)
Key losses: C Sam Carrick (16-23-39; signed with Toronto), LW Ian Watters (16-14-30)
Outlook: Defense is the name of the game in Brampton, which has featured one of the league’s top defenses the past several seasons. Machovsky anchors this year’s unit, while a defense led by Blujus and Wind provide plenty of help.

Mississauga Steelheads
Coach/GM: James Boyd
2011-12 finish: 33-28-1-6, 5th division, 6th conference
Playoff finish: Lost to Barrie 4-2 in conference quarterfinals
Key players: LW Riley Brace (33-49-82), D Dylan DeMelo (7-40-47; signed with San Jose), C Kristoff Kontos (15-32-47), D Stuart Percy (4-30-34, plus-50; signed with Toronto), D Trevor Carrick (6-13-19)
Key losses: G Brandon Maxwell (33-22-1-3, 2.92, .913, 6 SO), LW Jamie Wise (31-17-48)
Outlook: This club has a new owner – Mississauga, Ontario, businessman Elliott Kerr, and nickname. But the Steelheads’ new goaltending tandem of Spencer Martin and former Otter Tyson Teichmann will have the biggest impact on this team’s success.

Niagara IceDogs
Coach/GM: Marty Williamson
2011-12 finish: 47-18-0-3, 1st division, 1st conference
Playoff finish: Lost to London 4-1 in league finals
Key players: C Ryan Strome (30-38-68 in 46 games; signed with N.Y. Islanders), D Dougie Hamilton (17-55-72, +37; signed with Boston), D Jesse Graham (4-37-41, +25; N.Y. Islanders prospect), RW Brett Ritchie (24-21-45; signed with Dallas), G Chris Festarini (16-10-0-0, 2.85, .904, 2 SO; former Otter)
Key losses: G Mark Visentin (30-9-0-2, 1.99, .926, 10 SO; signed with Phoenix), C Andrew Agozzino (40-48-88), LW Freddie Hamilton (35-51-86; signed with San Jose), C Alex Friesen (26-45-71; signed with Vancouver), RW David Pacan (29-35-64)
Outlook: Festarini faces serious pressure as Visentin’s replacement in net. But Festarini has plenty of experienced talent – led by Strome and Hamilton – in front of him that will help keep the puck out of the net as well as score a lot of goals.

Sudbury Wolves
Coach/GM: Trent Cull/Blaine Smith
2011-12 finish: 36-26-4-2, 4th division, 5th conference
Playoff finish: Lost to Brampton 4-0 in conference quarterfinals
Key players: LW Joshua Leivo (32-41-73), D Justin Sefton (3-16-19, 143 penalty minutes; San Jose prospect), LW Nathan Pancel (23-21-44), D Frank Corrado (3-23-26, +26), C Matthew Campagna (8-23-31 in 45 games)
Key losses: C Michael Sgarbossa (36-46-82; signed with San Jose), D Josh McFadden (19-53-72; signed with Florida), G Johan Mattsson (23-11-2-1, 3.16, .910), LW Andrey Kuchin (25-40-65), RW Derek Schoenmakers (26-24-50; traded to Windsor)
Outlook: The Wolves spent little time in the playoffs the past two seasons, as they were swept both times. But the departure of skilled leaders like Sgarbossa, McFadden, Mattsson and Kuchin might keep these Wolves out of the playoffs entirely.

- Victor Fernandes

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that a media conference is scheduled for Wednesday at 12 pm at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario, to announce the winner of the Red Tilson Trophy presented to the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player of the Year for the 2011-12 season.

The Red Tilson Trophy is the most prestigious individual award presented annually by the league to the Most Outstanding Player in the Ontario Hockey League during the regular season schedule of games as voted by sports writers and broadcasters in the OHL. The award is in honour of Albert “Red” Tilson, who was killed in action in Europe during World War II. Tilson was the OHA scoring champion for the 1942-43 season after scoring 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 22 games with the Oshawa Generals. Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires captured the award last season.

2011-12 Red Tilson Trophy Nominees
Barrie Colts – Tanner Pearson
Belleville Bulls – Brendan Gaunce
Brampton Battalion – Sam Carrick
Erie Otters – Adam Pelech
Guelph Storm – Matt Finn
Kingston Frontenacs – Darcy Greenaway
Kitchener Rangers – Tobias Rieder
London Knights – Michael Houser
Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors – Riley Brace
Niagara IceDogs – Mark Visentin
Oshawa Generals – Kevin Bailie
Ottawa 67’s – Tyler Toffoli
Owen Sound Attack – Mike Halmo
Peterborough Petes – Andrew Yogan
Plymouth Whalers – Stefan Noesen
Saginaw Spirit – Brandon Saad
Sarnia Sting – Nail Yakupov
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds – Nick Cousins
Sudbury Wolves – Michael Sgarbossa
Windsor Spitfires – Kerby Rychel

- From OHL news release

BARRIE, Ontario – The Erie Otters will begin 2012 with a three-game losing streak.

Barrie scored twice in the third period to snap a tie and hand the Otters a 5-3 loss in front of a New Year’s Eve crowd of 4,276 at Barrie Molson Centre.

Colin Behenna’s goal 9 minutes, 11 seconds into the third handed the Colts (21-13-2-1) a 4-3 lead. Eric Locke’s goal with 7:45 left extended the lead to 5-3.

Barrie then stymied the Otters (5-30-1-1) on two late power plays to seal Erie’s fate. The teams traded goals in the first period, with Barrie’s Dylan Smoskowitz and Erie’s Greg McKegg scoring in the first five minutes. The Colts took a 2-1 on Alex Lepkowski’s goal 1:37 into the second period.

But the Otters turned that one-goal deficit into a 3-2 lead on Travis Wood’s goal at the 8:47 mark and Connor Brown’s team-leading 14^th goal of the season with 6:02 left in the period. Yet the Colts tied the score at 3 with the man advantage, as Reid McNeill scored with 3:38 left in the period. Barrie then took the control in the third on the strength of an 18-9 shot advantage. Barrie outshot the Otters 46-29.

Tyson Teichmann stopped 41-of-46 shots for the Otters. Brown finished with a goal and assist while Mike Cazzola had two assists. Daniel Erlich paced the Colts with four assists. The Otters return to action next weekend with games at Tullio Arena against Sarnia on Friday and Kitchener on Saturday.

SUMMARY

Colts 5, Otters 3

Erie  1  2  0  —  3

Barrie  1  2  2  —  5

1^st Period — 1. Barrie, Dylan Smoskowitz 3 (Erlich, Buonomo), 1:23. 2. Erie, Greg McKegg 12 (Cazzola, Brown), 4:24. Penalties — Cairns (E) holding, 9:53; Evans (E) hooking, 12:23; Bradford (B) hooking, 14:36.

2^nd Period — 3. Barrie, Alex Lepkowski 5 (Buonomo), 1:37. 4. Erie, Travis Wood 6 (Cook, Betz), 8:47. 5. Erie, Connor Brown 14 (Pelech, Cazzola), 13:58. 6. Barrie, Reid McNeill 2 (Erlich, Bradford), 16:22 (pp). Penalties — Bell (B) slashing, 1:50; Erie, too many men (served by McKegg), 16:07; Locke (B) interference, 17:43; Cook (E) hooking, 18:32.

3^rd Period — 7. Barrie, Colin Behenna 14 (Erlich, Hall), 9:11. 8. Barrie, Eric Locke 7 (Beyers, Erlich), 12:15. Penalties — Grant (E) cross checking, 4:10; Cook (E) roughing, 4:29; Locke (B) slashing, 15:44; Lepkowski (B) holding, 18:31; Cazzola (E) roughing, 20:00; Buonomo (B) roughing, 20:00.

Shots on goal — Erie, 5-15-9—29; Barrie, 8-20-18—46.

Goaltenders — Erie, Tyson Teichmann 1-15-0-0 (46 shots, 41 saves); Barrie, Mathias Niederberger 13-81-0 (29 shots, 27 saves).

Power plays — Erie (0-5), Barrie (1-6).

Referees — Korey Bannerman, Scott Oakman. Linesmen — Ryan Wilson, Mike Zujko.

Attendance — 4,276.

Three stars

* Daniel Erlich, Colts (4 assists) ** Reid McNeill, Colts (goal) *** Connor Brown, Otters (goal, assist)

This week, I’ll break down all 20 OHL clubs division by division and unveil my predictions for the 2011-12 season. Today, let’s look at the Eastern Conference’s Central Division (listed in alphabetical order):

Barrie Colts

Coach/GM: Dale Hawerchuck/Jason Ford

2010-11 finish: 15-49-2-2, 5^th division, 10^th conference

Playoff finish: Did not qualify

Key players: C Colin Behenna (33 goals, 55 assists, 88 points), C Mark Scheifele (22-53-75; Winnipeg prospect), RW Gregg Sutch (8-20-28; Buffalo prospect), C Ivan Telegin (20-41-61 with Saginaw; signed with Winnipeg), RW Steven Beyers (23-42-65; Buffalo prospect)

Key losses: D Matt Ashman (3-23-26)

Outlook: Hawerchuk, a Hockey Hall of Famer, arrived in Barrie last season in hoping to rebuild this club. The Colts finished with the league’s worst record, but they have a talented foundation.

Brampton Battalion

Coach/GM: Stan Butler

2010-11 finish: 29-32-1-6, 3^rd division, 6^th conference

Playoff finish: Lost to Niagara 4-0 in conference quarterfinals

Key players: LW Ian Watters (20-22-42; Pittsburgh prospect), LW Barclay Goodrow (24-15-39; Carolina prospect), C Sam Carrick (16-23-39; Toronto prospect), D Spencer Abraham (6-25-31); G Matej Machovsky (7-13-0-2 record, 2.90 goals-against average, .904 save percentage, 1 shutout; Ottawa prospect)

Key losses: RW Scott Tanski (18-29-47)

Outlook: Machovsky and Abraham lead a defense that ranked fifth with 214 goals against. But can Watters, Goodrow and Carrick spark an offense that was last and next to last in goals the past two years?

Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors

Coach/GM: James Boyd

2010-11 finish: 53-13-0-2, 1^st division, 1^st conference

Playoff finish: Lost to Owen Sound 4-3 in league finals, lost to Saint John in Memorial Cup finals

Key players: LW Devante Smith-Pelly (36-30-66; signed with Anaheim), G J.P. Anderson (38-10-0-1, 2.36, .911, 6 SO), D Stuart Percy (4-30-34, plus-50; Toronto prospect), C Jordan Mayer (19-19-38), C Joseph Cramarossa (12-20-32; Anaheim prospect)

Key losses: RW Justin Shugg (41-45-86; signed with Carolina), C Casey Cizikas (29-35-64; signed with N.Y. Islanders), C Rob Flick (27-30-57; Chicago prospect), LW Chris DeSousa (22-28-50), D Marc Cantin (10-31-44, +44)

Outlook: The Majors won 71 games last season. But they lost the two biggest games – Game 7 of the OHL final and the Cup title game. The Majors still have talent, but they should take a step back.

Niagara IceDogs

Coach/GM: Marty Williamson

2008-09 finish: 45-17-2-4, 2^nd division, 3^rd conference

Playoff finish: Lost to Mississauga 4-1 in conference finals

Key players: C Ryan Strome (33-73-106; N.Y. Islanders prospect), G Mark Visentin (30-9-2-4, 2.52, .917, 4 SO; signed with Phoenix), D Dougie Hamilton (12-46-58, +35; Boston prospect), LW Freddie Hamilton (38-45-83; signed with San Jose), C Andrew Agozzino (43-31-74)

Key losses: LW Darren Archibald (41-25-66), LW Jason Wilson (18-25-43)

Outlook: The IceDogs are the class of the conference and, perhaps, of the league. So the pressure to win is intense, since Visentin, Strome, the Hamilton brothers and others could face their final OHL season.

Sudbury Wolves

Coach/GM: Trent Cull/Blaine Smith

2010-11 finish: 29-35-2-2, 4^th division, 7^th conference

Playoff finish: Lost to Mississauga 4-0 in conference semifinals

Key players: C Michael Sgarbossa (36-46-82; signed with San Jose), D Josh McFadden (19-53-72; Montreal prospect), LW Michael MacDonald (18-19-37), C Kristoff Kontos (10-22-32), D Justin Sefton (5-6-11; San Jose prospect)

Key losses: LW Marcus Foligno (23-36-59; signed with Buffalo), LW Mike Lomas (23-34-57), G Alain Valiquette (27-24-2-1, 3.69, .897, 1 SO), C Eric O’Dell (20-24-44)

Outlook: The Wolves shocked East Division champion Ottawa with a sweep in the opening round of the playoffs. But some of the team’s key figures – Foligno, Lomas, O’Dell and Valiquette – are gone.

- Victor Fernandes

What: Barrie Colts (8-28-2-2) at Erie Otters (20-20-1-1)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Tullio Arena

On the air: WFNN-AM/1330, www.ottershockey.com (live stream)

Players to watch

Erie – C Greg McKegg (28 goals, 30 assists, 58 points), C Brett Thompson (25-21-46, 9 power-play goals), RW Shawn Szydlowski (20-17-37), RW Anthony Luciani (13-22-35), G Ramis Sadikov (20-14-1-1 record, 2.96 goals-against average, .910 save percentage, 2 shutouts)

Barrie – C Colin Behenna (21-34-55), C Mark Scheifele (10-35-45), RW Steven Beyers (9-29-38), C Eric Locke (19-14-33), C Jordan Coccimiglio (4-3-7)

Fast facts

Erie – Thompson, acquired from Sault Ste. Marie on Monday, makes his home debut tonight. He had no points and two penalty minutes in his first game as an Otter – a 3-0 loss at Niagara Thursday. … The Otters have lost two straight and six of their last 11 games. … The Otters lost both meetings with the Colts last season. … Sadikov’s franchise-record, 31-game streak of consecutive starts ended Thursday. … LW Brett Appio (bereavement leave) missed Thursday’s game, according to the team. … Rookie LW Chris Marchese (undisclosed injury) remains out of the lineup. … McKegg and Varone had four-game point streaks snapped against the IceDogs.

Barrie – Coccimiglio faces his former team a week after being claimed off waivers by the Colts. He had no points and a minus-2 rating in his Colts’ debut – an 8-2 home loss to Oshawa last Saturday … The Colts have the OHL’s worst record a season after winning the Eastern Conference championship and reaching the league finals. … They have posted half their wins in the past 10 games (4-5-0-1). … Scheifele, who stands third among rookies in scoring, is ranked 21^st among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting’s 2011 draft list. He will play in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Toronto on Wednesday. … G John Chartrand (9-7-1-0, 4.38, .874) is 19^th among North American goaltenders on the NHL list. … Behenna ranks 11^th overall in scoring. … The Colts traded high-scoring C Taylor Carnevale and veteran Ds Dalton Prout and Stephen Gaskin last weekend.

Up next: vs. London (Saturday, 7 p.m.), vs. Mississauga St. Michael’s (Thursday, 7 p.m.)

– Victor Fernandes