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

BRNO, Czech Republic – Erie Otters defenseman Adam Pelech and Canada captured the bronze medal with a 5-4 overtime win against Finland in the third-place game at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship Sunday. Pelech no points and one shot on goal in the game to finish the tournament with no points, nine shots on goal and eight penalty minutes in seven games.
Hunter Shinkaruk, who plays for Medicine Hat in the Western Hockey League, scored his third goal of the game 2 minutes, 5 seconds into overtime to seal the victory. Belleville’s Brendan Gaunce scored a goal and Oshawa’s Scott Laughton had two assists for Canada, while Sault Ste. Marie’s Matt Murray stopped 29-of-33 shots in net. The United States won the gold medal with a 7-0 win against Sweden.

Third-year forward Dane Fox and second-year defenseman Adam Pelech headline five Erie Otters named to NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings for the NHL Entry Draft in June.

Fox, 18, who was acquired along with second-year defenseman Troy Donnay from London last week, stands 48th among North American skaters. Pelech, 17, is six spots back at No. 54. Rookie winger Connor Brown, 17, stands at No. 85. Donnay, 17, and rookie defenseman Liam Maaskant, 17, are Nos. 115 and 134, respectively.

Former Otters winger Chris Marchese, who was traded to Windsor for winger Anthony Cortellessa last month, stands at No. 97. Center Drake Caggiula, the Otters’ third-round pick in the 2010 OHL Priority Selection, is at No. 197. He plays for Stouffville in the Ontario Junior A Hockey League and has committed to the University of North Dakota.

Sarnia winger Nail Yakupov ranks first overall among North American skaters. The OHL has eight other skaters among the top 20 – Kitchener C Radek Faksa (No. 4), London D Olli Maatta (No. 6), Belleville C Brendan Gaunce (No. 11), Guelph D Matthew Finn (No. 15), Ottawa D Cody Ceci (No. 16), Peterborough D Slater Koekkoek (No. 17), Belleville LW Daniil Zharkov (No. 19) and Owen Sound C Gemel Smith (No. 20). Belleville’s Malcolm Subban ranks first among North American goaltenders.

Check out the complete lists on NHL.com, including the top European goaltenders. Sherry Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager, has said the 2012 CHL Import Draft in June features goaltenders that could be selected in the first round of the NHL draft.

Bassin likely will focus on the CHL draft to find a goaltender to replace overager Ramis Sadikov next season. Rookie backup Devin Williams, who has played 18 minutes in his brief OHL career, is currently the most experienced prospect in the organization.

What: Belleville Bulls (7-15-0-2) at Erie Otters (10-14-1-0)

When: Today, 7 p.m.

Where: Tullio Arena

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

Players to watch

Erie – C Greg McKegg (14 goals, 17 assists, 31 points), RW Shawn Szydlowski (11-11-22), RW Anthony Luciani (7-8-15), G Ramis Sadikov (10-10-1-0 record, 2.90 goals-against average, .912 save percentage, 1 shutout), D Derek Holden (2-11-13)

Belleville – RW Richard Panik (13-15-28), C Andy Bathgate (9-11-20), RW Luke Judson (10-9-19), G Tyson Teichmann (4-11-0-1, 4.10, .887), RW Austen Brassard (5-8-13)

Fast facts

Erie – The Otters begin a three-game home stand with their traditional Thanksgiving Night matchup against the Bulls. … The Otters, which have played on Thanksgiving every year since moving to Erie from Niagara Falls, Ontario, in 1996, face the Bulls for a holiday-best 10^th time (3-5-1-0), including the past six years. … Sadikov has made 15 consecutive starts (7-6-0-0 with one no-decision, 2.61, .914). … Luciani (pictured at left)  has points in five of six games, including four multi-point outings, since returning from a five-week layoff with a broken right wrist (four goals, 10 points). … The Otters have nearly identical records at home (5-7-0-0) and on the road (5-7-1-0). However, they have a plus-4 goal differential at home (39-35) and a minus-13 differential on the road (41-54). … McKegg, who ranks among the OHL’s top 20 in scoring, had three-game goal and point streaks snapped in Saturday’s win at Barrie. … Szydlowski has four goals in the past three games after totaling one in the previous seven games. … LW Brett Appio (leg) hopes to play tonight. … D Brady Austin (shoulder) has missed the past four games. … Rookie D Adam Pelech (undisclosed injury) remains day to day. … The Otters hold their annual Teddy Bear Toss tonight. Fans bringing a new or gently used stuffed animal will receive a free ticket to Saturday’s or Sunday’s game. Fans can toss the stuffed animals onto the ice after Erie’s first goal.

Belleville – The rebuilding Bulls have lost seven of their past 10 games. … They rank near the bottom of the league in goals for (61), goals against (96), power play (14.5 percent) and penalty kill (78.4). … Panik has 25 goals and 51 points in 51 games since being acquired from Windsor last season. He ranks among the top 20 in scoring this season. … Rookie D Brendan Gaunce (3-8-11, minus-11), assistant coach Jake Grimes and equipment manager Matt Sands will represent Team Ontario at next month’s World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with Grimes serving as head coach. Goaltending prospect Daniel Altshuller, a third-round pick in the 2010 OHL Priority Selection, also is on a team that includes Otters rookies Chris Marchese (3-4-7) and Pelech. … Brassard, Teichmann and LW Michael Curtis (3-4-7) join Otters LW David Broll (3-9-12) on NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary 2011 draft rankings.

Up next: vs. Kitchener (Saturday, 7 p.m.), vs. Guelph (Sunday, 4:30 p.m.)

- Victor Fernandes

Alex Galchenyuk (Contributed/Chicago Young Americans)

Niagara IceDogs general manager Dave Brown will take a long list of potential first-round prospects into the OHL Priority Selection on Saturday.

“I’ve looked at more guys this year that I probably wouldn’t have entertained in prior years,” said Brown, who has the Nos. 6 and 8 overall picks. “There are guys that are really intriguing. I think there are some guys that are going to be very good players when they’re 18 and 19 (years old).”

Beyond the Sarnia Sting‘s No. 1 pick, which sources have said will be forward Alexander Galchenyuk of the Chicago Young Americans’ 16-under team, potential picks are “all over the map,” said a source speaking on condition of anonymity.

Defenseman Marcus McIvor (Whitby Wildcats minor midget) and forward Brendan Gaunce (Markham Waxers minor midget) have been linked to the Belleville Bulls at the No. 2 pick.

Meanwhile, Niagara’s two top-10 picks could determine how the following picks unfold, including the Erie Otters‘ selection at No. 11.

For example, Brown could choose two defensemen, which could lead to a run on forwards. If Brown chooses two forwards, the next set of teams could choose defensemen. The IceDogs also could use one pick for a safe player and then gamble with the other pick.

However, Brown said, “I don’t think you want to be in the habit of selecting guys that don’t want to play for your organization.” The IceDogs received a second first-round pick because Brown traded the rights to 2009 first-round pick Lucas Lessio to the Oshawa Generals in September because Lessio chose not to report this season.

Although many names have circulated through the league’s GMs in the weeks before the draft, Brown said “there’s starting to be a little bit of a semblance of who we can expect to get. But you know what, never say never. There’s always somebody that … throws a curve at us.”

- Victor Fernandes