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 Western Conference’s West Division (listed in alphabetical order):

Plymouth Whalers
Coach/GM: Michael Vellucci
2011-12 finish: 47-18-2-1, 1st division, 2nd conference
Playoff finish: Lost to Kitchener 4-3 in conference semifinals
Key players: LW Stefan Noesen (38 goals, 44 assists, 82 points; signed with Ottawa), C Mitchell Heard (29-28-57; signed with Colorado), RW Alex Aleardi (36-29-65), LW J.T. Miller (25-37-62; signed with N.Y. Rangers; G Matt Mahalak (19-8-0-0 record, 2.66 goals-against average, .923 save percentage, 3 shutouts; Carolina prospect)
Key losses: G Scott Wedgewood (28-10-2-1, 3.02, .911, 3 SO; signed with New Jersey), D Beau Schmitz (14-40-54, +37; signed with Carolina), C Andy Bathgate (19-44-63)
Outlook: The Whalers had a chance to reach the Western finals last season, but they lost Game 7 at home to Kitchener. They lost some key players off that team, but the Whalers still have are strong enough to make a deeper run this season.

Saginaw Spirit
Coach/GM: Greg Gilbert/Jim Paliafito
2011-12 finish: 40-22-4-2, 3rd division, 5th conference
Playoff finish: Lost to London 4-2 in conference semifinals
Key players: C Vincent Trocheck (29-56-85; signed with Florida), LW Brandon Saad (34-42-76; signed with Chicago), LW Garret Ross (25-29-54), C Eric Locke (20-20-40), D Dalton Young (5-15-20)
Key losses: LW Josh Shalla (40-36-76; signed with Nashville), RW Michael Fine (22-45-67), C John McFarland (20-21-41; signed with Florida), D Brad Walch (5-18-23, +21)
Outlook: Trocheck and Saad headline an offense that ranked fifth in the league a season ago with 259 goals. Now they have to solidify a defense that allowed 259 goals, the fourth most in the league. Clint Windsor and Jake Paterson are the keys in net.

Sarnia Sting
Coach/GM: Jacques Beaulieu
2011-12 finish: 34-27-2-5, 2nd division, 4th conference
Playoff finish: Lost 4-2 to Saginaw in conference quarterfinals
Key players: C Alex Galchenyuk (0-0-0 in 2 games; signed with Montreal), G J.P. Anderson (27-23-2-4, 3.03, .908, 3 SO), LW Reid Boucher (28-22-50), D Connor Murphy (8-18-26; signed with Phoenix), D Alex Basso (9-27-36, +5)
Key losses: RW Nail Yakupov (31-38-69 in 42 games; signed with Edmonton), C Brett Thompson (32-38-70; former Otter), C Ryan Spooner (29-37-66; signed with Boston), LW Tyler J. Brown (21-27-48), D Adrian Robertson (10-28-38, +13)
Outlook: Yakupov, the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, isn’t expected to rejoin the Sting. But Galchenyuk, the No. 3 pick in the draft, returns after missing nearly all of last season with a knee injury. But can the Sting overcome other key losses?

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Coach/GM: Mike Stapleton/Kyle Dubas
2011-12 finish: 29-33-2-4, 5th division, 9th conference
Playoff finish: Did not qualify
Key players: C Nick Cousins (35-53-88; signed with Philadelphia), G Matt Murray (13-19-0-1, 4.08, .876; Pittsburgh prospect), D Ryan Sproul (23-31-54, +16), RW Andrew Fritsch (13-19-32 in 35 games; Phoenix prospect), LW Michael Schumacher (26-24-50)
Key losses: C Brett Findlay (20-36-56; traded to Peterborough), C Carson Dubchak (16-16-32)
Outlook: The Greyhounds are trying to avoid a third straight season out of the playoff picture. But does Stapleton, the Otters’ former associate and assistant coach, have enough talented depth to make that happen in a challenging conference?

Windsor Spitfires
Coach/GM: Bob Boughner/Warren Rychel
2011-12 finish: 29-32-5-2, 4th division, 8th conference
Playoff finish: Lost to London 4-0 in conference quarterfinals
Key players: LW Kerby Rychel (41-33-74); C Brady Vail (22-30-52), LW Chris Marchese (18-25-43; former Otter), D Nick Ebert (6-33-39), RW Joshua Ho-Sang (No. 5 pick in OHL Priority Selection), LW Ben Johnson (18-20-38)
Key losses: C Alexander Khokhlachev (25-44-69; playing in Russia), C Zack MacQueen (18-20-38; son of former Otters coach Dave MacQueen)
Outlook: The unexpected departure of Khokhlachev will hurt thre Spitfires, unless forwards like Rychel, Vail, former Otter Marchese and first-round pick Ho-Sang pick up the slack. But will they have enough on defense and in net to win consistently?

- Victor Fernandes

The Erie Otters went down Friday night. But they didn’t go down without a fight.

Stephen Harper’s goal with 44.6 seconds left in regulation capped Erie’s furious comeback from a three-goal deficit against Saginaw. But Carlos Amestoy scored the lone shootout goal, and goaltender Clint Windsor stopped Luke Cairns on the final attempt, in Erie’s 8-7 loss in front of 2,314 at Tullio Arena.

The teams exchanged a pair of goals apiece in six the opening minutes. Saginaw’s Michael Fine scored at the 1:23 mark, followed by Otters rookie Jake Evans’ goal 3:30 later. Brandon Saad’s first of two short-handed goals snapped the 1-1 tie at the 6:02 mark. Then Connor Brown scored on the power play 19 seconds later to tie the score at 2.

Saginaw built a 5-2 lead early in the second on a goal from Amestoy and two from Eric Locke. Cairns moved the Otters within 5-3 at the 4:19 mark, only to have Saad’s second short-handed goal regain the Spirit’s three-goal lead at 6-3 6:49 into the period. Then the teams exchanged goals – Brown’s second power-play goal and Josh Shalla’s 35^th goal of the season – to send the Otters into the third trailing 7-4.

Ramis Sadikov returned to the ice for the third to replace rookie backup Devin Williams, who was injured late in the second. Williams allowed three goals on 17 shots in 26 minutes. Then the Otters’ comeback began with 8:50 left on Kris Grant’s second goal of the season and third in 101 career OHL games.

Dane Fox (goal, two assists) had a goal waved off a short time later, but his power-play goal with 5:04 left sliced the Spirit’s lead to 7-6.

Then with Sadikov on the bench for an extra attacker in the final minute, Harper’s goal off a deflection in front of Windsor completed the Otters’ three-goal comeback. But Fox, Sondre Olden and Cairns failed to score in the shootout.

Shalla and Fine led the Spirit (28-26-1-7) with a goal and two assists apiece.

- Victor Fernandes

SUMMARY

Spirit 8, Otters 7 (SO)

Saginaw  4  3  0  0  1  —  8

Erie  2  2  3  0  0  —  7

1^st Period — 1. Saginaw, Michael Fine 20 (Shalla, Young), 1:23. 2. Erie, Jake Evans 8 (Olden, Harper), 4:53. 3. Saginaw, Brandon Saad 27 (unassisted), 6:02 (sh). 4. Erie, Connor Brown 22 (unassisted), 6:21 (pp). 5. Saginaw, Carlos Amestoy 6 (Shalla, Fine), 11:58. 6. Saginaw, Eric Locke 16 (Trafford), 14:04. Penalties — Saad (S) tripping, 5:14.

2^nd Period — 7. Saginaw, Locke 17 (Trafford, Strong), 2:09. 8 Erie, Luke Cairns 11 (Brown, McDowell), 4:13. 9. Saginaw, Saad 28 (Fine), 6:49 (sh). 10. Erie, Brown 23 (Fox, Evans), 17:50 (pp). 11. Saginaw, Josh Shalla 35 (Lopez, Ross), 18:33. Penalties — Archibald (S) slashing, 5:15; Saginaw, too many men (served by Perklin), 16:05.

3^rd Period — 12. Erie, Kris Grant 2 (Olden), 11:10. 13. Erie, Dane Fox 22 (Pelech, 14:56 (pp). 14. Erie, Stephen Harper 20 (McDowell, Fox), 19:15. Penalties — Trocheck (S) kneeing, 5:24; Saad (S) interference, 11:26; Saad (S) unsportsmanlike conduct, 11:26; Evans (E) 5-min. fighting, 18:14; Webermin (S) 5-min. fighting, 18:14.

Overtime — None. Penalties — Archibald (S) closing hand on puck, 4:21.

Shootout — Fox (E) no goal, Amestoy (S) goal, Olden (E) no goal, Trocheck (S) no goal, Cairns (E) no goal.

Shots on goal — Saginaw, 13-15-7-4-1—40; Erie, 9-16-14-2-0—41.

Goaltenders — Saginaw, Clint Windsor 14-7-2-3 (41 shots, 34 saves); Erie, Ramis Sadikov 6-22-3-2 (22 shots, 18 saves), Devin Williams (17 shots 14 saves).

Power plays — Saginaw (0-0), Erie (3-7).

Referees — Joel Washkurak, Korey Bannerman. Linesmen — Ray King, Adam Harris.

Attendance — 2,314.

Three stars

* Connor Brown, Otters (2 goals, assist) ** Dane Fox, Otters (goal, 2 assists) *** Brandon Saad, Spirit (2 SH goals)