Toronto – The Board of Governors of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) have approved the sale of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors to Mississauga businessman Elliott Kerr. Kerr, President of Landmark Sport Group Inc., will be the majority owner and the new franchise will continue to call the Hershey Centre home for the 2012-2013 season.

“We are very excited about the upcoming 2012-13 hockey season as well as the opportunity to continue Major Junior Hockey in our great City of Mississauga,” said Kerr. “I have been a proud resident of Mississauga for 25 years, my six year-old twins are actively involved in minor hockey here, our Mississauga Marathon event will be celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2013 and our Landmark Sport Group office is based here as well.”

“The Ontario Hockey League is excited to see the expanded involvement of Elliott Kerr in the OHL with his acquisition of the Mississauga franchise,” said OHL Commissioner David Branch. “ His experience as part of the ownership group with the Guelph Storm and the original Mississauga franchise, along with his passion for the game, family values, and being a Mississauga resident, will undoubtedly serve to see the Mississauga franchise grow and flourish”

Mayor Hazel McCallion is also thrilled to have the team staying in Mississauga “It is wonderful to know that we will continue to have an OHL team in Mississauga under the ownership of Elliott Kerr” said City of Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion. “I encourage community support for hockey at all levels in Mississauga and I am pleased that our residents will continue to enjoy a high caliber of sports entertainment that brings in many visitors to our City.

Under the new ownership, the hockey club will undergo a complete rebranding as the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors name will be returned to the school. We want to thank Eugene Melnyk for supporting minor hockey in Mississauga and for bringing the Majors to this great city. In an effort to engage the residents of Mississauga, the new team will be conducting a “Name the Team Contest” in association with the Mississauga News this week. The team name will be unveiled following the contest.

Coach and General Manager, James Boyd will remain with the team and Kerr has appointed Scott Rogers as Vice President and Director of Business Operations for the club.

- From OHL news release

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

The Mississauga St. Michael’s took advantage of the man advantage Wednesday night.

The Majors scored three power-play goals on six chances – headlined by Dylan DeMelo’s go-ahead goal 8:12 into the third period – to rally past the Erie Otters 4-2 in front of 2,218 fans at Tullio Arena.

DeMelo led the Majors (8-1-0-0) with a goal and two assists, while goaltender Spencer Martin earned the win in his OHL debut after being a late addition to the lineup in place of veteran J.P. Anderson.

Meanwhile, injury woes and third-period struggles led to the Otters’ second straight loss and sixth defeat in seven games to start the season. The Otters allowed three goals in the final period.

Before the game, the Otters added veteran center Mike Cazzola to an injury list that includes defenseman Adam Pelech (wrist surgery) and forward Connor Crisp (shoulder surgery).

Cazzola undergoes surgery today in Erie to repair a small fracture in his hand and will miss the next month. The Otters also were without veteran forward Brett Thompson, a 40-goal scorer the past two seasons, because of the flu.

Yet the surging Majors also were short-handed, as they were without veterans Devante Smith-Pelly (who remains with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks), Joseph Cramarossa, Jordan Mayer and Stuart Percy.

So the teams were evenly matched in the opening period, with the Otters taking a 1-0 lead on rookie Connor Brown’s second career goal. He stole the puck at the Majors’ blue line, raced in on net and fired a shot under the crossbar for a 1-0 lead with 4:06 left in the period.

The Majors tied the score at 1 on the power play, as Sergey Kuptsov scored his sixth goal of the season on assists from David Corrente and DeMelo with 49 seconds left in the period. But the Otters capitalized on a power play early in the second.

Chris Marchese turned rookie defenseman Travis Wood’s point shot into a rebound goal 6:37 into the period. Rookie Sondre Olden also assisted on the goal. The Otters seemed to gain momentum from that goal. They outshot the Majors 15-9 in the period. Erie nearly capitalized on several of them, especially during a 5-minute power play that carried into the third.

However, the Otters didn’t extend their one-goal lead. The inability to finish proved costly for the Otters.

Derek Schoenmakers scored on the power play, with assists from Riley Brace and DeMelo, to tie the score at 2 at the 3:18 mark of the third. Then the Majors turned a 5-minute charging penalty against Otters rookie Tyler McCarthy into their third power-play goal of the game. DeMelo scored on assists from Justin Rasmussen and Corrente with 11:48 left. McCarthy also received a game misconduct.

Spencer Cobbold capped the Majors’ win with his first OHL goal late in the game.

- Victor Fernandes

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

The Erie Otters’ Ramis Sadikov is among six finalists for the OHL’s goaltender of the year award, which will be announced Thursday.
Here are the finalists:

Ramis Sadikov, Erie Otters
JP Anderson, Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors
Mark Visentin, Niagara IceDogs
Petr Mrazek, Ottawa 67’s
Scott Wedgewood, Plymouth Whalers
Mavric Parks, Saginaw Spirit

Ontario Hockey League playoff previews

Conference quarterfinals (best-of-seven series)

Western Conference

No. 1 Owen Sound Attack vs. No. 8 London Knights

Season records: Owen Sound 46-17-1-4, London 34-29-4-1

Season series: Tied 3-3

Players to watch

Owen Sound – C Joey Hishon (37 goals, 50 assists, 87 points), LW Garrett Wilson (40-46-86), LW Andrew Fritsch (28-35-63), RW Bobby Mignardi (30-31-61), D Jesse Blacker (10-44-54)

London – RW Jared Knight (25-45-70), C Vladislav Namestnikov (30-38-68), G Michael Houser (30-19-4-1 record, 3.32 goals-against average, .904 save percentage, 1 shutout), RW Seth Griffith (22-40-62), D Scott Harrington (6-16-22)

Outlook: The Attack have the players in place to make a deep playoff run. They also have home-ice advantage over all conference opponents. But will that be enough to win the West?

Prediction: Owen Sound in 5 games

Series schedule

Game 1 – Friday at Owen Sound, 7:30 p.m.

Game 2 – Saturday at London, 7 p.m.

Game 3 – Tuesday at Owen Sound, 7 p.m.

Game 4 – March 31 at London, 7 p.m.

Game 5 – April 2 at Owen Sound, 7:30 p.m.*

Game 6 – April 3 at London, 4 p.m.*

Game 7 – April 5 at Owen Sound, 7 p.m.*

* If necessary

No. 2 Saginaw Spirit vs. No. 7 Guelph Storm

Season records: Saginaw 40-22-4-2, Guelph 34-27-4-3

Season series: Tied 2-2

Players to watch

Saginaw – LW Josh Shalla (47-25-72), RW Jordan Szwarz (27-39-66), C Vincent Trocheck (26-36-62), C Ivan Telegin (20-41-61), D Ryan O’Connor (9-32-41)

Guelph – RW Taylor Beck (42-53-95), C Michael Latta (34-55-89), C Peter Holland (37-51-88), LW Daniel Erlich (20-44-64), RW Richard Panik (27-29-56)

Outlook: If the Storm were more than a three-player team (Beck, Holland and Latta), they would be a tempting upset pick. But the Spirit are a deeper team. And in a seven-game series, that means a lot.

Prediction: Saginaw in 6 games

Series schedule

Game 1 – Friday at Saginaw, 7:11 p.m.

Game 2 – Sunday at Guelph, 2 p.m.

Game 3 – Monday at Saginaw, 7:11 p.m.

Game 4 – March 31 at Guelph, 7 p.m.

Game 5 – April 2 at Saginaw, 7:11 p.m.*

Game 6 – April 3 at Guelph, 7 p.m.*

Game 7 – April 5 at Saginaw, 7:11 p.m.*

* If necessary

No. 3 Kitchener Rangers vs. No. 6 Plymouth Whalers

Season records: Kitchener 38-21-4-5, Plymouth 36-26-2-4

Season series: Kitchener won 3-1

Players to watch

Kitchener – RW Jason Akeson (24-84-108), D Ryan Murphy (26-53-79), RW Gabriel Landeskog (36-30-66), LW Matthew Tipoff (25-35-60), D Jamie Doornbosch (19-29-48)

Plymouth – RW Stefan Noesen (34-43-77), C Robbie Czarnik (33-44-77), G Scott Wedgewood (28-18-1-1, 2.99, .908, 2 SO), LW Tyler Brown (25-32-57), D Beau Schmitz (7-24-31)

Outlook: The Rangers enter the playoffs on a seven-game losing streak. But with Murphy back on the blue line and an offense led by Akeson and Landeskog, Kitchener will rebound against the Whalers.

Prediction: Kitchener in 6 games

Series schedule

Game 1 – Friday at Kitchener, 7:30 p.m.

Game 2 – Saturday at Plymouth, 7:05 p.m.

Game 3 – Monday at Kitchener, 7 p.m.

Game 4 – Wednesday at Plymouth, 7:05 p.m.

Game 5 – April 1 at Kitchener, 7:30 p.m.*

Game 6 – April 2 at Plymouth, 7:05 p.m.*

Game 7 – April 4 at Kitchener, 7 p.m.*

* If necessary

No. 4 Windsor Spitfires vs. No. 5 Erie Otters

Season records: Windsor 39-23-3-3, Erie 40-26-1-1

Season series: Tied 2-2

Players to watch

Windsor – D Ryan Ellis (24-76-100), RW Zack Kassian (26-51-77), C Alexander Khokhlachev (34-42-76), C Taylor Carnevale (35-35-70), LW Tom Kuhnhackl (39-29-68)

Erie – LW Greg McKegg (49-43-92), RW Brett Thompson (44-40-84), C Phil Varone (34-48-82), RW Shawn Szydlowski (41-37-78), G Ramis Sadikov (36-17-1-1, 2.88, .912, 2 SO)

Outlook: The Otters have the most talented – and most dangerous – team in the West. The two-time defending champion Spitfires stand in their way. But that won’t be enough to stop the Otters.

Prediction: Erie in 6 games

Series schedule

Game 1 – Today at Windsor, 7:05 p.m.

Game 2 – Saturday at Erie, 7 p.m.

Game 3 – Monday at Windsor, 7:05 p.m.

Game 4 – Wednesday at Erie, 7 p.m.

Game 5 – April 1 at Windsor, 7:05 p.m.*

Game 6 – April 3 at Erie, 4:30 p.m.*

Game 7 – April 5 at Windsor, 7:05 p.m.*

* If necessary

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What: Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (33-7-0-1) at Erie Otters (22-20-1-1)

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Where: Tullio Arena

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

Players to watch

Erie – C Greg McKegg (31 goals, 30 assists, 61 points), C Brett Thompson (26-23-49), RW Shawn Szydlowski (22-20-42), RW Anthony Luciani (16-24-40), C Phil Varone (19-22-40)

Mississauga – RW Justin Shugg (24-28-52), C Casey Cizikas (23-23-46), LW Devante Smith-Pelly (22-19-41), LW Maxim Kitsyn (3-4-7 in 5 games), D Marc Cantin (6-22-28, plus-34)

Fast facts

Erie – The Otters (46 points) have won two straight to move into sixth place in the Western Conference, four points behind Windsor and Plymouth, who are tied for fourth. Ten points separate fourth place from ninth-place Sarnia. … The Otters could venture three games above .500 for the first time this season. … The Otters can sweep the two-game season series with the OHL-leading Majors with a win in the first non-Thanksgiving home game on a Thursday night since Sept. 29, 2005 (4-3 win vs. Plymouth). The Otters are 4-0 in those rare games. … The Otters beat the Majors 2-1 in a shootout on the road Nov. 7. G Ramis Sadikov (22-14-1-1 record, 2.93 goals-against average, .909 save percentage, 2 shutouts) stopped 38-of-39 shots, including both shootout attempts. … The Otters could join Guelph and Saginaw as the only teams to beat the Majors twice this season. … The Otters have won four of their last five at home. They outscored Barrie and London 17-5 in a two-game home sweep last weekend. … Thompson has a goal and three points in three games since being acquired from Sault Ste. Marie Jan. 10. … Varone has points in five of six games this month (four goals, 11 points). … McKegg has risen to third in the league in goals. He’s tied for sixth in points. … McKegg is on pace to score 48 goals, which would rank second on the franchise’s all-time list behind Cory Pecker (53 in 2001-02). … Szydlowski set a career high with his 22^nd goal of the season Saturday against London. He needs six points to equal his career high set last season (48). … Rookie LW Chris Marchese (shoulder) remains out of the lineup. … Tonight is a Buck Night game, with Smith’s hot dogs, popcorn, beer and Coca-Cola products costing $1.

Mississauga – The Majors, ranked second in the CHL top 10, are on pace to finish in the top five on the league’s single-season wins list. They need to win 26 of their final 27 games to eclipse the record of 59 set by London in 2004-05. … They have the league’s best defense (100 goals against) and rank fourth with 173 goals scored. … They have won three straight and seven of their last 10. … Kitsyn has points in four of five games since signing with the Majors after leading Russia to the gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo. … Cizikas won a WJC silver medal with Canada. … D Michael D’Orazio (6-23-29, +6) has two points and a plus-5 rating, and LW Chris DeSousa (10-10-20) has a goal and three points, in three games since being acquired from London Jan. 10. … G J.P. Anderson ranks among the top four wins (22), goals-against average (2.31), save percentage (.915) and shutouts (league-best 4). … The Majors are 14^th on the power play (19.6 percent) and 15^th on the penalty kill (77.7).

Up next: at Sarnia (Friday, 7 p.m.), at Plymouth (Saturday, 7:05 p.m.)

– Victor Fernandes

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario – Ramis Sadikov made 36 saves to cap off a fine weekend for the netminder and the Erie Otters (6-12-1-0) as they defeated the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors in a shootout, 2-1, Sunday afternoon.

Sadikov’s only blemish was giving up Marc Cantin‘s shot from the point to give Mississauga an early lead 4:36 into the contest, but the Russian goalie was terrific through the remainder of the contest to help the Otters earn the victory.

The Otters power play then got to work to tie the game. Matt Paton won a loose puck in the right corner and found Phil Varone at the side of the net with a perfect pass, which enabled the overager to slip the puck through Anthony Peters for his third goal of the season at 14:41.

The story of the contest was the strength of the penalty kill for both squads. Mississauga killed off five Erie power plays in the final two periods of regulation, and the Otters killed off all seven Majors power plays, including a 90-seconds two-man advantage in the third.

In the shootout, Varone beat Peters on the glove side in the first round. After the Majors missed their first two attempts, Derek Holden scored the clincher by going short side on Peters to give the Otters their win. Holden also scored the winner in last season’s shootout win in Mississauga.

- From Erie Otters news release

What: Erie Otters (5-12-1-0) at Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (14-2-0-0)

When: Sunday, 2 p.m.

Where: Hershey Centre – Mississauga, Ontario

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

Players to watch

Erie – C Greg McKegg (10 goals, 16 assists, 26 points), C Mike Cazzola (9-15-24), D Tyler Hostetter (3-10-13), C Phil Varone (2-3-5 in 9 games), LW David Broll (2-8-10)

Mississauga – RW Justin Shugg (11-10-21), C Rob Flick (7-12-19), C Casey Cizikas (10-7-17), LW Devante Smith-Pelly (7-8-15), D Marc Cantin (3-10-13, plus-12)

Fast facts

Erie – The Otters head on the road after completing a five-game home stand with a 2-3 record. After today’s game against the Eastern Conference-leading Majors, the Otters play three straight at home. … RW Anthony Luciani (broken right wrist) didn’t play in both games against Owen Sound this weekend after being deemed a game-time decision by coach Robbie Ftorek earlier in the week. Luciani hasn’t played since the Oct. 2 game against London. … The Otters split the two-game series with the Majors last season, winning 1-0 in a shootout on the road Feb. 15. The teams have split their meetings the past two seasons. … McKegg has points in three straight games and six of the past seven. … Cazzola has a five-game point streak. … Hostetter is tied for sixth among all defensemen in scoring.

Mississauga – The Majors, who have won seven straight and nine of their past 10 games, have the OHL’s best winning percentage (.875). … They have added a dangerous offense – their 69 goals rank third overall – to an always stingy defense. They have allowed a league-best 34 goals (2.1 per game). … The Majors are the league’s only unbeaten team at home (6-0). They have outscored opponents 27-11 in those games. … They are tied for fourth on the power play (21 percent) and fifth on the penalty kill (83.7). … Shugg ranks among the top 10 in goals. … Cantin, who won league and Memorial Cup championships with Windsor last season, is fifth among defenseman in scoring. … G J.P Anderson leads the league in wins (10), goals-against average (2.01) and shutouts (3) and ranks second in save percentage (.926).

Up next: vs. Guelph (Wednesday, 7 p.m.), vs. Saginaw (Friday, 7 p.m.)

- Victor Fernandes

Toronto – The Canadian Hockey League in association with the Ontario Hockey League, London Knights and Sudbury Wolves announced on Thursday the rosters for Team OHL that will compete against Team Russia in the 2010 SUBWAY® Super Series.

Following two games hosted in the QMJHL, the OHL leg of the six-game series begins in London on Nov. 11 at the John Labatt Centre before moving north to the Sudbury Community Arena on Nov. 15.  Erie Otters captain Greg McKegg will play in the Nov. 15 game.

The series then shifts west for two games hosted in the WHL.

“The SUBWAY® Super Series provides these players with a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate that they can compete amongst the best players eligible for the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship,” said Dave Cameron of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, who will serve as head voach of both Team OHL and Team Canada.  “The OHL has had a lot of success against the Russians in this event and I am confident that we have assembled another strong group of players in all positions that will make us competitive in these games, and with players who will make a strong push to represent the OHL on Team Canada in Buffalo this December.”

A total of 36 players in total were selected for Team OHL rosters, including 2010 Team Canada members Calvin de Haan of the Oshawa Generals and Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires who won silver last year at the IIHF World Junior Championship.

The rosters are also highlighted by three first round picks in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, including Erik Gudbranson of the Kingston Frontenacs, Joey Hishon of the Owen Sound Attack and Mark Visentin of the Niagara IceDogs.

In addition to de Haan and Ellis, 2009 first-round picks Peter Holland of the Guelph Storm and Zack Kassian of the Spitfires will compete in the series.  London’s Scott Harrington is one of seven players competing that are eligible for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.  He will represent the host Knights in London alongside forward Michael MacDonald, while Wolves forwards Marcus Foligno and John McFarland will represent the host team in Sudbury.

The Team OHL rosters were assembled by a selection committee that includes Brampton Battalion general manager and coach Stan Butler and London general manager Mark Hunter.  They worked in conjunction with Hockey Canada head scout Kevin Prendergast.

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