Erie Otters center Connor McDavid will play for his native Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 team at the IIHF U18 World Championship, which runs from Thursday through April 28 in Sochi, Russia. McDavid, 16, the OHL’s rookie of the year who had 25 goals and 66 points in 63 games this season, will be joined by 10 other OHL players on the 23-player roster – goaltender Spencer Martin (Mississauga), defensemen Chris Bigras (Owen Sound) and Roland McKeown (Kingston) and forwards Nick Baptiste (Sudbury), Sam Bennett (Kingston), Jason Dickinson (Guelph), Hunter Garlent (Guelph), Zach Nastasiuk (Owen Sound), Nick Ritchie (Peterborough) and Carter Verhaege (Niagara).
Canada begins the tournament Thursday at 10 a.m. against Slovakia, followed by games against Germany (Saturday at 4 a.m.), Switzerland (Monday at 4 a.m.) and Sweden (Tuesday at 4 a.m.). Medal-round play begins April 25 and is capped by the gold-medal and bronze-medal games April 28.

Victor Fernandes unveils his predictions for the OHL playoffs:

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

Western Conference
Quarterfinals
No. 1 London def. No. 8 Saginaw, 4-0
No. 2 Plymouth def. No. 7 Sarnia, 4-1
No. 3 Owen Sound def. No. 6 Sault Ste. Marie, 4-1
No. 5 Guelph def. No. 4 Kitchener, 4-3
Semifinals
No. 1 London def. No. 5 Guelph, 4-1
No. 2 Plymouth def. No. 3 Owen Sound, 4-2
Finals
No. 2 Plymouth def. No. 1 London, 4-3

League finals
No. 1W Plymouth def. No. 1E Belleville, 4-2

- Victor Fernandes

Toronto – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Dougie Hamilton of the Niagara IceDogs is the 2011-12 recipient of the Max Kaminsky Trophy awarded to the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman of the Year.

Hamilton led all OHL defencemen in scoring with 72 points in just 50 games and tied for third in the league with a plus-minus rating of plus-37. He scored 17 goals and finished tied for third overall in the league with 55 assists which included a league-high 30 assists recorded on the power play. Third in voting for this award last season, Hamilton becomes the first winner of the Max Kaminsky Trophy in IceDogs’ team history.

“This year has been a ton of fun and it is a huge honour to win this award,” said Hamilton. “I spent the last couple of years watching the best defencemen in the league and then trying to get myself to that point and it is exciting to be here now and receive this award. A lot of past winners have gone on to NHL careers and hopefully I can follow suit.”

An 18-year-old from Toronto, ON, Hamilton was selected by the IceDogs 27th overall in the 2009 OHL Priority Selection. This season he was recognized as OHL Defenseman of the Month four of the six times the award was presented including October, November, February, and March.

Hamilton was selected by the Boston Bruins with the ninth overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and represented the OHL on Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship earning a bronze medal. Last season he earned the Bobby Smith Trophy for combining high standards of play and academic excellence before being named the CHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year.

“We couldn’t be prouder of Dougie,” said IceDogs’ General Manager and Head Coach Marty Williamson. “The on ice stuff, it is easy to see how good he is, but he has leadership abilities off the ice and is a great role model not just for younger players on our team but in the community, we just can’t say enough good things about what he brings to the team.”

The Max Kaminsky Trophy is awarded each year to the Most Outstanding Defenseman as selected by OHL General Managers. Teams were not permitted to vote for their own nominee. Players received five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote and one point for a third place vote.

Hamilton received an impressive 80 of a maximum 95 points in the voting process ahead of Scott Harrington of the London Knights who finished in second place with 36 voting points, and Cody Ceci of the Ottawa 67’s who finished in third place with 28 voting points.

Other notable winners of the Max Kaminsky Trophy include Al MacInnis (Kitchener 1982-83), Chris Pronger (Peterborough 1992-93), Brian Campbell (Ottawa 1998-99), James Wisniewski (Plymouth 2003-04), Marc Staal (Sudbury 2006-07), Drew Doughty (Guelph 2007-08), and Ryan Ellis (Windsor Spitfires 2008-09 and 2010-11). Ron Meighan (1981-82), and Bryan Fogarty (1988-89) both received the honour as members of the Niagara Falls Thunder.

The award is named in recognition of Max Kaminsky, who enjoyed a 10-year professional playing career that included four years in the NHL with Ottawa, Boston, and Montreal. After he retired from playing, Kaminsky enjoyed a 15-year coaching career that was capped by winning the Memorial Cup with the St. Catherine’s Teepees in 1960.

Hamilton will be formally presented with the Max Kaminsky Trophy at the OHL Awards Ceremony which takes place on Tuesday June 5, 2012, at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. He will also be the OHL’s nominee for CHL Defenseman of the Year.

- From OHL news release

Victor Fernandes unveils his predictions for the 2011-12 OHL season:

REGULAR SEASON

Eastern Conference

East Division

1. Oshawa

2. Ottawa

3. Peterborough

4. Kingston

5. Belleville

Central Division

1. Niagara

2. Mississauga

3. Sudbury

4. Brampton

5. Barrie

Western Conference

Midwest Division

1. London

2. Kitchener

3. Erie

4. Owen Sound

5. Guelph

West Division

1. Plymouth

2. Saginaw

3. Sarnia

4. Windsor

5. Sault Ste. Marie

PLAYOFFS

Eastern Conference

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Niagara def. No. 8 Kingston, 4-0

No. 2 Oshawa def. No. 7 Sudbury, 4-2

No. 3 Mississauga def. No. 6 Brampton, 4-1

No. 4 Ottawa def. No. 5 Peterborough, 4-1

Semifinals

No. 1 Niagara def. No. 4 Ottawa, 4-0

No. 3 Mississauga def. No. 2 Oshawa, 4-2

Finals

No. 1 Niagara def. No. 3 Mississauga, 4-2

Western Conference

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Plymouth def. No. 8 Owen Sound, 4-2

No. 2 London def. No. 7 Erie, 4-2

No. 6 Windsor def. No. 3 Saginaw, 4-3

No. 5 Sarnia def. No. 4 Kitchener, 4-2

Semifinals

No. 1 Plymouth def. No. 6 Windsor, 4-2

No. 2 London def. No. 5 Sarnia, 4-3

Finals

No. 1 Plymouth def. No. 2 London, 4-2

League finals

No. 1E Niagara def. No. 1W Plymouth, 4-2

Erie Otters can watch two games for the price of one at Tullio Arena on Saturday.

Before the Otters complete the first half of the season in a 7 p.m. game against Sudbury, local police officers will face local firefighters/EMS and paramedics in the inaugural Guns & Hoses Charity Hockey Game at 4 p.m. Proceeds from the game benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center of Erie County.

Otters coach Robbie Ftorek will coach the Hoses team, which features fire and EMS officials from Erie, Kearsarge, West Lake and West Ridge fire departments and staff from Millcreek Paramedic Service and Emergycare. Otters assistant coach Peter Sidorkiewicz will lead the Guns team, which has officers from Erie, Edinboro, Millcreek and Pennsylvania State Police departments.

Fans can buy $10 tickets covering both games at the Otters’ office by mentioning Guns & Hoses Night.

Erie Otters winger David Broll had two points in his Ontario Hockey League debut last September against Sudbury. It was his only multi-point game of the season. He had a goal and two assists in Friday’s season-opening win at Brampton – his first career three-point outing.

But this time, the offensive production will continue, Broll said Saturday.

“I I had a little more confidence going into the first game knowing it’s my second year of the league,” said Broll, who struggled getting acclimated to the players’ size and speed and the pace of the game. “It was very important how to (handle those) struggles.”

* Accepting the challenge: Rookie forward Chris Marchese has begun his first OHL season as the center between veterans Anthony Luciani and Shawn Szydlowski on the No. 2 line.

Chris Marchese (Contributed/The Scouting News)

Marchese is handling the challenge well, Broll said. Marchese had an assist and a plus-1 rating in front of 80-90 family members and friends in Friday’s win against the Battalion. He also performed well on faceoffs. But Marchese isn’t focused on what’s he done. He’s focused on his job. “I’m going to play my game and hopefully stay there,” Marchese said Saturday.

He gained some experience at center with the Toronto Marlboros‘ midget minor club last season. That makes him feel comfortable at the position while adjusting to the OHL game. “Luckily I had my legs under me (on Friday),” he said. “I wasn’t too nervous.”

* Good news: An official from the National Hockey League‘s St. Louis Blues called Sherry Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager, to praise defenseman David Shields‘ play at training camp. “He’s definitely a prospect,” Bassin was told.

Bassin expects Shields to return to the Otters. But Bassin was unaware of the timetable.

* Injury report: Rookie winger Macaulay McDonnell missed this weekend’s games with a groin injury, said Sherry Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager. Rookie forward Connor Crisp also missed the weekend with a groin injury, Bassin said.

* News and notes: The Otters scratched defensemen Shields and Mark Gazdic and rookie forwards McDonnell, Crisp, Tim Tankeev and Scott Mitchell. Rookie forward Luke Cairns made his OHL debut.

- Victor Fernandes

Windsor, Ontario – The Ontario Hockey League in association with the Windsor Spitfires hockey club held a media conference Sunday to announce John Kurtz of the Sudbury Wolves as the second ever recipient of the Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy.

Kurtz, a 20-year-old from Oakville, Ontario, played four OHL seasons beginning in 2006-07 as a member of the Windsor Spitfires, where he was teammates with Renaud.  He played his final three seasons with the Wolves and served as team captain the last two years.  Kurtz continued to wear Renaud’s No. 18 sticker on his own helmet throughout his OHL career.

Kurtz was unanimously chosen by a selection committee as the OHL team captain that best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice, with a passion and dedication to the game of hockey and his community that Mickey demonstrated.  The selection committee consisted of a media panel of four, representing each of the four OHL divisions.

“When I came into the OHL in Windsor, Mickey was the first guy to make me feel comfortable,” said Kurtz. “As a younger guy I really looked up to him and wanted to pattern my game after him.  I was really happy when I saw this award presented last year, and am really honoured to win it this year.”

Kurtz was also the Wolves’ nominee for the Dan Snyder Memorial Award as OHL humanitarian of the year.  He attended many fundraising events on behalf of the Wolves’ organization and volunteered at community schools and at a local home for the developmentally challenged.  He has won numerous team awards including the Wolves Most Popular Player Award, Most Improved Player Award and was the Scholastic Player of the Month twice this season.

“John learned from Mickey’s leadership and always tried to exemplify his qualities to the younger players on the Sudbury Wolves hockey team,” said Wolves general manager Mike Foligno in his award nomination form. “His calming qualities and his confidence are attributes that other players respect.  He has been an excellent role model for many hockey players on our team and in the community.  We are truly thankful for having the opportunity to have known and worked with John.”

On the ice, Kurtz finished this season with a career-high 30 goals, including a team-high 10 goals scored on the power play.  He also added 16 assists for 46 points in 62 games.  He scored his first career hat trick November 20, as first star of a 3-0 win over the Saginaw Spirit.

The selection committee reviewed nomination forms submitted by OHL general managers on behalf of their individual team captains.  Nomination forms listed the characteristics of each captain both on and off the ice which demonstrate his strengths and commitment as a leader.  Dedication to work in the community, as well as special team and league achievements and awards received through hockey, education, and community service were also considered.

Kurtz will be formally presented with the Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy at the OHL Awards Ceremony June 9 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

2009-10 Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy Nominees

Barrie – Stefan Della Rovere

Belleville – Luke Judson

Brampton – Cody Hodgson

Erie – Zack Torquato

Guelph – Corey Syvret

Kingston – Brian Lashoff

Kitchener – Dan Kelly

London – Justin Taylor

Mississauga – Cameron Gaunce

Niagara – Andrew Agozzino

Oshawa – Jeff Hayes

Ottawa – Julien Demers

Owen Sound – Marcus Carroll

Plymouth – AJ Jenks

Saginaw – Tyler Murovich

Sarnia – Nathan Chiarlitti

Sault Ste. Marie – Jacob Muzzin

Sudbury – John Kurtz

Windsor – Harry Young