Golden Horseshoe mid-term report card
With the Greater Ontario Hockey League schedule at about the mid-way point, it’s time for the BPSN mid-term report card on each team.
Teams will be graded using the old A-F grading system. For those unfamiliar, A is the best, F is the worst!
Keep in mind, the grade is based on not only how the team’s record so far, but the talent level and expectations. In other words, a .500 record may get an overachieving team a higher grade than it would for a disappointing start for a team expected to contend.
With plenty of hockey still remaining, teams unhappy with their grades still have time to work hard and move up.
Hamilton Kilty B’s 19-4-3
Last year’s league finalists are off to another strong start with 41 points in 26 games.
The Kilty B’s once again have plenty of firepower with four players — Justin Monteith, Nathan Phillips, Dawson McKinney and Connor Haynes — already in double digits in goals scored and enter this weekend tied with Caledonia for most goals scored in the conference at 108.
The Kilty B’s have only four regulation losses — two versus the defending Sutherland Cup champion St. Catharines Falcons — but have also defeated the Falcons three times.
The organization made an odd move recently when they brought back former head coach Ken Peroff to replace CJ Morrsion despite Morrison leading the team to an excellent record.
The team looks poised to contend for a title once again.
GRADE: A
St. Catharines Falcons 19-3-2
The defending Ontario champions have been anything but complacent with an excellent 19-3-2 record and .833 winning percentage, good enough for third overall in the GOJHL. Only the Waterloo Siskins (.875) and London Nationals (.840) are better.
The Falcons are once again winning with defence, permitting only a paltry 45 goals, far and away the best mark in the league.
Netminders Josh Johnson (2.09) and rookie Steven Toltl (1.23) have been outstanding as has the defence led by most valuable player candidate Jonah Boria and solid sophomore Jordan Schanbacher.
The offence is well balanced led by Kyle Glenney, Blake Yetman, Cam Knight and Nate Shirton while rookie Parker Forlin and former Erie Otter Cam Lowe are also standouts.
It wouldn’t be a shock if general manager Frank Girhiny added another sniper or two at the trade deadline to give head coach Tyler Bielby more firepower at his disposal.
A championship repeat is well within reach.
GRADE: A
Fort Erie Meteors 15-6-3
The Meteors are off to their best start maybe ever and are a fun team to watch with a strong forward group led by Marcus Regina, Brad Ditillio, Dom DiFrancesco and the small, but shifty Joe Macchione.
The team also has a solid core of rearguards including Luke Gualtieri, who has collected 18 assists in 24 games, and U.S. import Matthew Herb.
The team has shown it is capable of playing with the best of the best, although the Mets have yet to find a way to beat the Falcons, going 0-3 versus St. Catharines, albeit all one-goal losses.
Coach/general manager Nik Passero is a bright, young bench boss and has already indicated he is on the lookout to improve the roster and challenge for a title.
A top-notch goaltender might put the Mets over the top.
Tony would be proud.
Grade A-
Caledonia Corvairs 14-13-0-1
A record of only one game over .500 at this point in the season is uncharted territory for the Corvairs who are normally front-runners for the top spot.
Mike Bullard was recently re-installed as head coach to try and get the Corvairs back on track.
The Corvairs have a decent enough group of forwards led by Pelham’s Dylan Dekoe, Brody Leblanc, Calvin Crombie and Markus Depewolf, but the team’s biggest bugaboo is goals against. With 102 goals permitted so far, the team must work on that aspect of their game to be considered a serious contender.
In the past, the Corvairs wouldn’t think twice about bringing in whoever they needed, regardless the cost. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues at the deadline this season.
Grade: C
Thorold Blackhawks 13-12
It’s been an interesting start of the season for the Blackhawks, who are playing out of the Vale Centre in Port Colborne for the 2022/23 campaign.
The team got off to a terrible start with just one win in their first nine games, but head coach/general manager Scott Barnes was insistent the team was better than that.
Barnes was absolutely correct as the Hawks settled down and regrouped to get themselves back over the .500 mark, defeating both Hamilton and Fort Erie along the way.
Exciting rookie Daniel Vasic has led the offence while Dylan Pergentile, Nathan Kelly, former Falcon Jagger North and Grayson Gare provide depth.
Defenceman Izayah Luddington (6-16-22) has been outstanding in his first season with the team while captain Jack Sykes is a heart and soul leader. The addition of former Hamilton Bulldog Callum Cheynowski will help tremendously.
Rookie goaltender Christian Lynch has been an exceptional addition with a 2.43 goals-against average and .925 save percentage.
Full props to Barnes and his staff for keeping the players on point earlier in the season.
Grade: B-
Niagara Falls Canucks 10-14-1
The Canucks suffered through a difficult 2021/22 season when head coach Frank Pietrangelo was suspended and the team stripped of several of its wins.
Things haven’t gone much better this season with the team sputtering along losing more than they are winning.
The Canucks have had trouble putting the puck in the net, averaging barely more than three goals per game. Kyle Caron leads the team with 26 points while Alexander Hebblethwaite and Benjamin Kay are the lone players in double digits in goals.
At the other end of the rink, the Canucks are giving up too many goals with both Mihalio Corovic (3.63) and Avery Alves (3.02) having goals-against averages over three.
The Canucks don’t appear to have the roster to contend for a title as they stand now.
GRADE: C
Welland Junior Canadians 7-17-1-1
The Junior Canadians have struggled at both ends of the rink scoring only 71 goals while permitting a league-worst 121 goals. Those numbers simply don’t add up to a winning team.
Peter Spameni has been Welland’s top point producer while Cody Miskolczi and Daniel Thomas have also chipped in. Port Colborne’s Tyler Isherwood has been a great addition with 15 points in 14 games. Defencemen Liam Legault, an 18-year-old St. Catharines native, has done a nice job with seven points in 19 games.
The Junior Canadians have had a revolving door in goal using six netminders, never a recipe for success.
Head coach Dave Burkholder is the real deal with decades of experience at the NCAA level at Niagara University, but a coach can only do so much.
GRADE: E
Pelham Panthers 2-18-3-1
Every team goes through injuries, but the Panthers have taken it to a whole new level this season.
According to team owner/general manager Tim Toffolo, the Panthers have had 10 players injured overall including as many as eight at the same time, all key players.
The Panthers don’t have any players in double digits scoring and have netted only 44 as a team while permitting 108 for a league worst -64 goal differential.
Goaltender Keegan Jackson, who has battled leg problems this year, has been a huge bright spot with a .926 save percentage.
With so many players out for such an extended period, the Panthers get a pass.
GRADE: INCOMPLETE
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