Team Canada’s six OHLers
No goalies and no defensemen. But six forwards from the Ontario Hockey League are among the 22 players who will represent Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships that are slated to begin on Boxing Day with games in Toronto and Montreal.
The six OHLers are Anthony Cirelli of the Oshawa Generals, Michael McLeod of the Mississauga Steelheads, Taylor Raddysh and Dylan Strome of the Erie Otters, Mitchell Stephens of the Saginaw Spirit and Blake Speers of the Soo Greyhounds.
Cirelli, Strome, Stephens and Speers all have 1997 birth dates while McLeod and Raddysh were both born in 1998.
Strome and Stephens both skated for Team Canada at last year’s World Juniors.
Here is a quick look at the six forwards from the OHL, including their National Hockey League affiliations.
Anthony Cirelli. Averaging more than a point-per-game this season for the OHL Eastern Conference-leading Generals as a third-round NHL draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Michael McLeod. A first-round draft pick of the New Jersey Devils, McLeod is averaging a point a game with Mississauga but has scored only six goals this season.
Taylor Raddysh. Another Tampa Bay draft pick, a second-round selection by the Lighting, Raddysh is among the OHL scoring leaders with more than 20 goals and 60-plus points. Averaging more than two points per game for Erie this season.
Dylan Strome. Strome started the season in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes and played in seven games. Since returning to Erie, the Arizona first-rounder is averaging more than two points per outing.
Mitchell Stephens. Saginaw’s heart-and-soul leader has 11 goals in only 22 games with the Spirit thus far this season. Yet-another Tampa Bay draft pick, a second-round selection of the Lightning.
Blake Speers. Started the season in the NHL with New Jersey and played in three games as a third-round pick of the Devils. The Greyhounds captain has played in only one OHL game this season due to a wrist injury.