A bizarre sequence unfolded in Wednesday's Ontario Hockey League matchup between the Erie Otters and London Knights.
After losing his stick, Knights defenseman Brandon Crawley stole Dylan Strome's apparatus. The Arizona Coyotes prospect—selected No. 3 behind Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel in the 2015 NHL draft—retrieved his opponent's stick and used it to score a goal.
The sticks then found their way back to their original owners.
Per the Hockey Writers' Mark Scheig, Strome offered his interpretation of the odd exchange:
The 19-year-old center has now netted 15 goals in 20 OHL games this year—but he only made one without his own stick.
The Mississauga Steelheads were holding a 7-2 lead over the Guelph Storm in the second period of Wednesday's Ontario Hockey League game when someone decided he wanted in on the action.
The fan climbed over the board and onto the ice with six minutes, 16 seconds left in the period. Play stopped, and the referee directed the players away until security could handle the situation.
For what it's worth, the Mississauga players didn't seem too bothered about the halt in play at their home arena:
[Twitter]
Hockey playoffs are all the rage in sports right now. In addition to the Stanley Cup postseason going on, the Ontario Hockey League Championship Series is going on between the Oshawa Generals and Erie Otters.
The OHL is a 20-team league comprised of clubs primarily based in Canada with three from the United States. Winners receive the J. Ross Robertson Cup, named after the man who served as president of the league from 1899-1905.
Oshawa is looking for its first title since 1990 after leading the Eastern Conference with 108 points during the regular season. Erie won the cup for the first and to date only time in 2002 and is coming off a stellar 104-point season, though it finished second in the Western Conference because the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds had a league-high 54 wins.
Here's a daily look back at how the series is unfolding before finding out which franchise will be crowned with a championship.
| Date | Matchup | Score/Start Time (ET) | Series Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1: Friday, May 8 | Erie at Oshawa | Oshawa, 4-1 | Oshawa leads, 1-0 |
| Game 2: Saturday, May 9 | Erie at Oshawa | Oshawa, 5-1 | Oshawa leads, 2-0 |
| Game 3: Monday, May 11 | Oshawa at Erie | Erie, 4-3 | Oshawa leads, 2-1 |
| Game 4: Wednesday, May 13 | Oshawa at Erie | Oshawa, 6-5 | Oshawa leads, 3-1 |
| Game 5: Friday, May 15 | Erie at Oshawa | Oshawa, 6-2 | Oshawa wins, 4-1 |
Game 5: Oshawa 6, Erie 2
The Oshawa Generals exploded for three goals in the second period of Game 5, which propelled them to a 6-2 win Friday night. As a result, the Generals move on to the 2015 Memorial Cup. Former Generals star John Tavares congratulated the team:
Meanwhile, the Otters suffered a rotten end to an otherwise great season. They didn't let Friday's disappointment cloud everything they accomplished this year:
Nick Betz gave Erie a brief lead in the first period with a goal 12:24 into the game. The Otters' advantage was short-lived, however, as Hunter Smith leveled the proceedings less than a minute later.
Then came three more unanswered goals for the Generals in the second period, as they grabbed a 4-1 lead. A goal from Darren Raddysh did little to quell Oshawa's onslaught. Bradley Latour's goal in the third period provided some insurance, and Aidan Wallace added another for good measure.
The Otters actually outshot the Generals 32-27, but Oshawa proved that efficiency will trump volume every time. Devin Williams only faced 13 shots but made just nine saves before getting pulled in the second period.
Despite the loss, Connor McDavid had reason to be happy Friday night. He earned the playoff's Most Valuable Player Award, which didn't exactly sit well with the crowd inside the General Motors Centre, per Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo Sports:
Steve Dangle Glynn of Sportsnet was impressed with McDavid's poise, despite what was obviously a heartbreaking night for the presumptive No. 1 draft pick:
The Generals did a great job of shackling McDavid in what proved to be the clincher. He was held without a goal or an assist and sported a minus-three in his time on the ice.
"It was a total team effort to shut down Connor McDavid and the Erie Otters," said Oshawa center Cole Cassels to Sportsnet 360 (via Yahoo Sports' Neate Sager). "I couldn't be more proud of this team. He's the best player in the world. We had to try to get in his grille and get him off his game."
Oshawa was the last domino to fall with regard to the Memorial Cup. The Generals will join the Kelowna Rockets, Rimouski Oceanic and hosts Quebec Remparts in Quebec City.
Game 4: Oshawa 6, Erie 5 (OT)
Give it to Connor McDavid and the Erie Otters, they made it a fight. But with a goal 8:19 into overtime, Cole Cassels gave the Oshawa Generals a 6-5 triumph and put them one win away from capturing the 2015 OHL championship.
Cassels' overtime goal capped what was easily the most thrilling matchup of these finals, a seesaw battle that saw both sides take and then give up momentum. Matt Mistele earned an assist on Cassels' goal and was the main offensive star for Oshawa all night, adding two goals.
The Generals all evening made a habit out of building and blowing leads. They opened on a 2-0 run, with Mistele and Mitchell Vande Sompel getting things started in the first period. Nicholas Baptiste and Dylan Strome answered later in the period to tie the game at 2-2, each netting goals within less than a minute.
Tied early in the second period, Mistele scored his second of the game to give Oshawa a 3-2 lead and Stephen Desrocher added another to send Erie to the brink. Jake Marchment and Darren Raddysh then got the Otters back into the game with quick-strike goals, and McDavid stepped up to give them their first lead of the game.
Given their first chance to mount a comeback, Josh Brown netted a shot with just a second remaining in the second period. And it was a good thing he did it then, too.
After trading 10 goals back and forth in the first two periods, the two offenses went radio silent in the third. Ken Appleby and Devin Williams, who both looked hapless at points, turned on their jets for a series of close saves to send the game into overtime.
Nearly nine minutes in, Cassels put his shot through to give Oshawa a 3-1 lead heading back home for Game 5 on Friday, May 15.
Game 3: Erie 4, Oshawa 3
Sometimes all it takes is a little home cooking.
The Erie Otters climbed back into the OHL Championship Series Monday with a nail-biting 4-3 victory over the Oshawa Generals in Game 3. The Generals now lead the series 2-1, but Erie has plenty of momentum on its side, thanks largely to superstar Connor McDavid.
McDavid did not notch a single point in Game 2 for the first time in 16 contests, but he was the best player on the ice for extended portions of play Monday. He finished with a goal and an assist on the day and controlled the tempo of the game whenever the puck was on his stick.
McDavid assisted the first goal of the game on a beautiful pass to Remi Elie in the first period. Alex DeBrincat pushed the lead to two in the first period with an impressive goal of his own, and Oshawa goaltender Ken Appleby finally looked human for the first time in this series.
Appleby returned to form in the second period, but he was matched by Erie goaltender Devin Williams. Neither team scored in the second period.
The same could certainly not be said about the third period.
McDavid scored Erie’s third goal less than six minutes into the contest, and the game appeared to be over. It was his 20th goal and 45th point of the playoffs, and Sportsnet Stats put his brilliance into context:
The game may have looked over, but the Generals bounced back when Tobias Lindberg buried a shot in the back of the net. The Otters pushed the lead back to three with Nick Betz’ goal, but Oshawa made the capacity crowd quite nervous in the closing minutes with a goal with less than four minutes remaining and another with less than two minutes remaining.
It trimmed the deficit to 4-3 for a tense final push, and the Generals pulled Appleby from net for an extra attacker. Alas, Williams stood his ground at the end, and the crowd exhaled in relief with the 4-3 victory.
Suddenly, we have a series on our hands again.
Game 2: Oshawa 5, Erie 1
Sometimes the box score doesn’t paint the entire picture.
The Oshawa Generals beat the Erie Otters in Game 2 of the Ontario Hockey League Championship Series to the tune of 5-1. On paper, that sounds like a dominating performance—and it certainly was down the stretch and on defense—but the game was tied at one with less than eight minutes remaining.
The Generals defended home ice and now lead the series 2-0. Goaltender Kenny Appleby was the key with 32 saves on 33 shots, and the Otters failed to score more than a single goal for the second game in a row.
The Oshawa Generals official Twitter account passed along the three stars of the game:
While Appleby was brilliant, Anthony Cirelli scored the game-winning goal with less than eight minutes left when he buried a loose puck in the back of the net. The floodgates opened from there, and Oshawa scored three more times in the final seven minutes to easily put the game away.
Sportsnet provided highlights for the second, third and fourth goals of the dramatic finish:
It is easy to get caught up in the offensive onslaught fans saw down the stretch, but the defense and Appleby deserve plenty of credit.
Oshawa prevented Erie from scoring on all six of the Otters’ power plays, and superstar Connor McDavid failed to tally a point. The Generals pointed out that Appleby made a critical save before the finishing stretch from the Generals:
Oshawa parlayed the momentum from the power-play stops into those late goals and broke Erie’s spirit in the process.
Generals coach D.J. Smith discussed his team’s performance, per OntarioHockeyLeague.com: "We can play with anybody in this league. With that being said, they played us really hard tonight and that game could've gone either way. We have a tough task ahead of us trying to replicate this outcome in their building."
The series shifts to Erie for Game 3 Monday, and things will certainly become more difficult for Oshawa after two impressive wins.
However, the Generals proved they can shut down Erie’s powerful offensive attack and should have plenty of confidence on the offensive side after Saturday’s finishing stretch. What’s more, Appleby has been the best player of the series thus far, and that is a problem for an Otters’ attack trying to break through for a victory.
Sometimes a hot goalie is all it takes.
Game 1: Oshawa 4, Erie 1
Defense was Oshawa's hallmark during the regular season after allowing 157 goals in 68 games, 38 less than any other team in the OHL. That held up in Game 1 of the championship series, as the high-powered Otters were held to just one goal in a 4-1 loss.
Generals head coach D.J. Smith told Brad Coccimiglio of SooToday.com prior to Game 1 that Erie was a unique challenge because of its aggressive offensive attack:
They’re a different team because they provide more of an offensive threat. In saying that, they play very good defence as well. When you’re trying to score, it opens you up defensively as well. We have to be prepared to play really tight defence but we’ve got to also try to score some goals. It’s a tough mix. They’ve got some special players.
Smith's compliments of Erie must have gotten back to his team, because Oshawa wasted no time in exerting its will in the series. The Generals used their size and power to dominate the quicker, finesse style that Erie utilizes.
Otters star Connor McDavid has to be the best player on the ice at all times for his team to have a shot. He did manage to provide one of the night's highlights with this incredible assist (h/t DRL Productions) that closed the gap to 2-1 in the second period:
McDavid didn't have a chance to do much of anything else, because Oshawa used its size to keep checking him into the boards and wear him down. It's a testament to how well the Generals played that the 18-year-old superstar only got them for one point, as noted by Mark Zwolinksi of The Toronto Star:
McDavid is on quite a tear though, and his 2.8 points per game in the playoffs is way ahead of what Taylor Hall did (1.84) in winning two Memorial Cups with Windsor, and the 1.93 pace Patrick Kane had when he was with the London Knights.
Unlike Erie, which is so dependent on one player, Oshawa got offensive contributions from multiple options. Michael McCarron, Mitchell Vande Sompei, Michael Dal Collie and Hunter Smith all had goals in the victory.
Per the Generals official Twitter, Oshawa outshot Erie by a total of 31-19 en route to taking a 1-0 series lead:
Erie's adjustments should have started sooner in Game 1, but Kris Knoblauch will have a quick turnaround that could gavor his team. The Otters can try to wear down Oshawa with their speed early in the first period, hoping to catch a goal before keeping up an exhausting pace in the final period.
It wasn't a good performance by Erie, but hardly one that should discourage the team from believing it can compete on this stage. Oshawa is a deeper team overall, despite not having the best player. This team locks down on defense and will occasionally get the kind of offense it showed on Friday.
Stats via OHL.com unless otherwise noted
As one of the women helping to shape sports in social media, Missy Deyo (the co-creator and co-owner of Babes Dig Balls with Miranda Furtado) is facing her biggest challenge yet. While the New York Jets may be suffering with a quarterback controversy and the Los Angeles Lakers lament the poor start to what should have been a dream season, Deyo is facing something they would never want to endure.
Having suffered from a broken ureter caused by stones, Deyo will be having her right kidney removed ten days before Christmas.
While it is something that no one should ever have to endure, let alone before Christmas, Deyo has managed to find inspiration.
In hoping to truly emphasize the meaning of the spirit of giving, she has started a campaign titled So, So Much Hope, in the hopes of motivating people to register for blood and/or organ donation. After the surgery, there is the remote possibility that Deyo may need a transplant.
Working for her hometown Kingston Frontenacs as a Social Media Coordinator for the 2012-13 season, her determined fight with kidney ailments has been nothing short of inspiring.
Deyo is very visible with the Frontenacs organization providing live game updates online, conducting social media, and even appearing in a parade with some of the players. While Darcy Greenaway may be the Frontenacs' leading scorer, Deyo is the Frontenacs' leading optimist. Despite her multiple surgeries, her tenacity and determination is nothing short of amazing.
Her contribution to hockey in Kingston has brought renewed enthusiasm to a struggling franchise . While Deyo may never grace the ice like other Kingston hockey legends such as three-time Winter Games gold medalist Jayna Hefford and Doug Gilmour, like them, she is a true role model and an inspiration.
While the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League start their season looking to build momentum, (after a 2011-12 season that saw the Frontenacs miss the postseason), one of their own is enduring an ordeal that would make being the worst team in the league a pleasure. Frontenacs social media co-ordinator and freelance sports writer Missy Deyo is suffering from kidney disease. Having already endured multiple surgeries, the stoic Deyo is forced to undergo another surgery very soon.
Deyo first came to prominence in the sports world when she started writing an online column about attractive people in sport (both men and women). While her column grew in popularity, she would eventually conduct interviews with the athletes in question and gain over 6,000 followers on Twitter. Growing up in Kingston, Deyo seemed to be the perfect fit (returning to the place where she grew up), when the Frontenacs hired her to work in public relations for the 2012-13 campaign.
Although her homecoming should have been one filled with jubilation rather than desolation, Deyo’s tenacity provides a powerful message. In sports, determination and perseverance are essential tools to success. While Deyo may not be an athlete herself, sometimes people that are affiliated with a team in another capacity can be just as much a part of the family.
When the wife of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft passed away in 2011 (Myra Hiatt Kraft), the Patriots placed her initials on their jerseys. Brian Smith, a sportscaster in the Ottawa area passed away in 1995, and had a banner raised in his honor by the Ottawa Senators hockey club. When Harry Caray, a popular broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs passed away, a statue was built outside of Wrigley Field.
Having endured more than any person deserves to suffer, Deyo’s inner strength and drive to overcome her ailments makes her tougher than any goon in the OHL. As the Frontenacs continue to rise to prominence in the OHL, Deyo’s perseverance in the light of difficult circumstances should serve as an influence for the team. The unofficial theme for the Frontenacs season just might have to be "Make it for Missy."
In this story, Deyo is the underdog, and fans cannot help but root for her. When one considers that 2012 has seen its share of sporting upsets, like the New York Giants upsetting the heavily favored Patriots in the Super Bowl, the Los Angeles Kings shocking the hockey world by claiming the Stanley Cup and the Washington National winning the National League East, Deyo has all the tools to pull off another upset and beat this kidney disease for good.
The outdoor game is all the rage in hockey these days.
This year, the largest outdoor hockey game in history took place with the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans facing off in the "Big Chill at the Big House." Heinz Field in Pittsburgh played host to hockey's megastars in Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin for this year's Winter Classic. McMahon Stadium did a laudable job this past weekend by bringing us the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames in a classic remake of the Flames' Stanley Cup victory.
The NCAA and NHL have been at this game for a while.
The CHL just got into it this year, hosting two outdoor games in the WHL. After the Flames and Habs kicked off the festivities at McMahon this weekend, the game was followed up by a WHL matchup between the Regina Pats and Calgary Hitmen, bringing two of the WHL's biggest markets together for a huge game.
So, why hasn't the OHL gotten into the mix yet?
There are some logistical problems with the O. There isn't an O team in a market with a McMahon Stadium. The three largest outdoor venues in Ontario for this kind event would be Rogers Centre, BMO Field and Ivor Wynne Stadium. The next possible venue would be Ottawa's Frank Clair Stadium, a CIS venue where the Ottawa Gee-Gees football team plays.
Frank Clair has a capacity of 25,000+ and could provide a suitable venue for an outdoor game hosted by the Ottawa 67's organization. While the 67's are one of the most historic organizations in the League, their division has failed in recent years to field a rival that would fit the kind of billing necessary to sell it as an outdoor game absent the presence of a larger NHL-presented Ottawa Senators outdoor game.
A similar problem would occur with Kingston's Richardson Memorial Stadium, home of the Queen's University Golden Gaels. Richardson's 10,000-person capacity is larger than the Frontenacs' current K-Rock home, but Kingston has rather regularly failed to support big OHL events, including a dismal effort for last year's All-Star festivities. While Kingston has a standing rivalry with nearby Belleville, neither franchise has fielded a team worthy of national media attention the last two seasons.
There is one possibility for an OHL outdoor game.
London's TD Waterhouse Stadium, home of the University of Western Ontario Mustangs, can be expanded to a capacity of 16,000 if necessary. The Knights are a first-class organization capable of hosting major events, as shown in the past with the Memorial Cup and World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. The Knights are always competitive and have a long history of producing top-flight NHL talent from Rick Nash to Patrick Kane.
The Knights also have a heated rivalry in another major OHL market in the Kitchener Rangers.
The Rangers fanbase has supported a Memorial Cup, a Top Prospects game and a Russian Super Series game in the last decade. The organization has spawned NHLers like Derek Roy, Mike Richards, David Clarkson and most recently Jeff Skinner. It's rabid fans would have no trouble moving the blue, white and red mob an hour down the 401.
Both these teams regularly play nationally televised games on Sportsnet and one would have to figure they could carry this as a national event with two rabid fanbases capable of filling those 16,000 seats.
If the OHL gets into the outdoor craze, it's got a recipe for success already.
At the start of the season, the Kitchener Rangers were hoping that they'd get some serious help from NHL teams in order to be Memorial Cup contenders. They were dealing with three players who had uncertain pro futures. Jeff Skinner, Jeremy Morin and Jerry D'Amigo were all at pro training camps to start the year and the Rangers were hoping to get at least two of them.
Skinner was the heir apparent. He of the 50 regular season goals and a goal per game in the playoffs. He was the youngest of the three and the most likely to return. He's now the leading candidate for the NHL's Calder Trophy.
Morin had spent last season in Kitchener. The Rangers and OHL went to bat in the summer to clarify his OHL eligibility since he was drafted out of the USNTDP but signed in Kitchener prior to being drafted. Morin was ruled AHL eligible and aside from a few Chicago recalls, has spent his time in the AHL with Rockford.
Between Morin and Skinner, the Rangers lost 97 goals from last season.
D'Amigo was always the longest shot to ever end up in Kitchener. He had the chance to join former USNTDP teammate Morin in Kitchener the previous summer but ended up at RPI. He was a World Junior standout at the 2010 tournament in Saskatoon and was named the ECAC Rookie of the Year for his freshman campaign at RPI. When the Leafs signed him and reassigned him to the Marlies, most anticipated he'd spend the year there.
But there were always breadcrumbs. First, the Leafs signed Kitchener Ranger Andrew Crescenzi. NHL teams are usually more willing to work with junior programs that they have a comfort level with. Crescenzi's growth this season in Kitchener likely went a long way to making the Leafs more comfortable in sending D'Amigo down.
Second, D'Amigo didn't look at home in the AHL. This is not a comment on his effort level. There's a significant difference between the short college schedule and a gruelling 80-game AHL grind. A 19-year-old playing with men can go from treading water to drowning when he hits the infamous "college wall."
D'Amigo has had some stretches of quality performance this season with the Marlies. He produced well on a November road trip and he's been quietly effective since returning from the World Juniors. Coach Dallas Eakins has always spoken well of his work ethic but his production just wasn't there to keep him with the Marlies as their walking wounded started to return to the lineup.
Third, the World Juniors didn't help his cause. At the 2010 tournament, D'Amigo had 12 points in seven games. At this year's tournament in Buffalo, he had two points in six games. A player with 30 games of pro experience, who dominated the tournament as an 18-year-old is expected to do at least as well, if not better, when playing in the tournament as a 19-year-old. The steep decline in D'Amigo's production while playing against players his own age and younger likely also aided in the decision to send him back to Kitchener to get some seasoning.
So what does this mean for the Rangers? For the Leafs? For Jerry D'Amigo?
The Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs gain the least of the three parties in the short term from this. In the OHL, D'Amigo is only eligible for emergency call-ups the way all OHLers are. But their gains are long term. D'Amigo remains a quality prospect that the organization has high hopes for.
Many will argue that this decision should have been made back in November. Playing among his peers, with his first crack at an 80-plus-game schedule, D'Amigo will get the chance to play significant minutes rather than the 10 per night he was getting with the Marlies. It will also allow him to play a long schedule without being overwhelmed by playing with men, something that can overwhelm even the most talented of prospects a year older than D'Amigo.
In the long term, this will make D'Amigo a better player next year at training camp. It'll make him better when he takes on a bigger role with the Marlies next season and both those things will aid the Leafs.
Jerry D'Amigo
D'Amigo has had moments where he's looked like he's ready to break out offensively and moments where his offense dries up. Being reassigned from the AHL to the OHL will allow him to play bigger minutes against kids his own age and develop some consistency to his offensive game. When he's played within his relative age group with the USNTDP and at RPI, he's always been a premiere offensive performer.
The remaining 20 games of the OHL schedule with the potential for an additional long playoff run means that D'Amigo will get the chance to regain the kind of offensive touch that made the Leafs so wild for him last summer. Having that kind of consistency will only make him better as a prospect going forward.
Kitchener Rangers
Let's not kid ourselves; the Rangers gain the most from this. Caught in the untenable position of not having the assets to buy and not having the desire to sell, they were left standing still at the deadline while conference competitors in Windsor and Saginaw made themselves considerably better. This allows the Rangers to add a huge piece to their lineup, arguably a better player than any player moved at the deadline, without giving up anything for next season.
This also helps a team who's had huge issues with secondary scoring this season. D'Amigo moves solid Rangers scorers like Michael Catenacci, Tobias Rieder and Matia Marcantuoni onto the second and third lines. This one move could make the Kitchener Rangers the prohibitive favourites to win the OHL West again.
But there's a reason they play the games, folks. D'Amigo might never find his stride in the OHL. He might not develop chemistry with his new linemates and teammates. Other teams and goaltenders could get hot and become roadblocks for D'Amigo's new team.
One thing and one thing only is for certain at this moment. The Toronto Maple Leafs just made the OHL Playoff picture in the West a whole lot more competitive.
When the Windsor Spitfires started the OHL season, the consensus was that they'd be good but most people didn't think they had it in them to threepeat as OHL Champions.
Now we're at the midway point of the season. A clear upper tier has emerged in the OHL West and Windsor is a part of it right along with the Saginaw Spirit, Owen Sound Attack and Kitchener Rangers.
Windsor's fortunes have turned on the recent surges in play by key offseason additions Tom Kuhnhackl, Alexander Khokhlachev and Jack Campbell. Campbell started rough, many were questioning where the gold medal thief had gone. Kuhnhackl and Khokhlachev went through the natural growing pains that many European players go through when first coming to North America. They've settled in now and are starting to dominate offensively.
A huge part of Windsor's surge up the standings has been the reinvigoration of the powerplay. Windsor boasts two of the League's better weapons from the point in Ryan Ellis and Nick Ebert. Ellis has spent four years racking up huge point totals as a premiere powerplay quarterback in the OHL but this year he's playing an additional role as mentor to the rookie Ebert. As both of them started racking up the points through November and December, so too did the Spitfires surge up through the standings.
The thought has long been that the Spitfires would sell off assets at the deadline to load up for the next few seasons. With the recent rise through the standings, the Spitfires have been making the rounds in the OHL rumour mill as buyers rather than sellers lately.
The Spitfires have long been connected to Barrie defenseman Dalton Prout. Prout is from nearby LaSalle, Ontario and would ably fill in for a lot of the defensive firepower that the Spits lost with Marc Cundari and Harry Young moving on due to graduation. The Barrie Captain is a physical, big body defender with serious playoff experience. In addition to Prout, the rumour mill has Barrie's top centre, Taylor Carnevale, possibly joining him on the road to Windsor.
If the Spits and Colts were to consummate this deal, it's hard to see the Spits not selling off a significant part of their future to accomplish it.
Marcus Foligno also remains a prominent name on the trade market. With his recent showcase with Team Canada, one has to think the Sudbury brass is simply drooling as they contemplate how high their asking price for the Captain and power forward can possibly go. Foligno is the crown jewel of the trade market, he's going to bring in a significant price for whoever ends up landing him.
Windsor has two aims if they do choose to be buyers. First, they'd like to leapfrog the Saginaw Spirit and claim the top spot in their division and home ice for the majority of the playoffs. Second, if they fail to leap frog the Spirit, they could at least secure the third seed and avoid playing the high flying Spirit in the second round of the playoffs.
Windsor's moves, of course, won't happen in a vacuum. In fact, the teams around them have already made moves. Saginaw added John McFarland and Ben Chiarot from Sudbury earlier this month while the Owen Sound Attack got a Christmas present in the form of the return of Roman Berdnikov from Russia. Then of course, there's the Rangers who are in the mix for both Foligno and Carnevale.
