Polling the OHL Coaches (with 100 Games footnotes)

2006-07 Ontario Hockey League Coaches Poll – Western Conference Results

Most Underrated Player
1. Trevor Kell, Sarnia Sting (22)
2. Mike McLean, Guelph Storm (18)
3. Scott Aarssen, London Knights (16)

Most Improved Player
1. Tom Sestito, Plymouth Whalers (30)
I wrote about Sesito in an earlier blog. A 2006 third-rounder by the Columbus Blue Jackets of a 10-goal, 10-assist season, he was a force when I saw him this year.
2. Josh Godfrey, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (27)
3. Steve Mason, London Knights (10)
Another Columbus third-rounder.

Smartest Player
1. Sam Gagner, London Knights (28)
No surprise.
2. Steven Stamkos, Sarnia Sting (18)
Ditto,
3. Evan Brophey, Plymouth Whalers (16)

Hardest Worker
1. Matt Halischuk, Kitchener Rangers (23)
2. Jared Boll, Plymouth Whalers (19)
3. Rafael Rotter, Guelph Storm (12)

Best Playmaker
1. Sam Gagner, London Knights (29)
2. Bobby Ryan, Owen Sound Attack (26)
Couldn't play for the US under-20 ... please!
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=2721405
3. Evan Brophey, Plymouth Whalers (15)

Most Dangerous in the Goal Area
1. Patrick Kane, London Knights (41)
Amazing instincts -- would like to see the league vote with him and Tavares.
2. Bobby Ryan, Owen Sound Attack (30)
3. Steve Downie, Kitchener Rangers (13)

Best Skater
1. Mark Katic, Sarnia Sting (23)
Noted in other posts his skating. A marvel. Truly like Brian Campbell.
2. Robbie Drummond, London Knights (20)
3. Trevor Lewis, Owen Sound Attack (16)
This kid is a jet. How did the NHL miss him (undrafted in 05, first rounder last year) in the USHL?

Best Shot
1. Sergei Kostitsyn, London Knights (23)
I have all kinds of time for Kostitsyn, Montreal got a prize late. Best shot, tho', was the one he dropped on Downie in Kitchener a few weeks back.
1. Dan Collins, Plymouth Whalers (23)
3. Josh Godfrey, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (20)

Hardest Shot
1. Josh Godfrey, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (45)
2. Nigel Williams, Saginaw Spirit (18)
3. Ryan Wilson, Sarnia Sting (7)

Best Stickhandler
1. Patrick Kane, London Knights (40)
2. Bobby Ryan, Owen Sound Attack (29)
3. Steven Stamkos, Sarnia Sting (14)
All three of these guys are magical. Ryan just owns the puck on the cycle. Stamkos is maybe a little better in open-ice, head-on.

Best on Face-Offs
1. Justin Azevedo, Kitchener Rangers (20)
2. Evan Brophey, Plymouth Whalers (18)
3. Marcus Carroll, Owen Sound Attack (12)Ryan O’Marra, Saginaw Spirit (12)

Best Body Checker
1. James Neal, Plymouth Whalers (35)
Again, I like Plymouth to go to the Mem Cup and this guy was just a force when I saw him this year.
2. Todd Perry, London Knights (18)
3. Ryan Wilson, Sarnia Sting (11)

Best Defensive Forward
1. Robbie Drummond, London Knights (21)
2. Cody Bass, Saginaw Spirit (19)
3. Scott Tregunna, Owen Sound Attack (14)

Best Penalty Killer
1. Tom Sestito, Plymouth Whalers (25)
See most improved.
2. Mike McLean, Guelph Storm (23)
3. Matt Halischuk, Kitchener Rangers (19)

Best Offensive Defenceman
1. Drew Doughty, Guelph Storm (33)
Would be a top 10 pick (at least) if eligible this year. Everybody has to wait. As a scout said to me the other day: "The late 89s are better than the 89s in the O."
2. Patrick McNeill, Saginaw Spirit (23)
3. Ryan Wilson, Sarnia Sting (16)

Best Defensive Defenceman
1. Ryan Parent, Guelph Storm (45)
The fruit of the Forsberg trade for Philly, this bodes well for Flyers. He would have been in a logjam in Nashville.
2. Scott Aarssen, London Knights (15)
3. Tyler Cuthbert, Sault. Ste. Marie (12)

2006-07 Ontario Hockey League Coaches Poll – Eastern Conference Results

Most Underrated Player
1. Jordan Owens, Mississauga IceDogs (37)
2. Nick Plastino, Barrie Colts (13)
3. Geoff Killing, Belleville Bulls (12)

Most Improved Player
1. Stefan Legein, Mississauga IceDogs (36)
Very fiesty but undersized. Going to be an interesting call.
2. Matt Caria, Toronto St. Michaels Majors (19)
3. Shawn Matthias, Belleville Bulls (11)Brett MacLean, Oshawa Generals (11)
MacLean never cheated on effort when I saw him.

Smartest Player
1. John Tavares, Oshawa Generals (24)
Natch.
2. Tyler Donati, Belleville Bulls (18)
3. Cory Emmerton, Kingston Frontenacs (14)

Hardest Worker
1. Bryan Little, Barrie Colts (40)
2. Marc Staal, Sudbury Wolves (16)
3. Matt Beleskey, Belleville Bulls (15)

Best Playmaker
1. Tyler Donati, Belleville Bulls (23)
2. Bryan Little, Barrie Colts (20)
3. John Tavares, Oshawa Generals (16)

Most Dangerous in the Goal Area
1. John Tavares, Oshawa Generals (39)
You might as well skate to centre. "Best pure finisher I've ever seen," was one coach's reaction off the u-18 summer camp.
2. Tyler Donati, Belleville Bulls (25)
3. Bryan Little, Barrie Colts (12)

Best Skater
1. Stefan Legein, Mississauga IceDogs (34)
Saw him a half dozen times and only in two tilts in playoff loss to Sudbury did he fail to impress -- that said, the Sudbury D, Staal et al, is stuff he'd see at the next level. Big enough? Sorta wish he'd been a u-18 invite.
2. Chris Stewart, Kingston Frontenacs (18)
3. Yves Bastien, Peterborough Petes (17)

Best Shot
1. Bryan Little, Barrie Colts (39)
2. Chris Lawrence, Mississauga IceDogs (20)
3. Jamie McGinn, Ottawa 67’s (11)
I thought he was going to be a pure force off his performance at Mem Cup in London as a 16-year-old. Maybe he still will.

Hardest Shot
1. P.K. Subban, Belleville Bulls (27)
2. Jonathan D’Aversa, Sudbury Wolves (22)
3. Bryan Little, Barrie Colts (20)

Best Stickhandler
1. John Tavares, Oshawa Generals (26)
Side to side, you have to hold on for dear life.
2. Vladimir Nikiforov, Barrie Colts (25)
3. Tyler Donati, Belleville Bulls (18)

Best on Face-Offs
1. Bryan Little, Barrie Colts (36)
2. Bobby Hughes, Kingston Frontenacs (16)
This guy's stock cratered at the draft. Carolina got him way late.
3. Matt Caria, Toronto St. Michaels Majors (11)

Best Body Checker
1. Chris Stewart, Kingston Frontenacs (23)
2. Marc Staal, Sudbury Wolves (21)
3. Cal Clutterbuck, Oshawa Generals (19)
A name you can't make up. This sort of explains the post I had before, when he was gooned off the opening faceoff at St Mikes. Payback.

Best Defensive Forward
1. Matthew Bragg, Barrie Colts (28)
2. Jordan Owens, Mississauga IceDogs (18)
3. Andrew Gibbons, Belleville Bulls (11)

Best Penalty Killer
1. Marc Staal, Sudbury Wolves (28)
2. Andrew Gibbons, Belleville Bulls (22)
3. Hunter Tremblay, Barrie Colts (15)

Best Offensive Defenceman
1. Michael Del Zotto, Oshawa Generals (34)
2. Jonathan D’Aversa, Sudbury Wolves (21)
3. Alex Pietrangelo, Mississauga IceDogs (14)

Best Defensive Defenceman
1. Nick Plastino, Barrie Colts (28)
2. Adam McQuaid, Sudbury Wolves (18)
3. John de Gray, Brampton Battalion (17)