The OHL Podcast

When you think of the Peterborough Petes, you might think of those 10 OHL titles and that single, lonely Memorial Cup. But you also have to think of the rich history of the team as the oldest, continuously operating team in the Ontario Hockey League. There's something about Thursday nights at The PMC and, for Nick Caravaggio, those bonds were formed by attending games with his father. Nick became...

Oh, those Niagara Ice Dogs. From trades that raise eyebrows to a fourth coach in little more than a year under new ownership. But wait. Maybe there's a less nefarious reason behind the trades. Mike and Dan work from a few facts and try to connect the dots that keep Niagara and London as trading partners. They have less to go on when it comes to firing coaches, though. Some things just defy logic....

Steve Nimigon never expected to play for the Erie Otters. An NHL draft pick of the Hartford Whalers, Nimigon thought he'd have turned pro the year the Niagara Falls Thunder left town to become the Erie Otters. But Nimigon not only played for the Otters, who wore the 'C' for the team, he got involved in every aspect of establishing an OHL franchise in a new market, and the Otters Humanitarian Award...

Is there a dog in the OHL this season? The guys ponder that question as they loop around the league with the quarter-pole approaching. Also, some curious suspensions bring the fighting conversation back to the forefront. We've also got injuries from skates, trades between arch-rivals, a jersey retirement in the Soo, a milestone in the Limestone City, and the Prospects of the Week. The OHL Podcast...

Imagine a Toronto-area kid being drafted to the Soo and then being traded to, of all places, a brand new expansion franchise in Belleville. Ken Porteous took it all in stride, though, including the fact he played behind future NHL'ers at both OHL stops. From Terry Crisp in the Soo to Larry Mavety in Belleville, Porteous also got his share of instruction from some of the best coaches our league has...

The Saginaw Spirit add depth to their roster while fans try to look away from the panic button. Dale Hunter takes another step up the OHL coaching ladder and what comes next is inevitable. Plus, new Europeans fit in seamlessly with their OHL teams, Troy Mann establishes the "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" of coaching, Hunter Brzustewicz plays a 67-game season, the OHL and gambling, and remembering Adam Jo...

The NHL's reversal of an ill-conceived ban on Pride Tape has shown that hockey's 2SLGBTQ+ community -- and its allies -- is more prominent than the league realized. If this is the way we have to drag hockey into the present and, ultimately, the future, we seem ready to do it. Even before the ban was reversed, important conversations were happening and it's notable that two former OHL'ers were lead...

It's finally going to be Sudbury's year! I mean, it has to be, doesn't it? Plus, the most surprising team so far this season (it's probably the team you think it is), why a team's schedule is under-appreciated, the rule the NHL needs to change, a tale of two fanbases -- and a pretty serious rant about one -- and our Prospects of the Week. Don't forget to send your feedback to ohlpodcast(at)rogers(...

Every hockey player will tell you that the NHL is the ultimate goal. But not every player gets to compete in that league. After OHL stops in Belleville and Brampton, Kyle Sonnenburg carved out a nice career in Germany, winning a championship and playing professional hockey for more than 10 years before returning home to start a coaching career. Sonnenburg's story might just be one that every young...

Coaches are hired to be fired but early in this OHL season we've already seen two changes, the latest in Owen Sound. We'll dive into that, plus talk about the Sarnia-Erie-Saginaw three-way trade, the state of goaltending in the league this season, eye gouges, some early season surprises, and when it's okay to use your top power play unit. The OHL Podcast is presented by Matt Smith Goaltending . Ho...

A longtime executive (and part owner) with the Guelph Storm, Jim Rooney's name is synonymous with Guelph sports. He's a member of the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame and remains active today working with previous podcast guests Roger Lajoie and Chris DePiero on their ' Teammates ' project. Rooney also chaired the OHL's Board of Governors for several years, including during the league's expansion in 199...

Two weeks into the season and we are content-rich with coaching news out of Flint, a spat with the media in Barrie, and the return of OHL hockey to Brantford. Not only that, but a longtime linesman officiates his final game, three teams are still in search of their first wins, two OHL'ers ink entry-level NHL deals, a legend is remembered in Oshawa, and our Prospects of the Week. If you need to kno...

Steve Bancroft was a career Belleville Bull who was a part of the longest playoff game in OHL history at just under 124 minutes. He would go on to a 16-year pro career that included stops with 21 teams, making Bancroft's Hockey DB resume one of the most interesting in the game. Bancroft was also a 1st rounder to the NHL in one of the most unique drafts in hockey history. Fresh off his induction in...

The regular season finally arrives and while the returns are early, there are some interesting storylines already developing. Do the Ice Dogs have more bite than most expected? How do the Firebirds bounce back after a truly forgettable opening weekend? Meantime, the Sudbury Wolves and London Knights make an early splash in the trade pool, and our weekly Prospect of the Week is back. The OHL Podcas...

It's finally here! The OHL season is underway and we're headed into the first full weekend. So, naturally, after previewing the Eastern Conference, it's time to offer our bold predictions for the West. Will London's deal for OHL champion goaltender Michael Simpson be enough to propel them past Saginaw as the Spirit try to soar straight to a Memorial Cup? Whatever happens, it's going to be fun...es...

Just before the regular season gets started, we start the silly season and Mike and Dan make their predictions. Not just one team here or there but conference by conference, beginning with the East today. One of the guys ends up with a perennial favourite, the other with a historical loser. Which prediction will pan out? Likely neither, but now the guys are on the record and you can remind them of...

The regular season hasn't even started but one of the best in the junior hockey business is already out with a preliminary list of the top NHL draft eligible players we'll be watching this season. Mike and Dan discuss bob McKenzie's list and add a few more OHL'ers you might want to have your eyes on this season. Plus, if a player isn't ready for the pros but doesn't want to return to junior, what...

OHL fans in Hamilton have every right to be confused, and the Bulldogs have every right to stay where they're being welcomed with open arms. Has Hamilton lost yet another hockey franchise? Plus, the OHL sends 160 players to pro camps, old school tactics that don't work in modern coaching, and the passing of a patriarch leaves a lasting legacy. We've got you covered as we count down to the start of...

Just over two weeks until the regular season begins and we've got so much to discuss, including how badly Brantford seems to want an OHL team. Plus, a new way of policing scrums, curious new language on the OHL's "Standard Player Agreement," what's next for Shane Wright, the player Dan and Mike think is poised for a big season, the Ice Dogs raise eyebrows in making another trade with London, and a...

The OHL preseason has started and we're back into regular season form with a discussion on picks not reporting and the draft loophole that needs to be closed. Plus, a retiring Commissioner, a minor change to your in-arena experience that's drawing mixed reviews, and the Ice Dogs add another big name. It's go time! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about...

He's joined us as a guest before, talking about his experiences playing major junior hockey for his hometown team, what it was like coming back to that hometown after being traded to North Bay, and how he flourished in Windsor before returning home to end his junior career as a Kitchener Ranger. But Tyler Ertel's story does not end there. After watching his sons grow into OHL players themselves, E...

Another new face added to the bench in Kitchener, and there's nothing new in Niagara as the trade window opens but we throw the Ice Dogs a bone anyway. Plus, Joe Thornton Day in the OHL, Canada (and the OHL) shines at the Hlinka, and calling our shot early as to who might be a formidable foe for the London Knights in the Western Conference this season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See...

There's been an awful lot of coaching movement in the OHL this summer, and none bigger than two head coaching hires in the Western Conference. So, Farwell and Dan knew it was time to come in from the beach and chat a little junior hockey. Along with coaching movement, we mourn some league losses, look ahead at international tournaments, and pay a little homage to the guy who will call Game Number...

Once again, the OHL leads the way in players selected to the NHL from the Canadian Hockey League. We break down the picks in our final episode before a summer break, including some names that were called later than we expected. Plus, with movement in the NHL, plenty of former OHL'ers are finding new homes. Less than 90 days until the season opens... The OHL Podcast is presented by Matt Smith Goalt...

One of my favourite parts about working in the OHL is the people I meet along the way, and scouts are some of the best. They're travelling the same roads to the same cities at the same crazy hours and, after a while, it's like seeing family. There's just something about the idea that you're all out there together, playing your own role in the game. So, as we present our last feature interview befo...