Selecting players for any draft for any sport is a crap shoot at the best of times. But when most of the top players that are available have missed significant time, what do you do?
This isn't just an OHL problem, but has been almost a plague of sorts throughout the CHL this season. With players like Alex Galchenyuk, Ryan Murray, and Martin Frk, we at least have last year to look at, the latter two already making their return. Galchenyuk is rumored to be coming back as early as March. but does he really need to to solidify himself as a top 10 or top 5 pick? I suppose one would like to see how his knee responds.
Nail Yakupov has missed time at different points in the season but that hasn't stopped him from topping just about every ranking from NHL Central Scouting to the blogger in his mother's basement. This guy is just pure gold and if he didn't play another game this season, would probably still be tops on most lists.
Malcolm Subban seems to be another that hasn't had his rankings hurt with the time he's missed. In fact, I would say its been even more solidified with the fact the Belleville Bulls just can't seem to buy a win when he's not playing, proving even more so, how valuable he truly is.
Where it does get tricky is further down the list. What do you do with a Matia Marcantuoni who's been plagued with injuries this season and is now out for the year? Ditto with Slater Koekkoek. What about Jarrod Maidens who's missed the last two months with a concussion? How much does that influence your decision not to select him?
I really liked Adam Pelech's chances this year of showing what he can do, but he to missed the first two months of the season, and although he's played extremely well for Erie since his return, how many people are going to notice when he's playing in Erie? Granted, with Dane Fox and others there, scouts will get a look at him but did his stock drop before the puck did on the season?
This has to be one of the worst draft classes for injuries to the top players in recent memory. One things for certain: NHL teams will get their money's worth from their scouts in June. Question is: will they make the right choices? It's almost a guessing game right now.
Here's a look at some of the injuries to players that were projected in the first round or just looking in. I've shown my rankings of the players back in October and January for comparison. It should be noted that in the case of Nail Yakupov and Olli Maatta and their injuries in December, that part of that time was at the World Junior Championships and where the injuries occurred.
Showing posts with label Nail Yakupov. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nail Yakupov. Show all posts
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Yakupov May Make Return Tomorrow
According to Sarnia Sting Assistant General Manager Mark Glavin, Nail Yakupov is on the road trip with his team this weekend and could return as early as Friday versus the Ottawa 67's.
For those interested in Canada, the game will be nationally televised on Rogers Sportsnet.
Glavin made this comment via Twitter today :
For those interested in Canada, the game will be nationally televised on Rogers Sportsnet.
Glavin made this comment via Twitter today :
Glav75 Mark Glavin
Nail on board and expected to make his return tomorrow night on the big stage #rogersportsnet #nationallytelevised
Monday, January 23, 2012
Ceci Surpasses Yakupov As The OHL's Draft Eligible Assists Leader
Ottawa 67's defenseman Cody Ceci has surpassed the Sarnia Stings' Nail Yakupov as the assists leader among the OHL's draft eligible players. Ceci now has 10 goals and 34 assists for 44 points in 44 games to lead all draft eligible defensemen in goals, assists and points. His 44 points is second behind Yakupov among all draft eligible skaters and his 34 assists are tops among all skaters, 2 more than Yakupov.
Despite having only played in 26 games because of injuries, Yakupov continues to lead with 53 points and tied for tops in goals at 21 with Brendan Gaunce of the Belleville Bulls. Gaunce's teammate Malcolm Subban, who is also out with an injury, continues to lead all goaltenders in goals against average and save percentage. And that's not just draft eligible goaltenders but all goaltenders.
The Kitchener Rangers' Radek Faksa continues his climb. He now has 20 goals and 22 assists in 38 games played.
To view the leaders, click the stats tab at the top of the page.
Despite having only played in 26 games because of injuries, Yakupov continues to lead with 53 points and tied for tops in goals at 21 with Brendan Gaunce of the Belleville Bulls. Gaunce's teammate Malcolm Subban, who is also out with an injury, continues to lead all goaltenders in goals against average and save percentage. And that's not just draft eligible goaltenders but all goaltenders.
The Kitchener Rangers' Radek Faksa continues his climb. He now has 20 goals and 22 assists in 38 games played.
To view the leaders, click the stats tab at the top of the page.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Top prospect Yakupov won't require surgery
Nail Yakupov, considered by many to the be the top player available in the 2012 NHL Draft, will not require surgery after suffering a knee injury playing for the Russian National Junior Team in the gold-medal game of the 2012 World Junior Championship last week.
Full story here
Full story here
Monday, January 9, 2012
Yakupov and Subban Continue To Lead Draft Eligible Players
Despite a couple of injuries this season both to Nail Yakupov and Malcolm Subban, who are both out with injuries yet again. they continue to lead skaters and goaltenders respectively in stats among draft eligible players.
Yakupov has 21 goals and 32 assists for 52 points in just 26 games. He has scored one more goal than Brendan Gaunce who has played in 39 games and also leads him by 12 points. Yakupov leads Cody Ceci, who continues to lead all defensemen, in assists by a margin of 32-28 with Ceci having played 13 more games.
Subban leads not only draft eligible goaltenders, but all goaltenders with an amazing 1.93 goals against average and a remarkable .928 save percentage. Daniel Altshuller is second in both categories with a 3.38 goals against average and a .904 save percentage.
To see the top players in each category, click on the stats tab at the top of the page.
Yakupov has 21 goals and 32 assists for 52 points in just 26 games. He has scored one more goal than Brendan Gaunce who has played in 39 games and also leads him by 12 points. Yakupov leads Cody Ceci, who continues to lead all defensemen, in assists by a margin of 32-28 with Ceci having played 13 more games.
Subban leads not only draft eligible goaltenders, but all goaltenders with an amazing 1.93 goals against average and a remarkable .928 save percentage. Daniel Altshuller is second in both categories with a 3.38 goals against average and a .904 save percentage.
To see the top players in each category, click on the stats tab at the top of the page.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Sweden Wins On A Golden Goal
Sweden won World Junior Championship gold for the first time in 31 years with a 1-0 overtime victory over Russia in a fantastic game that saw everything from great scoring chances to miraculous goaltending.
The game saw no scoring through regulation and had Sweden dominate through the first two periods. The Swedes outshot the Russians 17-3 in the first and 22-1 in the second. In a surprise move, the Russians started Andrei Makarov (2012 eligible) who was nothing less than sensational.
If you'll remember, the Russians pulled Andrei Vasilevski (2012 eligible) with a 6-5 lead against Canada in a move many thought, including yours truly, was to rest him for this final game. But the move to start Makarov turned out to be the right decision even though the Russians lost.
The Russians seemed exhausted as the game wore on playing their third game in four nights, and as the game moved into overtime, they seemed to be playing to get to a shootout. Under IIHF rules, teams play a 20 minute sudden death overtime and if the game is still tied they head to a shootout.
Swedish goalie Johan Gustafsson (Minnesota 2010) was a little busier in the third making 12 saves off the Russians. But none was bigger than with around 30 seconds to play in regulation he stopped a Nikita Gusev (2012 eligible) redirect right on the doorstep that was almost a sure goal. And with that save we were headed to overtime.
Through overtime, there were chances at both ends but Sweden carried the play and had the most opportunities.
Mika Zibanejad (Ottawa 2011) scored at 10:09 of overtime for the victory. He stole the puck from Gusev at the Russian blue line and broke in alone on Makarov and beat him with a back hand on the blocker side.
Russia forward Nail Yakupov left the game in overtime with an apparent knee injury and didn't return. He was seen leaving the arena on crutches after the game and early indications last night were that he was going to miss significant time.
The game saw no scoring through regulation and had Sweden dominate through the first two periods. The Swedes outshot the Russians 17-3 in the first and 22-1 in the second. In a surprise move, the Russians started Andrei Makarov (2012 eligible) who was nothing less than sensational.
If you'll remember, the Russians pulled Andrei Vasilevski (2012 eligible) with a 6-5 lead against Canada in a move many thought, including yours truly, was to rest him for this final game. But the move to start Makarov turned out to be the right decision even though the Russians lost.
The Russians seemed exhausted as the game wore on playing their third game in four nights, and as the game moved into overtime, they seemed to be playing to get to a shootout. Under IIHF rules, teams play a 20 minute sudden death overtime and if the game is still tied they head to a shootout.
Swedish goalie Johan Gustafsson (Minnesota 2010) was a little busier in the third making 12 saves off the Russians. But none was bigger than with around 30 seconds to play in regulation he stopped a Nikita Gusev (2012 eligible) redirect right on the doorstep that was almost a sure goal. And with that save we were headed to overtime.
Through overtime, there were chances at both ends but Sweden carried the play and had the most opportunities.
Mika Zibanejad (Ottawa 2011) scored at 10:09 of overtime for the victory. He stole the puck from Gusev at the Russian blue line and broke in alone on Makarov and beat him with a back hand on the blocker side.
Russia forward Nail Yakupov left the game in overtime with an apparent knee injury and didn't return. He was seen leaving the arena on crutches after the game and early indications last night were that he was going to miss significant time.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
My OHL Player Rankings For December
When you look at rankings of players for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, you'll pretty much see the same players on every list, just not in the same order. And of course, my list is no different. Sure there will be the odd player that someone has on their list that no one else has on theirs. Again, no different here. It's not an exact science and never will be.
This year, with the number of injuries to key players, is more difficult to set in stone than any other year. About the only injuries that haven't affected a players ranking so far are Nail Yakupov, who remains at the top of just about every list you come across and Malcolm Subban who remains at the top of the goaltending ranks on those same lists.
Then of course there is Alex Galchenyuk's injury. He may make a comeback come playoff time but that remains to be seen. He had such a terrific rookie season that it's hard to drop him, yet on some lists he has and others he remains just behind Yakupov. Slater Koekkoek has dropped a spot or two to the benefit of the Matt Finn's and Olli Maatta's of the hockey world. Adam Pelech was on almost everyone's list at the beginning of the season and only just returning a couple of weeks ago since going down in the first week has dropped off most lists.
Matia Marcantuoni was projected by many to be a top 10 pick and has just returned from his second injury. Artur Gavrus was making a name for himself and attracting attention until he was sidelined with an injury. Daniil Zharkov came from Russia with loads of talent but didn't play until November. He has 15 goals in 19 games just 6 behind Yakupov and 5 behind Brendan Gaunce who have played 7 and 17 more games respectively.
Then you have players that have talent and have shown it in the past that are having bad seasons in terms of what was expected or what they should be capable of. Nick Ebert and Andreas Athanasiou come to mind right away. Add in the players that you knew had some talent and ability but have taken it even one step further like the above mentioned Matt Finn, Dylan Blujus or Gemel Smith.
So how do you take this all into consideration? Hard to do but that's why personally I try to rank them monthly on what has happened in that month. Some players move up at the expense of those that have missed time. But you can't just brush a player aside because he's injured or at the World Junior Championships. A lot of lists will change between now and June, and this one is no different.
Here's a look at the top 5 players in my rankings :
Nail Yakupov : Quite simply the most talented player available in this draft.
Cody Ceci : Has taken his offense to a higher level than expected while still improving his defensive game. In 5 years we could look at him and say he was the best two way defenseman available in the draft.
Olli Maatta : Keeps on getting better as he gains more experience in North America. Good at both ends but won't put up the offensive numbers as some of the others.
Alex Galchenyuk : If not for the injury that knocked him out for the season, he'd probably be right behind Yakupov. Based on last year, hard to drop him any lower.
Brendan Gaunce : Gaunce may come as a surprise to some here. Already possesses an NHL caliber shot and his defensive game is as close to NHL ready as it can come. Has very good size brings a physical aspect to his game. He has all the attributes scouts salivate over.
For the complete list of my top 20 skaters and top 5 goaltenders, click the "My Rankings" tab at the top of this page.
This year, with the number of injuries to key players, is more difficult to set in stone than any other year. About the only injuries that haven't affected a players ranking so far are Nail Yakupov, who remains at the top of just about every list you come across and Malcolm Subban who remains at the top of the goaltending ranks on those same lists.
Then of course there is Alex Galchenyuk's injury. He may make a comeback come playoff time but that remains to be seen. He had such a terrific rookie season that it's hard to drop him, yet on some lists he has and others he remains just behind Yakupov. Slater Koekkoek has dropped a spot or two to the benefit of the Matt Finn's and Olli Maatta's of the hockey world. Adam Pelech was on almost everyone's list at the beginning of the season and only just returning a couple of weeks ago since going down in the first week has dropped off most lists.
Matia Marcantuoni was projected by many to be a top 10 pick and has just returned from his second injury. Artur Gavrus was making a name for himself and attracting attention until he was sidelined with an injury. Daniil Zharkov came from Russia with loads of talent but didn't play until November. He has 15 goals in 19 games just 6 behind Yakupov and 5 behind Brendan Gaunce who have played 7 and 17 more games respectively.
Then you have players that have talent and have shown it in the past that are having bad seasons in terms of what was expected or what they should be capable of. Nick Ebert and Andreas Athanasiou come to mind right away. Add in the players that you knew had some talent and ability but have taken it even one step further like the above mentioned Matt Finn, Dylan Blujus or Gemel Smith.
So how do you take this all into consideration? Hard to do but that's why personally I try to rank them monthly on what has happened in that month. Some players move up at the expense of those that have missed time. But you can't just brush a player aside because he's injured or at the World Junior Championships. A lot of lists will change between now and June, and this one is no different.
Here's a look at the top 5 players in my rankings :
Nail Yakupov : Quite simply the most talented player available in this draft.
Cody Ceci : Has taken his offense to a higher level than expected while still improving his defensive game. In 5 years we could look at him and say he was the best two way defenseman available in the draft.
Olli Maatta : Keeps on getting better as he gains more experience in North America. Good at both ends but won't put up the offensive numbers as some of the others.
Alex Galchenyuk : If not for the injury that knocked him out for the season, he'd probably be right behind Yakupov. Based on last year, hard to drop him any lower.
Brendan Gaunce : Gaunce may come as a surprise to some here. Already possesses an NHL caliber shot and his defensive game is as close to NHL ready as it can come. Has very good size brings a physical aspect to his game. He has all the attributes scouts salivate over.
For the complete list of my top 20 skaters and top 5 goaltenders, click the "My Rankings" tab at the top of this page.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Draft Eligible Statistical Update
With the season back underway after the holiday break and another OHL week completed, we have updated the statistical leaders for first time draft eligible players in the Ontario Hockey League. (Click the Stats tab at the top of this page).
Guelph's Matt Finn and Brampton's Dylan Blujus continue to climb up the scoring ranks for defensemen while still playing solid defensive games and are starting to draw a lot of attention from NHL scouts. Cody Ceci still leads all defensemen in goals, assists and points but has stumbled lately, possibly a let down from being cut from Team Canada ?
Despite only playing 26 games, Nail Yakupov of Sarnia still leads all players in goals, assists and points but Belleville's Brendan Gaunce only trails Yakupov by 1 goal as of Sunday, although he has played in 36 games. Owen Sound's Gemel Smith continues to create chances every time he's on the ice but the finish hasn't been there for he and his teammates.
Despite missing the last three games, Malcolm Subban of the Bulls leads all goaltenders in save percentage and goals against average.
Coming up tomorrow, we'll have the three stars for the week now that the season is back in full swing. On Wednesday we'll release my rankings for the top 20 skaters and top 5 goaltenders as of the end of December 2011, and we'll take a brief look at what's going on at the World Junior Championships. And later on in the week, we'll continue profiling players we haven't as of yet.
Guelph's Matt Finn and Brampton's Dylan Blujus continue to climb up the scoring ranks for defensemen while still playing solid defensive games and are starting to draw a lot of attention from NHL scouts. Cody Ceci still leads all defensemen in goals, assists and points but has stumbled lately, possibly a let down from being cut from Team Canada ?
Despite only playing 26 games, Nail Yakupov of Sarnia still leads all players in goals, assists and points but Belleville's Brendan Gaunce only trails Yakupov by 1 goal as of Sunday, although he has played in 36 games. Owen Sound's Gemel Smith continues to create chances every time he's on the ice but the finish hasn't been there for he and his teammates.
Despite missing the last three games, Malcolm Subban of the Bulls leads all goaltenders in save percentage and goals against average.
Coming up tomorrow, we'll have the three stars for the week now that the season is back in full swing. On Wednesday we'll release my rankings for the top 20 skaters and top 5 goaltenders as of the end of December 2011, and we'll take a brief look at what's going on at the World Junior Championships. And later on in the week, we'll continue profiling players we haven't as of yet.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Nail Yakupov Returns, Continues to Lead Draft Eligibles
Nail Yakupov returned to action last night and helped lead the Sarnia Sting to a 4-2 victory over the Peterborough Petes with a goal and two assists and hold onto his lead in goals, assists and points among OHL draft eligible players. Yakupov now has 19 goals and 30 assists in just 24 games.
Malcolm Subban continues to lead all OHL goaltenders in goals against average and save percentage despite an average week from him. He now boasts a stellar 1.92 goals against average and a .939 save percentage.
Cody Ceci of the Ottawa 67's, who is off to Calgary for the Team Canada World Junior Camp, continues to lead all draft eligible defensemen in goals, assists and points with 7-25-32 totals in 30 games. But look no further. Guelph Storm defenseman Matt Finn is closing the gap with 6-18-24 totals in 26 games.
For the complete list, please click on the stats tab at the top of the page.
Malcolm Subban continues to lead all OHL goaltenders in goals against average and save percentage despite an average week from him. He now boasts a stellar 1.92 goals against average and a .939 save percentage.
Cody Ceci of the Ottawa 67's, who is off to Calgary for the Team Canada World Junior Camp, continues to lead all draft eligible defensemen in goals, assists and points with 7-25-32 totals in 30 games. But look no further. Guelph Storm defenseman Matt Finn is closing the gap with 6-18-24 totals in 26 games.
For the complete list, please click on the stats tab at the top of the page.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
3 Stars For Week Ending November 20, 2011
Here are your draft eligible 3 stars for the week ending November 20, 2011
1st Star - Daniil Zharkov - Belleville Bulls : For the third straight week, a Belleville Bull takes first star honors, this time its Daniil Zharkov. Playing in just his 3rd, 4th and 5th games of the season, Zharkov opened the week with a two goal performance in a 6-3 victory over Peterborough Petes. He was held off the score sheet in the rematch, won 4-1 by the Petes. Zharkov closed out the week with a goal and an assist in a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa 67's.
2nd Star - Nail Yakupov - Sarnia Sting : Should we just hold a weekly spot here for Yakupov? He had a goal and an assist in Sarnia's 3-2 loss to the Kitchener Rangers. He followed that up with 2 goals and an assist in a 6-3 victory over the Saginaw Spirit. Yakupov did no play in the 2nd of back to back games with Saginaw.
3rd Star - Zack Leslie - Guelph Storm : The Storm defender opened up with a 3 assist effort in a 4-2 victory over the Oshawa Generals. He followed that up with a goal and an assist in a 5-0 win over the Erie Otters. Leslie was a plus 6 in the two games.
For a list of weekly winners and voters, please click on the 3 stars tab at the top of the page.
1st Star - Daniil Zharkov - Belleville Bulls : For the third straight week, a Belleville Bull takes first star honors, this time its Daniil Zharkov. Playing in just his 3rd, 4th and 5th games of the season, Zharkov opened the week with a two goal performance in a 6-3 victory over Peterborough Petes. He was held off the score sheet in the rematch, won 4-1 by the Petes. Zharkov closed out the week with a goal and an assist in a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa 67's.
2nd Star - Nail Yakupov - Sarnia Sting : Should we just hold a weekly spot here for Yakupov? He had a goal and an assist in Sarnia's 3-2 loss to the Kitchener Rangers. He followed that up with 2 goals and an assist in a 6-3 victory over the Saginaw Spirit. Yakupov did no play in the 2nd of back to back games with Saginaw.
3rd Star - Zack Leslie - Guelph Storm : The Storm defender opened up with a 3 assist effort in a 4-2 victory over the Oshawa Generals. He followed that up with a goal and an assist in a 5-0 win over the Erie Otters. Leslie was a plus 6 in the two games.
For a list of weekly winners and voters, please click on the 3 stars tab at the top of the page.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
3 Stars For Week Ending November 13, 2011
The three stars for the week ending November 13, 2011 are :
1st Star - Malcolm Subban - Belleville Bulls : Subban is the first player to win the honors in back to back weeks and he's doing it returning from injury. He led the Bulls to two shootout wins. He stopped 25 of 28 shots in a 4-3 victory. He followed that up with a 32 save performance in a 2-1 win over Oshawa in which he also stopped all 6 Generals shootout shooters.
Slater Koekkoek - Peterborough Petes : Koekkoek is really beginning to pick up his game. In Just 2 games last week, the Defenseman scored once and added 5 assists and also took part in the Subway Super Series for Team OHL.
Nail Yakupov - Sarnia Sting : It wasn't a typical offensive week for Yakupov, scoring just once and adding 2 assists in two games. But what caught most of our eyes is everything else he brings to the table, his skating, physicality, shot, you name it, he has it. Yakupov also took part in the Subway Super Series for Team Russia.
As always, you can find previous weekly winners and those that voted on them by clicking the 3 stars tab at the top of the page.
1st Star - Malcolm Subban - Belleville Bulls : Subban is the first player to win the honors in back to back weeks and he's doing it returning from injury. He led the Bulls to two shootout wins. He stopped 25 of 28 shots in a 4-3 victory. He followed that up with a 32 save performance in a 2-1 win over Oshawa in which he also stopped all 6 Generals shootout shooters.
Slater Koekkoek - Peterborough Petes : Koekkoek is really beginning to pick up his game. In Just 2 games last week, the Defenseman scored once and added 5 assists and also took part in the Subway Super Series for Team OHL.
Nail Yakupov - Sarnia Sting : It wasn't a typical offensive week for Yakupov, scoring just once and adding 2 assists in two games. But what caught most of our eyes is everything else he brings to the table, his skating, physicality, shot, you name it, he has it. Yakupov also took part in the Subway Super Series for Team Russia.
As always, you can find previous weekly winners and those that voted on them by clicking the 3 stars tab at the top of the page.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Nail Yakupov – The Next Ones: NHL 2012 Draft Prospect Profile
The feisty, dynamic, explosive right-winger who possesses a heat-seeking one-timer (1:00 mark of video) is simply electrifying with the ability to cause a jaw-dropping reaction to all those watching his super array of skills. He is destined to become one of the true must-see players around the league. Fans in hockey cities everywhere will be circling the dates when Yakupov comes to town when he is inevitably donning NHL battle colours.
Read the full story by our friends over at The Hockey Writers
Read the full story by our friends over at The Hockey Writers
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Seven to watch: Top OHL prospects for 2012 Draft
The top Ontario Hockey League prospect for the 2012 NHL Draft is an offensive dynamo from the Sarnia Sting, with a string of solid defensemen next on the list.
It's a story reminiscent of the 2008 Draft, when Sarnia center Steven Stamkos was the league's best prospect, ahead of a list of blueliners that included Guelph's Drew Doughty, Peterborough's Zach Bogosian and Niagara's Alex Pietrangelo.
This year, the top player available is Nail Yakupov, who spent last season breaking Stamkos' Sarnia records.
In his first season in the OHL, the 5-foot-10 1/2, 189-pound right wing led all first-year players with 49 goals and 101 points, topping Stamkos' franchise rookie record of 92 points, set in 2006-07.
Full list and story on nhl.com
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It's a story reminiscent of the 2008 Draft, when Sarnia center Steven Stamkos was the league's best prospect, ahead of a list of blueliners that included Guelph's Drew Doughty, Peterborough's Zach Bogosian and Niagara's Alex Pietrangelo.
This year, the top player available is Nail Yakupov, who spent last season breaking Stamkos' Sarnia records.
In his first season in the OHL, the 5-foot-10 1/2, 189-pound right wing led all first-year players with 49 goals and 101 points, topping Stamkos' franchise rookie record of 92 points, set in 2006-07.
Full list and story on nhl.com
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Thursday, November 3, 2011
Team Russia Roster Announced for 2011 SUBWAY® Super Series
Nine Russian-born CHL players will compete in various games of the series including top 2012 NHL Entry Draft prospects Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting who will play in Ottawa, ON, November 10, and Mikhail Grigorenko of the Quebec Remparts who will compete in Quebec City, QC, November 9. Four NHL drafted OHL players will also play for Russia in the Ottawa game November 10 including Vladislav Namestnikov who was selected in the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. 2011 second round Boston Bruins pick Alexander Khokhlachev of the Windsor Spitfires, third round New York Islanders pick Andrey Pedan of the Guelph Storm, and Winnipeg Jets prospect Ivan Telegin of the Barrie Colts will also participate in Ottawa. Defenceman Artem Sergeev of the QMJHL’s Val d’Or Foreurs and forward Anton Zlobin of the Shawinigan Cataractes will play for Russia in the series opener November 7 in Victoriaville, QC, while Saskatoon Blades’ goaltender Andrey Makarov will compete in the game November 16 in Regina, SK.
Full story and roster here
Full story and roster here
Yakupov Named Player of the Month, Gavrus Rookie of the Month for October
OHL Player of the Month – Nail Yakupov, Sarnia Sting
Nail Yakupov led the league in scoring with 29 points in 13 games for the Sarnia Sting producing 11 goals and a league-high 18 assists. He recorded a point in 12 of his 13 games with an impressive nine multi-point games along with the league’s second highest plus-minus rating of plus-13. He claimed OHL and CHL Player of the Week honours for the week ending October 16 where he matched a career-high with four assists October 14 as third star of a 7-2 win over the Saginaw Spirit. Yakupov was recognized as a star of the game seven times in October with four first-star performances including a stretch of three straight games from October 22-29 where he scored seven points in three games. He was also named first star of a 7-2 win over the Sudbury Wolves with two goals and two assists to open the month on October 1.
Yakupov, an 18-year-old Russian native of Nizhnekamsk, is playing in his second OHL season with the Sting and was named the OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year last season. The 2012 NHL Entry Draft prospect currently leads the OHL in scoring with 34 points in 16 games with 12 goals and a league-high 22 assists. Yakupov will also compete for Team Russia in the 2011 SUBWAY Super Series on November 10 in Ottawa, ON.
Kal Tire OHL Rookie of the Month – Artur Gavrus, Owen Sound Attack
Artur Gavrus led all OHL rookies in scoring with 13 points in 11 October games for the Owen Sound Attack scoring eight goals and five assists. He recorded three multi-point games including his first career hat-trick on October 10 in a 6-3 win over the Saginaw Spirit where he was named first star of the game. Gavrus finished October with a six-game point streak.
Gavrus, a 17-year-old from Belarus was selected by the Attack in the first round of the 2011 CHL Import Draft 55th overall. The 2012 NHL Entry Draft prospect has eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 16 games so far this season.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
3 Stars For Week Ending October 30, 2011
It was a good week for draft eligible players in the OHL. Unfortunately, only 3 can be named three stars.
1st Star - Gemel Smith - Owen Sound Attack : The Attack finished the week with a 2-0-1 record with Smith being a big part of it. He scored once in an overtime loss to the London Knights. He followed that up with 2 goals and an assist in a victory over the Oshawa Generals. He closed out his week with a 3 assist effort in a victory over the Windsor Spitfires. Smith now trails only Nail Yakupov in goals, assists and points among first time draft eligible players.
2nd Star - Nail Yakupov - Sarnia Sting : The leader in just about every statistical category, Yakupov played in 3 games in which he recorded 3 goals and 2 assists and was a plus 5. Yakupov scored twice and added an assist in a victory over the Soo Greyhounds. He added another goal and assist in a victory over Saginaw Spirit and closed out the week with an assist in a shootout loss to the London Knights.
3rd star - Radek Faksa - Kitchener Rangers : The Rangers began the week with a shootout victory over the Knights in which Faksa scored a goal and assisted on another. He added a single assist in a win against the Erie Otters and followed that up with another goal and an assist in the rematch vs the Otters in which Erie took that in a shootout. Faksa is one of those import players who's beginning to find his groove in the OHL and has been a model of consistency for the Rangers.
For a list of previous winners and a list of the voters involved in choosing the three stars, click on the 3 star tab at the top of the page.
1st Star - Gemel Smith - Owen Sound Attack : The Attack finished the week with a 2-0-1 record with Smith being a big part of it. He scored once in an overtime loss to the London Knights. He followed that up with 2 goals and an assist in a victory over the Oshawa Generals. He closed out his week with a 3 assist effort in a victory over the Windsor Spitfires. Smith now trails only Nail Yakupov in goals, assists and points among first time draft eligible players.
2nd Star - Nail Yakupov - Sarnia Sting : The leader in just about every statistical category, Yakupov played in 3 games in which he recorded 3 goals and 2 assists and was a plus 5. Yakupov scored twice and added an assist in a victory over the Soo Greyhounds. He added another goal and assist in a victory over Saginaw Spirit and closed out the week with an assist in a shootout loss to the London Knights.
3rd star - Radek Faksa - Kitchener Rangers : The Rangers began the week with a shootout victory over the Knights in which Faksa scored a goal and assisted on another. He added a single assist in a win against the Erie Otters and followed that up with another goal and an assist in the rematch vs the Otters in which Erie took that in a shootout. Faksa is one of those import players who's beginning to find his groove in the OHL and has been a model of consistency for the Rangers.
For a list of previous winners and a list of the voters involved in choosing the three stars, click on the 3 star tab at the top of the page.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Nail Yakupov Interview On CBC Radio
Sarnia sensation and top ranked prospect Nail Yakupov spoke to CBC Radio/Hockey Night In Canada on October 19, after being named OHL and CHL Player of the Week.
Listen to the interview here
Listen to the interview here
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Nail Yakupov Named CHL and OHL Player of the Week
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that top 2012 NHL Entry Draft prospect Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending October 16. Yakupov recorded 12 points in four games scoring two goals with 10 assists and a plus-minus rating of plus-8.
Yakupov produced four multi-point games leading the Sting to four wins on the week beginning on Thanksgiving Monday when he picked up three assists as part of a 4-3 overtime win over the Windsor Spitfires. The OHL’s assist leader continued to set up his teammates on Friday night when he matched a personal best with four helpers as third star of a 7-2 win over the Saginaw Spirit. His week also included a goal and two assists as second star of a 5-4 overtime win over the Plymouth Whalers, and a two-point game on Sunday with a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win over the top ranked London Knights.Yakupov, an 18-year-old from Nizhnekamsk, Russian, is playing in his second OHL season with the Sting and is eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Last season he was named the OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year and currently leads the OHL in scoring with 25 points in 10 games with seven goals and a league-high 18 assists for the Sting who are tied for the West Division lead with 17 points.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
3 Stars For Week Ending October 16, 2011
The experts have weighed in and here are your three stars of Draft eligible players for the week ending October 16, 2011
1st Star - Nail Yakupov - Sarnia Sting. The overwhelming choice as first star, Yakupov dominated the week scoring twice and adding ten assists in 4 games to take over the OHL scoring lead. Yakupov started the week with a 3 assist effort in an overtime win over Windsor. He followed that up with a 4 assist effort in a 7-2 romping of Saginaw. Then came a 1 goal and 2 assist effort in Plymouth, again in overtime and closed out the week with a goal and assist to beat London and help Sarnia take over first place in the Western Conference.
2nd Star - Artur Gavrus - Owen Sound Attack. Gavrus is our second star of the week after notching 3 goals and 3 assists in 4 games. He began the week with a hat trick against Saginaw. His lone pointless game came in a loss against Peterborough. The Attack then suffered back to back losses against the Kitchener Rangers where he registered an assist in the first game and to in the rematch where he was the Attack's bright spot.
3rd Star - Michael Clarke - Windsor Spitfires. Clarke continues to impress for the Spitfires. In 4 games Clarke scored 3 goals and added an assist including a 1 goal effort against Windsor and a 2 goal 1 assist effort against Erie.
Honorable mentions: Slater Koekkoek, Brady Vail and Warren Steele.
To check previous weekly winners and a list of voters in our 3 stars, click on the 3 star tab at the top of the page.
1st Star - Nail Yakupov - Sarnia Sting. The overwhelming choice as first star, Yakupov dominated the week scoring twice and adding ten assists in 4 games to take over the OHL scoring lead. Yakupov started the week with a 3 assist effort in an overtime win over Windsor. He followed that up with a 4 assist effort in a 7-2 romping of Saginaw. Then came a 1 goal and 2 assist effort in Plymouth, again in overtime and closed out the week with a goal and assist to beat London and help Sarnia take over first place in the Western Conference.
2nd Star - Artur Gavrus - Owen Sound Attack. Gavrus is our second star of the week after notching 3 goals and 3 assists in 4 games. He began the week with a hat trick against Saginaw. His lone pointless game came in a loss against Peterborough. The Attack then suffered back to back losses against the Kitchener Rangers where he registered an assist in the first game and to in the rematch where he was the Attack's bright spot.
3rd Star - Michael Clarke - Windsor Spitfires. Clarke continues to impress for the Spitfires. In 4 games Clarke scored 3 goals and added an assist including a 1 goal effort against Windsor and a 2 goal 1 assist effort against Erie.
Honorable mentions: Slater Koekkoek, Brady Vail and Warren Steele.
To check previous weekly winners and a list of voters in our 3 stars, click on the 3 star tab at the top of the page.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
3 Stars For Week Ending October 2, 2011
It's time for our first installment of 2012 Draft eligible players from the OHL for the week ending October 2, 2011.
First Star - Matt Murray - Soo Greyhounds. Murray led his Greyhounds to a 6-1 victory over Windsor and a 3-2 victory over Kitchener. In the two starts, Murray had a .938 Save percentage and a 1.50 Goals against average and leads all draft eligible goaltenders in those categories.
Second Star - Jarrod Maidens - Owen Sound. Despite his Owen Sound Attack going 1-2 in three games last week, Maidens was the offensive force after their 2-1 shoot out victory over Barrie. maidens went on to be involved in 5 of the Attacks next 6 goals scoring 4 times and adding 1 assist.
Third Star - Nail Yakupov - Sarnia. Sarnia suffered a 4-3 shootout loss to Brampton and followed that up with a 7-2 victory over Sudbury in which Yakupov scored twice and added 4 assists to earn our 3rd star of the week.
Honorable mentions : Cody Ceci, Ryan Rupert.
To view the winners all season long, and to see the list of people who voted on our 3 stars, click the 3 stars tab at the top of the page.
First Star - Matt Murray - Soo Greyhounds. Murray led his Greyhounds to a 6-1 victory over Windsor and a 3-2 victory over Kitchener. In the two starts, Murray had a .938 Save percentage and a 1.50 Goals against average and leads all draft eligible goaltenders in those categories.
Second Star - Jarrod Maidens - Owen Sound. Despite his Owen Sound Attack going 1-2 in three games last week, Maidens was the offensive force after their 2-1 shoot out victory over Barrie. maidens went on to be involved in 5 of the Attacks next 6 goals scoring 4 times and adding 1 assist.
Third Star - Nail Yakupov - Sarnia. Sarnia suffered a 4-3 shootout loss to Brampton and followed that up with a 7-2 victory over Sudbury in which Yakupov scored twice and added 4 assists to earn our 3rd star of the week.
Honorable mentions : Cody Ceci, Ryan Rupert.
To view the winners all season long, and to see the list of people who voted on our 3 stars, click the 3 stars tab at the top of the page.
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