Neutral Zone attended the Ontario Hockey League game in St. Catharine’s on Thursday, December 2nd, 2021. Ottawa 67’s at Niagara IceDogs. Niagara wins 6-1. The game was a little closer than the score, and in fact, the outcome was still up for grabs at the midway point of the second period. The 67’s were unable to capitalize on their power play opportunities while the hometown team was able to build on their lead, in the third period, to take the game.
OTTAWA
| Brady Stonehouse | Ottawa 67s | OHL | L | RW | 5’9″ | 183 | Ottawa 67’s | 2020 | Blenheim, ON | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Stonehouse plays a simple, determined game. He contributes on PP and PK. He goes to areas of the ice that lead to offensive success. Off an attacking rush, he is usually the net driving forward. If he is the puck carrier he follows the puck to the net. He displayed above average board play in the offensive zone helping to gain/maintain possession or keep offensive plays moving. He will often look to move the puck from low in the zone up to his defenceman at the OZ blue-line. He then slides out of coverage to follow his pass and provide a potential out for the D. On shots, he funnels to the net area. His board play was reliable in the defensive zone as his puck plays mostly led to successful DZ exits. Grade B.
| Vinzenz Rohrer | Ottawa 67s | OHL | R | RW | 5’11” | 168 | Ottawa 67’s | 2021 | Feldkirch | 2004 | 2021-2022: C+ |
A quick, talented and intelligent player. Roher needs to add some muscle but his decisions and play intentions are excellent. He has above average edges and utilizes them to quickly escape containment, change direction or alter shooting lanes. You get a very good view of his separation speed in open ice. He creates gaps between himself and defenders equally with the puck, as without. He plays the FH flank on the PP, which allows him to take advantage of his quick release when driving the lane. His goal was scored from the inside at net front, and he steered to that area several times though the game without hesitation. A lot of upside here. Grade B+
| Derek Smyth | Ottawa 67s | OHL | L | D | 6’3″ | 181 | Ottawa 67’s | 2020 | St. Catharines, ON | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Big body gives Ottawa’s defence corps some added size. Like most young defencemen Smyth will require some development on his edges so he can master the art of puck retrievals from deep in his defensive zone. Smyth, makes some very reliable decisions once he is in possession of the puck. He calmly looked off an option to the wall and deftly hit the middle lane option on a breakout situation. He played with confidence when in possession. His poise was impressive. Defensively, he managed his gap very well positioning himself to use his stick to apply pressure to the opponent’s stick blade. This often led to the puck being dumped, separated for pursuit or disruption of the attack he was defending. Grade C+
| Teddy Sawyer | Ottawa 67s | OHL | L | D | 6’0″ | 183 | Ottawa 67s | 2019 | Lewis Centre, OH | 2003 | Not yet rated |
Sawyer was very involved in this game, particularly early on. He positioned himself to provide his partner with a quick outlet. He could be heard communicating with his team-mates during the play. Most of Sawyer’s puck plays were successful, although there were examples of him overlooking an outlet option to attempt one with a lower success rate. He did a good job of using his stick to influence the direction of the play. This was most noticeable in the neutral zone as he defended offensive zone entries attempts of the opponent. Grade C+
NIAGARA
| Pano Fimis | Niagara Icedogs | OHL | R | F | 5’10” | 174 | Niagara Ice Dogs | 2020 | Richmond Hill, ON | 2004 | 2021-2022: C+ |
Fimis plays all situations for his team and is effective in all. He has a tremendously high panic threshold when in possession of the puck, he uses extra time he creates to identify all his outlets and he is usually successful when he completes his play selection. He was outstanding, navigating traffic while in possession of the puck. He showed elite 3 step acceleration . . . often sprinting short distances to win possession of the puck or to put an opponent under pressure. Grade B
| Brice Cooke | Niagara Icedogs | OHL | L | LW | 6’1″ | 190 | Niagara Ice Dogs | 2020 | Orangeville, ON | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Cooke showed some excellent offensive instincts during this game. He funneled to the net to position himself for a rebound that, in fact, came to his area. He jumped on it to score. He positions himself inside when the offensive play in below the dots. On the power play he was used as the bumper. Again, an inside position, but one that requires vision and the ability to distribute the puck or shoot. When in possession of the puck in then offensive zone, Cooke displayed poise and patience as he assessed his options, sometimes under pressure from defenders. Since he gets to the inside often with the puck, he could increase his shot attempts. Grade B
| Rodwin Dionicio | Niagara Icedogs | OHL | L | D | 6’2″ | 207 | Niagara Ice Dogs | 2021 | Rapperswil, SUI | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
A very good performance by this player on this night. Dionicio was active in all three zones on both sides of the puck and had a definite impact on his team’s success. A very confident player, Dionicio is only going to improve with the responsibility he has been given by the Niagara coaching staff. He is playing all situations. In the offensive zone he does of good job of keeping the puck in play, from the blueline, either into open areas for forwards to retrieve or at/near the crease area for tips/deflections or rebounds. Dionicio’s mobility will improve with continued training and development. Puck retrievals from deep in his zone will become smoother and more efficient as he improves his ability to pivot, not lose speed, and scan the ice for pressure. He attempts weak-side gap management (surfing) and is successful, often, in creating puck separation or disrupting attacks. His compete level is extremely high. Grade B
| Alec Leonard | Niagara Icedogs | OHL | R | D | 5’11” | 183 | Niagara Ice Dogs | 2020 | Toronto, ON | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Leonard was really able to showcase his mobility in his performance this night. A very mobile defenceman, Leonard was very active in the offensive zone supporting his Niagara forwards on cycle plays or exchanges stemming from plays coming up the wall towards the blue-line. He seemed to play with more confidence in this game. Leonard made excellent reads at the offensive zone blue-line, shrinking the zone on Ottawa breakout attempts, holding the line when the board play moved up towards the blue-line or even releasing off the line to accept an exit. While Leonard’s physical game is still becoming established, he does a good job of defending with his stick. He attacks the blade of the offensive player to take away time and space or create puck separation. Grade C+
| Joshua Rosenzweig | Niagara Icedogs | OHL | R | G | 6’2″ | 159 | Niagara Ice Dogs | 2019 | Toronto, ON | 2003 | 2021-2022: C |
Rosenzweig certainly had help from his team in front of him on this night, scoring a total of 6 goals. But, he had to do his part to earn the Niagara victory, as the outcome was still up for grabs at the midway point of the game. Rosenzweig played confidently on this night. He remained square to shooters and did a very good job of minimizing the number of playable rebounds left around the crease. He faced a barrage of shots from the 67’s in the second period, facing 4 Ottawa power plays and turning aside all Ottawa shots as the 67’s outshot Niagara 13-4 in the middle frame. Rosenzweig remained composed even with the increased traffic at the goal. Ottawa’s Vinzez Roher finally got the puck past Rosenzweig in the third period after the IceDogs defenders failed in clearing the 3 or 4 Ottawa attempts at the crease. A 2003 birth, Rosenzweig may have the opportunity to grow at his position this season. He is large, quick and controlled as he performed consistently through this game. Grade B+
Logo Courtesy of Niagara IceDogs
Evaluation: Murray Nystrom
Stats provided by InStat