At the OHL Bard of Governors meeting the league adopted three rule changes.
The league has mandated that all intermissions will be 17 minutes long starting in the 2018-19 season. Also the league has determined that if teams are tied in points at the end of the season, shootout wins will be deducted from the win totals to break the tie:
The OHL shall eliminate shootout wins in the win total as it applies to the first tie-breaker between two or more teams of equal points during the league regular season of games and final league standing so that wins includes only regulation and overtime victories in a tie-breaking scenario.
In a more exciting tie breaking scenario, we now have wild card games!
If two or more teams are tied for the final OHL playoff position in either conference, sudden-death playoff games will be used to determine the team that advances, with the home team for such tie-breaker game being determined through the OHL standard tie-breaking system
The biggest piece of news announced was that the OHL will now put a limit on how far into the future a GM can trade picks:
Commencing on September 1, 2018, OHL Member Teams will be allowed to trade draft choices a maximum of six years into the future, transitioning to five years prior to the commencement of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection and four years prior to the 2021 OHL Priority Selection.
At the conclusion of the phase-in period, league policy will stipulate that OHL Member Teams may only trade a draft choice four years into the future.
So, I know some people see positives in this but I’m going to complain about it for a bit.
Why? Why restrict the picks? It’s fun to do the math and figure out if they’ve traded the pick that could one day be my seven year old son. The ridiculous picks being moved as teams try to stock up for the playoffs are the best part of trade deadline day. As an outsider with no skin in the game, I demand the league revert back to the old ways of 2017.
The positives of this move? GM’s who are trying to earn a job in the NHL can’t mortgage the future of a team they most likely won’t be a part of when it comes to a bare draft. We may see more reasonable asks from teams at the deadline, so your favourite team won’t pay a kings ransom for three months of a player who will be gone in the off season.
A downside is your team won’t be the one raking in all those sweet picks.
Another is that teams may move more players mid-school year than fork over a dozen picks:
I think I’m the only person who didn’t have a problem with OHL teams trading picks far into the future. Better picks than players, IMHO.
— Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas) August 29, 2018
Other news
The Victoria Royals withdrew their bid for the 2020 Memorial Cup
This is a smart move for the team. They got to know what it takes to compete in the bidding process, and with the 2019 World Juniors happening in Victoria and Vancouver it will give the junior hockey fans in the area time to save up and not be subjected to event fatigue.
The Kamloops Blazers, Kelowna Rockets, and Lethbridge Hurricanes remain in the running. The winner will be announced on October 3rd.
The QMJHL launches the QMJHL Foundation
Heading into their 50th season, the QMJHL has launched a foundation with the goal to create a pool of funds which will help the League award study grants to its players to help them pursue their education.
Chizen ready to stand tall for rockets - Dub Network
Like every other Western Hockey League team, the Rockets graduated their overage players at the end of last season. Indeed, in Kelowna the blueline brigade took rather a large hit.
New year, somewhat same crew for Hitmen - Dub Network
There is a lot of familiarity on the Calgary Hitmen pre-season roster.
Tickets for the OHL Showcase at the Harbour Centre in Buffalo are now on sale. The Erie Otters, Flint Firebirds, Hamilton Bulldogs, and Windsor Spitfires are playing in the pre-season event.
Global News catches up with the Hurricanes at camp.
IceDogs Enter Camp With Questions - IceDogs This Week
For a team that has a goal of winning a league championship this year, there are still a number of pressing issues for the organization that training camp and the exhibition season will help shape the direction the team moves in for a berth in the Memorial Cup.
Kitchener Rangers release 18 players from Training Camp - Kitchener Rangers
A surprising move letting goalie Brock Baier go.
Happy Cow launches Kootenay ‘ICE’ cream flavour - Kootenay ICE
$1 from every ICE flavoured cone sold will go to the ICE Education Fund, which helps support ICE players’ post-secondary education.
Taking a look at Saint John’s roster - Station Nation
Recent moves also open up several positions that will cause players to not only see the opportunity, but to cease the moment and work even harder to earn one of these regular spots in the lineup.
Bears Getting Back to Work - OHL Collective
With a solid rookie class coming into the fold along with season vets, do not overlook Owen Sound as a perennial team in the West. Now of course, there are some questions to be asked.
Generals Gearing up for the 2018/2019 Season - OHL Collective
The Ottawa 67’s, Niagara IceDogs and the Oshawa Generals have all emerged as early favourites to finish atop the Eastern Conference standings.
Healthy Henry hopes to hit the ground running - Regina Leader-Post
After a healthy summer Nick Henry is looking to make up for lost time.
Carter Loney shines at Victoria Royals’ camp, but NCAA is calling - Time-Colonist
The Royals impressive prospect is leaving camp to keep the NCAA an option.
Playoff push boosts Rangers’ bottom line - Waterloo Record
Run to conference final helps OHL team post its highest profit in six years.
Expectations are high as the Ottawa 67’s prepare for a new season - Ottawa Citizen
The 67’s are serious about making a run at an OHL title and optimism is as high as it has been since maybe 2011-12, the season when Tyler Toffoli had 52 goals and 100 points, Sean Monahan had 33 goals and 78 points, Cody Ceci had 60 points from his defence position and Petr Mrazek was stellar in goal.
New head coach Wilson lays foundation for Peterborough Petes - Peterborough Examiner
Nearly four months after being named Petes head coach Wilson ran his first two practices with the 27 players remaining on the OHL club’s roster following a three-day training camp.
Overage players determined to get Sudbury Wolves into playoffs - Sudbury Star
The Pilon twins have set – or rather, pushed – the pace for the Sudbury Wolves for the last two seasons.
The Athletic and Leafs Nation writer Ian Tulloch is joining the Mississauga Steelheads nerd corps:
Excited to announce that I'm going to be working with the @OHLSteelheads this season as an Analytics Consultant.
— Ian Tulloch (@regressIan) August 30, 2018
And this is pretty stupid if I may say so myself:
An OHL team employee tells me some players have been advised to scrub Fortnite references from social media accounts.
— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) August 28, 2018
Some NHL teams consider the video game a major distraction/obsession.
Considering what players have been known to get up to on off nights, Fortnite should be the least of any teams worries.
Final Rosters
Sherbooke Phoenix final roster
Blainville-Boisbriand Armada final roster
Cape Breton Screaming Eagles final roster
Chicoutimi Sagueens final roster
Player Signings
Davis Young (C) signed with the Hamilton Bulldogs
Sean McGurn (C) signs with the London Knights
Brayden Kapty (D), Caleb Willms (F), Mads Sogaard (G) sign with Medicine Hat Tigers
Danyk Drouin (F) signs with the Oshawa Generals
Kaleb Pearson (RW) signs with the Owen Sound Attack
Tyson Kozak (C) signs with the Portland Winterhawks
Cale Sanders (F) and Steven Zonneveld (D) sign with the Regina Pats
Parker Malchuk (D), Connor Martin (G), Cage Newans (F), Keegan Maddocks (G), Trentyn Crane (F), Matthew Hodson (F), and Carson Golder (D) sign with the Victoria Royals
Sam Schofield (F), and Jordan Fairlie (G) sign with the Swift Current Broncos
Bryan McAndrews (D), Parker Bell (LW), Sequoia Swan (LW) sign with the Tri-City Americans
Tyson Upper (F), Tyler Brennan (G), Craig Armstrong (F) signs with the Prince George Cougars
Emil Malysjev (D) and Sammy May (F) sign with the Saskatoon Blades
Jared Davidson (C), Matthew Rempe (F), Thomas Milic (G), Andrej Kukuca (F), and Lucas Ciona (LW) signed with the Seattle Thunderbirds
Erik Atchison (F) and Owen MacNeil (F) signed with the Spokane Chiefs
Trades
London Knights trade:
2019 3rd round pick
2022 4th round pick
Peterborough Petes trade:
Matthew Timms
Timms is an overage defender, who found his scoring touch in the past couple of seasons.
Val d’Or Foreurs trade:
2020 7th round pick
Drummondville Voltiguers trade:
Guillaume Desmarais (LW)
The third year forward is looking to get to double digits in points this season, after a QMJHL career high of eight last year.
Cape Breton Screaming Eagles trade:
Tyler Hylland (LW)
Baie-Comeau Drakkar trade:
2021 4th round pick
Cape Breton Screaming Eagles trade:
Jérémie Major (D)
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies trade:
2020 9th round pick
The Eagles cleared out a couple of players at the end of camp and got a couple draft picks for their troubles.
Gatineau Olympiques trade:
Tyler Higgins (D), Carson Gallant (D)
Saint John Sea Dogs trade:
2021 12th round pick, 2020 8th round pick, Alexis Girard (D)
Gatineau Olympiques trade:
Brendan St-Louis (D)
Baie-Comeau Drakkar trade:
2020 10th round pick
Gatineau Olympiques trade:
Brandon Frattaroli (F)
Quebec Remparts trade:
2019 8th round pick
Another end of camp clearance sale.
Kootenay ICE trade:
Payton McIsaac (D)
Seattle Thunderbirds trade:
2019 9th round pick
McIsaac didn’t crack the WHL last season but has a better chance in Seattle this year.
Shawinigan Cataractes trade:
Antoine Demers (C)
Blainville-Boisbriand Armada trade:
2019 5th round pick
Shawinigan Cataractes trade:
Tristan Gray (G)
Moncton Wildcats trade:
2019 10th round pick
It’s weird, that the Cataractes talked a lot about trading Demers and just mentioned Gray as a footnote in the story.
Acadie-Bathrust Titan trade:
2020 6th round pick
Charlottetown Islanders trade:
Antoine Leblanc (D)
Acadie-Bathrust Titan trade:
2021 3rd round pick
Shawinigan Cataractes trade:
William Champagne (F)
Acadie-Bathrust Titan trade:
Ryan MacLellan (D)
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies trade:
2021 8th round pick
The 2018 Memorial Cup champions added a couple players and picks at the close of training camp.
Job Opportunities
The Kitchener Rangers are looking for a Media and Communications Coordinator. Perfect fit (and salary) for someone just out of college.
The Rangers are also looking for a game reporter.
The Charlottetown Islanders are looking for volunteers
The Lethbridge Hurricanes have a game day coordinator internship open
Should the OHL restrict how far into the future a team can trade picks?
| Yes | 21 |
| No | 11 |