2020–21 OHL season

The 2020–21 OHL season will be the 41st season of the Ontario Hockey League, which has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

2020–21 OHL season
LeagueOntario Hockey League
SportHockey
DurationPreseason
TBD
Regular season
TBD
Playoffs
TBD
Number of teams20
TV partner(s)Rogers TV, Shaw TV, YourTV, Sportsnet
2020–21 CHL season
LeagueCanadian Hockey League
SportHockey
DurationOHL
February 2021 – June 2021
QMJHL
October 2020 – June 2021
WHL
December 2020 – June 2021
Number of teams60
TV partner(s)RDS
Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers TV
Shaw TV

The post-season will commence following the regular season, in which eight teams will compete for the J. Ross Robertson Cup and be crowned champions of the OHL. The winning team will earn a berth into the 2021 Memorial Cup, which will run from June 17–27, 2021. The OHL is hosting the Memorial Cup in 2021; however, they have not announced the host team and city. The Oshawa Generals and the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds have submitted bids to host the 2021 Memorial Cup.[2]

COVID-19

The regular season was originally planned to begin in September 2020 and end in March 2021 as each of the 20 teams would play 68 games, followed by 16 teams playing in the post-season. On August 5, 2020, the OHL announced that the start of the regular season was moved to December 1, 2020, and would end on April 29, 2021. Each team was to play a condensed 64 game schedule, followed by a playoff format in which 16, eight from each conference, would participate in.[3]

On October 29, the league announced an updated timeline for the season, moving the opening date of the regular season to February 4, 2021. The regular season would end on May 8, 2021, as the clubs would play a 40 game schedule against opponents in their geographic region. The post-season would consist of eight teams playing three rounds to determine the J. Ross Robertson Cup champion.[4]

The OHL announced on December 23 that due to the provincial lock down in Ontario that commences on December 26 that the league has delayed the start of the season once again. The league announced that they will continue to consult and work closely with governments and health authorities to determine potential start dates in the new year.[5]

Coaching changes

Coaching changes
Off–season
Team 2019–20 coach 2020–21 coach Story / Accomplishments
Barrie Colts Warren Rychel*
Todd Miller*
Vacant Rychel stepped in as the interim head coach of the Colts prior to the season to fill in for long-time Colts head coach Dale Hawerchuk after he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and took a leave of absence. Following a quick start in which the Colts began the season with a 12-6-1 record, the team suffered a rash on injuries and posted a record of 16-21-4 and slid into eighth place in the Eastern Conference at the time the club relieved Rychel of his duties on January 20, 2020.[6] The Colts announced that Miller would take over on an interim basis for the remainder of the season. Miller had been with the club as an assistant coach since the 2010-11 season. Under Miller, the Colts put up a record of 13-7-2 before the season was cancelled. The club has not named a head coach for the 2020-21 season.
Hamilton Bulldogs Vince Laise
Steve Staios*
Vacant Laise was dismissed as head coach of the Bulldogs on March 3, 2020, as the club registered a record of 24-28-8 in his first season as head coach of the club. Laise was about to serve a two-game suspension at the time of his firing for a verbal altercation with an official during an 8-2 loss to the Saginaw Spirit on February 29.[7] Staios took over on an interim basis and coached the Bulldogs to a 0-2-0 record before the remainder of the season was cancelled. The club has not named a head coach for the 2020-21 season.
Kingston Frontenacs Kurtis Foster Paul McFarland Foster was dismissed as head coach of the Frontenacs on April 29, 2020, after coaching the team for two seasons. Foster earned a record of 33-91-6 with Kingston, which included a 19-39-4 record during the 2019-20, in which the club finished in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.[8] On May 8, the Frontenacs announced that Paul McFarland was returning to Kingston to become the new head coach of the club. McFarland had previously coached the Frontenacs from 2014-17, earning a 111-71-22 record over four seasons. Since his first coaching stint in Kingston, McFarland was an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers from 2017-19 and the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019-20.[9]
Kitchener Rangers Jay McKee
Mike McKenzie*
Mike McKenzie The Rangers announced that McKee was fired as head coach of the club on November 25, 2019, as the club struggled to a 7-10-4 record in their first 21 games of the season, sitting in last place in the Western Conference. McKee was in his fourth season with the Rangers and posted a 120-88-17 record in 225 games since he took over head coaching duties in 2016-17.[10] McKenzie, the general manager of the Rangers, was announced as the interim coach of the club for the remainder of the season. He led Kitchener to a 33-6-3 record over their last 42 games as the team finished in third place in the Western Conference when the season was cancelled in March. On June 10, 2020, the Rangers announced the McKenzie would return as the full-time head coach.[11]
North Bay Battalion Stan Butler
Ryan Oulahen*
Ryan Oulahen On December 10, 2019, the Battalion announced that they were making changes with their coaching staff, as Butler was replaced as head coach following a 5-23-0 start to the season. Butler was the only coach in franchise history since the Battalion began play in 1998-99 and coached the club to a 667-737-52 record in 1456 games.[12] Oulahen coached the Battalion to a 12-18-4 record in 34 games to close out the season as the club made a late push for a playoff position before the season was cancelled in March. On March 25, 2020, the Battalion named Oulahen as their full-time head coach.[13]
Sudbury Wolves Cory Stillman Vacant On December 15, 2020, the Wolves announced that Stillman was leaving the club to join the Arizona Coyotes as an assistant coach. Stillman led the Wolves to a 94-89-16 record in three seasons with the club since joining them in the 2017-18 season. In his last season with Sudbury, the team finished in first place in the Central Division with a 34-27-2 record to win their first divisional title since the 2000-01 season.[14] The Wolves have not named a head coach for the 2020-21 season.

(*) Indicates interim.

Regular season

[15]
Note: DIV = Division; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against;
PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title

Eastern conference

Rank Team DIV GP W L OTL SL PTS GF GA
1Barrie ColtsCentral00000000
1Mississauga SteelheadsCentral00000000
1Niagara IceDogsCentral00000000
1North Bay BattalionCentral00000000
1Sudbury WolvesCentral00000000
1Hamilton BulldogsEast00000000
1Kingston FrontenacsEast00000000
1Oshawa GeneralsEast00000000
1Ottawa 67'sEast00000000
1Peterborough PetesEast00000000

Western conference

Rank Team DIV GP W L OTL SL PTS GF GA
1Erie OttersMidwest00000000
1Guelph StormMidwest00000000
1Kitchener RangersMidwest00000000
1London KnightsMidwest00000000
1Owen Sound AttackMidwest00000000
1Flint FirebirdsWest00000000
1Saginaw SpiritWest00000000
1Sarnia StingWest00000000
1Sault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsWest00000000
1Windsor SpitfiresWest00000000

Awards

Playoffs trophies
Trophy nameRecognitionRecipient
J. Ross Robertson CupOHL Finals champion
Bobby Orr TrophyEastern Conference champion
Wayne Gretzky TrophyWestern Conference champion
Wayne Gretzky 99 AwardPlayoffs MVP
Regular season — Team trophies
Trophy nameRecognitionRecipient
Hamilton Spectator TrophyTeam with best record
Leyden TrophyEast division champion
Emms TrophyCentral division champion
Bumbacco TrophyWest division champion
Holody TrophyMidwest division champion
Regular season — Executive awards
Trophy nameRecognitionRecipient
Matt Leyden TrophyCoach of the year
Jim Gregory AwardGeneral manager of the year
Bill Long AwardLifetime achievement
OHL Executive of the YearExecutive of the Year
Regular season — Player awards
Trophy nameRecognitionRecipient
Red Tilson TrophyMost outstanding player
Eddie Powers Memorial TrophyTop scorer
Dave Pinkney TrophyLowest team goals against
Max Kaminsky TrophyMost outstanding defenceman
Jim Mahon Memorial TrophyTop scoring right winger
Emms Family AwardRookie of the year
William Hanley TrophyMost sportsmanlike player
F. W. "Dinty" Moore TrophyBest rookie GAA
Bobby Smith TrophyScholastic player of the year
Leo Lalonde Memorial TrophyOverage player of the year
Jim Rutherford TrophyGoaltender of the year
Dan Snyder Memorial TrophyHumanitarian of the year
Roger Neilson Memorial AwardTop academic college/university player
Ivan Tennant Memorial AwardTop academic high school player
Mickey Renaud Captain's TrophyTeam captain that best exemplifies character and commitment
Prospect player awards
Trophy nameRecognitionRecipient
Jack Ferguson AwardFirst overall pick in priority selection
Tim Adams Memorial TrophyOHL Cup MVP

2021 IIHF World Junior Championship

The 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship were held at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta starting on December 25, 2020. The tournament concluded on January 5, 2021.

Twenty-seven current and former OHL players were on eight rosters in this tournament, including eight on Canada, four on the Czech Republic, three on Germany, three on Slovakia, two on Finland, two on Russia, two on the United States, two on Switzerland and one on Austria. [16]

Austria

Team Austria had one player on their roster that played in the OHL. Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67's was the lone OHL player on the team.

In four games, Rossi earned no points.

Austria finished in fifth place in Group B, as the team did not earn any points during their four games. They finished the tournament in tenth place.

Canada

The Canadian team had eight players on their roster that plays in the OHL. The players on the Canadian team were: Quinton Byfield, (Sudbury Wolves); Jamie Drysdale, (Erie Otters); Thomas Harley, (Mississauga Steelheads); Connor McMichael, (London Knights); Cole Perfetti, (Saginaw Spirit); Jack Quinn, (Ottawa 67's); Ryan Suzuki, (Saginaw Spirit); and Philip Tomasino, (Oshawa Generals). Andre Tourigny, the head coach of the Ottawa 67's, is the head coach of the Canadian team.

McMichael finished second in team scoring, as he scored four goals and eight points in seven games. Byfield finished the tournament with two goals and seven points in seven games, Perfetti scored two goals and six points in seven games and Tomasino recorded four goals and six points in seven games. Quinn scored one goal and five points in seven games, Suzuki had two goals and four points in seven games. On defense, Drysdale earned two assists in seven games and Harley scored a goal in seven games

Canada finished in first place in Group A during the preliminary round, as they recorded 12 points. In the quarter-finals, Canada shutout the Czech Republic 3-0, followed by a 5-0 shutout victory over Russia in the semi-finals, earning a berth in the gold medal game. In the final game, Canada lost to the United States 2-0, claiming the silver medal in the tournament.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic had four OHL players on their roster. Martin Has, (Guelph Storm); Nick Malik, (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds); Jan Mysak, (Hamilton Bulldogs); and Jaromir Pytlik, (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) were on the team.

Mysak scored two goals and three points in five games during the tournament, while Has earned an assist in five games. In four games, Malik posted a 1-2-0 record with a 2.90 GAA and a 0.890 save percentage, while earning a shutout.

The team finished the preliminary round in fourth place in Group B, as the Czech Republic earned six points in four games. The Czech Republic finished the tournament in seventh place as they lost to Canada by a score of 3–0 in the quarter-finals.

Finland

Team Finland had two OHL players on their roster. Kari Piiroinen of the Windsor Spitfires and Ruben Rafkin of the Windsor Spitires represented Finland at the tournament.

Piiroinen posted a 4-2-0 record with a 2.18 GAA and a 0.915 save percentage in six games, while Rafkin appeared in one game, earning no points.

Finland finished the preliminary round with nine points and in second place in Group A. Finland defeated Sweden 3-2 in the quarter-finals, however, they lost to the United States in the semi-finals by a score of 4-3. In the bronze medal game, Finland defeated Russia 4-1.

Germany

Team Germany had one player from the OHL on their roster as Josh Samanski of the Owen Sound Attack was the lone current OHL player on the team. OHL graduates Manuel Alberg, formerly of the Owen Sound Attack and currently playing with EC Red Bull Salzburg and Filip Reisnecker, formerly of the Mississauga Steelheads and currently playing with Fischtown Pinguins, were also on the roster.

In five games, Alberg earned two assists. In two games, both Samanski and Reisnecker were held off the score sheet.

Germany finished the preliminary round in third place in Group A, as the team earned five points in four games. In the quarter-finals, Germany lost to Russia by a close score of 2–1 to finish in sixth place in the tournament.

Russia

Team Russia had two players from the OHL on their roster. Egor Afanasyev of the Windsor Spitfires and Daniil Chayka of the Guelph Storm represented Russia at the tournament.

Afanasyev scored two goals and five points in seven games, while Chayka earned no points in six games.

Russia finished in second place in Group B during the preliminary round, earning eight points. In the quarter-finals, Russia defeated Germany by a score of 2-1. In the semi-finals, they lost to Canada 5-0 and an appearance in the bronze medal game. In the final game, Russia lost to Finland 4-1 to finish the tournament in fourth place.

Slovakia

Team Slovakia had three players from the OHL on their roster. The players were Martin Chromiak of the Kingston Frontenacs, Dominik Jendek of the Windsor Spitfires and David Mudrak of the Oshawa Generals.

In five games, Chromiak scored a goal, while both Jendek and Mudrak were held to no points.

Slovakia finished the preliminary round in fourth place in Group A, as the team earned four points in four games. In the quarter-finals, Slovakia lost to the United States by a score of 5–2.

Switzerland

Team Switzerland had two players from the OHL on their roster. Giancarlo Chanton of the Niagara IceDogs and Noah Delemont of the Owen Sound Attack represented Switzerland at the tournament.

Delemont scored a goal in three games for Switzerland, while Chanton had no points in four games.

Switzerland finished in last place in Group A during the preliminary round, earning no points in four games. The team finished the tournament in ninth place.

United States

The United States had two players of the OHL on their roster. The players were Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs and Hunter Skinner of the London Knights.

Kaliyev scored three goals and eight points in seven games, which placed him in a tie for second on the team scoring list. Skinner appeared in one game, earning no points.

The United States finished in first place in Group B during the preliminary round as they earned nine points. In the quarter-finals, the USA defeated Slovakia 5-2. In the semi-finals, they defeated Finland by a score of 4-3, advancing to the gold medal game. In the final game of the tournament, the United States shutout Canada 2-0 to win the gold medal for the fifth time in the history of the tournament.

References

  1. "OHL Announces Delay to Start of 2020-21 Season". Ontario Hockey League. December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  2. "Oshawa Generals and Soo Greyhounds bid to host 2021 Memorial Cup Presented by Kia". Oshawa Generals. February 20, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  3. "OHL releases 2020-21 season Return to Play plan". Ottawa 67's. August 5, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  4. "OHL Announces Updated Timeline for 2020-21 season". Ontario Hockey League. October 29, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  5. "OHL Announces Delay to Start of 2020-21 Season". Ontario Hockey League. December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  6. "Barrie Colts Part Ways With Interim Coach Warren Rychel". Barrie 360. January 20, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  7. "Hamilton Bulldogs fire head coach Vince Laise". The Peterborough Examiner. March 3, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  8. "Kingston Frontenacs dismiss Head Coach Kurtis Foster". Kingstonist. April 29, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  9. "Paul McFarland Returning to Coach the Kingston Frontenacs". Kingston Frontenacs. May 8, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  10. "'Not a fun day': Kitchener Rangers fire head coach Jay McKee". CTV Kitchener. November 25, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  11. "Mike McKenzie takes on Kitchener Rangers head coaching job full-time". Global News. June 10, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  12. "Battalion announce changes to hockey operations". Ontario Hockey League. December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  13. "Troops name Ryan Oulahen head coach". Ontario Hockey League. March 25, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  14. "Coaching Staff Complete: Coyotes Add 'A Winner' in Cory Stillman". National Hockey League. December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  15. https://ontariohockeyleague.com/standings/68/conference/
  16. "Past and present OHL players set sights on World Junior roster spots". Ontario Hockey League. December 16, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
Preceded by
2019–20 OHL season
OHL seasons Succeeded by
2021–22 OHL season
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