It's Opening Week! Yes, the start of a new season is finally upon us. Now, imagine getting the chance to start the new season by donning the OHL uniform of your hometown team. That's the reality for newest Kitchener Rangers forward Kyle Morey after he was acquired in a deal with Owen Sound. You'll hear from Morey in this episode. Plus, a new season brings some tweaks to the rules and follows a summer that saw the OHL's first-ever officiating combine plus the return of an officials' training camp...
Sep 27, 2022•44 min•Ep. 185
It's time to take on the OHL's Western Conference, alphabetically, from the building Otters in Erie to the defending champs in Windsor. There's consistency, question marks, and a slew of talent for fans to enjoy. Where will your team finish? I'm not sure we're sure...but it promises to be another wild season in the Western Conference. Let the games begin!
Sep 23, 2022•41 min•Ep. 184
Just over one week away until the regular season and it's time to take a look at your team. Today, it's an Eastern Conference preview as we run, alphabetically, from Barrie to Sudbury. Some teams get labelled contenders right now, some we just can't pin down, and others may be a year or more away from their next big season. What about your team? Listen to find out. And remember, feedback is always welcome.
Sep 21, 2022•36 min•Ep. 183
It's the favourite game of a junior hockey fan. No, not the hockey game itself. The one you play in your seat, when you tell the person next to you that this guy is a sure thing to make it to the next level, and this other guy isn't. And then you sit back and watch for a few years to find out just how right -- or wrong -- you were. So, what's the secret to making accurate predictions? Hey, if we knew that, we'd all be scouting for NHL teams by now. The truth is, projecting the development of pla...
Sep 16, 2022•28 min•Ep. 182
Let's face it, we've all asked the questions. How much does an OHL owner earn or lose each year? What do they do with the money they do earn (if, indeed, they earn profits)? And how much is a franchise worth, anyway? Well, there's not a ton of information out there...but there's enough to piece some things together. And we begin to assemble the puzzle in this episode.
Sep 14, 2022•36 min•Ep. 181
Let's face it, last season was weird. How many of us could go to the games? Was it 50% capacity? Full capacity?? No fans??? And when we did go, why did we see a healthy dose of the same teams, as if the season was on repeat? Of course, last year's weird season followed the season before, when there was no season at all. Did some people find other things to do with their entertainment dollars during all of this? Does the OHL have some fans to recover? And if that's the case (and it most certainly...
Sep 09, 2022•28 min•Ep. 180
It's not the first time it's happened and it certainly won't be the last. A first rounder, selected by one team, "defects" to another. The team that loses the player seems to be well-compensated and the defections don't happen so often as to be sounding alarm bells just yet. But there might be room for the OHL to improve the process. And, no, the improvements have nothing to do with the the fact the defected players seem to so often end up playing for the London Knights.
Sep 06, 2022•26 min•Ep. 179
Rosters are being trimmed, preseason games are about to begin, and some players are ready to set the league on fire this year. Have a listen for some insight about the players we think will be ready to take the next step this year, and the players you just might want to have a ticket to watch when they come to your city for a game.
Sep 02, 2022•26 min•Ep. 178
Roster management may be an under-appreciated skill in the Ontario Hockey League. As it turns out, just about every team appears to be in good shape as the new season dawns. Of course, there are some teams that will have to move overage players, and others waiting for the chance to add a veteran presence. So, who has what? And what interesting scenarios exist? Your pre-season roster breakdown is here.
Aug 30, 2022•28 min•Ep. 177
The coaching announcement this off-season in Oshawa was probably the most notable given the sudden and surprising dismissal of Todd Miller late last season. The Gens went out and found themselves a bench boss with deep experience, whose last stop was the NHL. In Niagara, under new ownership, the Ice Dogs naturally had to bring in a new coaching team, while the storied Kitchener Rangers introduced the 24th coach in their franchise history. We pore over the resumes, discuss the impacts, and even h...
Aug 26, 2022•25 min•Ep. 176
Take a look back on the impact OHL'ers had on this summer's Hlinka/Gretzky and World Junior Hockey tournaments. Plus, the debate around pitiful attendance and how Mason McTavish may have saved more than just the gold medal for Team Canada.
Aug 23, 2022•29 min•Ep. 175
It's no secret that the culture of hockey needs a reckoning. That doesn't mean that all is lost or that the game has nothing to offer. It's our shared passion for the game that should motivate us to advocate for meaningful change. This episode takes a deep dive into how we got here, how the culture of the game today makes it exclusionary and, most importantly, talks about ways we can move forward. We can all play a role in this and having some uncomfortable conversations is one of the first step...
Jul 22, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 174
Shane Wright's fall to 4th wasn't the only surprise in Montreal. Plus, where your favourite player got drafted might have implications on whether you see him play in the OHL again. Oh, and the teams that continue to graduate prospects to the pros. It's all in your mid-summer, snack-sized pod.
Jul 19, 2022•25 min•Ep. 173
From high school hockey in Caledon, to U-Sports at York, to the AHL's Chicago Wolves, and the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, Chris Dennis's coaching resume reads like a guy who was born to coach. After spending the 2021-2022 OHL season beside Marty Williamson on the bench in Barrie, Dennis has been named the 24th head coach in Kitchener Rangers history. Working alongside Hall of Fame names like Quinn, Carlyle, and Wilson, Dennis shares what he's learned along the way and his philosophy for building ...
Jul 15, 2022•52 min•Ep. 172
A Kitchener kid who got to step behind an OHL bench with his hometown team. But it was not a direct path. Paul Fixter was destined for law school when a coaching opportunity came up with the OHL’s Cornwall Royals and once the coaching bug bit, there was no turning back. The path led Fixter to the NHL, where he worked with some of the biggest stars in the game…and won two Stanley Cups. The story of how he landed his first NHL job is as funny as it is entertaining, and Fixter is even laughing a li...
Jun 19, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 171
After his rookie season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Wayne Groulx racked up three straight 100-plus-point seasons. He played with wingers named Bob Probert, Rick Tocchet, and Ron Francis. In his final year in the Ontario Hockey League, 1985, Groulx and his ‘Hounds won the OHL Championship. Groulx earned the Red Tilson Trophy as Most Outstanding Player. Drafted in the ninth round by the Quebec Nordiques, the Welland native played just one game In the NHL, in the Montreal Forum, against t...
Jun 19, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 170
Once a member of the Kingston Frontenacs, Joel Washkurak has stories to burn. He's since found jobs scouting for the Ottawa 67's, but he may be more well known to Farwell as the stand-out of the Conestoga Condors. For many, though, he will be remembered as someone who played with grit and tenacity, and who was disliked by the opposition. "Washer" has an abundance of stories that will make your head spin on OHL Stories.
Jun 19, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 169
After spending 2.5 years in Kingston, Tony Iob was traded to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds where he won two straight Ontario Hockey League Championships. After failing to win a game in his first trip to the Memorial Cup, Iob and the Hounds made it to a heartbreaking Memorial Cup Final against Scott Niedermayer and the Kamloops Blazers. Iob would go on to play a couple seasons pro in North America before heading overseas. After an 18 year pro career, representing Italy in the Olympics, and many...
Jun 19, 2022•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 168
Danny Syvret was considering Yale before signing with the London Knights. It turned out to be an okay decision. Syvret would go on to be named an OHL and CHL defenceman of the year, a Memorial Cup champion and all-star, and a member of the CHL's Team of the Century. Along the way, there were also several international medals, including Gold at the 2005 World Juniors. This episode gives you stories from every step on that journey, from having dinner with pro wrestlers to leaving the arena in full...
Jun 19, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 167
After being drafted by the Ottawa 67s, Rick Adduono found himself playing for the St. Catharines Blackhawks. It was with the Hawks, when "Smitty" would lead the OHA in points, and help send his team to the Memorial Cup. After a quick cup of tea in the WHA and the NHL, Adduono would land behind the bench, coaching for more than 20 years. You'll love the stories from Smitty, that include names like Bobby Orr, Ogie Ogilthorpe, John Brophy, and more.
Jun 19, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 166
He was part of the last team to pull off an 8 v 1 upset in the first round of the OHL playoffs. He's a goalie but he scored a Game 7 goal. And he was a small-town kid that suddenly found himself playing junior hockey in the Greater Toronto Area. It didn't seem to throw him off, though, as Justin Peters would go on to become a 2nd round pick into the NHL and embarked on a pro career that was always rooted in Blyth, Ontario.
Jun 19, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 165
He was a first round selection into the OHL and he wore the “C” for his team en route to a Memorial Cup. Along the way, Derek Roy remembers the expectations of Pete DeBoer and a motivating speech by Steve Spott. Roy went on to play more than 700 NHL games before finishing his career in Europe. He’s got stories about Gregory Campbell’s sticks, Jay McKee’s shot-blocking, and donning the Team Canada jersey at the Olympics.
Jun 19, 2022•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 164
When you ask, we listen. So, when you asked for a guest with ties to the Niagara Falls franchises to appear on the podcast, we set about to finding Jason Clarke. But finding Jason Clarke is a story unto itself and, thus, you get TWO Jason Clarkes in one episode. One Jason Clarke played for the Niagara Falls Thunder in the OHL before embarking on a professional career that lasted more than 15 seasons. He learned early that playing a physical game would keep him playing, and in one professional se...
Jun 19, 2022•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 163
You've got to be a little crazy to don the stripes every night and head to the arena actually looking forward to your job. But Frankie Rocca has never lost his enthusiasm for the game, despite some memorable interactions with Mike Stothers and Brian Kilrea. Rocca also patrolled the lines when heavyweights were still around the OHL and on some nights, he knew he was in for some heavy work. We wrap a great OHL season with stories from a guy who had one of the best views in the house to watch talen...
Jun 18, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 162
From OHL champion to entrepreneur, Troy Timpano talks about being drafted to Sudbury, getting traded to Erie, being a part of a record-setting season, practicing with some of the highest-skilled players in the league, and that time he almost died. Get your stories this week through the eyes of a goalie, which always promises a unique view.
Apr 08, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 71
Don't let anyone tell you that late-round picks can't turn out to be gems (although this guy might have gone higher in the draft if teams hadn't been worried he was going to play in the NCAA instead). Bill Bowler was a 13th rounder to the OHL and left the league as its all-time assists leader, and 4th all-time in points. Now, the former Spitfires player is trying to lead the team to its 4th championship since 2009. We talk hockey, playing in Vegas, and building winners.
Apr 01, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 160
Mike Farwell and Chris Pope have been around the Ontario Hockey League for more years than they care to count, and even after all these years, they can't resist riding the bus and broadcasting from every rink. With every trip to every rink comes the chance to tell another story. We invite you along on Farwell and Pope's adventures as they tell stories from every market in the Ontario Hockey League, from a behind-the-scenes perspective you won't get anywhere else. They're on the bus, in the hotel...
Mar 25, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 159
Mike Farwell and Chris Pope have been around the Ontario Hockey League for more years than they care to count, and even after all these years, they can't resist riding the bus and broadcasting from every rink. With every trip to every rink comes the chance to tell another story. We invite you along on Farwell and Pope's adventures as they tell stories from every market in the Ontario Hockey League, from a behind-the-scenes perspective you won't get anywhere else. They're on the bus, in the hotel...
Mar 18, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 158
Mike Farwell and Chris Pope have been around the Ontario Hockey League for more years than they care to count, and even after all these years, they can't resist riding the bus and broadcasting from every rink. With every trip to every rink comes the chance to tell another story. We invite you along on Farwell and Pope's adventures as they tell stories from every market in the Ontario Hockey League, from a behind-the-scenes perspective you won't get anywhere else. They're on the bus, in the hotel...
Mar 11, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 157
Mike Farwell and Chris Pope have been around the Ontario Hockey League for more years than they care to count, and even after all these years, they can't resist riding the bus and broadcasting from every rink. With every trip to every rink comes the chance to tell another story. We invite you along on Farwell and Pope's adventures as they tell stories from every market in the Ontario Hockey League, from a behind-the-scenes perspective you won't get anywhere else. They're on the bus, in the hotel...
Mar 04, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 156
