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The second week of play in the Ontario Hockey League this past weekend saw an influx of players returning to their OHL clubs after extended stints at NHL training camps over the past few weeks. Some of the first round NHL draft picks from the past two drafts that have returned to their junior clubs over the past couple weeks include the following:
Andre Burakovsky, Erie Otters,
(2013 Washington 1st round pick)
Darnell Nurse, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds,
(2013 Edmonton 1st round pick)
Kerby Rychel, Windsor Spitfires,
(2013 Columbus 1st round pick)
Slater Koekkoek, Windsor Spitfires,
(2012 Tampa Bay 1st round pick)
Bo Horvat, London Knights,
(2013 Vancouver 1st round pick)
Max Domi, London Knights,
(2013 Phoenix 1st round pick)
Jason Dickinson, Guelph Storm,
(2013 Dallas 1st round pick)
Radek Faksa, Kitchener Rangers,
(2012 Dallas 1st round pick)
Brendan Gaunce, Belleville Bulls,
(2012 Vancouver 1st round pick)
Ryan Hartman, Plymouth Whalers,
(2013 Chicago 1st round pick)
One of those first-round selections made an inauspicious return to the league on Sunday night, as Max Domi lost his cool in his opening game in Guelph. Domi overreacted after absorbing a clean check moments earlier from the Guelph Storm's
Brock McGinn (Carolina 2012 2nd round selection). Moments later, Domi aborted his rush up the ice, launching at McGinn with an attempted leaping forearm to the head.
Domi got a five-minute major and game misconduct; McGinn returned to finish the game and help the Storm hand the Knights a 6-3 defeat.
It remains to be seen if Domi receives a suspension for these actions, although you would suspect given commissioner
David Branch's history, a suspension will surely follow.
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Meanwhile, one player that is taking full advantage of his return from an NHL prospect tournament and training camp is Owen Sound Attack forward,
Gemel Smith. The 19 year-old Toronto native was a 4th round selection of the Dallas Stars (102nd overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars.
The Attack split a pair of games this weekend (7-5 loss in Barrie, 7-6 overtime win vs. Sudbury) and Smith paced the offensive attack scoring five goals and adding an assist for six points in those two games, including a
four-goal effort with the overtime winner in the 7-6 home win vs. the Wolves.
His performance earned him OHL Player of the Week honours and enabled him to grab the early lead in the OHL scoring race with 10 points in 4 games.
Other notable scoring performances over the weekend during a busy second weekend of OHL action:
***
Connor Brown (Toronto, 2012 6th round selection) of the Erie Otters with a five point effort to spearhead his club to a 6-3 road victory in Sarnia against the Sting on Friday night.
*** The line of
Kerby Rychel alongside two 2014 NHL Draft eligible forwards in
Josh Ho-Sang and Russian
Nikita Yazkov combined for 12 points leading their Windsor Spitfires to an emphatic 8-4 the following night against the Otters.
*** A hat-trick by
Sergey Tolchinsky (Carolina, FA), in a losing cause for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in a 4-3 home loss to the Barrie Colts.
***
A hat-trick by Radek Faksa (Dallas, 2012 1st round selection) of the Kitchener Rangers to lead them to a 5-3 home win against the Oshawa Generals.
***
Matthew Campagna (attended Los Angeles training camp) of the Sudbury Wolves had seven points over the course of his club's three games this weekend.
Fans can watch live OHL action at the league’s
LiveStream website.
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