BUFFALO’S COSTANTINI NAMED OJHL’S ROOKIE OF YEAR
Ryan Tverberg of Toronto Jr. Canadiens named runner-up
Mississauga, ON–….The Ontario Junior Hockey League announced that Matteo Costantini of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres is the OJHL’s Rookie of the Year for 2019-20.
Costantini was previously named the league’s Top Prospect for 2019-20. The OJHL is announcing the winners of its annual awards this spring.
The Rookie of the Year award is voted on by the league’s general managers and a panel of media members who cover the league.
Costantini was ranked 96 thon National Hockey League Central Scouting’s final draft rankings released last week – highest of the four OJHL players on the list.
Costantini, a 17-year-old from St. Catharines, jumped onto the junior hockey scene this season, scoring 68 points (36G/32A) in 50 games in Buffalo. He was named to the OJHL second all-star team and played in the Prospects Game at the OJHL All-Star Celebration. In Buffalo’s first-round playoff win over Burlington, Costantini led both teams with 10 points (2G/8A) in six games.
“What makes Matteo a special player is his work ethic, love for the game and his coachability,” Jr. Sabres general manager and head coach Nick Tuzzolino said. “He was consistently one of the last players on the ice every day. He wanted to learn and get better every day.”
“This is what separates good players from special players. He has the skills that are needed plus that inner drive, which pushes players to get to that next level and be great.”
Two years ago, Costantini was the third from last – 298 thoverall – player selected in the Ontario Hockey League draft by the Hamilton Bulldogs from the Niagara North Stars AAA minor midgets.
He was 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds, a shadow of his current 6-foot, 180.
“Not everybody gets drafted and I was fortunate to be picked,” he said last week. “From there it was just keeping my head down, pushing, grinding. Trying to be the best player I could be. I just kept working hard. And after that, new doors started to open for me.”
Since the age of 14, Costantini has worked out during summers at the LECOM Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo, home of the Jr. Sabres and practice facility for the NHL Sabres.
Impressed with the staff in Buffalo, he signed with the midget U16 minor Sabres and lit it up – 101 points in 87 games – during the 2018-19 season.
Costantini and Jr. Sabres teammate Michael Craig carpooled daily from their St. Catharines high school across the border to LECOM Harborcenter this past season.
Costantini credits Tuzzolino and assistant coach Tim Kennedy, the former NHLer from Buffalo, for helping him transform his game – and his teammates’.
“Again, got to give credit to the team there in Buffalo,” he said Wednesday. “They are a real special group. We did accomplish a bunch of things as a whole. Obviously, we didn’t get to accomplish it all because of the COVID virus. But that team success had a lot to do with the individual success on the team. Such a good group of guys. It just made it real comfortable for everybody, especially me coming in from Canada. The boys were real good to me.”
Costantini has had plenty of school interest but is the only one of the OJHLers on the NHL draft list without a college commitment.
He was in the middle of the process, visiting campuses and speaking to coaches, when COVID-19 struck. Depending on how those talks go, Costantini could be playing college this fall or return to junior.
For now, he’s completing his Grade 12 courses online and working out in his family’s basement gym. To mix things up, there’s a hill to tackle in his St. Catharines neighbourhood.
The NHL Draft, originally scheduled for Montreal in June, will be rescheduled, the NHL says.
On Wednesday, the Canadian Junior Hockey League announced that Costantini was one of five finalists for its national rookie of the year award.
