DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE DROPPING PUCK ON 5TH SEASON
New sponsor College Hockey Inc. presenting seminar at OJDL Showcase
April 2, 2018, Mississauga, ON – Officials with the Ontario Junior Development League (OJDL) are excited about this spring’s season – and the graduates the league has already produced.
Ten teams will play in the OJDL this May and June. Games will be played in Oshawa, Etobicoke, Oakville and Brampton.
It’s the fifth season for the league run by the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
College Hockey Inc. has been announced as a new major sponsor of the OJDL. Other sponsors include, ClifBar and Barn Burner Hockey.
As the name implies, it’s all about developing teenaged hockey players.
“It’s one piece of our development pyramid,” said Rick Morocco, the OJHL’s Director of Business Development and Events. “From our combine, to the development league and onto OJHL camps.”
All 22 OJHL teams will have officials in attendance during the combine.
“It’s a major off-season recruiting tool for all of our teams,” said Chris Vanstone, the OJHL’s Director of Hockey Operations. “The OJDL offers an opportunity for players to gain an introduction to the OJHL. I believe the OJDL offers a great experience for players to work with our teams and their coaching staffs.
“Over the last four years, we have seen our numbers grow with players moving from the OJDL to Jr A hockey. Last spring, 40 per cent of the players who played in the OJDL moved onto play Jr A hockey the next season. “
From the 2018 OJDL teams, 84 players made OJHL teams or teams in other junior hockey leagues.
Jamie Engelbert spent two summers with the Cobourg Cougars OJDL team. This year, he played on Team Canada East at the World Jr. A Challenge in Alberta. He has interest from several NCAA schools.
Alex Dameski was the leading scorer (19 goals/3 assists) in the OJDL for Orangeville/Brampton last summer – his second in the summer league. The 17-year-old, who played AAA minor hockey in Brampton, went on to have 22 points in 38 games with the Brampton Admirals in the OJHL this past season.
“Only one player from our 2016 Oakville Blades OJDL team didn’t go on to play junior hockey,” said Blades General Manager Jordan Sellinger.
Two jumped to Ontario Hockey League teams. Josh Rettinger, now a member of the North York Rangers of the OJHL, played in Oakville the next season. Oakville and North York finished 1-2 in the overall OJHL standings this season.
“We want to give the development league players the experience of playing at a higher level under OJHL coaches,” said Morocco. “It’s an extremely competitive league.”
Teams playing in the 2019 OJDL will include: the Collingwood Colts, Brampton Admirals, Toronto Patriots, Whitby Fury, Oakville Blades, Burlington Cougars and two squads each from the Cobourg Cougars – Cobourg East and West – and Georgetown Raiders – Raiders 1 and 2.
Play begins May 5 with two games at 16 Mile Sports Complex in Oakville.
Each team will play two games during the OJDL Showcase at Campus Ice Centre in Oshawa June 1 and 2. College Hockey Inc., will conduct a seminar for all OJDL players during the Showcase.
College Hockey Inc. works with NCAA Division I men’s college hockey to raise the sport’s profile and to encourage elite young players to pursue a college hockey career.
Teams are recruiting players now, but players are also welcome to contact teams themselves.
“The development league lets players get their feet wet and get the jump on other players,” said Vanstone.
About the OJHL – “League of Choice”
The Ontario Junior Hockey League is the largest Junior ‘A’ league operating under the auspices of the
Canadian Junior Hockey League with 22 member clubs. A proud member of the CJHL and Ontario
Hockey Association, the OJHL was originally named the Ontario Provincial Junior ‘A’ Hockey League and it was formed out of the Central Junior ‘B’ Hockey League in 1993-94. With a long and storied history of developing players for the next level, including U Sports, the NCAA, CHL, minor pro ranks and the NHL, the OJHL had more than 135 commitments in 2017-18, including 65 NCAA Division I scholarships.
For more information on the Ontario Junior Hockey League, please visit www.ojhl.ca
