NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
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The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, March 19, 2023.
Colts' Brandt Clarke Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week
Los Angeles Kings prospect Brandt Clarke of the Barrie Colts is the OHL Player of the Week, recording five goals, six assists and 11 points in three games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-9.
Clarke started off his week with a pair of goals and assists on Wednesday, including the game-tying goal as the Colts fell to the Mississauga Steelheads 6-5 in a shootout. He found the scoresheet again on Friday, recording two helpers including one on Ethan Cardwell's overtime winner as the Colts defeated the Owen Sound Attack 5-4.
Clarke extended his current point streak to 15 games with a career-high five point night on Sunday, finishing with a hat trick, two assists and first-star honours in a high-scoring 11-4 win over the Niagara IceDogs.
A 20-year-old from Nepean, Ont., Clarke leads the OHL with 1.97 points-per-game, recording 59 points (21-38--59) through 30 games since returning from winning gold with Canada at the World Juniors. Clarke has produced a franchise record 156 career points (38-118--156) by a Colts defenceman, doing so in 142 regular season games.
Now in his third season with Barrie, Clarke was voted to the League’s second all-star team in 2021-22, recording 59 points (11-48–59) in 55 games.
The blue-liner was Barrie’s first round (4th overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection from the Don Mills Flyers U16 program. He was a first round (8th overall) pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2021 NHL Draft, and signed a three-year entry level NHL contract with the club on Aug. 10, 2021. He played in nine games with Los Angeles earlier this season, recording two assists in the process.
Also considered for the award this week, Braeden Bowman of the Guelph Storm produced three goals, seven assists, 10 points and a shootout winner in three victories last week. Overage captain Mitchell Smith of the Saginaw Spirit contributed four goals, including his first career hat trick and an overtime winner, along with three assists for seven points in three games played.
2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
Mar. 6– Mar. 12: Sahil Panwar (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Christian Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Braeden Bowman (Guelph Storm)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Nolan Burke (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Sean McGurn (London Knights)
Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Sahil Panwar (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: James Hardie (Mississauga Steelheads)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Colby Barlow (Owen Sound Attack)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Bryce McConnell-Barker (Soo Greyhounds)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Connor Lockhart (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Evan Vierling (Barrie Colts)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Ryan Gagnier (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Quentin Musty (Sudbury Wolves)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Jorian Donovan (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Matthew Poitras (Guelph Storm)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Brody Crane (London Knights)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Matvey Petrov (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Deni Goure (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Tucker Robertson (Peterborough Petes)
Petes' Liam Sztuska Named OHL Goaltender of the Week
Liam Sztuska of the Peterborough Petes is the OHL Goaltender of the Week, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.86 goals-against average and .947 save percentage.
Stopping 72 of the 76 shots he faced, Sztuska defended the crease in a pair of victories for the Petes last week. He turned aside 43 of the 45 shots that came his way on Tuesday as Peterborough defeated the visiting Mississauga Steelheads 5-2. Sztuska subbed-in for Michael Simpson in the third period of a 3-2 loss in Sudbury on Friday, stopping all three shots he faced. The 6-foot, 181lb. netminder was back in the crease on Sunday, making 26 saves in a 5-2 win over the Niagara IceDogs.
An 18-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., Sztuska owns a record of 10-7-0-0 with a 2.98 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 18 games this season. Sztuska was Peterborough’s fifth round (94th overall) pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Titans U16 program.
Also in the running for the award this week, Andrew Oke of the Saginaw Spirit recorded a two-win week with a 2.92 goals-against average, and .920 save percentage. Charlie Schenkel of the Soo Greyhounds played to a 1-1 mark with a 2.58 goals-against average and .928 save percentage.
2022-23 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 13 – Mar. 19: Liam Sztuska (Peterborough Petes)
Mar. 6 – Mar. 12: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Feb. 20 – Feb. 26: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Zach Bowen (London Knights)
Jan 30 – Feb. 5: Nate Krawchuk (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan 23 – Jan. 29: Jacob Oster (Oshawa Generals)
Jan 16 – Jan. 22: Mason Vaccari (Kingston Frontenacs)
Jan 9 – Jan. 15: Matteo Drobac (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Marco Costantini (Kitchener Rangers)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Owen Flores (Niagara IceDogs)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Dom DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Joe Ranger (Sudbury Wolves)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Carter George (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Ivan Zhigalov (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Alessio Beglieri (Mississauga Steelheads)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)
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