The Ontario Hockey League is in full swing, with several Peterborough natives making their mark early on. Maybe the most notable local products are from the Sarnia Sting, where cousins Nolan Burke and Porter Martone have been getting a lot of attention.
Burke was named an assistant captain for the Sting this season and is currently leading the league in goals (14) and is second in points (23). The overage forward is well on pace to eclipse his previous career high of 59 points which he set last season. This is Burke’s 4th in Sarnia.
Martone on the other hand is just starting his OHL career and the first-round draft pick, who just turned 16, is already turning heads. He picked up his first point in his very first game, while he was still 15, and is currently representing Canada as an assistant captain at the U17 World Hockey Challenge in Langley, BC.
Also playing in the Western Conference are Kalvyn Watson and Tyler Savard, both with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Watson is second in team scoring with 12 points while Savard sits right behind him in third spot with 10.
Still in the West, there’s Tyler Deline and Will Cranley suiting up with the Flint Firebirds. Both are in their final OHL seasons and have been key contributors to the Firebirds backend. Deline, a defencemen, is one for one in shootout attempts this season, with that goal being a game winner, while Cranley has stopped 360 of the 396 shots he’s faced between the pipes.
Kaedan Johnston is the lone Peterborough native on the London Knights roster this year. The rookie has seen action in three games so far this season, picking up an assist in his second game.
Over in the Eastern Conference, Lucas Moore sits third on the Hamilton Bulldogs for points with eight while also leading all defencemen on the team in that category. Moore is also second on the team in powerplay assists with four.
Rounding out the list of Peterborough natives in the OHL this season are Chase Stillman, JR Avon and Easton Rye, all playing for their hometown Petes. Stillman sits at seventh spot in team scoring with nine points while Avon is in fifth spot with twelve. Rye has yet to see any action this season but the rookie netminder did get to suit up for the first time on Saturday, backing up Liam Sztuska for a game in Ottawa.
Speaking of goalies, former Pete Dylan Wells made his NHL debut over the weekend for the Chicago Blackhawks, suiting up for the third period against the Winnipeg Jets. Wells was called to duty on Saturday, with the Blackhawks already down 3-0, and managed to save 12 of the 13 shots he faced.
(Written by: Scott Arnold)
